It wasn’t forced open, to be precise, it was kicked open. Whether it was due to the strength of the kick or the door being exceptionally fragile remained unclear. The door slammed against the wall with a forceful thud, quivering slightly, and after a second of silence, suddenly fell with a crash, shattering the scattered bottles and jars on the floor... Ava Sterling was stunned. She looked at the fallen door on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, then at the person standing against the light outside the door. He had one hand in his pocket, the other holding a phone. He stood tall as if he were on the deck of a ship. However, back then he was talking on the phone while smoking; now he was doing nothing but standing there, watching everything inside with indifference. As if, this fallen door had nothing to do with him... Ava’s heart started pounding again, helplessly, and her whole body relaxed. He actually came, which was entirely unexpected. Fortunately, he came. He absolutely wouldn’t just stand by while she was bullied , after all, she was nominally his wife now. If she were really taken advantage of, wouldn’t he be a cuckold? Ava let her guard down, stopped struggling, and slumped onto the ground, not moving a muscle. Thᴇ link to the origɪn of this information rᴇsts ɪn ɴovelfire.net It hurts, damn it really hurts... Poe Vaughn looked at the shattered expensive items in the room—ceramics, ornaments, flowers, paintings—each piece of disarray speaking to the intensity of the scene just seconds ago. His gaze lingered on those things, unhurriedly taking it all in, while the aura emanating from him remained calm and unfazed. The man’s expression changed noticeably as he looked at Poe Vaughn. He stood up, scrutinizing Poe Vaughn, and then fixed his gaze on Poe’s cold, unfeeling face, eyes filled with wariness. A barking tiger doesn’t necessarily eat people, but a silent tiger surely does! He clearly sensed the unfathomable power emanating from Poe Vaughn. He didn’t dare make any reckless moves. The surrounding became quiet, as if all sounds ceased at this moment. Ava closed her eyes, feeling at ease, yet pained. She needed time to recover. Poe Vaughn didn’t look at the man, he finished surveying the chaos inside, then turned his gaze to the person lying on the ground. Her hair was scattered, a head of black hair spread out on the floor like seaweed, accentuating her pale face. Her eyes were shut, brows furrowed, suppressing a deep pain. No matter how hard she tried to endure, she couldn’t suppress the pain completely, causing her eyelashes to quiver slightly. Usually, she was lively, unrestrained, as bright as the sun, as fiery as roses, but now she was like a fragile flower wounded, evoking sympathy and affection. Making one want to crush those who harmed her to pieces... Poe Vaughn walked in, his leather shoes steadily stepping over the fragments on the ground, moving towards Ava. Ava heard his footsteps, it was his familiar pace, unhurried but slightly different upon close listening, seeming slower than usual. Instantly, she thought of a hunting tiger or lion, moving slowly, with great patience. Here she was in such a state, yet he remained unhurried. Truly, men are heartless creatures, warm only in bed, but usually as cold-blooded as they come. Despite her inner complaints, Ava was not worried at all. She kept her eyes closed, wanting to ride out the wave of pain, not wanting to seem useless. However, her injuries were more severe than she’d ever experienced, the pain exceeded her tolerance, she needed time. Poe Vaughn arrived by Ava’s side, looking at her hands bound together by a belt, the fair skin deeply marked by red welts, a sight wrenchingly distressing. But the most important thing was not these markings, it was the way her hands hung, not like those of a normal person, but rather like broken ones, dangling loosely by the tendons. Both hands were in this state... At this moment, his deep eyes shifted. The peaceful, undisturbed facade tore open in an instant, a terrifying darkness surged like a vortex, plunging the surrounding into a hellish abyss. The man’s fists clenched instantly, his body tightened in a tense vigilance. If Poe Vaughn were to make a move, he certainly wouldn’t be polite. Poe Vaughn didn’t lay a hand on him, instead, he crouched down, kneeled on one knee, and picked Ava up. The man immediately squinted his eyes. Ava felt herself lifted into the air, the movement by Poe tugging on her body and hands, causing a sharp intake of breath due to the pain. Damn, why does it hurt so much! Ava’s fiery temper flared up instantly, unable to hold back any longer: "Can’t you be a little gentler? It hurts like hell!" She opened her eyes, brows furrowed, glaring at the person holding her, her face even paler than before. Poe Vaughn halted his steps to leave, or rather, stopped when he felt her body flinch. He looked down at the person in his arms. She glared at him angrily, but her fury bore no imposing power, instead appearing extremely frail, like a newborn wolf cub, lacking any threat. In contrast, her current state seemed pitiful. Especially those eyes brimming with tears, capable of melting the hardest heart. The darkness in Poe Vaughn’s eyes faded away, replaced by the unchanging, deep calm, as if he hadn’t shifted at all moments earlier. Even with Ava’s audacious words reaching his ears, no ripples disturbed him. No trace of displeasure. In truth, Ava wasn’t genuinely angry, wasn’t truly meaning to scold him, it was just that the pain was unbearable, made worse by his hold, causing her to cry out unintentionally. But the moment she opened her eyes, she crashed into those profound eyes, the depths of which could steal her heart at any time. Yet strangely now, looking into his eyes brought her peace, so much so the pain seemed to vanish. Poe Vaughn watched as this irritable person gradually calmed, becoming more docile, a low monosyllable escaped his throat: "Mm." Ava’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes widened instantly. He actually responded with "mm"! She was lashing out at him, yet he still responded with "mm"; he must be out of his mind, right? Ava looked at him incredulously, but found, he seemed no different than usual, unchanged in emotions, impossible to read, not a trace of abnormal expression. She was left dumbfounded. She really wanted to feel his forehead, see if he had a fever. Thinking this, she acted, but as soon as she moved, the pain drilled into her bones, making her inhale sharply. Poe Vaughn halted, observing her, noticing a fine sheen of sweat formed on her forehead, eyes tightly shut, her face pale as paper. All traces of her lively spirit a moment ago completely vanished. His eyes slightly narrowed, fingers curled firmly, striding out. Yet, his steps became steadier, more resolute. The man stood there, watching the person whose aura shifted in an instant, icy coldness enveloping the vicinity in the blink of an eye, he neither blocked Poe Vaughn, nor stepped forward, just stayed watching Poe leave. He wasn’t a match for this man, unable to stop him. His gaze fell on the cascade of black hair, his eyes slightly narrowing.