Chapter 269: Let’s Settle New and Old Scores Together

“Oh. That’s good.”

Leah Sinclair replied faintly and turned toward the elevators. She knew Phoebe Peyton was still watching her from behind and let out a small, internal sigh.

Leah had already told Liam Peyton about Phoebe and Morgan. After a long silence, he had simply said, “I know. I’ll take care of it.”

She didn’t know how the Peyton family would deal with Phoebe. Mabel Grant knew about it too, and she was more direct. After a cold laugh, she had said just one thing: “Then let’s settle all scores, new and old.”

Right now, the Keating, Grant, and Peyton families were all unusually quiet, as if nothing had happened. But Leah knew it was just the calm before the storm. All they were waiting for was the day Morgan Sterling was discharged from the hospital.

When she reached the 68th floor, Asher Keating and his team were just finishing a meeting. He stepped out of the conference room and saw Leah emerge from the elevator, a hint of a smile touching his eyes. Leah quickened her pace, and Asher naturally took her hand. “What are you doing here in such a downpour?”

“It’s the weekend, and I had nothing to do at home. Besides…”

Leah glanced around and whispered, “I missed you.”

Asher squeezed her hand and led her into his office. The moment the door closed, his lips found hers in an urgent kiss. He hadn’t been home in three days—just one meeting, discussion, and decision after another.

In the last three days, he hadn’t slept a total of ten hours. This time was different. He was aiming for a single, decisive blow—one that would ensure Morgan Sterling could never recover.

After what felt like a long time, just as Leah felt her knees were about to buckle, Asher finally released her. He nuzzled against her neck. “I missed you too.”

Hearing the exhaustion in his voice, Leah’s heart ached for him. She led him to the sofa and opened the insulated container she’d brought. She had cooked all the dishes herself, and the sight of them made Asher realize he was hungry.

“I just ran into Phoebe Peyton downstairs. They’re moving their office today.”

“Yeah, I know. Liam Peyton called me this morning. He said…”

Asher looked up at Leah. “He hopes I won’t go after Phoebe. They’re going to take her back to Kingsford.”

Leah nodded. She didn’t want Asher to clash with Phoebe either. After all, the Peyton family’s status was undeniable. If Asher confronted them head-on, he might not win. Leaving Phoebe for her own family to handle was indeed the best option.

After a moment, Leah asked curiously, “In that case, who from the Peyton family will take over the joint project with you?”

“I don’t know yet. But even if the project is halted, that’s the Peyton Group’s problem.”

Asher slowly sipped his soup. The implication was clear: he could use this as a pretext to halt their collaboration with the Peyton Group entirely. If he did, Keating wouldn’t be out a single penny; in fact, the Peyton Group would owe them a hefty compensation fee. It was just an option he hadn’t fully considered yet.

“Sigh.”

Leah let out a long sigh. Amused, Asher reached out and pinched her cheek. “What’s that sigh for?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking about how unpredictable life is. By the way, when exactly did she and Morgan, uh… get involved?”

Leah had never had the chance to ask Asher for the details, so since she was here, it was the perfect time.

“I don’t know the exact timeline, but they probably started seeing each other before I proposed to you.”

“I have a question. Do you think Morgan ever considered marrying Phoebe?”

Asher shook his head. “He wouldn’t. A man like Morgan only marries one of two types of women: someone who can help him advance, or someone he can completely control. Unfortunately for him, Phoebe is neither. Marrying her would be more trouble than she’s worth.”

Leah sighed again. When Asher set down his bowl, she linked her arm through his. “Do you have more meetings this afternoon?”

Asher glanced at his schedule and sighed as well. “I do. But not for a while. Want to take a nap with me?”

“Okay. How long do we have? I’ll set an alarm.”

“An hour and a half.”

Leah packed up the food containers. After Asher finished his cigarette, he led her into the private lounge. He was truly exhausted; he wrapped his arms around Leah and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

It wasn’t just Asher. Edward Yates, Sean Yates, and the others were also completely wiped out. They all seized the chance to get some rest. For a time, the entire 68th floor of the Keating Group fell silent, leaving only the sound of rain lashing against the building.

「October 27th.」 It was one month before Leah and Asher’s engagement party. Morgan Sterling was discharged from the hospital at 9 AM. The days of endless rain had finally ceased, revealing a sky of the purest blue.

As Morgan Sterling walked out of the hospital, Hugh Sterling and a few others presented him with flowers. A crowd of reporters jostled to take his picture, shouting different questions. Morgan smiled, answering them as he walked. Before getting into the car, he turned back and waved.

The moment the car door closed, Morgan’s expression turned cold. He tossed the flowers onto the back seat, lit a cigarette, and asked Hugh in a chilling tone, “What about Phoebe Peyton? You still haven’t found her?”

Sweat beaded on Hugh’s forehead. “Not yet. It’s as if Miss Peyton has completely disappeared.”

“Did you check her travel records?”

“We’ve checked everything. There are no records. We also sent people to stake out the Peyton Group’s building, but everything seems normal on their end.”

Morgan said nothing more. Two days ago, Hugh had suddenly reported that they’d lost track of Phoebe. His men had spent the past two days investigating, and it seemed that aside from her disappearance, everything else was normal. Still, Morgan had a nagging feeling that something was very wrong.

That same day, just as Morgan stepped through the front doors of the Sterling Group, several cars carrying uniformed officers pulled up to the main entrance.

“Mr. Sterling, we are from the Riverfall City Disciplinary and Supervisory Commission. We’ve received tips regarding several bribery incidents involving the Sterling Group and require your cooperation with our investigation.”

“Mr. Sterling, we are from the Norport District Police Department of Riverfall City. We’ve received a tip regarding the circumstances of your father, Thomas Sterling’s, death. We need you to cooperate with our investigation.”

“Mr. Sterling, we are from the Norport District Tax Bureau of Riverfall City. We’ve received a tip regarding certain tax issues within the Sterling Group and require your cooperation with our investigation.”

The entrance to the Sterling Group was swarming with reporters. The Sterling Group had originally invited them to create a grand spectacle for Morgan’s return, but now they had become the perfect instruments for documenting him being taken away.

Morgan pressed his lips together, glancing at the official documents presented by each group. He gave a slight smile, nodded, and went with them. Before he was led away, his cold, dark eyes fixed on Hugh, who broke out in a nervous sweat and nodded back at him.

Soon, every news outlet in Riverfall City was reporting that Morgan Sterling had been taken into custody. As soon as Morgan was gone, Hugh immediately began contacting the various government officials whose relationships Morgan had so carefully cultivated. But many of them were either fighting to save their own skins or simply refused to answer his calls, all claiming to be busy.