Ava Sterling froze, looking at the person holding her. At this moment, her consciousness fully returned, extremely clear. Looking at this unmatched handsome face, Ava Sterling remembered what he just said. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on novelꜰire.net More accurately, what he said to her in front of the washbasin. He said that if anything happens, tell him, meaning, he would resolve it for her, right? Ava Sterling felt, yes. Her intuition told her so. And he said that by his side, she could do anything she wanted, meaning, as long as she was with him, she could be capricious and do as she pleased. No need to worry, no need for restraints, no fearing this or that, and no need to be scared. With him around, she could just be herself, and that would be enough. But, there’s one condition to all of this. And that is, not to deceive him. Ava Sterling’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as she looked at this attractive face with deep, defined features and slightly pursed lips. She felt that what he was saying was meant to convey something to her. She was not his wife, not someone destined to be with him for life, but more like a lover or mistress. She could sense that he had some affection for her. This affection allowed her to do many things, but she must not fantasize about what she shouldn’t. He was reminding her of what she could and couldn’t do. He wanted her to be clear and aware. At this moment, Ava Sterling understood, and in her heart, she sighed. How could he think this way about her? Did he think she’d fall in love with him? Is that why he’s giving her a preemptive warning? Ava Sterling felt quite helpless. How could she possibly fall for him? She could like him, but this liking is not romantic; it’s being pleased with his external and internal qualities. For instance, she liked his appearance, his physique, liked the vibe he exuded, that nobility, liked the steadiness and measured approach he had in doing things, his cunning. These are the things she liked about him, but she wouldn’t like him as a person, let alone fall in love with him. Perhaps he thought that with their prolonged intimacy, she had developed a dependency on him, and was being reckless. He feared that if she continued, she might lose her sense of direction, so he timely reminded her. He wanted her to remember the roles between them. Ava truly did not know what to say. She always thought she had a great advantage, which was self-awareness. She was particularly clear about the kind of person she was, and the conditions she had. It was impossible for her to have any entanglements or even feelings with a person like Poe Vaughn. So she agreed to sign the agreement. She felt such a great opportunity shouldn’t be missed, it was like a pie from the sky, she had to seize it. But she never had any delusions because of this, even when sharing a bed with him. Their cooperation in this regard was excellent, yet she never had any obsession or turmoil in her heart. She was always clear about her goals: to get money, have a child, and then lead a happy life. This thought had never changed. And today, the words he said made her realize even more the vast difference between them. During the agreement period, she would do what she should, not deceive him, live like a couple would, just like usual. Whatever he was willing to give, she would naturally accept gladly. Whatever he required, she would comply with one hundred percent. Respect the contract, respect the opportunity, Ava Sterling would do what she ought to do, never letting him down. Nor would she have any issue with money. And when the agreement ended, she would leave immediately, striving toward her goals with her child. Thinking of this, Ava smiled, her eyes sparkling. Poe Vaughn carried Ava Sterling to the bed and lay down himself. However, as he lay down and saw her smiling eyes, brows arching so obediently. He wondered what good thing she had thought of to be so particularly joyful about. With eyes slightly moving, he pulled her into his arms, took the quilt and covered them both. He did nothing, said nothing, just held her like that. Ava Sterling blinked, feeling the soft bedding beneath her, followed by the familiar embrace and chest close to her. She returned from her beautiful visions to look at the person holding her. Could he be thinking again? This was Ava Sterling’s first thought, but the person holding her was calm and serene, his arms steady, even the fingers that loved to lightly graze her remained still, and this thought vanished instantly. He didn’t want to do that, he wanted to rest, perhaps. Last night, he was far more tired than she was, especially toward the end; she was completely still while he moved. He’s human too, he would also get tired. So, he’s probably planning to take a nap. With that in mind, Ava felt at ease, closing her eyes. To be honest, she wanted to sleep as well. She had never been this wild before, and decided not to go this far next time, it’s too tiring. However, having slept for such a long time and just had eaten, with a full stomach, Ava couldn’t sleep. She opened her eyes and looked at Poe Vaughn. And looking at him, she realized he was watching her too, seemingly for a while. Ava raised an eyebrow, why was he watching her? Had he found her particularly beautiful today? With confidence in her appearance, Ava reached to touch her face, "What’s up? Do I have something on my face?" Joking, she knew she was pretty, but she couldn’t brazenly say it; that would be too narcissistic. A man who had seen plenty of beautiful women. To him, she was probably just average. Ava always believed that there’s always someone better out there, which is nothing unusual. Poe Vaughn looked at this obviously confident person, especially those lively, spirited eyes, and said, "Nothing." Then why’s he looking at her? Ava really wanted to ask this but didn’t forget that this person was the client, so she just oh-ed and said nothing. The atmosphere in the bedroom returned to silence. Ava wasn’t someone who could stay still, and having nothing to do, while being in his arms, made her restless; she began to move. Poe Vaughn opened his mouth, "What’s wrong?" Ava stuck a leg out from the quilt, kicking away the covers with a frown and said, "Hot." It’s summer after all, and though the room was kept at constant temperature by the AC, being covered with a quilt and snuggled up made her feel hot. Poe Vaughn heard her and saw her gradually reddened face, not from shyness, but from heat. He opened the quilt, and suddenly the covers fell to the floor, cooling things down. Ava exhaled in comfort, relaxing completely, and remembering he had not rested last night, she looked up at his pensive eyes and said, "Aren’t you going to sleep?" Without waiting for Poe Vaughn to answer, she continued, "I’ve slept a long time, haven’t you had any rest?" She didn’t even know when he left this morning, but given his routine, it must have been early. So, she suggested, "How about you take a nap first?"