"Sir?" Tinder runs to them, "Are you still unwell?"
He orders the bodyguards to have the driver pull the car around.
"What's wrong?" Avery asks.
"Mr. Howel has been feeling poorly all afternoon. Dr. Walter said he should limit contact with you, but he didn't listen and insisted on bringing you here," Robert explains.
"Shut your fat mouth," Evan snaps, though he's clutching his chest and gasping for breath, "David was exaggerating."
Robert presses his lips together and says nothing. Avery is still processing Robert's words.
"How come I didn't notice his illness even though he insists on spending almost every single moment with me?" she thinks.
"What's that look on your face?" Evan asks.
"What look?" Avery responds.
"You look worried about me."
Avery looks at him, speechless. She doesn't realize that the sparkler is burning down to the end of the stick until Evan snatches it from her hands and throws it away.
"Damn! What were you thinking?" he growls, "You could get burnt."
She glances down at her hands, but they're fine—he grabbed the sparkler just in time. Suddenly she wonders if he burned himself trying to protect her. She grabs his hands and looks at them.
"Are your hands okay?"
"Are you caring for me?" he whispers, a slight smile on his face.
"No," she says, dropping his hands.
"I've recently realized, I'm quite protective of you."
Evan's gaze is intense and hot, and Avery can feel herself blushing. He grabs her hand and leans down to kiss her again.
Avery turns aside swiftly, "Don't bother. I know what you're really doing no matter how good you pretend to be."
"What am I doing?"
"Don't act innocent—you know just as well as I do," she snaps.
She reminds herself of the ring he gave to Leonie.
"I can't let myself forget," she thinks, "He's just playing games with me to distract me from the fact that he gave her a 200 million dollar ring. He might pretend to have feelings, but it's all an act—designed to distract me from the divorce. I have to stay strong."
Avery fumes as she gets into the car. Robert helps Evan in, and then the car speeds off into the night. David Walter is waiting for them in the main room when they arrive at the Howel house.
David takes Evan's temperature and makes a grim expression, "You have a high fever—I'll give you some vitamin tablets."
"Why don't you prescribe proper medication?" Avery asks.
David looks sadly at Evan, "Evan is allergic to a lot of medications."
"Since when are you allergic to medicine?" Avery asks Evan, "I thought you were only allergic to mustard."
"Ahh," Evan says, "I guess you don't know me as well as you think."
Avery can't decide if she wants to roll her eyes or scream. She knows that she was forced to study every single fact about Evan in an effort to appeal to his family before their marriage. Now that her memory is gone, she can't remember even the most basic information about his likes and dislikes.
"Maybe I should think of it as a blessing," she thinks, "Once I start my new life, the less I remember about Evan the better."
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Robert hands Avery various bottles of vitamins, "I'm afraid you'll need to take care of Mr. Howel for the next few days."
"Wait a moment, I haven't got my phone yet," Avery objects, "Evan said I could have my phone today."
"Evan isn't feeling well and I think you should concentrate on nurturing him back to health first," Robert responds, "Once he feels better, he can give your phone back."
Avery reaches out to touch Evan's forehead. His skin burns against her fingertips—any doubts she had about David's diagnosis vanish instantly. Evan suddenly opens his eyes and stares at her hungrily.
"Are you hitting on me?" he whispers hoarsely.
Avery quickly pulls her hand away.
"That's your fever talking," she says, "I think we should take you to the hospital."
"I got this damn flu because of you, you know," Evan snarls.
"It's your own fault," Avery says, "You knew I was sick but you refused to stay away from me."
"How can I stay away from you when you're always seducing me?"
"Did you hear what you just said?" Avery scoffs as if she's just heard a ridiculous joke, "It's time to take your vitamins."
Robert nods his agreement and a servant prepares a tray with the tablets and a glass of water.
"You'll need to help Mr. Howel take his vitamins," Robert tells Avery.
"He can take them himself," Avery says, "He's not a toddler, is he?"
"Mrs. Howel, you're his wife and you should take care of him," Robert scolds.
"That means nothing," Avery says, "Most husbands and wives are like birds in a forest. They fly off in opposite directions as soon as disaster strikes."
"Only you would abandon me when something bad happens," Evan complains.
"Avery is gaining more and more power," Evan thinks bitterly, "She used to be a caged bird but now she's like an eagle keen on freedom. I wish I could break her wings and keep her from flying away."
"I think Mr. Howel will heal faster if you take care of him," Robert said through gritted teeth.
He tries to pass the tray to Avery, but she refuses to take it. Robert gives her a meaningful look and makes a gesture as if he's using a phone. Avery realizes that he's suggesting that Evan may give her her phone if she cares for him.
She quickly rearranges her expression into one of concern, "I've never taken care of someone before. Aren't you afraid I'll make things worse?"
Robert replies, "There's no need to worry. The servants will tell you how to do it."
"Why don't they just do it then?" Avery asks.
"Mr. Howel is very selective about the people he allows close to him," Robert says lightly.
Robert can feel Evan glaring at him, and he avoids his boss' gaze. Avery reluctantly takes the tray, and Robert feels as if a weight has lifted from his shoulders. He'd rather not be the one to care for Evan and suffer his silent, feverish anger.
Evan lies on his back on the sofa, watching Avery through narrowed eyes. He holds his chest with both hands and casually stretches out his legs. Despite his illness, he looks handsome and intriguing. Avery feels chills run down her spine as he looks at her and she puts the tray down heavily. She shakes a few tablets onto her palm and approaches Evan.
Instead of taking the tablets from her, Evan opens his mouth. Avery frowns at his shamelessness and carelessly tosses all of the tablets into his mouth at once. Evan coughs violently as they get caught in his throat.
"Are you trying to murder your own husband?" he hisses.
He reaches a glass of water, but Avery pushes it roughly toward his face. The boiling water splashes out of the cup and burns his lips and tongue.
"So you don't want your phone back?" he snarls.