Leon's eyes widened with fury, his face turning pale to a deeper shade of anger. The veins on his temples throbbed visibly, clearly displeased with Addison's actions, and his cheeks trembled with the force of his emotions. Ryan, noticing this, lowered his head even further. In an instant, the atmosphere at the dinner table became tense and unpredictable. When Leon questioned Addison, she remained silent. Seeing that his niece wasn't answering, Leon grew even more frustrated. "Addison, I'm asking you." As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized that he wasn't speaking to a subordinate from the hospital but to his niece, whom he hadn't seen in years. That tone wasn't entirely appropriate. His voice softened, "Addison, tell me, was the patient you operated on this afternoon from the Johnstons?" Addison pursed her lips, clearly trying to change the subject. She placed some food on Leon's plate. "Uncle Leon, let's eat. We shouldn't talk about these things during a meal." Leon knew precisely what Addison was trying to do—she was trying to divert the conversation. But he understood her well. Addison was stubborn. Once her mind was made up, nothing could sway her—not even a force of nature. Her determination to marry the Johnstons was a perfect example of that. When Addison didn't answer, he sighed and shifted his gaze to Ryan, sitting at the opposite end of the table. "Young man, if Addy won't talk, you can!" He slammed his hand on the table, his tone boisterous. "Ah?" Ryan jumped, quickly raising his head. "Ah, what?" Leon's voice became more insistent. "You said earlier that Addy had been in surgery all day. So, who was the patient?" Having learned his lesson from before, Ryan was careful with his words. He quickly turned his attention to Addison.Receiving his look, Addison immediately gave him a sharp glance. Her dark eyes were calm but conveyed everything that needed to be said. Ryan understood immediately. He quickly put down his fork and picked up some meat, following Addison's example by putting food on Leon's plate. "Please eat more." His voice was sincere. Leon was so angry that he threw his fork down immediately. "You're starting to sound like Addy, bringing up all this nonsense?" Leon was seething with anger, but as he looked at Ryan, he couldn't help but notice the genuine sincerity in his eyes, the warmth and clarity in his gaze. His anger dissipated. After all, the young man had just cooked him a generous meal; it would be unreasonable to lash out now. And seeing the guy's sincerity, Leon couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh. He sighed deeply. "I was just asking if he's from the Johnstons. Is that really so difficult to answer?" The last sentence was muttered under his breath, clearly frustrated but restrained by his relationship with his niece. Addison heard him but didn't answer. Instead, she changed the subject. "Uncle Leon, how long do you plan to stay in Halton?" Leon gave up because she wasn't going to answer his question. He figured that she wasn't going to open up today. He had a pretty good idea of why she avoided the topic. With no answers forthcoming, he let it go. "I'm not sure how long I'll stay in Halton," Leon replied. "Then, why don't you stay here for a while? This house is just for me; you can stay here now. How about that?" Leon glanced around the room. "That's fine! I'll stay here then. And while I'm at it, I can watch the Johnstons and see if they're still bothering you." "I usually live alone, so I don't pay much attention to food." Addison placed a dish in her own bowl. "If you're staying here, I'll hire a maid to cook."Leon blinked. "Hire a maid? Isn't Ryan good enough to cook?" Ryan's eyes lit up immediately. He eagerly nodded his agreement. "Yes, Dr. Daves, I can cook for you!" Addison's face turned serious. Without thinking, she refused, "No, you can't. You're so busy every day. How could you possibly come and cook? It'd be too much trouble." Ryan fell silent. This was Addison's house, so Leon didn't push further. He had done what he could for the young man, but if Addison didn't want it, he could do nothing. He reached out and patted Ryan on the shoulder, offering some comfort. "I came here to research heart patients," Leon said. Addison knew Leon's medical expertise was top-notch. Compared to him, her own skills seemed inadequate. She also knew Leon often went on small-scale research trips yearly, seeking out complex cases nationwide. But this year, he was looking for heart patients? What a coincidence. Addison furrowed her brow. "Heart patients?" "Yes," Leon nodded. Seeing her expression shift, he asked, "What's wrong?" If her uncle was seeking out complex heart cases, wasn't this precisely the kind of patient that Steven was? Acute heart failure, compounded by human intervention, caused his immune system to be severely impacted after the recent rescue. It was a complicated case, fitting precisely what Leon was looking for. Meanwhile, Virginia had just exited the alley, walking briskly back to the hospital. As she neared the ward, her frown deepened, her frustration growing with every step. Instead, as they got closer to Steven's hospital room, the furrow in her brow deepened with each step. What was she going to do now? Her mind was a tangled mess as she entered the ward.Mack was standing by Steven's bed, just finishing administering an IV. He hung the drip bottle on the side rack and turned as he saw Virginia entering. "Ms. Dolton, Mr. Steven's condition has stabilized." Hearing the news, Virginia forced a smile. "Thank you so much, Dr. Drew." Although her lips were upturned, there was no warmth in her eyes. A slight displeasure was hidden in her gaze as if she didn't want Steven's condition to improve. Mack didn't notice her expression and spoke politely, "You're too kind." Virginia stood still, her eyes fixed on Steven, who lay with his eyes closed. His eyes were tightly shut, and his wrinkles were clearly visible. His expression was peaceful, with no sign of pain. He sleeps so peacefully yet leaves behind a whole mess of problems for me to deal with! Staring at his face, Virginia's gaze grew darker. I shouldn't have let him linger in that state if I had known. I should have just let him die! Then I wouldn't be dealing with all this mess now! She couldn't help but regret it deeply. Her heart seethed with resentment. If only she had been more brutal, she wouldn't be stuck in such a dilemma. As Mack finished preparing the IV, he turned to Virginia. "Ms. Dolton, you must continue caring for Mr. Steven." Virginia put on a perfectly polite smile. After Mack left, Virginia was left alone in the room. Slowly, she gritted her teeth. Her heart had to be unyielding if she wanted to achieve her goals.