Chapter 265: Can I Have a Hug?

Liam Peyton had thought, ‘Just let it be.’ But seeing Leah Sinclair again today—watching her meticulously explain things to Mason Grant, seeing her smile and wave goodbye—he suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to ask her if he could fight for a chance.

If she were willing, even if it meant defying his father for once, his father would have no objections, given her identity as the second young lady of the Grant family.

Leah Sinclair smiled faintly at Liam Peyton. “In that case, congratulations in advance, Wynn.”

Watching the spark in Liam Peyton’s eyes die, Leah Sinclair bit her lip. “Wynn, I love Asher very much, and he loves me very much. I’ll be very happy, and I hope you will be, too.”

Liam Peyton slowly let out a breath, then gave a soft laugh. “Leah, can I have a hug?”

After a moment’s hesitation, Leah Sinclair nodded. Liam Peyton took a step forward, gave her a light, fleeting hug, then quickly let her go. He walked toward the security checkpoint without a backward glance, leaving Leah standing there, stunned.

Cecilia Peyton, who was already past security, watched this scene in shock. She turned to Mason Grant in disbelief. “My brother… why did he hug Leah?”

Mason Grant sighed inwardly. He turned to Cecilia Peyton and said, “Cecilia, you should forget what you just saw. Don’t mention it to anyone. Wynn… will be grateful.”

As it slowly dawned on her, Cecilia Peyton finally understood. She knew Liam Peyton was going back for matchmaking appointments. A sudden wave of bitterness washed over her.

Although she wasn’t that old, as the daughter of the main branch of the Peyton family, she had grown up completely doted on. But she also understood that people in their position often had no control over their own lives—especially her brother.

His composure restored and his eyes clear, Liam Peyton walked steadily toward the two of them. As he approached, he said simply, “Let’s go.”

From the moment she left the airport until she got in the car, Leah Sinclair was in a bit of a daze. Louise Holt, who was waiting in the car, noticed and asked with concern, “Miss Grant, is something wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

Leah Sinclair glanced down at the time: 4:32. She recalled what Liam Peyton had whispered in her ear: “Leah, when you get back, ask Asher Keating what he did with Phoebe in Aaron Keating’s house.”

Composing herself, she sent a message to Asher Keating, asking when he got off work. She wanted to have dinner with him. Asher replied that he could leave on time today and sent her the location of a restaurant, telling her to go straight there and wait for him. So, Leah had Louise Holt drive them there.

While Leah, Mason, and the others were heading to the airport, Asher Keating received a report from Edward Yates. They had found the two people from the video at the banquet.

The two confessed that they had indeed been paid to stand in that specific location and say certain things. They didn’t know who hired them, only that the person who approached them said his employer’s surname was Peyton. They overheard that person on the phone with their employer, and the one who answered was a man.

The restaurant Asher Keating had chosen was in one of Riverfall’s landmark buildings. Leah sat by the window, gazing outside. At eye level, the lights of skyscrapers intertwined; looking down, streams of headlights converged into rivers of stars.

She was lost in the view when Asher Keating opened the door and came in. She turned her head, and seeing her dazed expression, he frowned slightly.

Leah could never seem to hide anything from him. With a single glance, he could always tell whether she was happy or sad.

“Asher.”

Leah spoke his name softly. Asher walked over to her, but before he could say a word, she wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled against him.

He looked down at the top of her head and ruffled her hair. “What’s wrong? Are you sad that Mason’s gone?”

“No. Asher, I have something to confess.”

“What is it?”

Leah looked up at him. “At the airport today, before Wynn left… he asked if he could have a hug, and I… I let him.”

Asher pressed his lips into a thin line. He crouched down to look into her eyes. “Why?”

“He told me he’s probably going to be engaged soon after he goes back. I told him I’d be very happy, and that I hoped he would be too. Then he asked for a hug. I saw it in his eyes… it felt like he was really letting go. So… I’m sorry, Asher.”

“Did you feel sorry for him?”

“No!”

Leah explained frantically, “I don’t have feelings for Wynn! I really just see him as an older brother, it’s just…”

Asher pinched her cheek, cutting her off. “How did he hug you?”

“Just…”

Leah loosely wrapped her arms around him. “Like this.”

Asher froze for a moment, then started to laugh. ‘That does seem like something Liam Peyton would do.’ You couldn’t even call it a real hug. He understood now; it was simply Liam’s way of saying goodbye to Leah.

He stood up and ruffled Leah’s hair. “It’s okay, I’m not angry. Let’s eat. Are you hungry?”

With that, he signaled the waiter to serve the food and sat down across from Leah. Seeing that he really didn’t look angry, she breathed a sigh of relief.

During dinner, Asher got a call from Ethan Shaw asking if he and Leah wanted to go for drinks at The Dynasty Club. Leah had no objections—it had been a while since she’d had drinks with them—so they went over after they finished eating.

When they arrived, Ethan Shaw, Sheila Hughes, Riley Sterling, and Shawn Grant had already been there for a bit. After a few drinks, the conversation naturally drifted to Morgan Sterling.

With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Ethan Shaw commented, “I think it’ll be hard for Morgan Sterling to make a comeback this time.”

“And who’s to blame for that? It’s his own fault. He insists on controlling everything himself. He’s domineering and tyrannical.”

Riley Sterling took a sip of his drink and continued, “To be blunt, things inside the Sterling Group are a total mess right now. It’s just chaos.”

You couldn’t blame it all on Morgan Sterling, though. The Sterling family had always been like that, a tradition passed down for three generations. Even back when Thomas Sterling was in power…

Although Morgan Sterling was the CEO of the Sterling Group, Thomas Sterling still kept most of the authority firmly in his grasp. He was unwilling to hand over too much power, even to his own son.

It’s just that when Morgan Sterling took over, he was even more tyrannical than Thomas Sterling. And since he isn’t married and has no children, some people on the board are propping things up, but they’re terrified of making the wrong call. They’re afraid that when Morgan gets out of the hospital and reviews everything, their heads will roll.

That’s why when this sudden crisis occurred, the Sterling Group was left without a leader and descended into chaos.

Asher Keating lit a cigarette, his expression noncommittal. He seemed preoccupied and uninterested. Shawn Grant looked at him, confused. “Asher, what’s wrong? Morgan Sterling is taking a beating. Shouldn’t you be happy?”

“No, just thinking about something else.”

Asher pinched the bridge of his nose and glanced over at Leah, who was chatting with Sheila Hughes. He continued, “Morgan Sterling has been moved to a regular ward. He lost big this time, so he’s definitely going to retaliate, and fast. Everyone, stay sharp. Don’t fall into one of his traps.”