Wesley's question left Avery silent for a moment."Have you ever loved somebody, Wesley?" Avery asked quietly. "If you have, then you probably won't have such a tough time understanding how I'm feeling."Wesley shook his head."You become possessive when you love someone. I want everything he owns, and I want to be the only one he sees. Most importantly, I want the relationship to have no reservations," Avery said. Then she smiled and continued, "You've seen it yourself. He has Shea, and he's willing to sell himself out for her treatment.""Before I knew about Shea's mental disability, I saw her as a thorn in my side. After I discovered she wasn't normal, the hostility I felt against her slowly began to fade away. Of course, I can carry out Shea's second surgery, but I won't do that."Wesley stared blankly at Avery."How do you think Elliot would react if he found out I could treat Shea?" Avery asked. She poured herself a glass of wine and continued, "How has he been treating Zoe

Layla and Hayden rushed to the front door. They saw the man standing outside via the security system. "Mommy! Dirtbag Dad is here!" Layla cried in a panicked yet excited voice as she ran toward her mother.Avery took off her apron and picked up her daughter."Don't be scared, sweetie. Go to your room with your brother, she said as she glanced at Hayden.Hayden reluctantly entered the bedroom with Layla. Avery exited the children's room and walked past the living room to the front door. She opened it. Elliot was standing right outside the door.The glow from the setting sun illuminated his chiseled features."Shea's missing. Her nanny said she lost her in your neighborhood," Elliot said. "I've looked through all the houses around here and still can't find her.""Are you saying you want to search my house?" Avery asked as she gazed at him coldly.Elliot met her icy eyes, then said calmly, "I'm here to find someone, not to raid your home.""What happens if you don't find her

At Elliot's mansion...Elliot did not get a wink of sleep all night.Logically, Shea's mental state was better than it was before.She could even memorize Elliot's phone number.There was no reason for her to spend all night hiding outdoors by herself.The night before, Elliot stationed some of his people in the Starry River neighborhood.He had not received any news since, which means that there was still no trace of Shea.The weather was warmer than it was during the new year, but she could still catch a cold if she was roaming around the streets.Where could Shea be hiding?Did a good samaritan take her in?Elliot blamed himself.Shea had run away before when she had heard of her first surgery. Since her intellect had improved, Elliot thought that she would not be as afraid of the surgery. He had explained to her, again and again, the reason behind the surgery, so he had thought that she had understood him to some extent.Who would have thought that she would still b

Elliot dialed Avery's number once again but was still met with the bot's message.He could not believe his ears!How dare Avery not take his call? Or was her phone turned off?Elliot searched for Mike's number in his contacts and called him.They lived under the same roof and worked at the same company, so they were practically together 24/7.Mike was confused when he received Elliot's call.Why was he calling him?Were they that close?Mike glanced at Avery who was lying on the large bed, and he figured out why Elliot was calling him. He answered the call, but before he could say a word, Elliot's vicious voice came right at him."I'm looking for Avery!"Mike was dumbfounded.What was he being so aggressive about?!"Avery's asleep! What do you want with her?"Mike watched Avery's sleeping face. He did not raise his voice.She had arrived three hours ago and had fallen asleep without a word. Mike was thinking of leaving, but in the end, he had decided to stay once he

When Mike realized he said something wrong, his hand shot up to cover his mouth."You've been infiltrated!" Avery sighed."No way! He hasn't been asking about us recently," Mike said as he rolled his pale blue eyes. "I'm sure! He's not as good a drinker as I am. I get him drunk every time we drink together. He isn't capable of getting anything out of me."Avery did not doubt the veracity of his words.She was just worried that he was hiding something from her, or that someone had managed to get plenty of information out of him. "If you fall for Chad's pillow talk—"A pained expression appeared on Mike's face.Then, he changed the subject and said, "Are you planning on continuing to help Shea unconditionally? It's a huge loss to not ask Elliot Foster for medical fees!"Avery shook her head and said, "There won't be a next time. It's not that I won't help her. It's just that her condition is too severe, and there are limits to my abilities. There's no telling what would happen t