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

"She got here before me. She was already interning here."

"Oh, right. I asked her before, and she said she studied civil engineering at Riverfall University. Tsk, I never would’ve guessed. You two are really fated to meet. What about our dear Leah? It should be her break time now, right? Let’s go find her! It’s been so long, I actually miss her. I even brought her some local specialties," Ethan Shaw said, ready to dash off excitedly to the eighteenth floor.

"Hah," Asher Keating sneered. "Even if you go, she’ll pretend she doesn’t know you."

"Why? And what do you mean, ’too’? Don’t tell me she’s hiding you away, pretending she doesn’t know you?" Ethan Shaw asked, his face a mask of surprise.

Just the mention of this got Asher Keating riled up. "I offer to give her a ride to work, but she insists on squeezing onto the subway. When we run into each other at the company, she acts like she doesn’t know me. She only greets me reluctantly after someone else says hello first. What’s the deal? Am I not good enough to be seen with?"

Ethan Shaw couldn’t help but burst out laughing. "Hahaha! Third Bro! There’s actually a woman who finds you embarrassing? No, but seriously, what is Leah Sinclair thinking? Anyone else in her position would be dying for the whole world to know about you two."

"Sean Yates said she’s trying to avoid causing trouble for me. As if I’m afraid of her causing me trouble."

Asher Keating lit a cigarette and spoke languidly. He actually knew what Leah Sinclair was thinking. Still, the few times they’d run into each other at the office and she looked like she wanted to vanish on the spot, he couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed.

"Tsk. But then again, it makes sense. Your relationship... you’re not exactly boyfriend and girlfriend. For her, if people at the company found out she was the little Canary you’re keeping, could she even keep working here? You should try to see it from her perspective. It’s not easy to get into Aevon, and she’s just a fresh graduate. It’s tough for her," Ethan Shaw said, his brain having a rare moment of clarity.

Asher Keating’s hand, holding the cigarette, paused. He pressed his lips together and said nothing.

Seeing his reaction, Ethan Shaw was slightly taken aback. "Third Bro, don’t tell me... you’re actually catching feelings for her? Her... status... your family would never approve of you two getting married. Keeping her around for fun is one thing. Later, when you marry Madeline, just give Leah some money. Send her abroad or wherever. That would be more than fair to her."

"Who said I’m marrying Madeline Sterling?" Asher Keating frowned. He was going to marry Madeline Sterling? How come he was the last to know?

"The Sterling Family has been putting the word out. And Madeline has been telling all her close friends that she won’t marry anyone but you. You didn’t know? Weren’t you pretty into her before?" Ethan Shaw was speechless. ’Could it be that Asher really doesn’t know about this?’

"The Sterling Family sure knows how to apply pressure. I’m not marrying Madeline Sterling. I could marry anyone, but it would never be her." Asher Keating had been too busy lately to pay attention to such things.

Ethan Shaw was silent for a moment. He knew something had happened between Asher Keating and Madeline Sterling before, but he didn’t know the details. Asher never said, and it wasn’t their place to ask.

He sighed. "Then... what about Leah Sinclair? What are your intentions with her right now? Is it just for fun? Or... have you really developed feelings?"

Asher Keating fell silent as well. After finishing his cigarette, he finally spoke, his voice faint. "Right now, I don’t want to let her go. As for the future... we’ll see."

"Tsk. What if one day she comes to you and says, ’Third Bro, I don’t want to be your Canary anymore. I want to be your girlfriend. I want to be in a real relationship with you.’ Would you do it?" Ethan Shaw wore an I-knew-it expression. He’d long suspected that Asher’s attitude toward Leah Sinclair wasn’t just about keeping her for fun.

Asher Keating’s fingers tapped on the sofa. Marriage was such a distant concept that he’d never seriously considered it. For the next few years, there was no way he could focus on something like getting married.

