Lance's expression was one of deep thought. "Is that so?" Virginia nodded eagerly. "Of course." "Lance, it's your fault for not coming to the apartment to see me these past few days. You've even forgotten what my skin tone looks like." Her voice carried a tone of playful reproach, as if she were deeply wronged. "I have always been pale, and after all that's happened these days, with such a big wound and losing so much blood. "Excessive blood loss will naturally make someone pale. The reason I look so pale now is simply because of the blood loss. "You didn't care about me at all, did you?" Virginia's voice held a trace of sadness. Lance's face remained cold, his eyes fixed on her as if trying to see through the woman standing before him. Inside, Virginia felt a twinge of panic, but on the outside, she showed no fear. She pushed all the blame onto Lance. They stared at each other for a long time. Eventually, Lance was the first to look away. The man coldly spoke, "That's for the best." Virginia quickly raised three fingers to the sky in a gesture of swearing an oath. "Lance, you don't need to worry. I'll always stay by your side. I hardly know anyone here in Halton." Lance didn't say anything more, seemingly willing to accept her words, though reluctantly. Virginia let out a long breath of relief, happy to have avoided disaster. She forced herself to set aside thoughts of Troy for now. It was better to focus on handling Lance so she wouldn't accidentally say something wrong and ruin the impression she was trying to make. If that happened, she would be truly finished. "So, what about the invitation?" She asked. Lance lowered his gaze and said, "I'm still figuring it out." Virginia darted her eyes, and a sudden thought struck her."Addison, as Dr. Nancy's assistant, she must have an invitation, right?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Virginia felt a strange confidence in her idea. After all, Dr. Nancy was a prominent figure—getting an invitation to the Medical Symposium should be as easy as a snap of the fingers. Addison surely had one. Even if Dr. Nancy didn't have an invitation, as long as she asked, the organizers would rush to send one her way. After all, having Dr. Nancy attend would only benefit them. Virginia grew more animated. "Lance, just ask Addison for it! She loves you so much, she'll definitely give it to you." Lance lifted his eyes to look at her, his face impassive. He showed no reaction to her suggestion. Virginia was confused. "Lance, don't you want to ask Addison? Or do you think the invitation is too valuable for her to give it to you?" When Lance didn't respond, Virginia seemed desperate. "Don't worry! Addison loves you so much; you don't need to worry about any of those concerns. She'll definitely give it to you." Her words were sincere. She was elevating Addison, hoping to push her higher, so that when Addison eventually fell, it would be all the more devastating. The higher she built Addison up, the harder Addison would crash when things went wrong. As long as Addison failed to deliver the invitation, her image in Lance's eyes would only worsen, and it might even lead Lance to believe that she never truly loved him at all. Could Lance continue to tolerate her then? "If you don't want to go, I can ask Addison for you. How about that? "Even though Addison doesn't like me, and maybe even hates me, I'm willing to go to her for you. At most, she'll scold me, but that's nothing. "Saving Mr. Steven's life is far more important than enduring a scolding from Addison. I'll get this done for you, Lance." She kept talking, unaware that Lance's expression was growing darker."And Addison cares so much about Mr. Steven. She personally operated on him in the past. She must hold your family in high regard." "Shut up." Lance finally couldn't contain his anger. He didn't want to hear Addison's name. The moment Lance heard her name, his mind filled with images of those two pairs of men's shoes in the villa. Though dark in color and low-profile, they seemed to burn into his mind. She had moved in with another man, disregarding all decency and honor. And she was the daughter-in-law of Johnstons and his wife. Moreover, Addison had flatly denied she had an invitation, coldly rejecting his request. Could someone who acted like that still love him? No, she had no real affection for him at all! Lance's temples were throbbing, his mind buzzing. "W-What's wrong?" Virginia asked, suddenly taken aback by his anger. "Did I say something wrong?" Virginia's eyes darted, as if trying to piece it together. She deduced, "Or have you already asked Addison?" Lance nodded grimly. As expected, she should have known that Lance was far smarter than she gave him credit for. If she had thought of it, Lance would have thought of it long ago. Since he had already asked Addison ... With Addison's tenacity, she would never let an opportunity slip by, even if Lance didn't ask. She would have surely given the invitation to win his favor. But seeing Lance's expression, it was clear—he hadn't received the invitation. "Addison really didn't want to give it to you?" Virginia asked, her surprise evident. "If I had an invitation, I'd make sure to deliver it to your house, no matter the obstacles. After all, this concerns Mr. Steven's life. "How could Addison refuse to give it to you?!" Virginia was furious. "She could have easily done it, yet she didn't!"I would give my own life for Mr. Steven's, yet Addison wouldn't even give a single invitation?" Virginia cast a sideways glance at Lance. She knew how to praise and criticize, and she was skilled at it. Lance forced himself to calm down. "Addison said she didn't have an invitation." "She doesn't have an invitation?" Virginia's exclamation was loud and dramatic. "How could she not have one? She must have one—she just doesn't want to give it! "She's been living at your house for a long time, and Mr. Steven is considered her elder. How could she be so cold-hearted?" Virginia was first shocked, then increasingly agitated, as if standing on the moral high ground, deeply condemning Addison for her actions. "How could she be so heartless? I never expected this from Addison." Lance didn't react to her words. In the past, he would have believed Virginia right away, thinking that Addison was lying, and he would have stormed off to confront her. His impulsiveness and blind trust had caused Addison to suffer unfairly before. But now, much like the boy who cried wolf, Lance no longer trusted Virginia's words unconditionally. He picked up his teacup and took a sip. Lance didn't even respond to Virginia's strong accusations. "I'll decide for myself whether Addison lied to me. "You should focus on your recovery," he added, his tone firm. Despite his anger toward Addison, he couldn't let Virginia's words alone sway his judgment and pinned the blame on her. Virginia wasn't satisfied. She wanted to say more. "Addison, she ... " When she saw Lance's determined expression, she knew she had no choice but to stop. What kind of spell had Addison cast on Lance to make him defend her?This was the first time he did that. Virginia ground her teeth in frustration.