"You're not wrong to think that."
Leah Sinclair was silent for a long time. Tapping his fingers on the table, Asher Keating watched her, waiting for her answer.
"How much... did it cost to get this back?" Leah Sinclair asked, the words catching in her throat.
"Eight hundred thousand."
Leah Sinclair's head snapped up. "Why eight hundred thousand? I already paid..."
"It's the buyout price. It's in the contract. Did you think what you already paid back mattered?" Asher Keating sneered. 'This girl is so naive. She must not have read the contract at all.'
Leah Sinclair quickly flipped through the contract. She really hadn't seen that clause. After she signed it, Azure Bay had taken the papers, and she had been in such a rush to get back to the hospital that she hadn't paid any mind.
When she'd gone back later, Azure Bay had only shown her the clauses about them setting the price for her first time. She knew nothing about any buyout.
Seeing the one-time buyout price was the full amount from when she first signed, Leah Sinclair felt her vision darken. Tears threatened to fall, but she bit her lip hard, holding them back. Asher Keating watched her, but with her head bowed, he couldn't see her expression.
After a long moment, Leah Sinclair spoke, her voice choked with emotion. "Young Master Keating, I don't want your money or your things. I'll pay you back every month. When you want to sleep with me... it'll be five thousand a night. Once I've paid off the eight hundred thousand, you'll let me go... okay?"
Asher Keating said nothing. After waiting for a moment in silence, Leah Sinclair had no choice but to look up at him. "I won't cling to you, all right?"
"So you're afraid *I'll* cling to *you*?" Asher Keating felt an exasperated laugh coming on. But seeing her red-rimmed eyes, a flicker of annoyance stirred in him. 'So she's actually afraid of me.'
"Of course not. I just... I don't want this."
"Then what do you want? You don't want to be a kept woman? Are you hoping to marry me instead?"
The moment the words left his mouth, both Asher Keating and Leah Sinclair froze. He didn't know why he had said that himself. The restaurant was utterly silent.
"I know that's impossible. I'm self-aware enough for that," Leah Sinclair said, her voice hoarse.
Asher Keating smoked in silence. "Fine. We'll do it your way."
He didn't want to get bogged down in this with Leah Sinclair. He wasn't a petty man. A major reason he was keeping her was because of what he'd said in front of Morgan Sterling yesterday. If Morgan Sterling had taken her away, it wouldn't be long before he got bored. And after he was done, he'd probably just toss Leah to Ben Coleman and that crowd. She had, at least, slept with him for a few nights, and it had been... nice. He didn't want her to be ruined by them just like that.
"Thank you, Young Master Keating." Leah Sinclair lowered her head.
"From now on, don't call me Young Master Keating. Call me Third Brother." Asher Keating pulled out his phone and displayed his WeChat QR code. "Add me."
Leah Sinclair took out her phone and scanned his code. The display name was just two letters, AZ. The profile picture was a simple black background with "AZ" signed on it. Leah Sinclair glanced up at him.
"If you have a question, ask it." Asher Keating took his phone back and accepted the request. Leah Sinclair's screen name was *Crispy Pear*. 'Heh, a pun on her name,' he thought. 'And her profile picture is a... lucky cat?'
"I still don't know your full name," Leah Sinclair said quietly.
Asher Keating considered this. He supposed he hadn't told her. He'd never seen the need to before, but now, given their relationship...
"Asher Keating."
*'Since you have come, you may as well be at peace.'* Leah Sinclair silently recited the old saying to herself. 'Asher Keating's elders certainly knew how to pick a name.'
Seeing that Leah Sinclair had no more questions, Asher Keating grabbed his keys and led her out. Leah noticed he had a different car. She'd looked up the previous one later; it was a Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Today, she only recognized the Bentley logo but couldn't place the model.
Noticing her curiosity, Asher Keating commented, "The car from yesterday is getting cleaned."
Leah Sinclair understood instantly, and her face flushed red again. A slight smile touched the corner of Asher Keating's mouth. He was discovering that teasing her was actually quite amusing.
Leah Sinclair's current rental was short-term anyway. She had planned on moving somewhere closer to her company once she found a job. In the car, she checked the route between Europa Gardens and her office and found they were quite close—only a few stops on the subway. It would be a much faster commute than her current one.
She had heard of Europa Gardens. The property prices there were astronomical, starting at forty thousand yuan per square meter for the cheapest units. She sighed silently. 'In such a short time, I've ridden in luxury cars, and now I'm about to live in a luxury apartment. It's... quite a bargain, isn't it?'
"Do you have a driver's license?" Asher Keating asked suddenly.
"Yes, I got it a while ago," Leah Sinclair replied, snapping out of her thoughts.
"Want a car?" 'Buying her a car would be no big deal,' Asher Keating thought. 'After all, there are plenty of cheap cars in the four- to five-hundred-thousand range.'
"No, no, that's not necessary! My office is really close to Europa Gardens," Leah Sinclair refused hastily.
Asher Keating didn't press the issue. When they arrived at her place, Leah Sinclair told him to wait in the car while she went up to pack. She didn't have much to pack anyway.
She called her landlord, but he said he didn't have a new tenant lined up and refused to return her security deposit. He wouldn't even refund the prorated rent for the rest of the month. The loss of over two thousand yuan stung.
When they arrived at Europa Gardens, Asher Keating escorted her up to the apartment. It was on the 22nd floor, and it was huge.
She estimated it was over 150 square meters. The interior was decorated in a minimalist luxury style—simple, yet visibly expensive. From the living room balcony, you could see Riverfall Lake.
Leah Sinclair took a quick look around and saw two bedrooms. Without going in, she asked awkwardly, "Which room is mine?"
"Take your pick. No one lives here."
Asher Keating sat on the sofa, lit a cigarette, and placed a credit card on the coffee table. "The door code is 001207. This card is for you. Buy whatever you want with it. The PIN is the same as the door code."
"That's okay, I have my own money." Leah Sinclair didn't want to use his money.
"Leah Sinclair, don't keep refusing me over and over again on matters like this. I agreed to let you buy back your freedom, but that doesn't mean I'll indulge your every whim. When you're out in public, you represent me. Don't look shabby," Asher Keating said languidly.
Leah Sinclair twisted her hands together. The clothes she was wearing were the ones Asher Keating had given her that morning, from the same brand as the last outfit. She knew they couldn't have been cheap.
"Okay."
"Come here."
Leah Sinclair slowly shuffled over. Asher Keating extinguished his cigarette, pushed her down onto the sofa, and kissed her. The taste of tobacco on his lips was mixed with a hint of mint. Leah nervously clutched his shirt. She was still a clumsy kisser and always felt like she was about to suffocate.
Asher Keating slowly pulled away. She gasped for air, her head clearing slightly. Amused, he said, "You need to learn how to kiss."
"Learn from who?" she asked, staring blankly at Asher Keating.
Asher Keating clicked his tongue and couldn't resist pinching her cheek. "And who were you thinking of learning from?"
"I guess I can only learn from you," Leah Sinclair answered honestly. It wasn't like she had anyone else.
"Good, as long as you know that." Asher Keating squeezed her chin. "I won't meddle in your life, but make no mistake: until we're even, you can't find someone else. I don't make a habit of sharing my women."