True Fated Marriage (Grace and Heinz)
Chapter 1768

Ernest froze on the stairs. He was in disbelief when he realized that Maria was calling Leah downstairs.

It had been a long while since he had heard any news about Leah.

Maria's attitude towards him had turned incredibly cold and distant. She completely ignored him as though he was someone who had committed a terrible and unforgivable crime.

The relationship between the two of them became strange.

Maria would not even look at him.

Only the two of them were living in the London villa besides a couple of servants and the butler Pedro. Even so, Maria would not speak a word to him.

Ernest himself did not engage Maria in any conversation as well.

The two cousins did not communicate much. Whenever they saw each other in the house, they would just nod at each other as a greeting. That was all.

When Ernest heard Maria calling Leah downstairs, he hurriedly stopped in his tracks amidst heading downstairs.

Instead, he took a small step back and hid behind a pillar next to the stairs.

Maria asked anxiously, "Leah, why would you write such a tragic ending? It's so sad! The main characters loved each other so much, so why would you kill one of them off? It's really upsetting. I really don't want the female lead to die."

Ernest's heart stuttered.

It seemed that the book Leah had been working on had already come to an end.

He had stopped keeping up with the book's updates three days ago. Before that, he thought that Leah's writing had taken on a sad tone. Every new chapter she wrote was filled with sorrow.

Her sadness had filled the book.

"Leah, has your breakup with Ernest affected your writing? Are you using this as a coping mechanism or something? I'm really worried about you. Didn't you tell me that you wouldn't brood over him?" "I'm fine," Leah explained, "I just need some time to get over it. I'll admit that I rushed the ending of the book, but regardless of what everyone thinks, I

quite like the ending." "Your book ends with a tragedy! How could you like it?" Maria immediately yelled, "I really don't like it. Can you please rewrite it for me? Reality is already harsh enough. I can't believe you would write something like that in fiction as well."

"Leah, you're not one to write angst. You used to be so jolly before. You can't let yourself become a depressed mess like this! You can't break the hearts of your fans just because of Ernest, got it?" Leah was amused by Maria's accusation.

She let out a quiet chuckle and said with a smile, "You're cracking me up, Maria. I'm honestly fine. It's not entirely Ernest's fault. After all, I've been busy with classes, so I don't have much spare time to write anymore."

"No, you're lying. I'm certain that it's because of Ernest, isn't it?" Maria rebuked immediately.

"It's not! I just don't feel like writing anymore. Why are you acting as if I've given up on the idea of love? The way you're saying it makes it sound like I'm devastated over a broken heart," Leah tried to laugh it off.

"Well, you are heartbroken! Leah, you don't have to hide it. I know that you've been deeply hurt by Ernest. If it weren't for him, you would've continued writing your book! You would've written a happy ending for your characters!" Maria complained indignantly, "I honestly thought that Ernest was a persistent gentleman. I can't believe that he's actually such a scumbag! He's not taking any responsibility for your pain!"

Leah knew that Maria would say it as it is. They were both quite comfortable with each other. Maria's straightforward comments rendered her speechless for a short while.

In the end, Leah admitted to it, "Alright, I'll admit that it's because of Ernest. After the breakup, I really have no energy left to spare to write my books. I'm honestly exhausted." "Who knew that my love for him would take up so much of my energy?"

Maria immediately jumped at the chance, "I knew you were affected by the breakup! Let me tell you this, Ernest hasn't been acting like himself either. He's always brooding around with a stone-cold expression on his face. He's even glaring much more than usual!"

"The two of you only had a small fight with each other, didn't you? How did you guys end up hurting each other so badly?"

"It's not like either of you cheated on each other, right? Why did you guys even break up? I honestly thought that the both of you were a match made in heaven. I can't believe that your relationship ended so tragically!"

"To make matters worse, even characters in your book are getting roped into tragedy! Tell me, why are you making your poor readers suffer with you?"

"Maria, let's not talk about Ernest anymore." Leah sighed, "I've only just started to get over him, but the very mention of his name makes me feel sad again."

"It's not like I'm purposely bringing him up. If you rewrite the ending to your book, I promise not to mention his name in front of you anymore. Honestly, I think people like Ernest should stay single for life!" Maria continued to complain.

"Let's not talk about him anymore, alright? Let the past be in the past. We have to move forward from here," Leah sighed.

Maria immediately exclaimed, "Goodness, you're really moving on from Ernest, aren't you? Have you started a new relationship with someone? Are you really going to forget all about Ernest?"

"I'm single now, so it wouldn't hurt anyone if I started dating anyway, right?"

"You're moving on too fast! You've only broken up with Ernest a while ago. How can you forget him so quickly? Weren't you still brooding over him before?" Maria protested.

"I don't want to hear his name mentioned anymore. I've already broken up with him. Is it really necessary for you to mention him all the time? If you keep bringing him up in conversations, anyone who overhears will misunderstand that I'm trying to get back with him again. I'm planning to move on from him, alright? So don't mention Ernest again."

"Why won't you let me talk about my own cousin! Oh, Leah, are you really going to forget him?" Maria suddenly felt very upset. Although she was still angry at Ernest, she was secretly worried for him. She was concerned that he and Leah would never be able to make up.

"I'm really going to forget about him," Leah answered seriously.

"Are you for real? You really won't give Ernest another chance?" Maria asked again.

"Maria, you can't force certain things on other people. It'll end up causing a lot of suffering," Leah sighed.

"I know," Maria answered dully, her emotions sinking even further, "I know there's no use forcing the two of you together. But if you've made your choice, then I suppose I can only respect your decision. It's Ernest's loss anyway. Leah, I will support you no matter who you choose. We're best friends!"

"Thank you, Maria," Leah said sincerely. "I'm honestly fine, don't worry."

"That's good to hear," Maria sighed, "So, are you going to rewrite the ending for your book?"

"The editor told me that she's going to replace someone else to pick up where I left off."

"You're letting someone else write the book?!" Maria exclaimed in disbelief, "But Leah, it's your work! How can you bear to let someone else take over like that?"