Chapter 113: See Who Can Stop Me
"No, it’s fine. After we eat, I’ll go cancel Grandma’s household registration, and then I can head back." Leah Sinclair put down her chopsticks and took a sip of water. She had lost her appetite.
"Sheila, I’m sorry. Everything’s been so rushed this time."
Leah Sinclair took Sheila Hughes’s hand and said, "I have to go back to Riverfall today, so I can’t keep you company. But how about during the New Year? I’ll come visit you in Transterra."
"Don’t worry about it. You’ve been so busy these past few days, I haven’t had a chance to tell you. I came mainly to be here for you. But also... remember how I told you about my company? It’s way too demanding. I work myself to the bone for low pay, and they’re always looking for excuses to dock my salary."
"I just can’t take it anymore. Plus, my parents are constantly nagging me to go on blind dates and get married. It’s so annoying. A few days ago, I saw a job posting from the Verdant Group. I sent them my resume, and they invited me for an interview. I want to give it a shot. So, I’ll be heading back to Riverfall with you guys later. If it goes well, I’ll go back and quit my job," Sheila Hughes said, squeezing her hand back.
Leah Sinclair was a little surprised, but the thought of Sheila Hughes potentially moving to Riverfall made her genuinely happy.
Ethan Shaw, however, was curious and asked Sheila Hughes why she didn’t choose to apply to Aevon. Compared to Aevon, companies like Verdant Group or Veridia were just small fry.
Sheila Hughes explained that she didn’t want to make things difficult for Leah Sinclair. Besides, her grades in school were only average, not like Leah Sinclair, who had the qualifications to fight for a position at Aevon right after graduation.
Plus, given the relationship between Leah Sinclair and Asher Keating, if she just showed up there, it would inevitably cause some kind of trouble.
"But, Mr. Keating, just wait. Once I’ve gained some experience and feel I’m ready, I will definitely storm the gates of Aevon! After all, Aevon is in the top three for people like us." Sheila Hughes turned to Asher Keating and declared with confidence.
"Alright. I’ll be waiting for you."
The corners of Asher Keating’s mouth curved up. ’No matter what the rest of the Sinclair Family is like, at least this friend of Leah’s truly considers her in everything she does. You don’t need many friends like that—just a few is more than enough.’
After the meal, the guests slowly began to leave. Leah Sinclair went over to their village chief and exchanged a few words with him.
The village chief frowned, seeming hesitant at first, but then he sighed and nodded. Leah Sinclair took a step back, gave him a deep bow, and then went to see off the guests with First Uncle Sinclair.
Once most of the people had left, Leah Sinclair had Sean Yates help her move a table to the center of the courtyard, then helped the village chief to a seat on one side of it.
When First Uncle Sinclair and the others returned from seeing off the guests, they saw the setup and asked what she was doing. Leah Sinclair glanced at them. "First Uncle, First Aunt, First Cousin, Second Cousin, please, have a seat."
First Uncle Sinclair and the others exchanged a look, completely bewildered. They had no idea what Leah Sinclair was up to, but with Asher Keating and his friends present, they didn’t dare cause a scene and sat down at the table.
Meanwhile, Asher Keating and his friends leaned back, sitting off to the side, lighting cigarettes and smoking slowly. They had no idea what Leah Sinclair was planning either.
Leah Sinclair emerged from Grandma Sinclair’s room holding a small box. This was the box Grandma Sinclair had mentioned to her before she passed away.
She had forgotten about it at first, but the memory came back to her the other night when she couldn’t sleep. She had searched Grandma Sinclair’s room and finally found it in a hidden compartment in the cabinet.
Inside was the gold lock Grandma Sinclair said Leah had been wearing when she was found, as well as an agreement signed by First Uncle Sinclair and Grandma Sinclair stating that Leah Sinclair was to be under Grandma Sinclair’s sole guardianship.
In her left hand, she held the box. In her right, she was carrying a brick. She walked to the table and slammed the brick down on it. THUD! The sound made several people jump, especially Jack Sinclair, who nearly leaped out of his seat. "Leah Sinclair, what are you doing?!"
Leah Sinclair sat down, pulled the brick back in front of her, and cut straight to the chase, wasting no time on pleasantries. "Give me Grandma’s and my household register."
"What do you want the household register for?"
"To cancel Grandma’s registration."
Leah Sinclair’s registration was listed under Grandma Sinclair’s name. She had searched for the household register for a long time but couldn’t find it. She figured First Uncle Sinclair and his family had hidden it. With Grandma Sinclair gone, she couldn’t possibly leave the document in their hands.
"I-I’ll take care of canceling my mom’s registration. We don’t need you for that," First Uncle Sinclair muttered. "You just have to stick your nose in everything."
"First Uncle, besides Grandma, don’t forget my name is on that register too. Now that Grandma is gone, I have the right to take it back," Leah Sinclair said calmly.
"Hah, what’s that supposed to mean, girl? What do you mean ’your’ household register? You were found by your grandma, and you took our Sinclair family name. What makes it ’yours’? By rights, your registration should be transferred to your uncle’s name. Why don’t we go change it? Transfer it over, and we’ll adopt you as our daughter. When you get married, I’ll even give you a dowry."
The First Aunt-in-law’s words were shameless. The first day Asher Keating arrived, they had gone and hidden Grandma Sinclair’s household register. They were hoping they could use it, maybe even to demand a hefty betrothal gift from Asher Keating.
"Wow! So high and mighty! So shameless!" Sheila Hughes scoffed from behind Leah Sinclair.
"Hey! You! Last night, I already..." Jack Sinclair couldn’t help but stand up.
Leah Sinclair tossed the brick right in front of him and stared at him coldly. "Jack Sinclair, six years ago, I didn’t smash your head in because Grandma stopped me. Now that Grandma’s gone, let’s see if anyone can stop me."
Jack Sinclair’s heart lurched. The scene of Leah Sinclair’s fury from six years ago, when she had nearly killed him, flashed before his eyes. He was actually scared. He trembled as he sat back down. "You shrew! You think you’ll get off easy if you kill me? You’ll just go to jail!"
"Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, she won’t have to," Asher Keating said casually, blowing a smoke ring as he looked at him.
The members of the Sinclair family glanced at Asher Keating. They wanted to retort, ’So what if you’re rich?’, but didn’t dare to speak up.
Ethan Shaw and the others had also been shaken by Leah Sinclair’s move. Ethan Shaw secretly whispered to Riley Sterling, "And I thought Leah was fierce yesterday."
"This is a tough battle. I’m suddenly a little worried for our Third Brother. What if she throws a brick at him when she gets angry in the future?" As Riley Sterling spoke, he peeked at Asher Keating, only to find him watching Leah Sinclair up front with a faint smile on his face.
Leah Sinclair turned her gaze back to First Uncle Sinclair. "I’ll say it again. Give me the household register."
"Fine! You want the household register? Alright! Then let’s tally up how much money you’ve cost us all these years living in the Sinclair family—all the food, the drink, the expenses, and all those years of schooling. You pay us back all that money, and I’ll give you the household register immediately!" the First Aunt-in-law said, slapping the table as she stood up and resorted to shameless tactics.