He held the person in his arms, looking at her tear-streaked face. She had fallen asleep, her long lashes resting on her eyelids, damp, and her cheeks flushed, a revealing sign of intense passion. However, one side of her cheek was swollen. Upon closer inspection, the marks of five fingers were faintly visible. At this moment, Poe Vaughn’s eyes darkened. He picked up his phone and dialed a number: "Have someone come clean the room." "Also, arrange for a doctor to come over." Placing the phone on the bedside table, he carried her into the bathroom. Soon, the sound of water began to echo. And shortly after, the room door opened, and several cleaners entered. They swiftly changed the bedsheets and duvet covers, picked up the contraception products and trash on the floor, placed the scattered clothes in the laundry basket, opened the windows for ventilation, and sprayed air freshener. In just a few minutes, everything in the presidential suite was restored to its original state. When Poe Vaughn carried Ava Sterling out, there was no longer any sign of chaos, not even the sticky atmosphere remained. He laid her on the bed, took the bag from the bedside table, and pulled out a nightgown for Ava Sterling to wear. Nanny Wei had prepared two sets of clothes each for Poe Vaughn and Ava Sterling, one for sleeping and one for daytime, all very complete. Poe Vaughn dressed Ava Sterling, then pulled the quilt over her. She shifted slightly, wanting to sleep on her side, but perhaps too tired, she only moved a little and then was still. Yet, her hand subconsciously clutched the quilt, as if trying to hold onto it for sleep, but either too exhausted or too sleepy, she simply held on without further movement. Poe Vaughn looked at her sleeping face, her flushed cheeks gradually fading, but that swollen part still brazenly stood out. He looked at her swollen cheek, picked up his phone, and dialed Quentin Quinn’s number. Soon, Quentin Quinn’s voice came through the phone: "President Vaughn." "Call Lauren Howell and say that the madam is not feeling well and needs a day off." "Find those who have conflicts with Lillian Donovan, you know what to do." Quentin Quinn instantly understood: "Don’t worry, I’ll handle it." Hanging up the phone, Poe Vaughn placed it back on the bedside table and then lifted the quilt to sit beside Ava Sterling. It seemed she sensed him, as her body instinctively leaned towards him, but perhaps too weak, her hand just rested on him and then stilled. Poe Vaughn leaned against the headboard, then pulled Ava Sterling into his arms, letting her lean on him. As she nestled against him, her face rubbed against his chest, finding a comfortable spot, and she soon fell asleep again. He gazed down at her, observing her charming innocence, her trust without vigilance, and his fingers gently skimmed her cheek, caressing it. She felt the movement, a bit ticklish, but seeming too sleepy, she just furrowed her brows slightly and ignored it. He watched the furrows on her brows relax, her face once again sinking into sleep, while his fingers stayed still on her cheek, feeling her warmth. He just watched her, kept watching her, for a long while. Until the doctor arrived. The door knocked, and he placed her on the bed, got up to open the door. The doctor stood outside, bowed upon seeing him: "President Vaughn." Poe Vaughn walked inside, the doctor followed, and the person who had brought the doctor closed the door. Poe Vaughn approached the bed, speaking: "She was slapped on the face, see how to reduce the swelling." The doctor placed the medical kit on the bedside table, carefully examining Ava Sterling’s face before taking something from the kit and informing Poe Vaughn of the needs. Thus, an hour later, the redness and swelling on Ava Sterling’s face visibly subsided, and the doctor left. By this time, the sky was showing a pale dawn, and a new day had quietly arrived. Poe Vaughn lifted the quilt and lay down beside Ava Sterling, pulling her into his arms. He rested his chin on the top of her head, closing his eyes. At that moment, the curtains gradually drew to a close, the light outside slowly being blocked, leaving nothing... Seven in the morning. Over the past two days, Lauren Howell’s routine had become regular, settled by Ava Sterling’s matter, with nothing left to worry about. Naturally, she