The sea was calm and the night was tranquil as Poe Vaughn hung up the phone. He checked the time, 3:20 AM. The liveliness aboard the cruise ship had faded, and the deep slumber of the late night engulfed everything around him. He set down his phone and entered the bedroom. The person on the bed was still asleep, the cruise ship gently swayed with the waves like a cradle, sending Ava Sterling into deep, peaceful sleep. Poe Vaughn put the phone on the bedside table, looked at her pale face, which was no longer furrowed, and went to the bathroom. Soon, the sound of running water broke the stillness in the bedroom. Original content can be found at novelꞁire.net However, it wasn’t loud enough to wake Ava Sterling, who was deeply asleep, not even thunder would rouse her. After a short while, the door clicked open, and Poe Vaughn emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in steam. He glanced at the person on the bed, walked to the bedside, pulled back the covers and lay down. At that moment, the person beside him stirred. He paused, looking at the person next to him, Ava Sterling seemed to sense his presence, subconsciously leaning towards him. But as she moved, she stretched her injured body, which made her frown with pain. Poe Vaughn noticed her furrowed brow, the pain tinting her face. The fierce demeanor she usually had seemed to wane, like a big tiger turning into a small kitten, evoking sympathy. He extended his arms, pulling her into his embrace, her face instinctively buried against his chest, nestling until she found a comfortable position. He was dressed in a bathrobe, the belt loosely tied, and as Ava Sterling snuggled, it opened up his collar, her face brushing his chest. Her skin was delicate, smooth like a baby’s, but since she was asleep and injured, her movements were minimal, like a kitten, tickling his heart. His gaze deepened, his large hand settled on the back of her head, holding her still so she wouldn’t continue moving. But Ava Sterling was never one to enjoy restriction, his grip only made her squirm even more. Her hair scattered in his palm, her lips brushing against his chest, Poe Vaughn’s breathing became heavy, his body heated. Ava Sterling felt the warmth, not wanting to cling to him anymore, it was too hot. She lifted her head and raised her leg, kicking the covers aside and draping it over Poe Vaughn’s leg. She originally intended to raise her arm to embrace Poe Vaughn, but seemingly aware that her arm shouldn’t move, she refrained. Thus, in his arms, she raised her face while resting her leg on him, falling peacefully asleep. The window was open, the curtain pulled aside, the sea breeze drifted in, stirring the curtain, ushering in the moonlight from outside. Everything inside was tinged with a subtle serene shade. Poe Vaughn looked at the person in his arms, she finally settled down, her fair face bathed in moonlight, lashes curled and dense, nose high and lips rosy. She slept sweetly and soundly, as if she were a well-behaved child. The heat in his heart gradually dissipated, the deep night in his eyes slowly calmed, he lifted the blanket to cover her, watching her obedient features, closed his eyes. "Not awake yet, it’s been a whole day, it’s driving me crazy!" "But the doctor says it’s fine, completely normal, though I’ve never seen Ava sleep for this long. Eric, what should I do? I’m really worried." The incessant chatter penetrated her ears, ultimately waking Ava Sterling, who immediately snapped: "Lauren Howell, shut up!" The words came out but lacked her usual forcefulness, sounding as weak as could be. Hearing her own voice, Ava Sterling frowned. When did she become so fragile? She opened her mouth to continue speaking, but a dry itch caught in her throat, and she started coughing: "Cough, cough!" Injured, each cough tugged at her wounds, the pain forcing her brows into a tight furrow as she begrudgingly opened her eyes. Lauren Howell was on the phone with Eric, right there in the hospital room, feeling anxious, and was stunned by Ava Sterling’s cursing words, finding them hard to believe. However, upon hearing Ava Sterling cough, her reaction was swift, quickly running over: "Ava, you’re awake!" She hurriedly grabbed Ava Sterling’s hand, brimming with delight. Ava Sterling’s hand, though healed, was still aching, Lauren Howell’s heavy-handedness was like pouring salt into her wound. Immediately, Ava Sterling glared at Lauren Howell, ignoring her coughing, and scolded: "Get out of my sight!" This time her voice was louder, speaking between coughs, and her strength returned. Lauren Howell shivered in fear, quickly withdrew her hand, pursing her lips with a look of grievance like an aggrieved little wife, peering at Ava Sterling. Seeing her finally quiet down, Ava Sterling lay back on the bed, calming the wave of pain. Meanwhile, her thoughts slowly returned. She was nearly assaulted by someone, and as that person appeared, the pain followed, and then... nothing. From there, her memory faded. Ava Sterling immediately looked out the window, sunshine filled the room, glaringly bright, it was now broad daylight. She frowned, had she really slept from night till day? But that didn’t seem important, what mattered was that she seemed not to be on the cruise ship anymore, but in a hospital room... Ava Sterling withdrew her gaze, looking at everything around her: the walls were walls, the balcony a balcony, the floor-to-ceiling window a floor-to-ceiling window, even the medical equipment on the bedside table remained steady, a feeling of stillness permeated. Was she no longer on the cruise ship? When did she leave? Why didn’t she have any recollection? Ava Sterling looked at Lauren Howell, who stood by the bed with her head bowed, evidently wanting to speak but not daring to do so, Ava Sterling directly asked: "Why are you here?" The person had saved her, and beyond that she knew nothing, yet now that she was awake, the savior was gone and she was off the cruise ship, instead finding the undesired Lauren Howell, leaving her bewildered. Lauren Howell observed Ava Sterling’s confused look and said: "Someone notified me, saying you were injured in the hospital and needed care, so I came." It shouldn’t be that person, if it was, that could spell trouble, their relationship couldn’t be exposed. Ava Sterling instantly became tense. Lauren Howell sensed how much Ava Sterling cared about this question, feeling puzzlement, but refrained from asking, simply answering: "I didn’t recognize them, just a phone call, I came to the hospital and saw you here." After speaking, Lauren Howell furrowed her brows tightly, full of worry: "Ava, do you know you slept an entire day, it really scared me, moreover you’re all..." Lauren Howell was interrupted before finishing, but she didn’t mind, immediately saying: "Yes, I’ve been here since yesterday, you only woke up now, if you hadn’t woken up, I really would have switched doctors." Ava Sterling’s mind spun into chaos, countless thoughts scrambling through her mind, yet unable to grasp a single one, leaving her feeling completely mixed up. But abruptly, one person’s image flashed in her mind, prompting her to ask.