Chapter 1583


    As soon as Hogan heard about something being sold, he instantly became alert. He looked sharply


    at Leah as if she had done something disgraceful. He asked in a serious tone, "Did you make a deal


    with someone?"


    Hearing this, Leah smiled coldly and said, "Hogan... the things you thought I sold, did you think I


    sold myself?"


    Hogan''s eyes narrowed as he stared intensely at Leah. There was an indescribable emotion in his


    eyes. He continued to ask, "Don''t keep me guessing. Tell me, what''s going on? What did you sell?"


    A deep wave of disappointment red in Leah''s eyes. She tugged the corner of her lips. She never


    would have thought the day woulde where her childhood sweetheart, the nice guy next door,


    would end up looking at her in this light.


    Who knew this was how she was viewed in his heart.


    She suddenly had a thought, and wanted to evaluate the disappointment in her heart by testing how


    Hogan would think.


    So she blurted out, "I sold my body, Hogan."


    Hogan froze. Suddenly, his hands gripped Leah''s shoulders, and with a steel voice, he asked,


    "What did you say?"


    In the adjacent room, Ernest''s hand was on the door handle. He wanted to open the door, but as he


    came in contact with the cool metal, he hesitated.


    If he went out now, he would probably bring a lot of trouble to Leah.


    He couldn''t afford to be impulsive.


    Ernest didn''t make any further movements. He could only frown as he stood by the door


    Outside.


    Leah looked at Hogan with a smile.


    Hogan was furious and his eyes were bloodshot. He shook Leah''s shoulders with force and


    berated, "Leah, I was wrong about you. You went down an awful path. I thought this was something


    you would never do no matter how desperate you might be, I never thought you would stoop this


    low!"


    "Hah." Leah cut him off with augh. She stretched out her hands and pushed Hogan''s arms away.


    Then he looked at him and said with a smile, "It seems like people always have such impudent


    views of things. They always think too much. In fact, Hogan, you were overthinking things too,


    weren''t you? Or maybe Rowane said something that suggested I was dealing with other men, so


    when I told you I sold my body, you believed it?"


    Hogan was stunned. He was frozen in ce as he looked straight into Leah''s eyes. With an odd


    expression, he questioned her.


    "You... what do you mean?"


    Could it be that he was overthinking things? Hogan looked at her in disbelief, feeling like he went


    out of line.


    "I''m guessing Rowane told you I sold my body in exchange for money to pay my father''s medical


    bills. No wait, she would never admit that the money I had was rightfully earned. She must have


    emphasized about how I didn''t care about my father, because I must have been with an old bald


    man, saying I was clinging to the rich and powerful, and that I had raked in a lot of money from all


    that. That''s what she said, right? Or maybe she told you I was grasping the thighs of some sleazy


    perverted man to run away from my family, was that it?"


    Hogan pursed his lips. He couldn''t respond because everything Leah said was on the dot.


    Seeing Hogan''s reaction, everything was made clear to Leah. She didn''t want to keep him in the


    dark any longer and said bluntly, "I''m selling the rights of my book online. You may not have known


    this, but I''m a rtively well- known web novel author. The rights of the books I wrote could be sold


    for cash, and I was able to get my hands on a big reward."


    Upon hearing this, Hogan instantly felt ashamed. He didn''t dare look into Leah''s eyes.


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    Leah''s gaze was cold and sharp, clear and piercing, and Hogan felt guilty under her re.


    Leah didn''t say anything else, she only looked at Hogan with angered eyes. Only after a long time


    had passed did he let out a bleak, helpless smile.


    "Leah." Hogan finally broke the silence. After a few beats, he said sharply, "I''m really sorry, I was


    overthinking everything. Congrattions, Leah, on being able to sell the rights of your book. May I


    know your pen name?"


    "You''re not getting it, Hogan." Leah rejected him straight.


    Hogan pursed his lips and said, "So you''re saying you won''t tell me."


    "That''s right, it''ll remain unknown to you," Leah said smoothly, "because once I tell you my pen


    name, Rowane will find out about it. And for the sake of my peace and quiet, I still hope I''ll be able


    to continue writing without any obstacles. I hope you''ll respect my decision."


    "When you say it like that, I really can''t refute you." There was a bitter twitch on the corners of


    Hogan''s lips.


    Was it always like this between him and Leah?


    He felt sour, ufortable, and helpless all at the same time.


    "Then don''t, the oue would be the same anyway. Hogan, you misunderstood me way too


    much, it''s a miracle I didn''t p you." Leah''s tone was distant yet extremely cold. She wasn''t angry,


    but her deliberate indifference was frightening


    In that instant, Hogan didn''t know how to respond. He could only look at Leah with aplicated


    expression. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it.


