Chapter 58: You Look Like Madeline Sterling
"I’m fine."
Leah Sinclair smiled and then said, "Seriously, thank you so much, you and Todd Coleman, for yesterday. Let me treat you two to dinner, okay? Thanks for saving my butt."
"Don’t mention it. But you, really! When I got your message yesterday, I was scared to death. My legs went weak." Zion Sawyer sighed in relief, seeing that she was truly okay.
After settling on the dinner plans, Leah Sinclair texted Asher Keating to tell him she was treating Zion Sawyer and the others that evening. A moment later, Asher directly sent her a restaurant location and private room number. "Go here. It’s all arranged."
Leah searched for it; the restaurant was not cheap. She quickly replied, "No, it’s okay. I’ll book it myself."
"You should be sincere when you thank someone. I told the restaurant to put it on my tab. You can just leave after you’re done eating."
Leah was still hesitant, typing and deleting her words. Then, Asher’s second message came through: "Just consider it my way of thanking them too. All right?"
A sweet feeling blossomed in Leah’s heart, and she couldn’t bring herself to refuse. "Thank you, Asher."
"That’s more like it. I’m going to The Dynasty Club with Ethan Shaw and the others tonight. Come find me when you’re done."
"Okay."
Leah put down her phone, made a cup of coffee, and started working. She had passed her probationary period and could now officially start working on projects. Not only did her salary increase, but she would also receive commissions and bonuses.
All told, her pay would be much higher than before. The thought made her forget the pain from the lump on her head, and she was filled with a sudden burst of motivation.
That evening, when Leah Sinclair brought Zion Sawyer and Todd Coleman to the restaurant Asher Keating had booked, their jaws were on the floor from the moment they walked in.
Leah was also a bit stunned. She regretted getting carried away by a single sentence from Asher and coming here. However, the waiter had clearly been briefed by Asher beforehand. When she gave the private room number, he simply said, "Miss Sinclair, this way, please."
"Leah, you’re really breaking the bank! This must cost a month’s salary. Should we go somewhere else? It’s seriously too expensive!" Zion Sawyer said in a low voice, tugging at her arm.
’I’m not even sure two months’ salary would cover this,’ Leah thought. But she had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "It’s fine. The food’s already been ordered. I did the math; it’s not that crazy."
The three of them were a bit apprehensive after sitting down. A waiter asked if they were ready for the food to be served. After Leah said yes, he arranged for the dishes to be brought out, along with a bottle of red wine that had already been decanted.
Zion Sawyer waited until the staff left, then swallowed hard and said, "I just secretly looked it up. The average cost here is over two thousand per person! Leah, did you have to go all out like this? This is way too much."
’Over two thousand per person... Okay, that’s fine. One month’s salary should be enough.’ If it were any more, she’d feel like she owed Asher Keating way too much. Leah breathed a small sigh of relief.
Leah picked up her wine glass and stood up. "Seriously, thank you both so much for yesterday. You basically saved my life, so this meal is worth it! No matter how expensive, it’s worth it. I want to formally say to you both, thank you!"
Zion Sawyer and Todd Coleman quickly stood up and clinked glasses with her. After taking a sip of wine, Todd said, "You don’t have to put it like that. It was the right thing to do. But you were really reckless yesterday. You should have talked to us beforehand. What if Zion and I hadn’t seen your message?"
"Yeah, and you guys don’t know, but that Winston Lawson is a total beast. After the company sent out the notice today, no one dared to discuss it openly, but everyone’s been talking about it like crazy behind the scenes. They’re saying he’s harmed several others." Zion Sawyer still felt a lingering fear just thinking about it.
"Leah, even though they don’t know it was you yet, I bet the gossipers will figure it out eventually. It’s my fault, too. Why did I have to call the police then?"
Todd Coleman was regretful. If he hadn’t called the police yesterday, things might not have blown up this much. They could have gone directly to Asher Keating to handle it. Asher’s attitude yesterday had already shown he wouldn’t cover for anyone.
"How can you blame yourself? Even if you hadn’t called the police, I would have after you arrived," Leah said quickly.
"It’s fine! Leah, don’t worry about what other people say. No matter what, Todd and I are on your side! You’re the victim, not the perpetrator. What’s there to be afraid of?" Zion Sawyer clinked her glass against Leah’s.
Warmth spread through Leah’s heart. "Thank you."
"Alright, you’ve already treated us to such an expensive meal. That’s more than enough."
Zion Sawyer grinned, then quickly shouted, "Hey, hey, Todd, don’t move! Let me take a picture first!"
"I’ll never understand you women. Why do you have to take pictures of your food?" Todd Coleman grumbled, but he put down his chopsticks nonetheless.
"Tch, what do you know? I can skip taking pictures of other things, but how could I not take one of this? This is like a wild boar getting to taste fine bran, you know?" Zion Sawyer rolled her eyes at him.
Leah smiled, waiting until Zion Sawyer had finished taking her pictures, put down her phone, and said she was done before she started picking up food. The dishes had all been arranged by Asher, and they were delicious.
Asher hadn’t been too extravagant with the food for the three of them. He had Sean Yates order based on Leah’s salary, with a slight upgrade. The wine, however, was his own addition—a bottle worth a hundred thousand. In any case, it was in a decanter, so Leah and the others wouldn’t know the price.
"But speaking of which, what President Keating said yesterday totally blew me away. I never thought a guy could look so cool while chewing someone out!" Zion Sawyer said, suddenly excited.
"You’re always fawning over someone," Todd Coleman scoffed.
"Oh, shut up. By the way, Leah, did President Keating say anything when he took you home yesterday? I was worried he might blame you for making such a big scene."
"No, he just told me to go home and get some rest, and that the company would handle it," Leah answered, feeling a bit guilty. Asher really hadn’t said much... he’d just ’taken care of her’ in bed.
"That’s good. But based on his attitude yesterday, he didn’t seem like the type to cover for anyone," Zion Sawyer said, happily munching on the food in her bowl. ’This stuff is really delicious.’
Leah smiled too. The three of them ate and chatted. Todd Coleman asked if she had passed her probation, and she said yes, adding that she planned to treat the department to a meal in a few days to thank everyone for their support.
"Don’t book a place like this next time! There are so many people in our department. If you’re treating, just a small gesture is enough. Otherwise, you’ll go bankrupt," Zion Sawyer said quickly.
"Yeah, just pick a regular place. I remember the restaurant Zion Sawyer chose when she passed her probation was pretty good," Todd Coleman added.
"I’ll send it to you. The people in our department are all nice; they don’t care about these things." Zion Sawyer sent the restaurant information to Leah.
"Okay, I’ll check it out when I get back and pick a day when everyone’s free."
Near the end of the meal, as Leah was sipping her wine, Zion Sawyer suddenly said, "Tsk, I knew it. I always thought Leah resembled someone. Just now, from that angle... the way you drink your wine, your profile looks a bit like Madeline Sterling."