ate well, slept well, and woke up early. However, just as she finished getting ready and had breakfast, preparing to leave, her phone rang. Lauren Howell closed the door and took out her phone. The screen showed an unfamiliar number, but it was local to Aurelia. Not knowing who it was, Lauren Howell nonetheless answered the call. "Hello, who is this?" She spoke as she headed to the elevator. "Hello Miss Halloway, I’m Quentin Quinn, President Vaughn’s special assistant." Lauren Howell immediately stopped in her tracks: "Poe... President Vaughn..." Lauren Howell paused there, her eyes wide, her heart uncontrollably pounding. "Here’s the situation: the madam is not feeling well and needs to take a day off. Please arrange it for the madam, Miss Halloway." This wasn’t a request, not a question, but a direct notification. Lauren Howell’s mouth opened. She usually reacted quickly, but now she was slow. However, within just a few seconds, she recovered, promptly saying: "Alright, alright, I’ll arrange for Ava to take a day off, don’t worry." "Thank you, Miss Halloway." "No trouble at all, it’s my duty." Quentin Quinn finished speaking and hung up. Lauren Howell stood there, hearing the dial tone in her phone, yet remained unresponsive. Yet, what Quentin Quinn had just said replayed in her mind. Special assistant... Get full chapters from NoveI[F]ire.net Lauren Howell’s emotions at this moment went from shock, disbelief to elation. For the special assistant of a Celestial Holdings bigwig to call her personally, Ava’s marriage seems not too bad, right? He seems... to be kind to Ava, right? Lauren Howell felt sure, absolutely sure. Otherwise, Quentin Quinn wouldn’t have spoken so respectfully when mentioning the madam. Lauren Howell began to laugh, then laughed wildly. Her Ava finally awaited her moment of clarity, when the clouds opened up to reveal the bright moon! Lauren Howell quickly called the company, arranging Ava Sterling’s day off, and after making the arrangements, she called Silas Donovan to inform him that Ava Sterling was not feeling well today, so the teacher assigned to teach Ava Sterling acting need not come today but could come tomorrow. After the contract was signed, Silas Donovan had swiftly arranged a teacher from the drama department, even scheduling it for today. Lauren Howell knew Ava Sterling had always been punctual with work, so she hadn’t told Ava but had simply informed Silas Donovan to have the teacher come. But unexpectedly, on the first day, Ava had to take leave. Hearing this, Silas Donovan was furious. He said it had been hard to get this teacher, who had a tight schedule, and it wasn’t easy to change the timing, among many other things. Lauren Howell shut Silas Donovan up with one sentence, stating he should listen to Ava or him. Silas Donovan was immediately speechless. Lauren Howell hung up the phone, but before she did, she spoke gently to Silas Donovan, explaining that Ava Sterling truly wasn’t feeling well and wasn’t deliberately not showing up; she wouldn’t be coming to the company and it wasn’t targeting Silas Donovan. Silas Donovan knew Ava Sterling wouldn’t renege on her promise. After all, the contract was signed, and the one with Celestial Holdings too. This wasn’t something to be taken lightly, but he really did have a hard time finding a teacher. Ultimately, Silas Donovan asked if the teacher could at least go by in the evening, if Ava felt a bit better, since the teacher was going on a business trip the next day. They were quite busy. Lauren Howell thought it over and agreed. She understood Silas Donovan’s position; it was indeed hard to find a good teacher. The two of them came to an agreement, hung up the phone, and Lauren Howell carefully pondered before sending Ava a message. She didn’t know if Ava Sterling was truly unwell, but she knew Ava Sterling was serious about her work. She sent Ava a message explaining the situation, leaving the decision to Ava. Having arranged everything, it was eight o’clock, and Lauren Howell began to smile again. She hoped The Vaughn Family would always treat Ava well, also wishing that Ava could be as free, happy, and fulfilled as before. The sky gradually brightened, then became blazing, time passing unnoticed. In the blink of an eye, the sun stood high in the sky, heralding the unnoticeable passage of time.