The surroundings fell silent in an instant, the beautiful aura no longer present. At this moment, time froze, no longer moving forward. Ava Sterling didn’t hear a response, so she turned to look at the person standing beside her and continued, "Let’s not keep in touch after tonight." The smile disappeared from Jace Kingsley’s face, and the twinkle in his eyes also froze. It was as if a chill enveloped him, making him completely motionless. Seeing Jace , Ava’s heart ached, followed by a flood of guilt and self-blame. She shouldn’t have promised him, to put it accurately, she shouldn’t have rashly signed that agreement. If she hadn’t agreed to that one hundred million, things wouldn’t be this way. After all, she was the one who promised him first. After what felt like ages, Jace finally spoke, "Can I know the reason?" His eyes shifted slightly, turning to look at the face beside him, filled with guilt and self-blame. Ava paused, then looked up at him. And just one look, her heart was pricked again. His face was expressionless, his eyes void of any emotion, like a puppet whose soul had been drained, not knowing what to do next. Looking at Jace , Ava dared not look again after a glance. She was afraid, afraid she would soften. She lowered her head, tightly furrowing her brows, her face heavy. Jace looked at her and said softly, "Ava, can I?" His voice carried a plea that made Ava’s heart nearly shatter. For a moment, Ava wanted to tell him the truth, but she held back. She mustn’t tell anyone; the agreement was crystal clear. Clenching her hand into a fist, Ava looked up at Jace, her gaze firm and resolute: "There’s no reason." After saying this, she turned and left. Disappearing quickly from his sight. Jace stood there, his expression cracking like ice, revealing his true emotions. Anger, hatred, reluctance. It was that person. Read complete version only at novel-fire.net He had retreated so much, retreating to the point of no return, yet that person kept pushing closer, not giving him any breathing space. He didn’t want much. What else did that person want? Jace’s hand clenched into a fist, even letting out a creaking sound, strongly indicating his current state of mind. Lauren Howell was humming a song in the kitchen while washing dishes, feeling delighted. You could say she had never found washing dishes to be such a joyful task. But soon, she wasn’t happy anymore. Because she heard Ava’s car engine start, loud and fast. Before she could even react, the car sped off quickly. Lauren was stunned, then she ran out quickly to check, not even noticing the soap suds from her hands dripping onto the floor. Lauren quickly ran outside, only managing to catch a glimpse of Ava’s tail lights. Ava really was driving fast. Lauren stood there, dazed. Why leave so suddenly? Has something happened? Instinctively, Lauren looked up, and as she did, she saw the person standing on the rooftop. Jace stood on the rooftop; he watched the car leave, his face void of expression, no hint of a smile. Above him was a sky full of stars, the night deepening too. He stood there, silent, looking intimidating. Indeed, intimidating. Ava drove, speeding all the way, her expression and mood both sour. It was her fault; she promised Jace but then signed that agreement. Initially, she thought it was just an agreement, nothing more. But who could have known that one agreement would lead to all these subsequent issues? She regretted it. Regretted signing that agreement, for it led to her betraying Jace. But there was nothing she could do, she signed it, and now regret was futile. So at this moment, she had to bear her guilt and self-reproach alone; no one could help her. Her foot pressed down on the accelerator, the car speeding forward even faster. At this moment, Green Hill Villa. The housekeeper looked at the time and called Ava again. Past seven o’clock. She wondered if Madam had finished her tasks and if she had had dinner. More importantly, Sir was back, but Madam was not. Although Sir didn’t ask, he was surely worried. Therefore, this call needed to be made. "Sorry, the number you have dialed is switched off..." It was still switched off. The housekeeper frowned, glanced at her phone for the time; it was already 7:30. Could Madam be very busy today? The housekeeper thought she probably was. She stayed in the kitchen, cautiously peering into the living room. Poe Vaughn had just returned a while ago and was now having dinner at the dining table. Poe had left the company at six and naturally arrived home by seven. Even his dinner was being eaten quite late. The housekeeper sent a message to Ava, then returned to the kitchen to continue tidying up. Ava drove very fast, and at exactly eight o’clock, the car screeched to a stop outside the villa’s gate. Hearing this sound, the housekeeper finally exhaled in relief. She had just been about to call Ava. She quickly put away her phone and hurried out. However, just as she reached the living room, she stopped. Because Ava had already entered. With incredible speed. The housekeeper beamed with a smile, instinctively glancing at Poe Vaughn, who was sitting on the sofa watching TV. After dinner, Poe had moved to the sofa to watch TV, just like last night. Obviously, Poe was waiting for Ava. Though he heard the commotion, Poe remained motionless, as if he hadn’t heard the car’s arrival. Seeing this, the housekeeper’s smile deepened. That’s just how their Sir was, never showing how much he cared. The housekeeper was all smiles, looking at Ava, but upon seeing her, the smile froze on her face.