Ava Sterling fell silent, and so did Poe Vaughn; the living room was quiet. In the kitchen, Aunt Wei no longer heard Ava’s voice, and she couldn’t help but smile. She had heard everything Mr. Vaughn said just now; when he spoke, Mrs. Sterling dared not utter a sound. The wife is afraid of the husband. Thinking of this, Aunt Wei’s smile deepened. After lunch, Ava quickly went straight to the study. And as she entered the study, her loud voice echoed into Poe Vaughn and Aunt Wei’s ears: "It’s almost twelve thirty, the teacher is coming soon, I need to review what was taught yesterday." This left only Poe Vaughn and Aunt Wei in the living room. Aunt Wei, who was clearing the dining table, was stunned when she heard Ava’s words, and then instinctively glanced at Poe Vaughn. Poe was sitting leisurely on a dining chair, dabbing his lips with a napkin. His eyes observed the closed door, capturing Ava’s intentions entirely. She was avoiding taking her medicine. Seeing Poe’s rock-steady demeanor, Aunt Wei lowered her head and smiled, tidied up the dining table, and went into the kitchen. With Mr. Vaughn around, there was no worry about the wife not taking her medicine. Once in the study, Ava promptly opened her book and immersed herself in reading, ignoring everything outside. She indeed needed to maximize her study time, but also, she wanted to avoid taking her medicine. After all, delaying it for a while still counted as a delay. Poe had Quentin Quinn contact the teacher, asking him to come to The Kestrel Apartments today at half-past twelve to teach from twelve thirty to one thirty, for one hour. It was usually a two-hour session, but today it was one hour; naturally, the teacher wouldn’t mind. After all, it was Poe Vaughn’s special assistant who made the call personally. So, at twelve twenty, the teacher arrived at the apartment. Ding dong, the doorbell rang. Aunt Wei heard the sound and immediately came out of the kitchen to open the door. At this moment, Poe Vaughn was no longer in the living room; he was on the bedroom balcony, answering a phone call. "Old Master Rhodes was just sent to the hospital, Hayden Rhodes went along and is now in emergency care, and the Rhodes Family is rushing to the hospital," said Quentin Quinn’s voice, heavy with seriousness. Poe Vaughn gazed at the buildings outside, his eyes darkening. "The exact reason is not yet known, but it undoubtedly relates to Hayden Rhodes, and I’ve heard he went to Old Master Rhodes last night and hasn’t left since." Poe said nothing more. His phone fell silent, and even the bustling noise outside seemed to freeze. Quentin felt tension; Old Master Rhodes had always been healthy, but since Hayden’s visit, he ended up in the hospital out of anger. Hayden must have said something to so enrage the old man. "Investigate and clarify this whole matter." "Which hospital is the old man in now?" "City First Hospital." "Arrange the best doctors; make sure he pulls through." Poe hung up the call, and at this moment, his eyes tightened with a deep, obscure color. Aunt Wei opened the door, welcomed the teacher in, and personally led the teacher to the study. "Madam, Teacher Yu has arrived." Ava, who had been in for a while and regained her focus, was earnestly reading. Seeing the teacher, she immediately stood up, her manner very polite: "Teacher." Teacher Yu smiled and nodded, "Miss Sterling, let’s continue with last night’s lesson." The teacher took out the book and began to lecture Ava. Ava stopped reading, diligently picked up a pen and notebook, ready to take notes at any time. Aunt Wei watched the two, gently closed the door, and left. Just as she exited, she saw Poe Vaughn coming out of the bedroom, and she bowed, "Sir." Poe looked at the closed study door and asked, "Did the Madam drink the medicine?" Aunt Wei shook her head, "Not yet." Aunt Wei understood Poe’s intention; he was going to personally bring the medicine to the Madam. Otherwise, she wouldn’t drink it. The medicine had already been warmed to a comfortable temperature, not too hot. Aunt Wei went to the kitchen to fetch the medicine, handing it to Poe Vaughn with both hands. Poe took it, and said, "Bring the candy." If he hadn’t mentioned it, she would have forgotten. Aunt Wei quickly went to the coffee table, took out a lollipop, and handed it to Poe Vaughn. Poe took it, holding the medicine, and went straight into the study. He didn’t knock, grasped the door handle from outside, and opened it. Ava was listening intently when the door suddenly opened, quite directly. She frowned, her expression showing dissatisfaction momentarily, but upon seeing who entered, the displeasure vanished instantly. Her lips parted as she saw the medicine bowl in Poe’s hand, and she immediately felt as if she was about to drink poison, her face contorted with distress. Did he have to remember so clearly? They were a couple, but it was fake, not real; he didn’t need to be so serious. Ava felt such anguish, the patron’s controlling streak was overwhelmingly strong. The teacher’s lecture was interrupted by the sudden door opening, making her subconsciously look over, seeing Poe Vaughn holding a medicine bowl. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ NovelHub(.)net The teacher hadn’t expected it. This powerful figure was constantly busy, and seeing him was harder than reaching the heavens. But only a few days into teaching Ava, the teacher had already seen him twice; having seen him yesterday and now again today made it utterly unbelievable. Wasn’t it said that this influential figure was exceedingly busy? Why stay at home so often? The teacher’s mind swirled with thoughts, her face revealing the myriad emotions reflective of her inner turmoil. As she wondered, her gaze fell on the small bowl in Poe Vaughn’s hand, causing surprise. But soon enough, she noticed Poe holding a lollipop, pink and the type little girls adored. Seeing the lollipop, the teacher was momentarily stunned. It was like a celestial god holding a bowl of food or The King of Hell holding a flower, utterly shocking. Once again, the teacher was astonished, just like last night. Poe Vaughn didn’t look at the teacher; his eyes were fixed solely on Ava Sterling, for where she was, nothing else caught his attention. At this moment, he looked at her, her face full of anguish, completely turned away, not wanting to see him, and his steps were steady as he approached Ava: "Drink it." His deep voice was commanding, not coaxing, nor indulgent, merely a direct order, with no room for Ava’s defiance. Ava’s face twisted with pain. She looked at Poe Vaughn with resentment, only to meet a pair of emotionless eyes, letting her know that no matter what she said or did, it wouldn’t change his decision. In the end, she took a deep breath, then outright took the medicine bowl from Poe’s hand, tipping her head back to gulp it down as though it were liquor. The teacher watched Ava’s actions, then looked at Poe, especially the candy in his hand, realizing what was in the bowl. Very bitter medicine. "Finished, all finished!" Ava drained the medicine like alcohol, instantly turning her head, hand it to Poe: "Take it away, take it away, quickly!" She didn’t want to see that medicine bowl; just looking at it made her stomach churn. Poe looked at her scrunched-up face, indicating how bitter it was, as if she’d swallowed countless bitters, and couldn’t even voice her hardship. He unwrapped the paper, bringing the candy to Ava’s lips.