### Chapter 56 “Stop acting like a child,” Avery chided softly, her voice soothing as she meticulously wiped the lingering remnants of the night’s debauchery from Elliot’s face. “Do you think I enjoy nursing you back like this? You reek of alcohol… I thought you were a clean freak. Was that all just an act? If your legs weren’t still healing, I wouldn’t even bother.” Her calming tone washed over Elliot like a blanket, gently quieting the chaos in his mind. A sudden wave of lethargy enveloped him, as if her voice were a spell lulling him into serenity. Once Avery had finished cleaning him up, she tenderly pulled the covers over him, tucking him in as if he were fragile porcelain. When she made her way to the bathroom to tidy up, the quiet of the room swallowed her footsteps. By the time she returned to the bedroom, Elliot was already lost to slumber. A relieved sigh escaped her lips, a weight lifted from her chest. She settled onto the edge of the bed, her gaze sweeping across the dimly lit room. Memories flooded back—three months spent under the unrelenting lens of surveillance, every moment scrutinized and recorded. A shudder trailed down her spine at the thought, yet she reassured herself that those cameras had likely been dismantled. Elliot, with all his unpredictable moods, was far from being a voyeur. Rising, she retrieved her pillow and blanket from her room, setting herself up beside him. Throughout the night, Elliot stirred fitfully in his dreams, but the haze of intoxication kept him from noticing the warmth of another body beside him. They both drifted off into a rare and fragile peace. The next morning dawned gently, a warm sunbeams slipping through the curtains, bathing the room in a soft glow. Avery, lost in dreamland, lay comfortably on the bed—her arm sprawled across Elliot’s chest while her slender leg rested across his thigh. Elliot’s throbbing headache dragged him from the depths of sleep, and as he blinked away the fog, he found Avery’s serene face mere inches away. A peculiar sensation washed over him—both foreign and oddly comforting. Less than a minute after his eyes fluttered open, he watched as Avery’s eyelids slowly lifted, their gazes locking in a moment that shimmered with unspoken tension. Although his own eyes were still rimmed with red, they sparkled with newfound clarity that had been absent the previous night. Avery’s awareness quickly dawned upon her, her arm and leg awkwardly contorted in a way that felt too intimate. Noting that Elliot appeared unperturbed, she tried to brush it off, gingerly lifting her leg away with a casualness that was perhaps a little too forced. “You look well-rested. Did you sleep well?” Elliot’s voice rumbled, husky and rich, catching her off guard. Avery’s leg froze mid-escape, the warmth of embarrassment cascading across her cheeks. “I… I guess so,” she stammered, feeling the heat rise as she hastily shifted her leg away. Trying to escape the precarious moment, she deflected, “You didn’t shower last night. Aren’t you going to clean up?” Her words acted as a lifeline, pulling her from the edge of discomfort. Elliot swung his legs over the side of the bed, yawning as he got up and ambled toward the bathroom. The moment he vanished from view, Avery snatched her pillow and blanket, making a hasty retreat from the room. That was dangerously close! Relief washed over her as she made her escape. She silently hoped he would forget about the previous night’s events, including their heated argument in the car. The thought of grappling with that reality was almost unbearable. Yet, she mused, perhaps that disruption was just what she needed to spur a divorce. Meanwhile, that weekend, Tammy and Jun were enjoying a lunch date, the atmosphere lighter and more relaxed than during their first encounter. Tammy sported a stylish jacket paired with wide-legged trousers and comfortable sneakers. Her casual elegance was accentuated by light makeup and a simple ponytail that framed her face. It was a small miracle of fate that Jun had donned a jacket as well, his eclectic ensemble completed with jeans and laid-back sandals. Their eyes met, and warm smiles exchanged—a silent recognition of the comfort blossoming between them. “You were quite the sight at the party! Here I thought that your beauty was all there was to you,” Jun teased, a playfulness lighting up his features, his grin deepening as he recalled the other night’s enchanting moments. With laughter dancing in the air, the two continued their banter, oblivious to the complexities waiting for them in the chapters yet unwritten.