Ethan Ainsworth raised his eyebrow, "With other women, I dare say they’d definitely fall for Poe, but Ava is different. She appears simple, but she has gone through experiences unlike other girls, and her spontaneous, easy-going nature is actually quite difficult to handle." "For a materialistic girl, money solves everything. For a gentle girl, if you care for her sincerely, she’ll give you her heart. But Ava’s character is stubborn, independent, she doesn’t rely on others, and isn’t a hopeless romantic. A girl like her is the hardest to deal with." "Besides, think about it. She has been in the modeling world for ten years, always keeping clean, and completely indifferent to external temptations. Is such a girl easy to handle?" These words seemed to understand Ava Sterling thoroughly, but if you listened closely, there was a lot of admiration in them. Vincent Donovan laughed, "So, Poe Vaughn has met a challenge." "With Ava’s soft but unyielding temperament, Young Master Kingsley is approaching her softly. He surely knows Ava well, so she treats him completely differently compared to Poe." "Ah, but there’s nothing to be done. Poe just doesn’t have the gift of gab. If he could say some sweet words, Ava might just give her heart to him." Ethan Ainsworth sighed, looking quite troubled. But Vincent Donovan, although sighing, showed no signs of being troubled at all; his expression was more like enjoying a show. Vincent Donovan smiled and shook his head, remaining silent. He didn’t think Ava was someone who would give her heart away just because of a few sweet words. With Ava, you must reciprocate sincerity. Poe Vaughn is sincere with Ava, just as Jace Kingsley is sincere with Ava. That’s why it’s so hard. Poe Vaughn spoke very little tonight; he mostly listened, occasionally responding with a word or two. And there were two pairs of eyes occasionally looking at him, their gaze intense. When he looked back, he saw Ethan Ainsworth and Vincent Donovan whispering to each other, especially Ethan’s expression that almost directly said they were gossiping about him. Poe Vaughn withdrew his gaze, took a sip of wine; the aroma rich, yet to him tonight, it tasted like water, without any flavor. "Sir, Mrs. didn’t come home last night. Did she go on a business trip again?" The thought emerged in his mind, his eyes growing darker. She didn’t return home last night. Aria Rhodes was drinking and chatting with friends, but her gaze was fixed on Poe Vaughn, watching him closely. She also attended tonight’s academic symposium and came to the banquet naturally. The aim was to see Poe Vaughn. However, after what Poe Vaughn said at the airport yesterday, she dared not approach him. Previously, she would eagerly get close to Poe Vaughn. He never said anything, so she naturally didn’t hold back. But since he spoke yesterday, she dared not go near him. After all, if he can treat his biological father with such coldness, what more for her, just a nominal sister. "What are you looking at? Just go up to him," her friend nudged her. Aria Rhodes shook her head, withdrawing her gaze, her brows furrowed, "He doesn’t want me to approach." "What?" Content originally comes from novel[f]ire.net "Doesn’t want you to approach? What does that mean?" Aria explained what happened at the airport yesterday, and anxiety bloomed in her heart, "I keep feeling like something’s going on; maybe my father contacted him again." Upon hearing this, her friend shrugged helplessly, "Poe Vaughn is very cold, very ruthless, he’s also quite tactical. When your dad cheated during marriage, it led to his mother being pregnant and returning to her family alone, then dying in a car accident three years later. He definitely loathes your dad." "To be precise, he loathes both your dads, but your dad wants to acknowledge him as a son, and that’s impossible." "If you weren’t a Rhodes Family daughter, that would be different, but unfortunately, you are a Rhodes Family daughter; he surely dislikes you too." "Previously, when you approached him, he didn’t say anything probably because he felt okay and didn’t mind you. But if he was having a bad day and you approached, wouldn’t that be running into gunfire?" "Ah, your family’s situation is difficult." As they were friends, Aria Rhodes’ affection for Poe Vaughn was known to her friend, as was the scandal of Poe Vaughn’s father’s infidelity; it was common knowledge among the elite circles. Thus, her friend spoke plainly, and Aria wasn’t angry, just troubled inside. If she weren’t a Rhodes Family daughter, she indeed would be nothing. She couldn’t possibly abandon her Rhodes family identity, yet she wanted to be with him. Seeing Aria Rhodes’ distressed appearance, her friend suddenly had an idea and leaned closer, "I’ve got a suggestion for you." Aria Rhodes’ eyes lit up, immediately listening attentively. Poe Vaughn went to the bathroom, and when he came out, his phone beeped; a message had arrived. His eyes shifted slightly, and he halted. At this moment, his eyes seemed less shadowed. He took out his phone and looked at the screen. The sender’s name was clearly displayed on the screen, it was Ava. Poe Vaughn stared at the name for a while before opening the message. Ava Sterling: [I’ve arrived in China. When will you arrive? Another day has passed. Don’t get so busy that you forget what I told you.] She was referencing what he had said to her before returning to China. Poe Vaughn looked at this message, it was exactly in Ava’s usual tone, unchanged at all. The darkness in his eyes gradually faded away, deepening once again, none of the oddness that Ethan Ainsworth mentioned earlier was visible. He started walking out, his finger moved slightly, opened the input field, and began typing a message. But just then, a shout came.