Ava Sterling spoke without thinking. It’s safe to say that she wasn’t even fully awake, and her body instinctively reacted. Hearing the words that escaped her lips, Ava froze. She was utterly stunned. Did she... did she really just say that? Was that appropriate? Ava Sterling, you’re really out of your mind. A flood of hammers seemed to appear in her mind, wanting to crack open her skull to see what was inside. Poe Vaughn looked at Ava, feeling the temperature of her forehead. But then, a straightforward sentence dropped into his ear like a stone hitting a calm lake, causing him to pause. The room became instantly silent, without a sound. Time seemed to stand still, and all sounds ceased. They looked at each other, neither making a move. But then, a buzzing vibration suddenly broke the silence. Poe’s eyes slightly moved, and he withdrew his hand. He took out his phone, looked at the caller ID, and answered, "Hello." As he answered, he walked away. Ava lay in bed, watching him leave the room to take the call, and only when the door closed did the tension in her heart ease. No man wants to be known by others as being in his thirties with only one woman, right? How embarrassing is that? Although she didn’t know if Poe Vaughn cared about face, instinct told her that such words should not be spoken. But what could she do? She had already said it. Ava immediately raised her hand, covering her face. Ava Sterling, you’ve truly gone mad and now seem to be fearless of consequences. It seems you’ll dare to say anything now. Ava lay on the bed, rolling in regret, but the more she rolled, the more uncomfortable she felt. Her body was really worn out; she needed to recover. Not wanting to think too much, she rested on the bed for a while, then glanced out the window at the sky before getting up to go to the bathroom and wash away the soreness. Her change of clothes was already placed on the bedside table, noticed when she got out of bed. After washing up, she got dressed and tidied herself up. Feeling much better after making herself presentable, but then... Ava looked at her obvious dark circles in the mirror and began searching for her bag. She needed to put on some makeup to cover the dark circles; otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to face anyone today. The bedroom had already been tidied up. The clothes they had tossed around last night were gone, but her phone was on the bedside table, though her bag wasn’t in sight. Ava searched around but didn’t find her bag. Could it still be outside? Ava recalled that they started out last night, so her bag must be outside as well. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novèlfire.net But... Ava was unusually shy at that moment. Having just said such a thing, would he be upset? If he was upset, what should she do? Ava thought carefully about whether she’d ever comforted this person before, and she did come up with an instance. That time in the car, she had provoked him, and then that was how she comforted him, right? That comfort involved a bit of seductive ploy, and after last night’s ordeal, it probably wouldn’t work now, would it? Besides, she didn’t have the energy right now for any seductive moves. Feeling overwhelmed, Ava decided not to think about it anymore. Whatever, she’ll just take it as it comes. She couldn’t just stay in here forever and not go out, or never see him again. So, Ava straightened her back, opened the door, and stepped out. However, just as she opened the door and stepped out, she stopped. In the office, Poe Vaughn was in a shirt, holding his phone, standing by the window talking on the phone, while Yvonne was setting breakfast at the coffee table. Hearing the sound, Yvonne immediately looked over, her face breaking into a friendly smile: "Good morning, Young Mistress." Ava didn’t expect Yvonne to be there, and with breakfast too. It was as if she knew Ava and Poe Vaughn were there last night. Ava’s face flushed red instantly and instinctively. "Hehe, good morning, Yvonne..." Ava tried to appear calm, as if nothing had happened last night. She walked over steadily, maintaining a stiff smile. Hearing the sound, Poe Vaughn looked over, immediately noticing Ava’s flushed face, trying to appear composed. He stared at her, and for once, saw a hint of embarrassment and shyness on her face. His eyes moved slightly, he turned away and said something in fluent French, then hung up. "Young Mistress, have you freshened up? Let’s have breakfast." "This breakfast was instructed by the Old Lady, made by Yvonne and Sister Wei to nourish the Young Mistress." Yvonne seemed to ignore Ava’s awkwardness, smiling as she ladled the soup, placing it on the table. Ava sat down and, hearing Yvonne’s words, tried to pull her stiff smile up. Previously, when Yvonne and the Old Lady talked about nourishing her body, Ava didn’t think much of it. But now, she suspected that "nourishing" might mean something else entirely. Seeing the milky soup in front of her, steam rising, she noticed a faint medicinal smell. Wasn’t the Old Lady trying to hasten childbirth? With this thought, Ava felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, she was relieved that yesterday’s incident didn’t seem to have affected the Old Lady; she could breathe a sigh of relief. But on the other hand, she worried that the Old Lady was eager for her to produce a chubby great-grandson for the family. Thinking of this, Ava’s smile became awkward. She wanted to have a child, but not to give it to The Vaughn Family... Yvonne noticed Ava staring at the medicinal soup with a complex expression, as if she was faced with a significant dilemma. Yvonne asked, "Young Mistress, is something wrong?" Just as Yvonne finished asking, a tall figure approached, taking a seat across from Ava. Ava immediately looked up at the person sitting opposite her. Poe Vaughn looked as composed as ever, unaffected by anything, the same as he always was. Nothing ever seemed to faze him, not even the sky falling. In that moment, Ava found strength, her worries disappeared. With him around, what was there to be afraid of? No matter how difficult the situation, he would handle it, and he certainly didn’t want to have kids with her. Feeling reassured, Ava flashed Yvonne a brilliant smile: "It’s nothing." After saying this, she began to drink the soup. Seeing Ava’s calm demeanor, as if nothing happened, Yvonne had her suspicions but didn’t press further. She took Poe Vaughn’s breakfast and placed it in front of him. Poe’s was also a medicinal soup, but different from Ava’s. Ava’s was white, his was black. She wondered what it was made from. Ava couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. The Old Lady was indeed quite fair. After breakfast, Ava took her bag, grabbed her makeup, and went back to the room to apply it. Meanwhile, Yvonne cleaned up the dining table, taking the bagged clothes, pants, and bed sheets away. Soon, the office was quiet again. Poe didn’t return to the bedroom; he sat in his executive chair, picking up a file to work. Ava quickly finished her makeup, covering her dark circles, and felt more energized before she came out. Upon exiting, she saw him engrossed in work, cold and emotionless, like a deity without a heart, making people dread approaching. Ava blinked and then spoke up.