Leon quickly led Addison out of the hospital, glancing over his shoulder every so often, as though expecting Lance to follow them. Once they had crossed the threshold of the hospital doors, he finally relaxed, letting out a long sigh. "Angel, does Lance always talk to you like that?" Leon asked, loosening his grip on Addison's arm, clearly frustrated. Addison gave a simple shrug. "That's just how he is. I'm used to it." Leon's tone grew sharper. "That's unacceptable! How can you just let him speak to you like that?" If it were him, he would have lost his temper by now. Before Leon could keep going, Addison gently nudged him forward, offering a small smile. "Don't be upset. I'm not angry, so you don't have to be either." She didn't care what Lance said or did. He had no power to affect her. "I can't just ignore it. I'm defending you," Leon muttered. "Yeah, yeah, I get it," Addison replied, her voice light. She understood that her uncle only wanted to protect her. Realizing Leon's anger wouldn't fade anytime soon, Addison quickly changed the topic. "How about we get something to eat? You didn't have breakfast, did you?" Leon shot her a sidelong glance, fully aware of her attempt to shift the conversation and stop him from venting about Lance. "You little sneak," Leon grumbled, raising an eyebrow and flicking her forehead, a small smile tugging at his lips despite himself. Their Angel was always the one defending Lance. "Alright, alright, let's eat," Leon finally agreed, seeing the pleading look in Addison's eyes. Addison's grin widened. She quickly guided him to the car and opened the door. "You sit here," she said, pushing him into the passenger seat. With a bit of coaxing, Leon sat down, and Addison slid into the driver's seat.She started the engine and asked, "Uncle, what do you feel like eating? There are plenty of great five-star places nearby." Leon remained silent. Addison gave him a quick glance. "If you don't choose, I'll just pick something." "How about some seafood? It's been a while, and I've got a craving," she said, pretending to be casual as she watched his reaction. She knew her uncle would never go for seafood. Sure enough, as soon as he heard it, Leon groaned. "Let's just go home," he muttered. "We're having homemade lunch today?" Addison asked, a frown forming on her face. "Ryan's cooking. I've always liked his food," Leon replied. Addison laughed softly. "Ryan's in the lab. How is he supposed to cook for you?" If Leon hadn't shown up at the hospital first thing in the morning, Addison would have been in the lab herself, getting her work done. But after a beat, Addison spoke up. "The nanny's at home. We could try her cooking. It might be good." Leon nodded, seemingly satisfied with the idea. The car drove toward Pendomium Heights, and the silence between them stretched on. Addison chose not to speak. She knew that any topic she brought up might end up circling back to Lance. Just as they approached their destination, Leon looked out the window and then broke the silence. "Angel, about Steven ... the surgery wasn't a success." Addison's foot slammed on the brake. The car jerked forward, nearly sending both her and Leon into the dashboard. "You failed?" she asked, her voice sharp with surprise. "Watch the road," Leon grumbled, patting his chest in relief. "You nearly gave me a heart attack." Addison nodded and focused on the road, trying to steady the car. After a moment, she managed to ask, "What happened, Uncle?"Her voice was tight, filled with concern. Leon's face didn't change. "Steven's case ... it's more complicated than I thought." Addison nodded again, understanding the gravity of the situation. She knew the symptoms well, and they were anything but simple. At first, the news had shaken her, but now, she found herself thinking more rationally. With her uncle's skill, failure wasn't something she expected. Could someone have interfered somehow? Addison's brow furrowed, and she waited for Leon to explain further. ... Lance stood motionless, his gaze fixed on the ground. The sunlight bathed him, casting a small shadow at his feet. Virginia arrived, late as always. She paused and looked around. There was no sign of Addison or Dr. Daves. Lance let them go? Virginia's pulse quickened. Virginia moved closer to Lance. "Lance, where's Dr. Daves?" Lance didn't answer. His voice was icy. "Why were you lying?" Her heart skipped a beat. The words hit her like a cold breeze, making her skin crawl. "Excuse me?" Virginia blinked, shocked. Not only had she not received the response she was hoping for, but now she was being questioned. She felt her pulse quicken, but she forced herself to stay calm. "Lance ... What do you mean?" She acted like she didn't understand what Lance was saying. Lance's voice grew colder still. If she was going to play dumb, he wasn't going to play along. "You aren't the one who hired Dr. Daves. Why are you lying?" His words cut through the air. Virginia's mind raced, but her face remained neutral. "This isn't your first lie, is it?" Lance's sharp gaze pierced through her, making her feel like there was nowhere to hide."You've told lies before. I don't think I need to remind you of all of them." He hadn't forgotten any of them. At first, he had dismissed them as harmless—just some little things Virginia had done on a whim. He'd let it slide. But now, it seemed like she had crossed a line. Virginia shivered slightly, feeling both rattled and exposed. Lance's tone was so firm that it made her heart race with fear. "Lance ... What are you talking about? I don't understand," she said, eyes brimming with false innocence, hoping to keep up her act. But Lance was done with games. "Are you only going to come clean when things go too far?" "At this point, I suggest you drop the act." The sight of her feigning innocence made him feel only disgust. "Dr. Daves just confirmed it—he's here because Addison asked him. It's nothing like what you said." Now, Lance wasn't just questioning the lie. He was questioning everything about Virginia. Was she even who she said she was? If she was, why was she lying? "That's impossible," Virginia muttered, barely audibly. She had just heard Dr. Daves say it was because of Angel. Could he have changed his story? "Dr. Daves said I hired him. How could he suddenly change his story?" Virginia kept murmuring, trying to piece together what was happening. If Dr. Daves could change his story, it made him even less credible. How could Lance trust someone who kept shifting their narrative? Lance cut her off, his tone colder than ever. "Dr. Daves has always said it was Addison." Virginia's gaze snapped upward. "Addison's nickname is Angel." Her eyes widened. "No ... that's not possible ... " she whispered, still struggling to believe it.Lance looked away, his face betraying nothing. Perhaps it was exhaustion, or perhaps the disappointment in her had reached its breaking point. He no longer had the patience to entertain her lies. Without another word, he turned and walked toward the ICU. Virginia rushed after him, stumbling as she tried to keep up. "Lance ... Lance ... " she called out, her voice almost pleading. She faltered as she ran, her eyes clouded with an almost desperate look. Isaac, standing off to the side, watched the scene unfold. Virginia, pale as ever, looked fragile. Her movements were quick but clumsy, her eyes glistening with feigned helplessness. Even Isaac couldn't help but feel a brief moment of sympathy. But Lance didn't look back.