---- Chapter 27 No.27 Her father was a man of his word. Throughout the entire dinner party, Ava was well-protected. Ethan couldn't find a single opportunity to speak to her. No matter how close they were, Ava never looked at him again until she left. She really didn't care about him anymore. This conclusion was like a storm, blowing away all his hopes. After the party, her father drove her home. In the car, her father's expression was serious. Ava knew what was coming. After a long silence, her father asked in a low voice, "What happened between you and Ethan? What happened before you came to New York?" Ava took a few deep breaths and no longer hid the truth. "I used to love him, but he rejected me." She quickly added, "I have no feelings for him now." She was afraid her father would think she was foolish and be disappointed in her. ---- Seeing her like this, her father's heart ached. He couldn't maintain his serious expression. There's nothing wrong with loving someone, he said. "I'm just afraid you'll get hurt." When we divorced, you were still young, he continued. "No one taught you how to handle your feelings. | have no right to judge you." | just want you to be happy, not sad. He felt a deep sense of guilt. He stroked her head and sighed. Are you sure you've really let go? he asked. He had worried that she was just being stubborn, that she still had feelings for Ethan. Ava's eyes were firm. "| don't love him anymore. I've thought it through very clearly. Being with him won't make me happier, it will only consume me." | just want to finish my studies and be with you. Love is not a necessity. My future is the most important thing. Hearing this, her father's worries finally subsided After the party, Ethan did not appear in front of Ava for some time. She didn't pay much attention to it. ---- People's feelings are like that. When you care, you want to be together every day. When you don't love them anymore, the moon becomes just dust. The radiance is gone, and they are no different from anyone else. No one cares. Just as Ava was beginning to forget about Ethan, he appeared at her door on Christmas Day. After declaring his intentions to her father, all his attempts to see her had been thwarted by various accidents. He knew she didn't want to see him, but every day without seeing her was torture. Finally, today, he had found a chance to see her. The moment Ava saw him, she took a step back and turned to leave without hesitation. She had many other properties. She didn't have to live here. Sensing her movement, Ethan's already tired face turned pale. Ava, don't go, he said, a sharp pain shooting through his stomach. Ava acted as if she hadn't heard him and continued to walk away. There was a loud thud behind her. She turned to see Ethan collapsed on the ground, his tall body curled up in pain.