Ernest stopped breathing.
He studied Norval's face. His eyes sharpened as he intensified his glare on the man.
Norval only raised his eyebrows slightly. He didn't seem to mind Ernest's intense glare.
He even laughed and said, "See, you can't even refute it, right? You don't have the advantage I have. I have more time to spend with her than you do."
Ernest really couldn't deny it. He knew that he and Leah had to experience being separated for a long time without each other's company.
Norval's words showed that he understood their situation.
It seemed that the man had done some work in advance and planned everything to his own advantage.
However, Ernest wasn't someone to be trifled with. He was rather intelligent, but he was good at hiding it. It seemed that it was time to reveal his strength.
"Leah and I indeed have to spend a lot of time apart, but so what? Either way, we are in love with each other." Looking at Norval, Ernest's eyes were confident.
Leah did not like Norval and did not want to have any connections with the Qualls family. She was better off without them.
Norval was stunned but then he smiled and said, "Mr. Jones, there are many people in this world who are in love with each other. In the end, they end up breaking up because they were unable to handle long-distance relationships. You're being a little too confident. Do you really think that you two would be the exception to a breakup?"
Norval didn't restrain himself because of what Ernest said. He started to take on a more aggressive tone as he continued to speak.
Ernest smiled and retorted, "You can't find other reasons to persuade me, can you? Now you're just trying to make things difficult for us. But you seem to forget that Leah and I have deep feelings for each other. Nothing like what you said will happen to us. And I believe that even if it did happen, Leah and I will be able to eventually overcome these difficulties with our own abilities."
Norval laughed.
Ernest smiled back at him. They looked at each other with challenging glints in their eyes.
Norval smiled and said, "So, you're really planning to marry Leah?"
Ernest smiled and replied, "I don't need to tell you anything. You are nobody to Leah."
"If you guys end up getting married, we'll be family, won't we?" Norval asked.
Ernest shrugged. "That means that you've admitted your defeat, then? You don't think that you are destined to be with Leah anymore?"
Norval was stunned for a moment before his lips curled into a sharp smile. "Mr. Jones, you're really smart. You can easily grasp the loopholes in my words. No wonder you're a top student in a famous university."
Ernest didn't care for the compliment. He just smiled faintly and said, "Mr. Qualls, you are also rather eloquent. But I suppose I'll leave everything up to Leah when the time comes."
"You haven't answered my question yet," Norval said, "You haven't given me a straight answer because you don't really want to marry Leah, right? You're just playing with Leah's feelings."
"I've told you that this is between Leah and me. It has nothing to do with you." Ernest thought that it was unnecessary to talk about this with Norval. He and Leah would eventually get married. From the beginning of their relationship, he had been faithful to Leah. He believed that Leah already knew.
However, since he chose to keep quiet on the matter, Norval seemed to have found something on him. He continued, "Look at that, you still can't give me a straight answer. You're not sure if Leah will agree to become your wife, that's why you're so hesitant."
Ernest chuckled. "The more you talk, the less I will entertain you."
The two of them bickered with each other at the entrance of Norval's room, completely ignorant of the fact that the room next door had opened slightly. Leah was just about to walk out when she heard the conversation between Ernest and Norval.
At that moment, she stopped and did not walk further.
She stood at the door, listening to their argument.
"You don't want to answer me because you don't have the guts!" Norval laughed mockingly. "It's because you are just playing with Leah's feelings. You don't want to be responsible for her in the future."
Ernest chuckled and said, "No matter what, Leah is still my girlfriend. Stay away from her." "If you want me to stay away from Leah, then tell me how true your feelings are for her," Norval said in a low voice again.
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