The surrounding atmosphere was quiet, as if suddenly there wasn’t a single sound. Ava Sterling felt it and frowned, "What’s going on?" She looked at him, clearly seeing his dark eyes, as if something suddenly colored them, making her fearful. Ava instinctively gripped the sunflower leaves, like grabbing another hand, shrinking back and looking at him warily, "What are you doing?" He looked like he was about to eat someone. What did she do to offend him? She had ordered food for him and even made sure it stayed warm in a thermos—wasn’t that considerate enough? She had been so considerate, yet he was giving her attitude. Did he have no conscience? Poe Vaughn noticed Ava Sterling’s retreat in her eyes, her wariness and alertness, as he tightened his fingers then let go. Googlᴇ search novᴇlfire.net At that moment, the atmosphere in the ward returned to normal. He lowered his gaze, undoing the cufflinks and rolled up his sleeves, unhurriedly saying, "Not going to eat a bit more?" A moment ago, Ava was in purgatory; the next, she was back on earth, unable to react quickly. Yet his words reached her ears, as if nothing had happened. She looked at him carefully; no matter how she looked, he remained unfazed, without any disturbances. Ava wondered if she had just witnessed an illusion. "And that meal was specifically ordered for you—it’s all your favorite, mild dishes that are easy on the stomach." Those mild dishes she didn’t like; they were tasteless in her mouth. Being in the hospital was already dreary enough, and eating such bland food made her lose interest in life. Poe Vaughn rolled up his sleeves, revealing robust, muscular forearms, extremely powerful. He said, "Eat a bit more." Raising his gaze to look at her, with deep and intense eyes. Was he... asking her to accompany him while eating? Ava looked into those deep eyes, where the thoughts were inscrutable, but at this moment, she was somehow certain of one thing. He wanted her to eat with him. Eating alone wasn’t tasty? She thought it was quite delicious. She often savored her meals alone, incredibly carefree. Considering his expression, he seemed formidable; better not to refuse. "Alright, alright, I’ll eat with you." Only then did Poe Vaughn turn away and enter the bathroom. Quickly, the sound of water came out, and Ava’s brow furrowed, only feeling puzzled. What’s up with him, his moods shifting again? She had originally looked forward to the rewards, but now she dared not expect anything, fearing he’d douse her with a bucket of icy water—leaving her utterly cold. Ava thought it over, feeling it was better not to trouble him with anything. Despite him being so busy, he came to the hospital to see her, although to satisfy his own emotional needs, but she considered it as him visiting her, so she’d refrain from asking him for everything. With these thoughts, Ava released her hold on the sunflower, propping herself out of bed, slowly making her way to the table, opening the thermos and taking out the food inside. She could walk, just with more difficulty, and she should avoid moving much to aid her recovery. However, after lying still for a long time, some movement was beneficial. Ava thought she might as well eat with him at the table for convenience. She opened the thermos and took out the meal. Just as she removed a dish, a deep voice fell into her ears from behind: "What are you doing?" The voice carried a low pressure, with a heavy sense of oppression, making Ava, who was already carefully holding the dish and dared not exert too much force to avoid affecting her hand’s recovery, suddenly startled. The abruptness and the overwhelming intimidation caused her hand to tremble, the bowl in her hand instantly dropped onto the table, making a loud crash!