CHAPTER 10: CHAPTER 10: SEXY MAN

Ava Sterling’s mind was in chaos. She knew she had been hurt by the collision, intending to endure it but unable to resist the strong reaction of her body, she sank down.

Everything before her was blurred, inverted, and nothing could be seen clearly.

She couldn’t help but mock herself, having faced countless open and hidden arrows over the years, but this time, it didn’t seem so easy.

She fell, but the anticipated pain didn’t come; instead, a pair of strong arms caught her around the waist.

Almost instantly, she was lifted up.

Ava stood still in surprise.

She opened her eyes to look at the person holding her, surrounded by layers of lights and a hazy glow. She vaguely saw a very handsome but blurred face.

He was gazing at her, his eyes deep as an abyss.

Thump, thump, thump...

Ava’s heart couldn’t help but beat vigorously.

She felt an intense rush of excitement.

Her intuition told her this was a very attractive man, and she wanted to see him clearly.

But her vision seemed shrouded in mist, making it impossible to see his face clearly.

She raised her hand, wanting to touch him, but her body resisted strongly, her consciousness gradually sinking.

At the moment she sank, she roared in her heart: Damn it! Not being allowed to see the man clearly; she’d die with regrets!

Poe Vaughn watched the person in his arms close her eyes, her dense long lashes casting a shallow shadow.

The previously feisty person had finally quietened down.

Quiet and obedient.

Quentin Quinn opened the car door to the back seat, and Poe Vaughn carried Ava Sterling into the car.

Lauren Howell subconsciously wanted to follow, but the car door slammed shut in front of her.

She was taken aback.

Quentin Quinn said, "Please wait, a car will soon come to take you to the hospital."

After speaking, Quentin sat in the passenger seat.

The car quickly disappeared into the flow of traffic.

Lauren stood there, dazed, being blown by the cold wind.

Why did she feel like... she was redundant?

"The patient has a brain concussion and needs to be hospitalized for observation for two days."

"It’s really just a concussion, nothing else?"

"For now, it looks like it."

"Phew... I can finally let go of my worry."

"Okay, I’ll go handle the hospitalization procedures. Thank you, doctor."

"It’s no trouble, it’s my duty."

Ava Sterling was sent to the hospital, and after a series of checks, she was diagnosed with a concussion.

While Quentin Quinn and Poe Vaughn arrived at the hospital just before Lauren Howell, she arrived less than ten minutes later.

Lauren took the papers to pay, only to be informed that the expenses had already been covered.

This shocked Lauren. She thought of Poe Vaughn and Quentin Quinn.

She immediately looked around, saw no one, and hurried back to the ward, still not finding anyone.

Did they leave?

Came without a trace, left without a shadow?

...

That night, Ava Sterling had many dreams, both from her childhood and adulthood, a multitude.

They came one after another, unstoppable.

She disliked such dreams; they felt like being trapped in a swamp, and the more she struggled, the deeper she sank.

She didn’t want to give up, but just when she was about to sink completely, a hand reached out to her, pulling her out of the mire and into the sunlight.

The light shone on her, warm and fuzzy.

Those hated dreams dissipated just like that.

She saw the person standing in front of her, his back towards her, tall and upright, especially his legs, straight and long.

Those legs, truly enchanting...

Ava Sterling slept until ten in the morning the next day, waking up from hunger.

She turned over, hugged her quilt, intending to sleep longer.

She could sleep quite a lot; sometimes, she could sleep for more than a dozen hours.

But suddenly, that booming sound flashed in her mind, and Ava Sterling instantly opened her eyes.

Facing a dazzling sun, she squinted reflexively.

Once her eyes adapted to the light, she opened them, hugged the quilt, and sat up.

Frowning, she looked around at the unfamiliar hospital setting.

She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

She remembered what had happened last night.

Apparently, she was lucky, no serious injury.

"Awake?"

A familiar voice came through, and Ava Sterling looked over.

Lauren Howell entered, carrying things and with a face full of a smile like a spring breeze.

Ava Sterling frowned, looking her up and down: "Why are you okay?"

These words made Lauren Howell instantly feel like ignoring Ava Sterling, but she replied, "What do you mean? You have to drag me down with your troubles?"

