Morgan Sterling released Leah Sinclair. "Well, look who it is. Ian and Riley. I just got back from abroad and haven't had a chance to tell you. Now that you're here, have a drink with us."
"In that case, don't mind if we do. Thank you, Eldest Young Master Sterling!"
Ethan Shaw and Riley Sterling gave him a comical bow, and Ethan took the opportunity to slide into the seat next to Leah Sinclair.
Leah Sinclair quickly scooted closer to him and whispered, "Does he have a grudge against Third Master Keating?"
Ethan Shaw hummed in affirmation, then wrapped an arm around her and said with a smile, "Morgan, why call for just Leah? Things are a little dull. Riley, go get some more girls. A pretty great new batch came in while the Eldest Young Master Sterling was abroad."
Morgan Sterling glanced at Ethan Shaw's hand on Leah Sinclair's shoulder and smiled. "No need. Tonight, I'm only interested in Leah."
At his words, Ethan Shaw's hand froze for a moment. He feigned innocence, saying, "Morgan, come on, don't be like that. Leah's with me. You can't just steal another man's girl."
"Oh? Didn't Ben Coleman say she belongs to Third Master Keating? How did she suddenly become yours?" Morgan Sterling said, giving them a knowing look.
"No way. You know what Third Master Keating is like—practically an ascetic. The man doesn't have 'a girl.' She's with me."
Ethan Shaw shot a glance at Ben Coleman. 'I knew Morgan would show up. It had to be because of this sicko Ben.'
"Then... how about a kiss? A five-minute French kiss. If you do that, then I'll believe she's with you." Morgan Sterling lit a cigarette, leaned back on the sofa, and smiled.
Leah Sinclair turned to look at Ethan Shaw, who was looking right back at her. 'Fuck, how could I possibly dare?' Ethan thought. 'Third Master Keating would kill me if he found out.'
'Even though Asher Keating hasn't made any overt moves on Leah Sinclair, the fact that he had me tell Azure Bay not to let her accept outside appointments or entertain just any random client means something. He's definitely treating her differently.'
Leah, on the other hand, was thinking, 'Why is Morgan Sterling so determined to pin this label on me? Is it really that important?'
The two of them just stared at each other for a good two minutes, neither making a move. Finally, just as Leah steeled herself and started to lean in, Morgan Sterling spoke up. "Alright, Ian, drop the act. You think I don't know your type?"
"Can't a guy change things up once in a while?"
Ethan Shaw grumbled, pretending to be annoyed. He then pulled Leah close, appearing to kiss her on the ear, but actually whispered, "Don't admit to anything."
Asher Keating was supposed to return from his business trip today. They had been waiting to have dinner with him, but his flight was delayed. When Ethan got the tip from Eve, he had tried calling Asher, but his phone was off.
'He must have already been on the plane. All I could do was leave a message telling him Morgan Sterling was at Azure Bay looking for Leah, then rush over here with Riley. I have no idea if Asher has landed yet.'
"Heh. I don't believe a word you've said," Morgan Sterling lit another cigarette. "Leah, you tell me yourself."
"Eldest Young Master Sterling, I've already told you. I'm not," Leah Sinclair said with a frown. 'Whether Ethan had warned me or not, I can't admit to it tonight.'
"But I think you are," Morgan Sterling said, his eyes crinkling into a smile.
"Why?" Leah was speechless. 'I don't need "you think," I need "I think." What is this, a line from some overbearing CEO drama?'
"Because you look like..."
"Right, right. Because I look like your sister, is that it?" Leah cut him off.
Ethan's hand on her shoulder flinched. 'This girl has some serious nerve,' he thought. 'Doesn't she know Morgan dotes on his sister like she's the apple of his eye?'
'If it weren't for that business between Asher Keating and Madeline Sterling, his relationship with Asher probably wouldn't be this bad. Wait, no, this girl really seems to have no idea.'
"So what will it take for you to believe I have nothing to do with him?" Leah asked, staring straight at Morgan Sterling.
"Hah. So desperate to deny it?" Morgan Sterling asked, swirling the liquor in his glass.
"It's not a matter of denying it; there's nothing to deny. If sleeping with a man for one night makes me 'his girl,' then wouldn't you, Eldest Young Master Sterling, have quite a few 'girls' of your own? Wouldn't that be... a bit too many?"
'It wasn't a secret that Asher Keating had paid for her first time, so there was no point hiding that. But they probably didn't know he'd taken her out a second time. All she had to do was stick to that fact.'
'If the mood weren't so tense, Ethan would have applauded. How long had it been since he'd seen anyone dare to talk to Morgan Sterling like that? Truly, the ignorant know no fear.'
"How about this, Leah? Since you don't belong to Third Master Keating, why don't you come be mine?" Morgan Sterling stared at her for a moment before suddenly breaking into a smile.
"I'm sorry, Eldest Young Master Sterling. My services are one-time only."
"You fucking bitch, you've got some nerve!" Ben Coleman shot to his feet.
"What the fuck does this have to do with you! Sit your ass down."
Riley Sterling sat up straight. He and Ethan didn't dare provoke his brother, but who the hell did Ben Coleman think he was, trying to get in on the action? Riley had just noticed a fresh handprint on Leah Sinclair's cheek.
"Leah, you've rejected me time and again. It's making me lose face." Morgan Sterling set down his glass, the smile finally fading from his lips.
Leah Sinclair stood up and poured herself a full glass. In a deferential tone, she said, "I'm sorry, Eldest Young Master Sterling, but I really can't be with you. I have an agreement with this establishment that my services are a one-time affair. Let me apologize."
With that, she downed the entire glass of liquor.
"Apologize? One glass is hardly enough."
Morgan Sterling beckoned Ben Coleman over and whispered something to him. Ben shot a sinister smile before leaving to get someone. Leah, Ethan, and Riley exchanged uneasy glances, all feeling that this was about to get ugly.
Sure enough, Ben Coleman returned moments later with a waiter in tow. The waiter brought in a new set of glasses, followed by another staff member carrying bottles of liquor.
Seeing this display, their hearts sank. They knew whatever Morgan Sterling had planned wasn't going to be simple.
As the waiter began mixing the drinks, Morgan Sterling looked at Leah and smiled. "Leah, it's not too late to change your mind."
Leah bit her lip, saying nothing. She already recognized the drink: a Depth Charge.
She'd had them with Ethan and the others before, but those were child's play compared to this. The liquors Morgan Sterling had brought out were the strongest kinds.
Seeing her expression, Morgan Sterling raised an eyebrow, intrigued. 'I didn't expect her to have such a backbone,' he thought. Leah was rapidly calculating her limit and trying to figure out what would happen if she got drunk.
Morgan Sterling spoke again. "Or, you could give Third Master Keating a call. If he comes to bail you out, we can call it a night."
Ethan cursed inwardly. 'He knows Asher isn't even in Riverfall. He's just doing this to mess with her.' He exchanged a look with Riley, both of them trying to figure out how to defuse the situation. But it was too late; the waiter was already done.
Six large glasses were lined up in a row. Between each pair, a smaller shot glass was balanced on the rims, its contents burning with a blue flame. Leah glanced up at Morgan Sterling. He was watching her with a smile.
Ethan tried to mediate. "Bro, can someone sub in for her?"
"Substitutions are double," Morgan Sterling said lazily.