I'm Afraid I Won't Be Able to Leave

Mason Grant greeted him politely, "Third Master Keating."

"Mason Grant?"

Asher Keating realized who he was. He had never met Mason before, but he recalled Nash mentioning that Mason would be coming. Since he arrived with Shawn, there was little room for doubt.

"Yes, that’s me."

"Have a seat. Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? Sean, make some tea," Asher Keating said as he walked over and sat down on the sofa.

"Mason just arrived. My sister got busy, so I took him out to eat. After we finished, I remembered your office was nearby, so we came to see if you were in." Shawn Grant was sprawled on the sofa, lazily propping up his head.

Asher Keating kicked Shawn’s leg. "Sit up straight. Nash will scold you if she sees you like this."

"Relax, she’s not here. I was out too late with Ethan Shaw and the guys last night, so I’m exhausted." For the past few days, Shawn had been hanging out with Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling, hitting up every club and bar in Riverfall.

Mason Grant was secretly observing Asher Keating. It wasn’t just because he was Leah Sinclair’s boyfriend. Of all the prominent figures in Riverfall, the Grant family most often mentioned two names: Asher Keating and Morgan Sterling.

In the past, Asher Keating had never meddled excessively in the Keating Group’s business, content like his father. The old Mr. Grant had even said it was a pity. But to everyone’s surprise, Asher had suddenly made his move three years ago, and he had acted with incredible speed. Mason was curious about what kind of man he truly was.

Asher Keating was observing Mason Grant as well. He looked young but was very proper. After greeting Asher upon entering, he hadn’t said another word, sitting perfectly upright—the complete opposite of Shawn.

"Third Master Keating, any interest in being the contractor for our G&S?" Shawn Grant asked abruptly, lighting a cigarette.

"Me? Doesn’t the Grant family have its own construction company?" Asher Keating leaned back on the sofa with a playful look. After L&C was acquired, the Grant family had officially renamed it the G&S Hotel.

"They’re not in Riverfall, are they? And you know how it is—the old man just threw the three of us siblings here and told us to handle everything ourselves. My sister’s thinking is, better the devil you know. She’s not impressed with your two older brothers, but you, you’re someone she can get on board with." Shawn sat up straight, his tone suddenly serious.

Asher Keating took a drag from his cigarette without answering immediately. ’The G&S project... It’s definitely doable. Very doable, in fact.’ He initially assumed the Grant family would handle it themselves, so he hadn’t thought about getting involved.

But now that Shawn had brought it up, he was a little puzzled. Given the Grant family’s resources, it was unusual for them to let a project of their own slip into someone else’s hands. Even though their main operations weren’t in Riverfall, they could easily set things up quickly if they wanted to.

"Do your grandfather and your father know about this?"

"Haven’t told them yet. This is just an idea my sister has right now. She wanted to gauge your interest first. If you’re willing to take it, she’ll go talk to the elders. Third Master Keating, you won’t lose out by taking on our project." Shawn grinned roguishly.

"Let me think about it. I’ll give you an answer once I have." Asher Keating didn’t refuse outright. He needed to think through the implications.

"Sure. It’s not like we’re starting right away anyway. When you decide, just tell my sister directly. I’m just the messenger." After speaking, Shawn slumped back against the sofa as if he didn’t have a bone in his body.

Leah Sinclair had spent the entire afternoon organizing data and writing reports. By the time she got home, she collapsed onto the bed, not wanting to move an inch. Asher Keating was out for a business dinner, and she couldn’t even be bothered to eat. Her back felt a little sore from sitting for so long, so she just lay on her stomach and ended up falling asleep.

When Asher Keating returned, he found Leah Sinclair sprawled out on the bed like a starfish, fast asleep. He knew she had been running around construction sites for the past few days and figured today must have been brutal. A small smile touched his lips as he set down what he was carrying. He was about to lift her into bed properly, but the moment he moved, she woke up.

"Asher."

Leah Sinclair murmured groggily, then opened her eyes. "How did I fall asleep?"

"Have you eaten?" Asher Keating stroked her head. Having just woken up, Leah had an adorable, dazed look about her.

"I ate a little before I came back, and Zion ordered afternoon tea." Leah told a small lie. She wasn’t hungry at all, and if she said she hadn’t eaten, Asher would definitely drag her out for food.

Hearing that she had eaten, Asher didn’t press further. He handed her the bag he had brought back. "Get up and try this on."

"What is it?"

Leah took it curiously and opened it. Inside was an evening gown. The fabric was silk-like, and it was a water-blue, strapless design with cutouts at the waist. The color seemed to shimmer like ripples on water under the light, and the skirt was adorned with countless small diamonds. Leah was stunned. "This... this is gorgeous!"

"Try it on first. If the size is wrong, we can get it altered." Asher had no intention of leaving, leaning lazily against the headboard to watch.

Leah felt a little shy. She took the dress into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. She had dressed casually for the construction site visit today, and now, holding this gown, she felt like she wasn’t worthy of it.

While zipping it up, the zipper got stuck. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t pull it up. She opened the bathroom door and poked her head out. "Asher... the zipper is stuck."

Asher stood up and walked toward the bathroom. When he saw how the top of the dress looked on her, he froze for a moment before a smile spread across his face.

When he chose this gown, he had thought the color would suit her perfectly—not too conservative, not too flashy, just right for her age. Now, seeing it on her, even just for a fitting, it already looked perfect. She looked especially charming.

Leah asked nervously, "Does it look good?"

"Yes, very beautiful."

Asher said as he walked over and turned her around. The zipper was just snagged; it wasn’t a size issue. He knew Leah’s measurements perfectly—had his hands not measured every inch of her?

He slowly pulled the zipper up and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The strapless design accentuated Leah’s delicate collarbones, making them look even more beautiful. The small red mole was particularly noticeable. The cutouts on either side of her waist revealed a hint of her skin. The only thing missing was a necklace; Asher felt something was lacking.

He hugged Leah from behind, his hands resting on her waist and gently caressing her. "We’ll pair it with a necklace later. If you don’t have a suitable one, we’ll buy one tomorrow."

"We probably don’t need to buy one. I’ll go look for one now," Leah said, about to go through the things Asher had bought her before. She rarely wore them and kept them stored away.

"That’s not urgent. But I am."

"Ah, you’re... MPH—" Before Leah could finish, he kissed her. Right, *that’s* what Asher was urgent about.

If Leah hadn’t fiercely protected it, Asher would have torn the expensive gown right off her.

In the end, Leah chose the birthday gift Asher had given her as a matching necklace and found a simpler pair of earrings in her jewelry box, finally completing her accessories.

"Asher, I’m a little nervous."