"Olive Oasis?" Addison repeated, considering the suggestion. Given the current situation, it seemed necessary to meet with the Fullers to figure out their next steps. As she stayed quiet for a while, Michael grew anxious. "Dr. Nancy, this is urgent. I had no choice but to call you." Wanting to make sure Addison understood the seriousness of the situation, Michael continued, "The Johnstons don't just have their pharmaceutical business. They also have strong ties with several banks. Lance reached out to the bank presidents and orchestrated a freeze on all our funds." Once Addison mentioned Lance's involvement, Michael immediately pieced everything together. He remembered when he arrived at ApexMed that day, the employees were nervous, and even the secretary hesitated to inform him about the financial troubles. Only after pressing her did the secretary reveal that the financial chain at ApexMed had collapsed. The secretary told him that several major banks in Halton had contacted the Fullers early that morning, claiming issues within their banks and freezing the Fullers' funds. Looking back, Michael realized how suspicious it was that all those banks had problems at the same time. Lance was so cunning! "Freezing the funds? That's bold," Addison said, narrowing her eyes. Lance was as decisive as ever, leaving no way out. Despite her financial capability to support the Fullers, the bank's refusal to release the funds meant the Fullers were stuck in Halton. After all, they were at Halton, not Kreshill. Halton was the Johnstons' domain. "Alright," Addison said after a moment. She felt it was necessary to speak with Michael in person to figure out a solution. "Let's meet tomorrow at noon, but not at Olive Oasis. Pick any other place." "Okay." Michael didn't quite understand why she didn't want to meet at Olive Oasis but agreed anyway. "Let's meet at Grimwell Restaurant. It's more appropriate for a business discussion." After considering several restaurants in Halton, Addison decided Grimwell Restaurant was the most suitable for the meeting.Francesca, who had been eavesdropping intently, mentally noted the key details: Addison would be having lunch with Michael tomorrow. While Addison discussed other matters, Francesca only caught the basics about the time and place of the meeting. She was starting to feel overwhelmed by the financial talk, so she tuned out the rest, focusing only on the important details. If she informed Virginia about Addison's lunch plans, it could prove valuable. Francesca was excited—that could be her chance to impress Virginia, possibly even earning a raise. Her son had been longing for a pair of limited-edition shoes. With the extra money, she could finally get them. "Thanks," Michael said politely before hanging up. Addison set her phone down and met Ryan's gaze. "What's up? Aren't you eating? Why are you staring at me?" Addison asked calmly, her tone gentle. Ryan broke his gaze and resumed eating. From her expression, it seemed like she didn't plan to share what Michael had said, so he didn't feel it was his place to ask. However, after a while, Ryan set his cutlery down. He still felt uneasy, his heart racing as if something was off. He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. Didn't Addison tell Michael to contact him directly? Why did Michael still call her instead? Was he being overlooked? Feeling restless, Ryan poured himself a cup of tea. Noticing Addison's cup was empty, he refilled it for her. After about two hours, they finished their meal and left. On the drive, Addison decided to tell Ryan what Michael had shared. After all, she was only nominally in charge of the project, with Ryan being the main force behind it. "Lance is behind the Fullers' financial troubles," she said. "Hmm?" Ryan was surprised, first shocked, then quickly processing the information. "So, Lance caused the Fullers' financial chain to break?" "Yes, I need to meet with the Fullers tomorrow to figure out how to fix it," Addison said, pausing before adding, "But don't stress too much. Just focus on your experiments. Leave the rest to me." Ryan couldn't fully fix the situation. After all, his expertise was in pharmaceuticals, and he wasn't able to help much when it came to funding. Addison didn't want him to stress over it too much. He remained silent when he heard that, his gaze fixed ahead as he thought things over. ... After saying goodbye to her husband and son, Francesca rushed back to the apartment without pausing. When she opened the door, the apartment was completely dark, indicating that Virginia hadn't woken up yet. Francesca quickly gathered ingredients from the kitchen, prepared a delicate dinner, and knocked on Virginia's bedroom door. "Ms. Dolton, dinner is ready." There was no answer at first. Used to the silence, Francesca continued knocking patiently. "Ms. Dolton." Finally, Virginia opened the door, stretched, and sat down to eat. Francesca placed a bowl of soup in front of her. "Ms. Dolton, I ran into Addison today." Virginia's fork paused in mid-air. "Addison? Where did you see her?" "In a small restaurant. I also heard that she's meeting with Michael tomorrow." "Oh?" Virginia smiled, intrigued. "Are they meeting again? Do you know where?" An exciting thought struck Virginia instantly. She would arrange for Lance to see for himself what kind of woman his nominal wife was. She'd let him witness Addison's true colors and her attempts to attract other men! She would even go with Lance to take photos and send them to Marilyn, showing her that Addison wasn't fit to be a wife. "I heard they'll have lunch at Grimwell Restaurant tomorrow. You can ... " Francesca left the rest unsaid, but her meaning was clear. "Perfect. This is fantastic news." Virginia's smile grew wider. "Francesca, you've been a huge help." "No, no, it's just part of my job as your housekeeper." "I've noticed how prices have been rising lately. Would you like a raise?" Virginia offered. She understood that a good employer needed to be both firm and generous to keep her people loyal.