Ava Sterling headed straight back to the hotel where she previously stayed, thankfully it wasn’t far, just a half hour’s distance. When Ava arrived, it happened to be half-past nine, so there was still some time. Lauren Howell was already in the hotel, taking a call. Hearing the door open, she turned around and immediately saw Ava Sterling entering. Lauren’s eyes widened, and she quickly approached, "You finally came back?" Regardless of the ongoing call, Lauren looked Ava up and down. Soon, her gaze landed on Ava’s chest. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs novel~fire~net The shirt was a loose V-neck, and the neckline was deep enough to reveal the mysterious curves. Naturally, any marks on the exposed skin were plainly visible. Especially since Ava’s skin was extremely fair... "What... where did you get these?" Ava was checking the time and felt relieved when she saw it wasn’t yet ten o’clock. She couldn’t afford any more mistakes at work. Thinking of this, a certain unpredictable person flashed across Ava’s mind, and she immediately sent them a message. Just as her fingers were about to fly across the screen, Lauren’s exclamation reached her ears, startling Ava quite a bit. Unhappily, Ava glared at Lauren, only to see Lauren pointing at her chest with a face full of shock and confusion, making Ava frown and follow Lauren’s gaze to her own chest. Instantly, she froze... On her chest were obvious marks, clearly left by that person. Last night he was so ruthless to her, showing no mercy; it’s actually odd if there were no marks. However, she had paid no attention to this matter, not noticing when she was washing up, nor when dressing. It was all because her mind was completely chaotic at the time, with nothing penetrating her heart. Ava quickly covered her chest, glaring angrily at Lauren, "I had an allergic reaction last night!" With that, she dashed into the room, slamming the door shut! Lauren flinched from the loud slam; what was she angry about? An allergy is just an allergy, she hadn’t said anything... Ava entered the room, immediately locking the door, then hurried to the bathroom, removing her clothes and pants. Instantly, she felt shattered. Her body was covered in marks from shoulder and neck to collarbone, down to her legs, and without exception... How was she supposed to work? Lauren stood outside, listening to the noises inside, fearing most when Ava was angry; one must never provoke her at such a time. The more you provoke her, the more explosive she becomes. So, despite Lauren’s curiosity about what happened to Ava, about her allergy and why she didn’t return all night, she didn’t dare to ask. Standing outside, she could only wait, continuously speculating wildly. It was much later when the door clicked open, and Ava emerged, meticulously covered. Ava was wearing a coffee-colored extra-long sleeve turtleneck T-shirt and light-colored wide-leg bell-bottom jeans. The pants were so long they dragged on the floor, the sleeves completely covered her hands, the collar wrapped tightly around her neck, and even a pair of oversized sunglasses adorned her nose... The whole body was covered, with only a small half of her face visible and no other skin exposed... Even her ears were hidden by her long, flowing hair... Lauren looked at the expressionless person walking out and couldn’t utter a word. Ava pursed her lips, holding her phone, and left the room. Her aura screamed "Keep away" and "Don’t provoke me." Lauren’s mouth opened slightly, instinctively wanting to call Ava. But just as she was about to speak, Ava slammed the door shut again, disappearing from her sight. Jace Kingsley was already waiting outside the hotel. To be precise, when Ava arrived, he had also just reached the hotel. But he didn’t go inside and just sat in the car waiting. Upon seeing that cool and indifferent figure walking out, no longer dressed as before, his gaze halted and moved to the passenger side, opening the door for Ava Sterling. At this moment, a smile graced his face, gentle and elegant as always. Ava looked at the person standing in the sunlight radiant like a gentle breeze, barely maintaining her composed expression. She had intentionally put on a cold face for Lauren to prevent her from asking questions or realizing anything. But with Jace, she couldn’t keep a cold face. Her lips moved, ultimately unable to act towards Jace as she did with Lauren, smiling at him. Her smile made her whole being bright and sunny. Jace’s eyes softened further, as if nothing had happened. Soon, Ava sat in the car, and Jace followed her into the driver’s seat. Ava buckled her seatbelt, raising her eyebrows at him, "Why are you driving yourself today?" "The weather’s nice today; I felt like driving myself." He looked at her, giving a brief smile, and then his gaze fell on her long-sleeved and long-pants outfit, "Isn’t it hot?" Speaking casually, he buckled his seatbelt and started the car. Ava blinked, subconsciously adjusting her sunglasses, and replied with a smile, "Seems like I ate something bad last night, feeling a bit allergic." Jace’s eyes shifted slightly, his brows furrowing, "An allergy? Did you take any medicine?" His foot initially on the accelerator now pressed harder on the brakes. His eyebrows conveyed concern. Though looking closely, one might sense coldness within that concern. Ava tilted her head, smiling at Jace, "Of course, couldn’t endure without medication, right?" "It’s just some marks on my body; I’m worried they might affect today’s photoshoot." Having said that, Ava frowned, genuinely concerned. The worry was real, not fake. Jace observed the changes in her expression as she spoke, discerning the genuine from the false, his gaze flickering before he shifted his focus. "Are the marks heavy?" Releasing the brakes, he pressed the gas, and the car moved forward. In this moment, his voice seemed lighter, losing much warmth. Ava didn’t notice Jace’s change as her mind was full of concern about whether the marks would fade in a day or two, given she had only a few days in the Maldives and feared impacting the shoot. Her frown deepened, her expression turning serious. "A bit, might take several days to recover. Jace, will this affect the shooting?" Ava looked toward Jace. Jace held the steering wheel, driving smoothly in the traffic stream. Upon hearing her words, he turned to look at her, offering a reassuring smile, "No, I can coordinate with them, not necessarily needing to wear very little clothes or dresses." His eyebrows remained gentle, showing no peculiarities. Ava instantly relaxed, patting his shoulder, "It’s great to have you!" He could solve anything; no issue seemed troublesome to him. She truly felt at ease. After saying that, Ava crossed her arms, relaxed back in her seat, and closed her eyes. "I’m going to take a nap. Wake me if you get tired; I’ll drive." Seeing her relax, noticing her lifted brows and the corners of her lips, Jace turned his gaze to the front, feeling the warmth in his eyes gradually cooling... The shoot lasted several days without any hiccups. The person also didn’t disturb Ava further; overall, everything went smoothly. Ava felt extremely satisfied and was in a great mood. Yet, she saw Joyner again.