They were standing a moderate distance from the villa's entrance, neither too far nor too close. However, it was directly into the sun's glare when Addison glanced toward the entrance. The figure standing in the backlight, with the golden light outlining his profile, had half of his face hidden in shadows, making it hard to read his expression. Addison's lashes fluttered. Why was someone standing at the entrance of the villa? What was going on? The first name that flashed through her mind was Lance. But as she squinted and looked more closely, the figure's silhouette was clearly chubbier than Lance's and much shorter. It was obviously not Lance. Ryan had just closed the car door and turned to see Addison standing frozen, staring at the entrance. "Dr. Daves, what's wrong? It's so cold outside. Why aren't you going in?" Ryan asked, puzzled. Hearing his voice, Addison slightly lifted her chin and pointed toward the entrance. Ryan followed her finger and saw a figure standing by the door, pacing back and forth, clearly waiting for someone. His brows furrowed immediately. It's a good thing he was accompanying the Addison today. Otherwise, as a woman alone, she wouldn't be able to handle these kinds of people! Without thinking, Ryan stepped forward and walked toward the pacing figure. He was going to teach this person a lesson. Addison saw Ryan's head straight up, and she quickly grabbed his sleeve. "Should I call Gordon to come over?" She felt that the person standing at the entrance wasn't here with good intentions and wouldn't be easy to deal with. Ryan, who usually worked in the lab, was clearly not a match for him. Ryan shook his head, his eyes still on the figure upstairs. "Don't worry, I can handle it myself." "Are you sure?" Addison asked, her tone doubtful. She didn't want to see Ryan get hurt because of her."Yeah, just trust me," Ryan replied, cracking his knuckles before continuing up the stairs. Addison followed behind, still worried. Her hand had already reached into her bag to take out her phone and call Gordon. But before pulling out her phone, she saw Ryan suddenly dash forward, moving with lightning speed and grabbing the figure by the neck. The person caught off guard gasped for air but couldn't make a sound. Though his throat was constricted, he still let out a painful scream, his legs kicking back in agony. Addison was stunned. Had Ryan moved that quickly? How could he be so swift and decisive? Wasn't he always working in the lab? How could he be in such good physical shape? Ryan held the man by the neck with a dangerous look in his eyes. "What are you doing here?" The man couldn't speak, but he desperately clung to Ryan's hand, trying to free himself. Addison hurried up, and she only saw the man's face when she got closer. Her pupils constricted, and she quickly shouted. "Ryan, let him go!" Her voice was urgent. Ryan turned to look at her, confused. "Dr. Daves, he could be a freak. If you let him go now, you're just asking for trouble." The man, still trapped, quickly shook his head, signaling that he wasn't a freak. Seeing Ryan refuse to release him, Addison's voice became more frantic. "He's my uncle!" What? Ryan immediately let go of the man, who finally got a breath of fresh air. His face, turning purple from the constriction, was now a deep red. He bent over, coughing hard to regain his breath. Addison rushed over. "Uncle Leon, are you okay?" Her hand gently patted his back, her eyes full of apology. Ryan stood there, completely flustered, not knowing what to do with himself, trying to avoid their gaze.He had just attacked Addison's uncle! What had he done? Ryan was filled with regret. Leon stood there, coughing violently. He covered his mouth, bent over, and seemed to shrink into himself from the force of the coughing. His coughs told Ryan just how forceful his grip had been. Leon couldn't say anything. Seeing Leon like this, Addison felt anxious. She glanced up at Ryan, who stood frozen, a big guy looking at a loss. She knew what he was thinking and frowned. "This isn't your fault, it was a misunderstanding. "But now, can you open the door and help me get Uncle Leon inside?" Ryan slapped his forehead. "Got it!" he said, quickly opening the door. Addison and Ryan supported Leon on each side and helped him inside the villa. Leon sat down on the sofa, still coughing. Now more aware, Ryan quickly ran to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. He jogged back and handed it to Leon. Leon took the glass and sipped slowly, trying to catch his breath. Gradually, his condition improved, and his face returned to a standard color. Ryan sighed in relief. After a long while, Leon finally caught his breath. He straightened up, cleared his throat, and looked at Ryan. "You've got some strength, young man!" The way he said it was so cheerful that Ryan wasn't sure whether he was complimenting or scolding him. In the dim light earlier, Ryan couldn't make out the man's face. But now, he could feel the man's aura filled with an intimidating presence in the house. This pressure was unlike anything Ryan had felt from the upper-class people he had met. "I ... " Ryan's lips moved, and after a long pause, he said, "Sorry." Seeing that Ryan was obviously nervous, Addison smiled. She quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Uncle Leon, stop scaring him." Leon smiled brightly, his eyes full of warmth. "Young man, I was complimenting you! You really have strong hands! Have you trained before?"Ryan pursed his lips and nodded. Addison's gaze on Ryan became more thoughtful. Did he train? Wasn't he always in the lab? But that wasn't the focus right now. "How did you suddenly show up?" Addison's gaze shifted to Leon sitting on the sofa, her tone soft yet tinged with disbelief. She hadn't seen any of the Daves in over three years—almost four. Since she chose to marry the Johnstons, the Daves had cut off all contact with her. Her parents hadn't even reached out once. It was as if she no longer existed to them. Suddenly seeing Leon again, Addison felt a sense of unreality, as though it was a lifetime ago. But Leon didn't answer her question. His gaze was still fixed on Ryan, and he smiled. "Addy, is this your boyfriend?" What! Ryan's pupils dilated, startled by Leon's words. Addison was no exception—she was taken aback by what he had just said. The two of them reacted in perfect unison. "It is good to have a new boyfriend!" Leon slapped his thigh and spoke cheerfully. "Think about it. For Lance, you even cut ties with the Daves. Was it worth it?" The difference in social standing was noticeable. The Johnstons were practically nothing compared to the Daves. Who would've thought that Addison would insist on marrying into the Johnstons, causing such a stir among everyone in the Daves? It drove them crazy! Setting aside the difference in social status, he even went as far as to investigate Lance. The guy was cold as ice—he couldn't care less about anyone! He couldn't for his life understand what Addison saw in him. He sighed deeply, clearly reluctant to revisit the past. Waving his hand, he said, "Forget it. Let's not talk about the past." "I think this boyfriend of yours is great! Better than that, Lance!" Leon said, grinning. "Look at those skills! He can protect you." The man smiled contentedly.Leon was happy as long as Addison had moved on and no longer hung up on Lance.