"He cannot have a meal with Addison ... " Virginia's face twisted, her tone filled with melancholy. "I'm speaking to Lance, not you," Steven slammed the table when he heard Virginia's voice. Startled by Steven's reaction, Virginia shut her mouth and retreated behind Lance. With a frown, Lance pulled Virginia behind him. Suddenly, a man's hand reached out, stopping Virginia mid-turn. Then, she found herself pulled into an embrace, his scent familiar yet somehow distant. Despite the slight unfamiliarity, his scent offered her a great sense of security at that moment. She nuzzled against Lance's arms, listening to his whisper. Lance looked up directly at Steven, "You don't need to make this hard for Virginia." His calm voice was clearly supportive. Virginia looked up at that, her eyes lighting up. "Lance ... " Steven watched coldly as his grandson protected the woman behind him. He snorted, "I'm asking you a question! Are you planning to invite Addison to a meal at home or not?" Lance remained silent. Steven's cane struck the ground harder, making the floor tremble. With full authority, he looked at his grandson and pressed, "Answer me, yes or no?" Virginia clenched her fists. She held her breath, afraid to even exhale, waiting for Lance's response. Seeing Lance still had not answered, Marilyn became anxious. "Lance, Addison has done so much for the family, and you can't even offer her a meal? "Even if it wasn't Addison who solved the problem for us, you'd still owe them a meal, right?" Marilyn furrowed her brows as she spoke, her voice filled with suspicion, "Do you still have feelings for Addison? Is that why you don't want to see her?" "Absolutely not," Lance responded quickly, possibly out of defiance. "Then what's making you hesitate to meet with Addison?" Marilyn stared at her son, trying to read his emotions as if she could see right into his soul. Lance's lips formed a tight line, ready to respond, but he was interrupted by a gentle tug at his clothing. Virginia, standing behind him, looked up at him with eyes full of pleading and reluctance. "Why are you looking at her?" Steven exploded, noticing their silent communication. "Just tell us if you're willing or not. Johnston men aren't known for their indecision." Irritated, Lance's expression hardened, his gaze turning frosty as he stared straight ahead. His voice was emotionless as he asked, "Do I really have a choice?" "If Addison expects an invitation to Johnston, then that's what she'll get," he declared. Lance actually agreed? Virginia was so frustrated that she felt like grinding her teeth. He then walked away briskly, exiting the gates without another word. "Where do you think you're going, you little brat?" Steven shouted as Lance walked away, not even bothering to look back. "Feeling slighted because I asked you to have a meal with Addison, are you?" Marilyn quickly tried to calm Steven, "Dad, please relax. I'll speak with Lance later." She was genuinely relieved that Lance had agreed to have a meal with Addison. Seeing that Lance had already departed in silence, Virginia quickly followed after him, clutching at her clothing. "Lance, wait for me!" Virginia followed behind, gasping for air until she finally caught up with Lance. "Lance, are you really going to invite Addison for a meal at your place?" She stopped, trying to catch her breath. "Yeah," Lance replied, his expression unreadable. He did not elaborate and just responded so bluntly? "Lance, you're not rekindling your feelings for Addison, are you?" Virginia's smile faded into a frown, her face marked with worry.Lance turned to face her. "No." "How can you say no? It seems like you do, otherwise, why would you agree to ask Addison for a meal?" "You know I don't like her." Lance had never been one to pamper women, and he disregarded Virginia's pouty complaints, just furrowing his brow. "Don't be unreasonable." "I'm not being unreasonable," Virginia protested, feeling hurt. Lance's patience wore thin, and he coldly walked away, ignoring Virginia still standing behind him. Seeing Lance's dismissive attitude made Virginia even more anxious. "Lance, I'm asking you for just one thing!" She called out as he walked away. "When you invite Addison to a meal, can you also bring me along?" With Lance's indifferent response, she felt she had no choice but to be there herself to keep an eye on Addison and prevent her from possibly winning Lance over. As soon as she finished speaking, the man in front suddenly turned and walked back towards her. Virginia was taken aback and called out loudly, "Lance, did you agree? You're not letting Addison come over for a meal?" She was convinced Lance still had feelings for her. Her voice was so loud that even the security guards at the door turned to look at her. Before Virginia's smile had fully disappeared, the man walked straight past her and into the Johnston Residence. Virginia stood frozen, watching as Lance walked back inside. The security guards nearby glanced over at her curiously, causing Virginia to purse her lips awkwardly, wishing she could take back her loud voice from moments earlier. "What are you looking at? Is there something interesting?" Virginia snapped, annoyed, glaring at the two security guards. The guards quickly looked away.Shortly after, Lance came back out with an authorization letter in hand, opened the car door, and started the engine without a word. Virginia quickly regained her composure, ran to the car, opened the passenger door, and got in without saying anything. ... After seeing Marilyn off, Addison received an expected call from Yarrow Hospital that evening. "Sir, what's wrong?" Addison had just taken a shower. Right now, she was sitting down, combing her hair, and asked without looking up. "Lance just came by with an authorization letter for Levosulin," the director said thoughtfully. "I've checked the authorization letter thoroughly, and everything seems in order—no signs of forgery or discrepancies." The letter was flawless, with every detail neatly filled out, including the security code. However, knowing Addison's disdain for the Johnstons, why would she authorize them? Before the director could finish his thought, Addison cut in. "I gave them the letter. Go ahead and finalize the contract with them." The director raised his eyebrows in surprise. Hadn't Addison said she wouldn't authorize the Johnstons? Why had she changed her mind? "Ms. Daves, are you certain?" "Yes, I'm sure. You should go ahead and sign the contract with the Johnstons," Addison responded firmly. When she had handed over the authorization, she knew that the Johnstons would likely continue their association with Yarrow, but she had not anticipated Marilyn leaving so abruptly, nor did she expect Lance to show up at Yarrow immediately after with the letter.