Chapter 295 He Has Patience
William Bennett stared at the woman before him, and his heart suddenly softened.
This morning, he was a bit angry with her, so much so that he took out his personal frustrations on his subordinates.
But now, he found that anger had completely dissipated.
Even the tension from the project seemed trivial now, replaced by a fulfilling sense of satisfaction.
This satisfaction he felt was hierarchical.
Each level was like an empty bag waiting to be filled before moving on to the next one.
And the second level was an even bigger bag.
He felt as though the first bag was full now, advancing into the second.
His expectations for Ava Anderson weren't too high initially. A modest goal—to him, a smile from her, a gentle word, was already enough.
Learning how worried Ava Anderson had been about him today immediately filled his first level bag to the brim.
The second bag was opened, hollow and echoing. As the first level of satisfaction was achieved, it was superseded by a profound sense of emptiness—for he was no longer content; he wanted more.
The first level bag was packed with her concern, which gave him contentment.
The second might need more intimacy to be filled.
And the third level of contentment was seemingly out of reach, represented by the scene in his morning dream. Only that could satisfy his third level.
But he knew that haste would not bring success, which is why he broke it down into these three levels, to approach them gradually.
Now, the first level was effortlessly filled.
Seeing William Bennett lost in thought, Ava Anderson quickly said, "Is that a little ridiculous? I'm not cursing you or anything, don't take it to heart. It was just a meaningless dream. I'm relieved to see you're okay."
What came into view was Ava Anderson's delicate and innocent face, as if through a thick filter, flawless from every angle.
In his ears was her soft, delicate voice, each word like a beautiful note striking his eardrums, each note burrowing deeper into his heart.
William Bennett suddenly felt that everything around him had become surreal.
He faintly began to speak, "Ava, I love you."
Ava Anderson replied angrily, "What right do you have to love me? You know I just got divorced and am heartbroken, but you're confessing to me now, clearly taking advantage of my vulnerability. We shouldn't see each other again!"
"Will, what's wrong?" Ava Anderson asked as she waved her hand in front of his face, "Are you sick?"
She noticed William Bennett had been staring off into space, as if he had lost his soul.
William Bennett snapped back to reality.
No, he couldn't say that; he had almost blurted it out.
If he had really said it, Ava might not lash out at him as he had imagined, but she would surely avoid him.
"Ava, thank you for caring about me. In this world, nobody has ever cared about me over a dream like this. You're the first, and possibly the last. I am truly glad to have met you, to get to know you, and to become your friend."
Friend—that word felt right. They should maintain this relationship for now, just be friends.
He convinced himself that he must not rush things.
William Bennett's greatest virtue was his immense patience.
Ava Anderson caught William Bennett's gaze, and her heart tightened as if something had struck it, a moment of panic set in.
This panic stemmed from an inexplicable fear, and she couldn't help but think of the previous night when, after their chat had ended, he had sent her a meme with the words "love you" on it.
