Nathan Ford, fully aware of the situation, still chose to be a nuisance, truly clueless about the discomfort he caused.
"Ava Sterling, let's get something straight. At the very least, I am your husband. What are you implying?" Nathan Ford's arrogance vanished as he confronted Ava Sterling, momentarily forgetting why he had returned.
Husband? What kind of husband?
"You know you're my husband, yet when you're out there flirting around, I hardly see you acting like a married man," Ava Sterling retorted, irritated at the mention of 'husband'.
If only he had known earlier that he was her husband, could all their troubles have been avoided?
"Ava Sterling, mind your words. What's wrong with what I do outside?" Nathan Ford's anger made his speech almost incoherent.
"Do I need to spell out your escapades for you? Unless you don't mind, I can certainly list them for you. Mr. Ford seems to have a short memory, discarding his girlfriend as soon as she's out of sight. Your skill in evading responsibility is truly unparalleled," Ava Sterling didn't hold back, her words as sharp as ever.
It seemed she had never been this petty, engaging in verbal skirmishes with others. It appears Nathan Ford was such an anomaly that he even corrupted her. She needed to be more cautious.
Ethan Shaw, witnessing their exchange, felt as awkward as a child caught in a quarrel, unsure of where to place himself. In his eyes, Ava Sterling had always been a gentle girl, yet here she was, exploding with rage.
It seemed Nathan Ford's influence was not to be underestimated; indeed, he was someone not to be trificked with. Deciding it was best to make a hasty retreat, Ethan Shaw quickly excused himself.
"Uh, Ava, I've got other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving you now. Make sure to finish your meal and not starve yourself, alright? I'll be off then." Ethan Shaw rushed off without waiting for Ava Sterling's response, vanishing from sight.
Ava Sterling, left speechless by the whole affair, simply rolled her eyes at Nathan Ford's antics before sitting down to continue her meal alone.
"To think you can still eat in my presence," Nathan Ford mocked from the side.
Ava Sterling genuinely wished she could punch Nathan Ford to oblivion. She couldn't help but wonder what kind of terrible karma she must have accumulated in a past life to encounter such an infuriating person.
"People need to eat to live, don't you know that? I, Ava Sterling, can tolerate almost anything but not when it comes to food. Even if there's a huge fly standing before me, I would suppress my disgust and enjoy this delicious meal. I refuse to let a fly waste good food," Ava retorted with a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"You…" Nathan Ford was taken aback, not expecting Ava to compare him to a fly.
This infuriating woman, he thought.
Seeing Nathan Ford's deflated look brought immense joy to Ava.
She grinned at him, radiating a vibe of invincibility, and suddenly found her meal even more appetizing.
"You're ruthless," Nathan Ford muttered, turning away.
He thought to himself that a gentleman's revenge could wait ten years. He couldn't afford to completely alienate Ava Sterling now, lest he endure his grandfather's wrath. A true man knows when to bow and when to stand tall.
"That's more like it," Ava said, seeing Nathan Ford admit defeat, if only temporarily, brought her great satisfaction.
"Come with me to pick up grandfather," Nathan Ford said, almost in a whisper.
"What was that?" Ava heard Nathan Ford clearly but wanted to tease him further, not wanting to let go of this opportunity to get back at him for all the frustration he caused.
"Ava Sterling…" Nathan Ford, pointing at her with a finger, was visibly struggling to keep his composure.
"Nathan Ford, you better think carefully about what you're going to say. How you speak to me matters. If I'm not happy, then I might just..." Ava enjoyed watching Nathan Ford get angrier by the second.
"Fine...fine..." Nathan Ford laughed in frustration.
He needed Ava's cooperation for now, so he chose not to argue further.
"Ava Sterling, please come with me to pick up grandfather," Nathan Ford managed to control his anger and asked her more politely this time.