"What kind of look were you giving me on the cruise that day? As if I had cheated on you. Why did you look at me like that?" "I haven’t done anything to wrong you, nor have I slept with any other man. My first kiss was yours, my first night was yours, and the second and third times are definitely yours too. Why do you look at me like that?" Ava spoke, and a flame of displeasure rose in her heart, her eyes spitting out anger. She really disliked being looked at that way by him. If she had actually wronged him, that would be one thing, but she hadn’t. Things she hasn’t done shouldn’t be placed on her! Moreover, Ava Sterling is not the kind who sleeps with this man one night and with another the next. She does have basic morals. Poe Vaughn’s gaze shifted when Ava mentioned the second and third times. His eyes moved almost imperceptibly, and the darkness in them gradually faded. Ava didn’t notice Poe’s change, instead, her speech grew more furious, unable to stop. "That night I was set up by that bitch Joyner, with that man wanting to force himself on me. I fought desperately to deny him, and you say I did this for whom?" "Wasn’t it all for you!" "Look at my hand now, at my body. When has Ava Sterling ever suffered such a great ordeal?" "All to remain faithful to you, which led to this mess. I’ve really had bad luck!" "But despite all I’ve done, you still think I’m a fickle woman. You...!" Her words grew more exaggerated, and Poe Vaughn stood up, went to the nightstand, and poured himself some water from a kettle. When Ava’s speech was at its height, she saw him suddenly stand up to pour water, leaving her bewildered! Imagine, when you’re at your angriest, and the person opposite you suddenly turns away to do something else, how do you feel? Ava felt a stifled anger stuck in her throat, neither going up nor down, making her face flush red! This person... really maddening! The water cup Poe grabbed was the one Ava used, which still had a third of the water remaining. He didn’t pour it out; instead, he topped it up halfway and then sipped the water. Ava just sat there, watching this person’s throat bob as the warm water slid down. She grew even angrier! Damn it, she wanted to hit this person! Read complete version only at novel-fire.ɴet Poe, sipping water, saw the anger making her cheeks red, her eyes red, seeming like she’d explode any moment, and offered, "Want some water?" His deep voice, without any undertones, and even the emotional changes she thought she saw earlier were gone. He seemed to always have this good temper, with no trace of displeasure. Ava was raging, unsure where to vent, but hearing this, she glared at him: "I don’t want your..." The words were out in an instant, but stopped before touching his deep gaze. Then, the curse ’damn’ was swallowed back down. She turned her head, wanting to say ’I don’t want,’ but thought of something else, directly saying, "My hand hurts!" It’s not just her hand; her entire body hurt, with anger! And as soon as she finished, a water cup suddenly appeared before her, leaving Ava dumbfounded. She looked at the cup in front of her, filled with clear, pure water, held by a distinctively jointed hand, like one dipped in mountain springs, looking extremely beautiful. Now wasn’t the time to appreciate this hand, but the cup being handed over, almost touching her lips, was clearly telling her something. He was offering her a drink.