    Leah walked to the coffee table, picked up the fruits, and ced them back in Hogan''s hands after


    making her way towards him. She said, "Hogan, you should bring these fruits to Rowane. I don''t


    need to eat fruits. My cold is pretty serious and I don''t think I can eat cold foods. I''m sorry, I''m going


    to sleep. Please leave and nevere back."


    This was Leah''s final order for him to leave, her resolute demeanor left no room for apromise.


    Looking at the fruits in his hand, Hogan frowned. He put them back on the coffee table, then turned


    around and went out. He stood at the gate and looked at Leah. He said softly, "Leah, I''m sorry. I


    was overthinking just now. Again, I apologize."


    Leah smiled again and said, "Hogan, you''re not just thinking too much, you''re also worrying too


    much."


    Hogan frowned, his eyes looking more conflicted and shocked. "Leah."


    "It''s not your ce to interfere with my affairs. If you care about Rowane, I believe she''ll be very


    happy," Leah said in a solmen voice. "Since you value Rowane so much, you don''t have to worry


    about what I think. No matter what my thoughts, it has nothing to do with you, and I''ve already


    decided you''re not qualified."


    "Leah, I grew up with you. Why are you being so difficult? I admit what I did just now was my fault,


    but I did it for your own good," Hogan argued. "Why are you like this?"


    "For my own good?" Leahughed. "Hogan, do you know what outsiders think?"


    "Outsiders?"


    "Outsiders say people like you don''t have a position. You want to sway between Rowane and


    I. You don''t understand the conflict I have with Rowane, but I know that she likes you, she wants to


    own you. But you trying to care for the both of us like this isn''t what Rowane wants, and it''s certainly


    not what I want," Leah said in a low voice. "Do you understand?"


    Hogan was stunned. He waspletely stupefied, unable to say anything.


    "Hogan, if you like Rowane, then treat her well. You came to see me today on behalf of Rowane,


    she''ll be very happy," Leah said with a smile. "But next time, just call me. We don''t need to see each


    other. Goodbye."


    Leah couldn''t care less about Hogan''s reaction and mmed the door shut.


    The moment she closed the door, she felt her entire body go limp, and her heart was beating in


    pain. After all, they were childhood friends, and she always treated Hogan as somewhat of a


    brother. Even when she was still young and cute, she always had a good impression of him. Now,


    however, all that was left was disappointment.


    After closing the door, Leah leaned against it. She first lowered his head and massaged her face,


    hoping to pull out a bright smile. What she didn''t know was that Ernest had already witnessed the


    scene.


    The door to the bedroom had been opened in silence. Ernest leaned against the doorframe and


    looked at Leah despondently. A faint trace of heartache shed clouded his eyes, but it was gone


    and cleared in a sh.


    But when Leah raised her eyes, she was met with the figure of Ernest. She was slightly surprised,


    and an embarrassed smile was frozen on her face.


    Could Ernest have overheard her conversation with Hogan?


    Of course he must have heard it. The door wasn''t soundproof in the slightest, so he must have


    heard everything clearly.


    Leah''s lips twitched and she smiled sheepishly. "Looks like you heard everything. That guy was my


    next- door neighbor. If he saw us in the same room, at night, with the both of us in pajamas, he


    would probably jump to conclusions. So for my recklessness just now, I hope you won''t take it to


    heart."


    Leah still took the step to try and exin everything to him.


    Ernest felt heartbroken when he looked at her withdrawn state.


    He heard everything in full rity.


    He had also overheard Leah''s family matters involving her stepmother and her younger half-sister.


    Her father was ill, her stepmother treated her terribly, and her younger sister might also be plotting


    against her. Amidst it all, Leah never gave any clues about the matter away.


    She was always seen as the happy outgoing girl, so it wasn''t easy to see sadness buried in her


    eyes.


    If he hadn''t heard her conversation just now, Ernest would have found it hard to imagine how Leah


    had such aplicated family with troublesome affairs.


    Everyone has difficulties in their lives, but there is no one way to deal with it. The more Ernest


    looked at Leah, the more he felt sorry for her.


    When Leah saw Ernest standing quietly with a pensive look in his eyes, she instantly raised her


    hand in a gesture to stop him. She said firmly, "Ernest, if you''re my friend, don''t look at me with such


    pitiful eyes. Your sympathy will only give me goosebumps."


    Hearing Leah sounding so defeated, Ernest''s heart ached even more.