Chapter 538

Ava Quarles had just walked out of the hospital when she patted her pocket and realized her car keys might have ended up in the fruit basket. Annoyed, she turned back to retrace her steps. As she entered the hospital lobby, the elevator doors chimed open, and she unexpectedly came face to face with Matthew Perry. “Commander Perry!” Ava instinctively snapped to attention, giving a sharp salute, standing as straight as a board. Matthew stepped out of the elevator, his brows furrowing slightly. He stared at Ava for a long moment before gently lowering her hand. “I’ve mentioned before, haven’t I? When we meet outside of official settings, I’m not your superior. You don’t need to salute.” Ava froze, her gaze drifting down to where Matthew had held her hand just moments ago, but she stayed silent. Matthew must have noticed the awkwardness because he pulled his hand back immediately. “By the way, I heard the new guards on duty stopped you earlier. Sorry about that. They didn’t know you.” “Oh,