"Get back in the car!"
Ethan Sterling suddenly shouted.
From the rearview mirror, Jason could tell immediately—Ethan was already angry.
Jason slowed the car and glanced outside. The road was crowded with traffic, but Ava was nowhere in sight.
Ethan leaned back against the seat, closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down.
After a while, the car door opened.
Ava returned and sat down.
"Okay, we can go now."
"President…" She hesitated, wanting to say something, but stopped when she noticed how dark Ethan's expression was.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I know getting off the car halfway wasted time. But your health is more important, isn't it?"
Ethan opened his eyes and stared at her.
After a moment, Ava realized he was looking at her. She quickly took out the medicine she had just bought.
"This one—two pills, three times a day. This one—one pill, twice a day."
She handed them to him one by one.
"And here's water."
She finally relaxed after seeing him swallow the medicine.
Good. He's not angry anymore.
"Don't do this again," Ethan said.
He didn't add the rest.
It would be dangerous.
His tone was firm, like a warning—but there was also helplessness in it, and a hint of worry he didn't even realize himself.
Since the first time he met her, she had always made him worry.
Couldn't she be a little more obedient? A little more careful?
"Oh," Ava replied quietly.
She turned her head away and happened to meet Jason's relieved look in the mirror. She smiled at him.
Jason smiled back awkwardly.
Ethan saw everything.
What kind of person was she, exactly?
When they arrived at the hospital, Ethan got out of the car immediately. Ava followed closely behind.
Before they even reached the ward, they heard shouting.
"Get out! Get out!"
Emily Zhang sat on the hospital bed, pointing angrily at the door. Her face was pale, but flushed with anger.
"Emily Zhang, look at yourself," a sharp female voice said. "You're sick and pitiful. If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have stayed by your side at all. The person he loves is me!"
The speaker was Lana West.
She was wearing a blue dress and white high heels, her figure flawless.
But in Ava's eyes, she looked ugly.
"Miss West," Ethan said calmly as he entered the ward. "You shouldn't be here right now."
Lana already understood what he meant.
"Let's talk outside."
"Ava, stay here," Ethan said before leaving the ward.
As Lana walked out, she glanced at Emily with clear disdain.
Outside the ward, Ethan's voice was cold.
"Miss West, personal matters aside, you should be at the venue right now. Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're a top actress."
"I'm not Mason Fang. I'm not your lover. I won't indulge you."
His voice remained calm, but the warning was unmistakable.
"One thing Mason can do, I can do too. Do you want to experience being completely frozen out of the industry?"
Lana's expression stiffened.
"I'm just a little late," she said, avoiding his eyes. "I never said I wouldn't go."
At that moment, a man rushed over.
"Miss West! My goodness, I finally found you!" Her manager said anxiously. "Hurry up—we're going to the venue."
He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear.
"Mason Fang already gave an ultimatum. If you keep acting like this, do you want your career ruined?"
Then he turned to Ethan with a flattering smile.
"Mr. Sterling, she's still young and doesn't understand things. Please don't take it personally. We're heading to the venue right now."
As he spoke, he pulled Lana away.
Before leaving, Lana stared through the window at Emily, her eyes full of provocation.
Seeing this, Ava stepped forward and stood in front of Emily, blocking Lana's line of sight.