Ava Sterling slept until noon and woke up due to hunger. She rubbed her stomach, got out of bed, and looked outside the window, only to find that it was already broad daylight. She picked up her phone to check the time, then put down a sunflower, grabbed her hair, and went to the bathroom to wash up. Once she was cleaned up and came out, she smelled an extremely clean scent in the house. There was even the aroma of food. Ava paused, and the maid who was tidying up in the kitchen heard the noise and immediately came out: "Miss Sterling is awake?" Seeing the maid, Ava was stunned for two seconds before remembering what was going on. The maid, seeing that she didn’t respond, continued, "I’ve prepared lunch. Miss Sterling, please wait a moment, and I will serve it right away." With that, the maid brought the warmed-up dishes from the kitchen to the dining table. Ava looked at the bone soup, small dishes, steamed fish, and spicy stir-fry on the table, and her stomach growled. Eat first, call Jace Kingsley after eating. She couldn’t let the maid stay; she had to go to that person’s place without being discovered. "Miss Sterling, please taste these dishes and see if they suit your taste. If not, just let me know, and I’ll adjust them." The maid placed the dishes neatly and stood by Ava’s side, bowing slightly as she spoke. Ava didn’t stand on ceremony, picking up her chopsticks to grab some food. Unexpectedly, the taste was actually from Varden’s side. Ava looked at the maid instantly: "Are you from Varden?" The maid smiled: "Yes, Miss Sterling." Ava nodded and gave the maid a thumbs up: "Not bad, the taste is very authentic!" Follow current novels on noveⅼfire.net "Then Miss Sterling, please enjoy your meal. Call me if you need anything." The maid went to tidy up, and Ava ate the steaming hot food while messaging Jace Kingsley. At this time, he should have also rested well. But as soon as the message was sent, the phone rang after just a few seconds. It was Jace Kingsley. Ava raised an eyebrow; wasn’t he busy? Thinking this, she still answered the call: "Hello." She spoke while eating, and Jace immediately knew what she was doing. Amusement appeared in his eyes as he said, "Eating?" "Yeah, just woke up. The maid you found is truly amazing, the taste is particularly authentic, thanks!" His smile spread across his face: "I’m glad you like it." "However, I can’t accept your kindness." Jace’s smile froze: "Why not?" "You’re already so good to me, being even better will put me under a lot of pressure." Her words were ambiguous; Jace leaned back in his chair, the pen rolling between his fingers: "What pressure? We’re friends, aren’t we?" "Precisely because we’re friends, I feel pressured." "You invite me to meals, take me out, give me gifts, and now even arrange a maid to take care of me. But I’ve only treated you to a meal and haven’t helped in other ways. Isn’t this putting me under pressure?" Jace’s gaze shifted slightly and he said, "If you put it that way, then your injury is my fault." "I asked you to go to the Maldives for a shoot and took you to attend a charity gala, and then you had your accident." "I’m supposed to be responsible for that, aren’t I?" Is that a valid argument? Ava was momentarily speechless. Not hearing her voice, Jace stopped the spinning pen, holding it still: "Ava, I feel like you’re resisting me right now." "What’s causing you to resist me?" Ava’s heart skipped a beat, and she instantly panicked. "I can sense that you care about me as a friend, but it seems like you have to distance yourself from me for some unspoken reason." "Ava, can you tell me why you don’t even have the right to make friends?" The right to make friends... That sentence pierced Ava’s heart like a thorn, making her heart tighten. She was always carefree, doing whatever she wanted without constraints. But ever since she signed that marriage agreement with that person, she had been restricted everywhere, unable to do this or that. She had lost many rights. But it was her own choice. She was blinded by greed, confining herself on her own. There was no other way. Ava felt a pang in her heart, not understanding why she signed that binding contract just for a billion, putting herself in a position where she had to be cautious about every move she made. Yet, she was someone who valued contract spirit greatly, and unless absolutely necessary, she would not break a contract. So she had to swallow the bitter fruit she had chosen for herself! "Ava, are you facing any difficulties?" "Can you tell me? I can help you solve them. If you’re worried about pressure, you can slowly repay me later." "I don’t want you to live uncomfortably. I want you to be happy." The phone carried Jace’s gentle, caring voice, making Ava very touched. A true friend is someone who always remembers you. She brightened up, grabbing a piece of bone and gnawing on it: "No worries!" "Who am I? I am Ava Sterling!" "No one can restrict me, don’t worry, don’t worry." "I just can’t take it when people are too good to me, that’s all there is to it." "I really appreciate the maid, but I truly can’t accept it. If you sincerely want to be my friend, then believe me." She still wouldn’t say. "You should be busy, so I won’t keep you. I have to go to the company later, I’ll talk to the maid myself. You don’t need to worry about me. Let’s connect when we have time." Having said that, Ava quickly hung up the phone, afraid that if Jace continued talking, his words would move her to tears, which wouldn’t be good. The busy tone resonated from the phone, and Jace put his phone down. At that moment, all traces of laughter disappeared from his face. Ava, it seems I’ll have to use other means to find out what your relationship with that person is. After finishing her meal, Ava briefly explained things to the maid, and the maid left. Feeling relieved, she tidied up a bit and grabbed her car keys to head out. She needed to go to the company; Eric should be there by now. After getting into the car, Ava started the engine. At that moment, that person appeared in her mind. When she arrived, should she send him a message to let him know about her situation? Ava thought it was necessary, so she picked up her phone and quickly typed a message, sending it swiftly.