"Do you have any conscience?"

Ava Sterling’s gaze fell on the bag Lauren Howell was carrying, filled with food, which Ava’s sharp eyes immediately recognized.

She reached over, took Lauren Howell’s bag, and while taking it, replied, "No conscience."

"..."

Seeing Ava Sterling’s carefree demeanor, Lauren Howell recalled the face she saw last night and immediately smiled cheekily.

Ava Sterling took out the contents from the bag; it was porridge.

Now reborn with the appetite of a hungry ghost, she ignored everything else when faced with food.

She opened the lid and, without using a spoon, drank the porridge straight from the box, with a mouthful of porridge down her throat.

Not being picky, especially when hungry, as long as the food wasn’t inedible, she could eat anything.

In just a moment, a bowl of porridge was downed, yet Ava Sterling wasn’t full. She hadn’t eaten the night before and missed breakfast, effectively skipping two meals.

This one bowl of porridge was far from enough.

Of course, she needed to control her diet given her profession, but she had an excellent constitution that kept her from gaining weight unless she crazily consumed high-calorie food all day.

This was something many envied but couldn’t replicate.

Seeing if there was more to eat, she found her beloved steamed dumplings and soy milk.

She took them out and ate them all.

Finally full, her spirits were restored.

Even the dizziness in her head vanished.

She felt extremely cheerful.

"Ava, is there some good news lately?"

"We’ve known each other for so many years, both professionally and personally, you can’t keep secrets from me. It affects my work, doesn’t it?"

Just as Ava Sterling was looking out at the sky, packing up, and preparing to be discharged, Lauren Howell’s cheerful voice reached her ears.

Ava Sterling looked at Lauren Howell and then noticed that Lauren Howell had, unbeknownst to her, propped herself on the hospital bed, resting her face upon it, her eyes burning with gossip flames.

Frowning: "What secret?"

Suddenly recalling the incident in Varden, she asked, "Are you talking about my mom wanting me to go on a matchmaking date?"

"Ah?"

Lauren Howell meant to ask about the man last night and his relationship with Ava Sterling, but she didn’t expect Ava to be referring to this.

But quickly, she appeared solemn, "Matchmaking? What’s the situation? Quickly, tell me."

"I know Auntie’s character; if she’s arranging matchmaking, it’s definitely not simple. You need to tell me quickly so I can prepare later!"

She leaned in with a face full of feigned calmness.

Ava Sterling sneered, "Lauren Howell, can you make your gossip face more vividly expressive?"

"Uh... it’s doable."

"..."

Ava Sterling still recounted the previous day’s events to Lauren Howell, who became angry at first and then deeply interested.

Because Ava Sterling told her that her matchmaking partner seemed nice.

"Jace Kingsley, right? Leave it to me; I’ll absolutely investigate him thoroughly, won’t let you down!"

"Rest assured!"

Seeing the person excitedly pumping their chest, with eyes ablaze with terrifying gossip flames, Ava Sterling snickered and said no more.

Lauren Howell was trustworthy and meticulous, indeed, but she also had a flaw: she loved gossip!

Ava Sterling often said that Lauren Howell was her assistant just to satisfy her gossip addiction.

To this, Lauren Howell affirmed without any cover.

The doctor suggested two days of rest and observation, making sure everything was okay before being discharged, but Ava Sterling had a lot of work with no time to rest.

Besides, her condition wasn’t serious; she knew her body well, so she had Lauren Howell handle the discharge procedures, then went with her to the hotel.

"Originally scheduled for a morning shoot, but due to your car accident, it’s been pushed to the afternoon. After the shoot comes the evening event, and after the event, you can rest a bit."

Ava Sterling glanced through the itinerary, understanding the schedule for the next two days.

Listening to Lauren Howell’s words, she said, "It’s fine, I’ll follow it as usual."

She wasn’t that fragile; a minor car accident wouldn’t disrupt her.

"Haha, alright!"

Back at the hotel, after a simple wash-up, Ava Sterling headed to the shooting site.

In a blink, it was nighttime, precisely six o’clock.

Ava Sterling dressed up nicely and arrived at the evening event at Sylvanus Bay.