"Did they bother you?" Ernest tilted his head to look at Leah. His tone was caring as he asked, "Did they say something bad or demand something from you?"
Leah paused and pursed her lips as she looked at Ernest with an embarrassed expression.
Ernest kept looking at her steadily as he asked, "Why? Don't want to talk about it?"
"No." Leah shook her head. "There's nothing that I can't say. I just don't know how to say it. It's hard."
"If you feel shy then we don't have to talk about it." Ernest did not force her to tell him anything.
That was because Ernest knew that Leah had told him the truth.
She'd confessed the fact that Norval and her mother had come to see her, so she wasn't hiding anything.
Hence, it was fortunate that he didn't suspect her of anything.
Trust was a very important thing between lovers. Without it, the relationship would be doomed.
Trust was also the basis for success.
"I want to tell you, Ernest." Leah immediately shook her head. "I'm just trying to figure out how. I want your opinion."
"Take your time to think about it." Ernest gave Leah ample time to collect her thoughts.
Leah took a moment before she said, "My mom's come to see me when she hasn't sought me out in years. Plus, she acts like she wants to be involved with my life."
Ernest was confused, but he nodded anyway. "Didn't you refuse her before?"
"I did refuse her, but they don't want to give up." Leah's voice was soft as she was afraid Ernest would be mad. She was worried that if she told Ernest about what Norval said, he would get angry as well.
Leah lowered her head and looked at her clasped hands. She twiddled her thumbs before she looked up at Ernest, who did not speak.
There was a tense expression on Ernest's face as he kept his eyes on the road.
By then, they'd already left the law school dorm compound.
They made their way to the main road.
Leah was worried but she still soldiered on. "My mom wants me to get together with Norval and I was really angry. I mocked her for a bit before
Norval came to talk to me. Then it became a lecture instead."
Ernest raised his eyebrow. He had an idea of what they talked about.
The last time they met at the hotel, he felt that Norval was not any ordinary person. He looked like someone who wouldn't rest until he achieved his goal.
Ernest smirked slightly as he'd guessed it right. "He wants to maintain a relationship with you, right?"
Leah was stunned and looked at Ernest in shock. "How did you know?"
"It's obvious." Ernest smiled.
The light turned red and Ernest stop the car. While they were waiting for it to turn green, Ernest faced Leah with a discerning look in his eye.
"He refused to give up on you when he was abroad, so I don't expect that to change now."
"I don't know whether or not he will give up or have something else up his sleeve. He suddenly said that he wants to fix things between me and my mom. He wants us to be siblings," Leah explained truthfully.
"What do you think? Are you going to agree to what he said?" Ernest felt that he still had to respect Leah's opinion. "No matter what you choose, I'll respect your decision. She is your mother after all."
Leah was astonished. "Do you think I should accept?.
Ernest shook his head and said, "It doesn't matter what I think. Your thoughts are what matters. You have to follow your heart."
"But I want to know what you think. If it were you, what would you do?" Leah asked anxiously.
Ernest shook his head in reply.
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