Chapter 134: Nash is So Faithful
Chester Hale clearly had something to say to Nathan Grant, so Leah Sinclair urged her to go along. They didn’t go far, just to the small garden outside a nearby door.
Through the glass window, Nathan Grant could keep an eye on Leah Sinclair. But with Mason Grant there, she wasn’t worried about Leah getting into any trouble.
Leah Sinclair was extremely curious about the two of them, so she asked Mason Grant, "Mason, do you know anything about what’s going on between Nash and Dr. Hale?"
Mason Grant had been racking his brain for a topic to capture Leah Sinclair’s attention. Hearing her question, he immediately replied, "I know a little. My sister liked Second Brother Hale even before she left Riverfall. She pursued him for a long time. She’s two years older than him, and her personality is, well, rather... assertive. Second Brother Hale, on the other hand, is... um, more traditional, I guess. So back then, he told my sister it wouldn’t work."
"My sister has been in Kingsford for all these years and has never dated anyone. Shawn and I both think she’s still in love with Second Brother Hale. Now that she’s back, Shawn was thinking of trying to set them up."
"Before she left for Kingsford? Wow, that was so many years ago. Nash is so devoted."
Leah Sinclair watched Nathan Grant talking with Chester Hale. She recalled Asher Keating telling her that while the Grant Family had moved to Kingsford early on, Nathan Grant had stayed behind in Riverfall for a long time to accompany Shawn Grant, whose health was poor back then. She had only moved to Kingsford about seven or eight years ago. That meant Nathan Grant was only in her early twenties back then.
Now, in front of Chester Hale, Nathan Grant had lost the assertive presence she usually had around them. There was a girlish softness to her, and her eyes held a trace of gentleness. She seemed like a completely different person. And from the way Chester Hale looked at Nathan Grant, Leah Sinclair felt that he wasn’t entirely indifferent to her, either.
"Mhm. We Grants are all very devoted," Mason Grant said earnestly.
Leah Sinclair chuckled at his solemn expression. Just as she was speaking with Mason Grant, a group of people came over, laughing and chatting. As they passed her, one of them suddenly twisted her ankle.
"Oops!"
A glass of red wine spilled out. Leah Sinclair noticed and quickly stepped back, but some of it still splashed onto her dress.
Splotches of red instantly stained the aqua-blue fabric. She frowned, lifting the hem of her skirt to look as the wine slowly seeped in. She didn’t dare try to wipe it with a napkin.
"What’s your problem?"
When Mason Grant saw the wine on her dress, his expression instantly turned cold. He crouched down, taking the hem of Leah Sinclair’s skirt to get a closer look.
"I didn’t do it on purpose, why are you being so aggressive? Oh, isn’t this Third Master Keating’s little girlfriend? Why aren’t you with him? Here instead, hmm? You’re not trying to hook up with other men at the Keating family banquet, are you?" the woman who spilled the wine said theatrically, looking between the two of them.
Her voice wasn’t quiet. Even though Leah Sinclair and Mason were in a corner, they still started attracting glances from other guests.
"It’s fine, Mason."
Leah Sinclair, a little embarrassed, gently pulled her skirt back from Mason’s grasp and looked up at the three women before her.
The three women were still talking, their expressions haughty. ’Now I get it,’ Leah realized. ’The whole "twisted ankle" story was a lie. This was all deliberate. They were targeting me!’
She glanced to the side and, sure enough, Madeline Sterling was standing not far off. When Madeline saw Leah Sinclair looking her way, she casually raised her glass in a toast, a faint, malicious smile playing on her lips.
Leah Sinclair pulled her gaze away and faced the three women, her expression cold. "Apologize."
"Apologize?" one of them said, rolling her eyes. "To you? As if."
"You!"
Mason Grant was so angry he started to step forward, but Leah Sinclair grabbed his sleeve. Then, she smiled faintly. That smile suddenly gave the three women a very bad feeling.
"What are you smiling for? Your dress is a mess, and you have the nerve to smile? If I were you, I would’ve run home in shame by now."
The three of them were banking on the fact that Leah Sinclair hadn’t brought a change of clothes. They figured if they ruined her dress, she’d have no choice but to leave early. That would give Madeline Sterling an opportunity to get close to Asher Keating.
"You three morons," Leah said, looking at them as if they were complete idiots. "When Madeline Sterling sent you to pick a fight with me, did she not tell you who this is standing next to me?"
"Who? This guy?"
The three women quickly sized Mason Grant up. They had glanced over earlier but hadn’t seen him arrive with Nathan Grant. At the time, other people had been crowding around, so they’d assumed Mason was part of a different group. It was only after Nathan Grant, Ethan Shaw, and the others had left that they dared to make their move.
Outside the window, Nathan Grant had already noticed the commotion when Leah Sinclair pulled Mason back. She let out a soft chuckle and said to Chester Hale, "Looks like you’re about to witness my ’overly assertive’ side again."
As she spoke, her voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible sigh. Chester Hale froze for a moment, then watched as she walked back inside.
He reached out as if to stop her, wanting to tell her that it wasn’t her assertiveness he disliked. But when he saw what was happening inside, he quickly followed her in.
"Tsk, tsk. Look what we have here. Where did these three idiots crawl out from?"
Nathan Grant stood with her arms crossed, glaring at the three women. The moment they saw her, they stammered a greeting and immediately tried to flee.
"Stop right there! Did I say you could leave?" Nathan Grant barked.
The trio shuffled back meekly. Nathan Grant’s presence was drawing more and more attention. After all, with the Grant Family back in Riverfall after so many years, there were plenty of people eager to curry favor.
Countless groups of people had already swarmed Shawn Grant. As for Nathan Grant, her assertive reputation meant few dared to approach her directly, but many still watched her from afar, hoping for a chance to exchange a few words.
"Nash, we didn’t mean to. I just... I accidentally twisted my ankle," the woman who’d spilled the wine whined, pouting pitifully.
"She did it on purpose! If Leah hadn’t dodged so quickly, that whole glass would’ve been all over her!" Mason Grant’s brow was furrowed in anger.
"You—! Nash, I really didn’t mean to."
"Hah. Not on purpose?" Nathan Grant lifted her chin haughtily. "Leah Sinclair, throw it right back at her."
Leah Sinclair hesitated. This was the old Mr. Keating’s birthday banquet, after all. Even though she didn’t know who these women were, she didn’t want to embarrass the Keating family. On any other occasion, she would have already done it.
Nathan Grant saw her hesitation and knew exactly what she was thinking. With a "tsk," she prepared to do it herself. Leah Sinclair might have reservations, but she certainly didn’t!
But Mason Grant was faster. He snatched two glasses of wine from a nearby table and flung their contents all over the three women.
"AH! What are you doing!?"
"AH! Are you crazy!?"
"AH! My LV! You’ll pay for this!"
The three women shrieked in unison. Their screams were so piercing that what had been a minor commotion noticed only by a few now drew the attention of everyone, including the Keating family members at the front of the room.
"Tsk. Looks like our third brother’s girlfriend is causing trouble, huh?"
Aaron Keating put on a look of profound disappointment. "I told you not to bring that kind of country girl here. See? Now there’s trouble. Daring to cause a scene at Grandfather’s own birthday banquet... She’s completely tactless."