"There's no need to continue this conversation if you're unwilling," Addison said, clearly unfazed by Lance's taunts. "Mr. Johnston, if you're hungry, feel free to step out for breakfast. We can revisit this discussion another time." Lance arched an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Addison with a hint of amusement. Addison instinctively moved a step back. "Is breakfast not a thing in this big house?" Lance's deep voice carried a note of sarcasm as he stared at her. "Back at the Johnston Residence, I seem to recall you waking up early every morning to prepare breakfast." ... getting up early every day just to make his breakfast. Lance didn't voice his thoughts, but he was confident Addison would understand his meaning. Back when she lived at the Johnston Residence, Addison made it a point to prepare a variety of breakfasts daily to ensure his meals were nutritious. Lana had to visit the market over ten times a week just to gather all the necessary ingredients. "Did this habit vanish after you moved to Pendomium Heights?" he asked, his eyes locking onto hers. Addison froze, caught off guard. If Lance hadn't brought it up, she might have completely erased those memories from her mind. Now that he mentioned it, she could clearly recall the effort she used to put into making breakfast every day, often insisting on doing it all herself, refusing any help from Lana. The breakfasts she painstakingly prepared were ignored by Lance. For three long years, it was a rare sight for him to sit down and eat. On the few occasions he did, it was only because his mother pressured him, and even then, he'd eat with a sullen expression, as if it were a chore. And now, he had the audacity to bring it up? "Mr. Johnston," Addison said with a faint smile, her tone tinged with mockery, "surely you don't think my habit of waking up early to make breakfast revolved around you, do you?" Lance's expression didn't shift, giving nothing away. If not, why had Addison dropped this routine the moment she left the Johnston Residence and moved to Pendomium Heights?Her gaze shifted to Lance's faintly self-assured expression ... Did he genuinely believe she had formed this habit for his sake? He truly was full of confidence! Her anger rendered her momentarily speechless. After steadying herself, Addison shot Lance a cold smirk. "Apologies, Mr. Johnston, but I hate to break it to you. I didn't adopt the habit of making breakfast just for your sake." Lance's brows knitted tightly. "I suggest you avoid overestimating your importance, Mr. Johnston," she added, her tone sharp. With that, Addison turned and strode out of the room. She headed straight to the kitchen, opened the fridge, and pulled out the untouched breakfast she'd prepared that morning. She placed the meticulously prepared breakfast on the table, her face void of emotion as she glanced at Lance. "This is the breakfast I made this morning," she said plainly. "Long before I married into the Johnstons, I had already established a routine of waking up early to prepare breakfast. During my time at Johnston Residence, I continued that habit—not because of you, but because it was something I've always done." Addison's tone grew sharper, each word deliberate and tinged with frustration. Her habit stemmed from her time in the laboratory, where she often became so absorbed in experiments that she forgot to eat. Harvey, unable to stand seeing her neglect herself, had tried countless times to change her ways, but his efforts had never managed to break her pattern of skipping meals during her research binges. To ensure she stayed as healthy as possible, Harvey made it a point to wake her early every day before she entered the lab, insisting that she have breakfast. That routine started back then and been maintained ever since. Lance's frown deepened further. After a moment of silence, Addison pushed her plate closer to him, her voice laced with mockery. "Mr. Johnston, aren't you hungry? This is the breakfast I made this morning, untouched. If you're interested, I can heat it up for you." Lance's expression darkened, his face turning as black as coal. Addison noticed the shift in Lance's expression and teased, "Mr. Johnston, aren't you going to eat?"With a mocking smile, she pulled the plate back toward herself. "Of course, how could someone as esteemed as Mr. Johnston, possibly eat breakfast made with such humble ingredients—or worse, leftovers from someone else? I should've considered that." Her sarcastic remark only made Lance's already grim expression even harder to read. "Addison, can you cut back on the sarcasm?" Lance finally spoke, his voice laced with irritation. "I admit that I was wrong before ... " Lance began, but Addison swiftly cut him off. She had no interest in revisiting the past with the Johnstons—not now, not ever. "Mr. Johnston, let's focus on business, shall we?" Addison said, pulling out her phone and waving it toward him. "The message you sent this morning—I'm willing to let you come to Pendomium Heights today to help restore the Fullers' financial chain. "You're not going to back out, are you?" she added, her tone sharp. Lance's moment of guilt was quickly interrupted by Addison, and he lifted his gaze. "Of course." Lance moved towards the dining table, pulled out a chair, and took a seat, fixing his gaze on Addison who stood beside him. "But I don't make deals where I end up losing," he said with conviction. Addison raised an eyebrow at his statement. "And?" Lance placed his hand on the table, leaning in closer. "What would you think of using Levosulin's authorization as leverage to secure the Fullers' financial chain?" Without a second's thought, Addison immediately responded, "That's not an option." Lance's response was exactly what he'd anticipated, and there was no sign of irritation on his face. Instead, a slight smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he redirected the conversation to Addison. "So, what terms would you find acceptable?" Addison let out a derisive laugh. "Mr. Johnston is a businessman too. Surely, no one would agree to such a losing deal, right?" She walked over to the living room, grabbed the contract she had carefully reviewed the night before, and placed it on the table. "You must be familiar with this contract, I assume?" Lance nodded quietly, his eyes briefly dropping to the contract. He immediately recognized the document he had created for the Fullers. He took the contract in front of him and flipped it through before remarked nonchalantly, "This is a standard agreement we have prepared for the Fullers. Do you have any concerns with it?" Addison observed him coldly as he studied the contract, sensing that Lance had no intention of adding anything more ... She spoke bluntly, "There's nothing wrong with this contract, but the medicinal ingredients in the drug proposed by the Johnstons ... they're almost identical to those used in Levosulin, aren't they?" The moment she spoke, Lance's expression shifted dramatically. The calmness that had been there just moments before vanished, replaced by a look of shock. Addison took note of his change in expression. "The contract is right here, Mr. Johnston. There's no point in denying it." She didn't hesitate with Lance either, going straight to the point. "You want to replicate Levosulin." Her words were a clear statement, not a question. Lance let out a soft chuckle, his earlier surprise now completely faded. "Do you really think the Johnstons would do something like that?" He stood up and slowly approached Addison, taking deliberate steps toward her. Addison instinctively stepped back. With every step Addison took back, Lance closed the distance between them ... until her back was pressed against the solid wall, leaving her with no more room to retreat. A slight panic flickered in Addison's eyes as she pressed her hands against the wall. "Lance, what ... what are you doing?" Lance could see clearly that Addison was cornered, yet he continued to advance, the sound of his shoes echoing softly on the floor with each step. ... Addison felt Lance's breath draw nearer with each passing second, while the rough, raised patterns of the wall pressed painfully into her back as she continued to retreat. The air around her felt stifling as the faint aroma of incense clinging to Lance mingled with the cool, earthy scent of ebony wood, filling her senses. In the expansive villa, sunlight poured in through the wide windows, illuminating the room with a golden glow. Yet, despite the brightness, Addison found herself unable to clearly discern the expression on the man standing so near to her.