---- Chapter 14 No.14 Everything went black, and Ava fainted. In her daze, she felt herself being lifted into a warm embrace. She smelled a pleasant, unfamiliar scent. When she woke up again, she was surrounded by white. She heard a low voice speaking French nearby. She had studied foreign languages since she was young and was fluent in English and German, but her French was rusty. She could only make out the words "woman... hospital..." The man hung up the phone and walked over to her. She saw that he had sharp, handsome features, a mole on his high nose, and long, thick eyelashes. He was very tall. A black shirt under his trench coat outlined his lean, muscular physique. Are you all right? he asked in a low voice. Seeing her dazed expression, he repeated the question in English. Ava looked away and replied that she was fine, thanking him for taking her to the hospital. She had to admit, she was drawn to his features. She had always thought Ethan was the most handsome man in the world, but now she knew there were others. ---- The man didn't seem to mind her staring. A gentle smile appeared on his face. "As long as you're okay." The room was quiet. Ava felt a little awkward. A nurse came in, breaking the silence The nurse informed her that she had caught a chill during her period and should be more careful next time. After the nurse left, the man told her that he had taken care of the paperwork and she could be discharged that evening. He suggested she notify her family, as he had something else to attend to. Ava stopped him, wanting to pay him back. The man waved his hand. "Next time. No rush. We're neighbors." Ava remembered meeting him in the hallway. She felt a shiver of fear, thinking how she had collapsed, defenseless, in front of a stranger. But she had a feeling he wasn't a bad person. After he left, she stopped overthinking it. She was tired and closed her eyes to rest. She wondered if she should tell her father she was sick. She wanted to be independent, but she had ended up in the hospital on her first day. She sighed. She decided to keep it from him. It wasn't a serious problem, and her father was busy. There was no need to worry him. ---- While she was on the IV drip, she dozed off and dreamed of Ethan. In her dream, Ethan was outside the mansion, packing her things and throwing them out. "Once you're gone, don't ever come back!" he yelled. She woke with a start, tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them away. | never planned on going back, she thought. She got up, the needle already removed. Feeling less tired, she left the hospital and walked back to the apartment. The elevator doors opened, and she saw the man from earlier. He smiled. "We meet again." He introduced himself as Julian, from New York.