As for dating... ’If it were Leah Sinclair,’ he thought, ’it might not be so bad.’ A smile touched his lips. "Wouldn’t hurt to try."

"Pah! Scumbag."

"And you’re not?"

"I am a scumbag, so what? But has any girl ever left me without getting her fill of gifts and money? I’m an honest-to-god scumbag!" Ethan Shaw retorted indignantly. "But speaking of which, if I go find her, will she really pretend not to know me?"

"You can try."

And so Ethan Shaw actually dragged him along. Asher Keating was speechless. "You’re the one looking for rejection, so why are you dragging me into it?"

"I need to show you the kind of status I have in little Leah’s heart."

"What status? You don’t have any."

Ethan Shaw dragged Asher Keating to the eighteenth floor. He’d arrived full of excitement, only to find that Leah Sinclair wasn’t in the office at all.

One of the people who had given the report last time saw Asher Keating arrive and greeted him nervously. Asher, however, was quite amiable, asking, "Why is no one here?"

"The weather’s nice today, so they’re downstairs playing badminton. I’ll call them up right now," the person said, about to make a call.

Asher Keating waved a hand dismissively. "No need. It’s their break time. I was just passing by to take a look."

The person breathed a sigh of relief. Asher Keating was about to head back to his office, but Ethan Shaw, not giving up, stubbornly dragged him down to the first floor.

The weather today was indeed pleasant. The temperature was around seventeen or eighteen degrees, with hardly any wind. Asher Keating and Ethan Shaw found Leah Sinclair and the other two in the shade behind the building.

Leah Sinclair and Todd Coleman were playing. Zion Sawyer had gotten tired from the last round and was resting on a nearby curb. Leah was wearing a white sweatshirt and simple jeans today, looking very youthful.

She had just scored a point that Todd Coleman missed and was laughing smugly. Zion Sawyer was teasing Todd, asking if he was even any good. Todd yelled, "Okay, time for my ultimate move!" and served the shuttlecock high into the air.

Leah Sinclair hurried backward to receive it, not noticing the person behind her. She bumped right into Asher Keating. Before she even turned around, she recognized his familiar scent and quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, President Keating."

Todd Coleman and Zion Sawyer were startled as well and hurried over. Asher Keating steadied her. "It’s nothing. Playing badminton?"

"Yeah, the weather’s nice today. What brings you here, President Keating?" Zion Sawyer asked curiously.

"I’m... showing a friend around."

Asher Keating gestured to Ethan Shaw behind him. Ethan was desperately trying to catch Leah Sinclair’s eye, winking and making faces, but Leah pointedly ignored him.

Ethan thought, ’...’

Asher Keating shot Ethan Shaw a sidelong glance, as if to say, ’See? I told you so.’ Ethan coughed. "Hey everyone, I’m a friend of Third Bro’s. Name’s Ethan Shaw."

He deliberately emphasized his name, "Ethan Shaw." Leah Sinclair, following Zion Sawyer’s lead, greeted him, "Hello, President Shaw." At that moment, he finally understood how Asher Keating must have felt.

First, it was Young Master Shaw, then Ethan Shaw, and now President Shaw. He felt an urge to laugh out of sheer frustration. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Let me play a round."

How could the three of them dare to refuse? He specifically chose to play against Leah Sinclair. As he took the racket, he muttered to her under his breath, "Huh? ’President Shaw’?"

"I’m sorry, I’m sorry."

Leah Sinclair begged for his mercy. He just huffed and went to the other side of the court. Leah had only recently started learning badminton and wasn’t very good.

Ethan Shaw was delighted. He finally felt like he was getting his own back. He still vividly remembered her teasing him about whether he could hold his liquor last time. One after another, he sent tricky shots flying her way.

Leah Sinclair ran back and forth until she was panting, her cheeks flushed. Asher Keating tutted inwardly, then walked over and took the racket from her hand. "I’ll play you. Don’t go bullying my girl."