The seconds stretched unbearably long as Addison waited for the call to connect, though in truth, it had only been a brief moment. Living alone in Halton with the constant risk of her identity being exposed made it impossible for her not to feel on edge. Her hand trembled slightly as she clutched her phone, her unblinking gaze fixed on the figure at the door, wary of any sudden movements. Then, the silence broke, and a phone rang from outside the door. The abrupt sound startled Addison so much that her grip on her phone nearly faltered. Her brows furrowed. I called Gordon, but why is the ringing coming from outside? The call connected. On the other end, Gordon remained silent, waiting for her to speak first. "Gordon, come to Pendomium Heights. Right now," she whispered urgently; her voice low as her eyes stayed glued to the man outside. Wait. That person at the door is moving! He turned his head slightly, as if looking toward the room. Addison's heart leaped into her throat. Her nerves snapped taut. She immediately spun around and pressed her back against the wall, avoiding the man's line of sight. Her scalp tingled with unease; her heart pounding wildly in her chest. She didn't dare move a muscle, afraid even the slightest noise might draw his attention. "I'm at the mansion," Gordon's calm voice came through the phone, grounding her thoughts for a moment. Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're at Pendomium Heights. Where? Are you by the front door?" she asked hastily, keeping her tone soft. Despite her urgency, she didn't risk glancing back at the door. "Yes," came his brief reply. "Didn't you see anyone standing outside?" Addison pressed, her brow creasing further as her voice dipped lower. Holding his phone, Gordon took a measured look around the courtyard. The area was silent, devoid of any movement or figures. "No one," he replied firmly. At this moment, her confusion deepened. How could that be? I see someone standing at the door.Despite the urgency, she couldn't clearly see the person's face, but she did catch a glimpse of his physique. He was a man dressed in black with a powerful build. Gordon wouldn't miss something like that. A thought struck her like lightning. A man in black. Broad shoulders, strong build ... wait a minute ... Is Gordon waiting outside? Relief flooded her chest, loosening the tension knotting her heart. She quickly asked, "Are you standing at the main door?" "Yes," the man responded with a composed voice. He stood tall at the door, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surroundings with precision, ears attuned to even the faintest sound, a whisper of the wind or the rustle of leaves. Although Addison had tried to sound calm on the phone, Gordon's finely tuned instincts caught the tremor beneath her words. She was tense, maybe even frightened. Her warning implied there could be danger nearby. Gordon slipped into a state of high alert, his body language reflecting his readiness without hesitation. Standing precisely at the main entrance, he confirmed Addison's suspicion. The man outside might very well be him. Still, Addison didn't let her guard down. Cautiously, she edged along the wall to a dimly lit window, one where she could peek outside without being spotted by whoever stood at the door. Slowly, she nudged the window open, leaving just enough of a gap to see through. Years in the military had honed Gordon's senses to an uncanny level. The faint creak of the window reached his ears immediately. He turned his head sharply, his piercing gaze locking onto the window. Their eyes met. "It's really you!" Addison exclaimed, a mix of relief and excitement in her voice. Recognizing her familiar tone, Gordon allowed the tension in his body to ebb away. For the first time, a flicker of puzzlement replaced his typically stoic expression. Addison leaned further out, her face peeking through the narrow opening."Why are you still here?" Gordon remained rooted to the spot, tilting his head slightly to look up at her. "Work," he answered simply. "What did you just say?" Addison frowned, unable to hear him.Gordon didn't repeat his answer. Instead, he turned back to face the courtyard, resuming his upright stance. He stood as firm as a pine tree, his posture straight as ever, an unshakable presence even in stillness, making him look very strong. Watching him stand there, Addison sighed inwardly. Gordon's reticent nature could be frustrating, even bordering on rude, yet his unwavering presence brought her an undeniable sense of safety. Lowering herself from her tiptoes, she pulled her head back inside. Her earlier anxiety melted away, knowing it was Gordon outside. She chided herself for overreacting. Still, she hadn't asked him to stand guard outside the door. The bodyguards hired from the Zimmers usually came only when summoned. It wasn't standard for them to linger at Pendomium Heights. Isn't it not good to let Gordon stand at the door? Instinctively, she wanted to tell him to rest, but the words caught in her throat. A flicker of hesitation held her back. Although today's incident turned out to be a false alarm, Addison couldn't ignore the lingering unease. To ensure her safety, she found herself wishing for a bodyguard to remain stationed at Pendomium Heights. After all, if something serious did happen, being alone in this mansion would leave her completely vulnerable. The thought of trying to contact a bodyguard in an emergency, only to face delayed responses like today, was even more alarming. She silently dispelled the idea of sending Gordon away. Refocusing on her original task, Addison strode over to the desk, powered on her computer, and located the email from Michael. She swiftly transferred its contents to the printer and began printing. The document was hefty, and the weight in her hands was palpable. It seemed the Fullers had truly handed her everything they had, piling up all their internal records in one go. Holding the thick stack of papers, Addison couldn't help but marvel at Michael's apparent lack of caution. Does he trust me completely? Time slipped by as she flipped through the files, skimming each page to get a general understanding of the Fullers' operations and mechanisms. By the time she reached the end, she had pieced together a solid grasp of their internal workings. Her phone buzzed with a new message. Dr. Daves, I've compiled the intel you requested about the Johnston Enterprise. It's in your inbox.'The message was from Ryan, punctuated by a playful emoji at the end. Addison raised an eyebrow. Ryan's timing was impeccable she was just about to dive deeper into the Johnston Enterprise's recent activities. Good.' She opened her email and clicked on the attachment Ryan had sent. Line by line, her gaze scanned the document, her expression growing more serious with each passing second. The depth of the intel sent by Ryan is astonishing. Addison frowned her eyebrows. She asked Ryan to gather basic information on the Johnston Enterprise, expecting a standard overview such as corporate records, publicly available data, and maybe some industry chatter. However, this information was far beyond what an ordinary person could collect. The level of detail far exceeded what any average investigator could access. How had Ryan managed to collect this? What kind of secrets does Ryan hide? Digging deeper into the document, Addison's eyes sharpened as she discovered a crucial lead. Setting the file aside, she quickly retrieved her meticulously organized map of Halton and cross-referenced it with the intel Ryan provided. The comparison brought clarity. A breakthrough was now within reach. If she wanted to bypass Lance to stabilize the Fullers' financial chains, the key lay in Yarrow International Hospital. According to Ryan's report, the hospital was one of Johnston Enterprise's pharmaceutical supply clients. But the real intrigue wasn't about the hospital's business dealings. The critical detail was that Lance had been expelled from Yarrow International Hospital.