Addison gazed calmly at Virginia, who was slumped on the ground, and at Lance, whose face was now clouded with a dark expression. She hadn't been so ruthless toward Virginia just to see her reprimanded or abandoned. No, Addison simply didn't want someone like Virginia to marry into the Johnsons. She couldn't bear the thought of the Johnsons being ruined by Virginia, nor could she bear to see Mrs. Johnston's health deteriorate due to Virginia's constant stress-inducing behavior. That was why Addison had shown no mercy. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly as she chose to turn away quietly. She didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings. Mrs. Johnston's condition had seemed stable earlier, and now that Lance was back, he could surely take care of her. There was no need for Addison to worry unnecessarily anymore. With that thought, she decisively walked away. Virginia remained on the floor, speechless for what felt like an eternity. Her heart pounded with anxiety, and she didn't dare look up at the man standing in front of her. The silence in the Johnston Residence was suffocating, heavy with the sense that a storm was brewing. After a long internal struggle, Virginia finally gathered the courage to raise her head, only to meet Lance's cold, emotionless gaze. His eyes were dark and devoid of warmth as he stared down at her. "Do you have anything else you want to say to me?" Virginia straightened her already stiff back, her mind still numb from shock, unsure of how to respond. "Lance, I ... " This was the first time she had seen Lance so cold and ruthless, and the fear gripped her heart, leaving her at a loss for words. Whatever she wanted to say got caught in her throat. No! If she let Lance lose faith in her now, she'd be finished. Everything in the Johnsons would slip through her fingers, and Addison would end up with it all! She couldn't allow that! She wouldn't let any opportunity slip away—the position of Mrs. Johnston had to be hers! She couldn't allow Addison, that cruel woman, to win. Virginia's expression instantly shifted, a flash of ruthlessness crossing her eyes as her numb mind snapped back to clarity.She practically crawled on the floor, her voice filled with desperate sorrow, her face streaked with tears that painted her as pitiful and fragile. "Lance, I swear, I'm not after your money ... " She sobbed, her words coming out in broken fragments that tugged at the heartstrings. "I just didn't want Addison to take advantage of you." Tears streamed down her face as she stole a glance at Lance's reaction. She knew he was furious, but she hoped that playing on his emotions might soften his heart. After all, they'd shared so many years together—surely his feelings for her hadn't completely disappeared. But Lance's frown only deepened, his patience visibly wearing thin. His eyes darkened further, and even his voice carried an unmistakable tone of disdain. "Addison is my wife. As long as that remains the case, she's entitled to everything the Johnstons has to offer. What she eats, what she wears, everything comes from the Johnstons, as it should. How can that be called taking advantage of me?" Virginia's tears froze on her cheeks. Her heart clenched painfully. Could it be that Lance ... really didn't care about their past anymore? "I've made it clear in front of you before: I despise women with poor character the most. And you! What exactly have you been doing? You've been slapping me in the face!" His gaze dropped to the discarded divorce agreement, and Addison's earlier words echoed in his mind, causing his anger to surge again. His voice, filled with outrage, cut through the air like a knife. "For the sake of money, you even went as far as to forge a divorce agreement? Virginia, how did you become like this? The moment Addison said it, I didn't want to believe it! "How could you have done something so despicable?" The more he spoke, the angrier he became. His face was clouded with rage, and in his frustration, he knocked over the glass of water that Francesca had just placed on the table. The cup hit the floor, shattering with a sharp, piercing sound that echoed through the room, the fragments scattering across the ground. That breaking sound struck Virginia's heart like a dagger. It felt as though her perfect image in Lance's mind had shattered into a thousand pieces, leaving her utterly humiliated and exposed. Virginia's heart clenched painfully, and her face turned even paler. Her attempt to explain had only made Lance angrier ... She had no choice but to admit her fault. Lowering her head, Virginia's voice trembled with regret, "Lance, it's all my fault. I was wrong, I truly was ... "After a brief pause, she continued, choking back tears, "I didn't tell you everything back then when I left the country. I was afraid you'd worry. In truth ... my family went bankrupt. I had no choice but to go abroad." Lance's frown remained. "For those three years abroad, my mom and I had no money, no home ... My mom fell ill from the constant worry. I had to work part-time just to get by. What little money I earned went to food, rent, and her medical expenses ... but it was never enough." As Virginia spoke, her tears flowed freely, as though she were reliving the torment of those difficult years abroad. "The medical costs for my mom were so overwhelming that I wished every penny could be stretched twice over. But no matter how hard I tried ... the money was never enough." Lance's harsh expression softened slightly when he heard her recount those hardships. He hadn't known ... Could this be the truth? "My mom didn't survive in the end ... " Virginia hung her head, clutching the hem of her clothes tightly, as if trying to suppress the pain that resurfaced. Lance remained silent. Listening to her tearful confession, the echoes of loss resonated deeply within him. Perhaps it was because of his own experiences, but he felt an unexpected surge of empathy, a shared grief. He recalled the day his father and brother had died in that tragic car accident—the moment he received the news, the day they were buried ... He had stood at their graves, dressed in black, his downcast eyes clouded with the same shadow of sorrow. Virginia forced an awkward smile. "Lance, how did I become like this? How did I become so obsessed with money? I'm terrified of those days without it ... I'm so scared ... " Her face was filled with bitter self-mockery. "Yes, I'm just that shallow. To put it bluntly, as Addison said, I'm a gold digger ... " Lance felt a pang in his heart. His eyes were suddenly narrowing with pain. Virginia slowly staggered to her feet, wiping the tears from her face. "Shallow, right? Disgusting, right? Even I find myself revolting. "Sometimes, I lie on bed at night and wonders why I came back ... Why did I come back to find you? Who would like a shallow, gold-digging woman?"As he listened to her words, Lance was overwhelmed with guilt. His words earlier had been harsh, each one like salt rubbed into her wounds. Virginia noticed the change in Lance's expression but continued speaking. "I know I disappointed you, Lance. I don't have the face to stay any longer. "Lance, without me in the future, please take care of yourself ... " Virginia dried her tears, her trembling hand reaching for her bag. As if unable to hold it properly, the bag fell to the ground, spilling its contents. Among the modern items lay a ring-shaped talisman, its ancient design starkly out of place. The talisman was flat and round, engraved with intricate patterns. It exuded a solemn, ancient aura, and though its surface was worn, faint words could still be made out, though not clearly, giving it an air of precious mystery. Lance's gaze shifted to the ring-shaped talisman. His eyes, already filled with a trace of pain, suddenly narrowed even further, now clouded with complex emotions. The scene of his first encounter with Virginia flashed vividly in his mind.