As soon as Virginia saw Lance's stance, she couldn't hold back. She quickly spoke up, eager not to be left out. "Addison, that's not where you belong. Come back now!" Her words dripped with disdain. "If you think you can impress Lance by trying to be the hero here, you're wasting your time. It's not going to work." Winning a man's affection wasn't something you can do blindly, without understanding the situation. But Addison, charging ahead like some naive fool, doesn't seem to grasp that. We're at the Daves Residence, for God's sake! It isn't a place where anyone could just walk in and expect admiration. "If you keep going, you're only setting yourself up for embarrassment. You're better off stopping now and waiting for Lance to figure out what to do next," Virginia continued, her arms crossed and a smug smile on her face, her eyes full of mockery as she stared at Addison. Addison's pace slowed as the words reached her. Wait for Lance to figure out what to do next? How ridiculous.Addison raised an eyebrow, resisting the urge to laugh. Am I supposed to just sit around and let someone else dictate my actions? Am I a helpless child who couldn't think for myself, like a damsel in distress, waiting for my Prince Charming? She wasn't going to give in to their taunts. Ignoring them, she pushed ahead. One step after another, she climbed the stairs, getting closer to the top. "Addison." The voice came again from behind her, this time colder, laced with barely contained frustration. "I told you not to go. Didn't you hear me? "The Daves isn't a place for you. Come back." This was the second time Lance had tried to stop her, and he wasn't about to repeat himself. He knew Addison had a stubborn streak, but this was reckless even by her standards. Though Virginia's words stung, there was some truth to them. This wasn't the right moment for Addison to try to play the hero.He understood that she might be looking for attention, but this wasn't the way to go about it. His patience had run out. "You're wasting your time. Even if you're willing to throw your dignity away and face whatever humiliation comes at the Daves, I won't give you another look." His words were sharp, emotionless, final, and ruthless. As soon as he spoke, Addison's steps halted. She wavered for a moment, as though his words had hit her harder than she wanted to admit. A cold breeze swept past, lifting her hair and making her look fragile, like she might crumble at any second. Virginia watched Addison's delicate figure from a distance, her sneer deepening. Is Addison trying to act fragile now? Rolling her eyes, Virginia thought, Please. Acting all delicate? She'd seen through Addison all along—this was just another stunt to grab Lance's attention. And sure enough, the moment Lance delivered those cutting words, Addison's resolve cracked. It was almost pathetic. The wind tugged at Addison's light blue dress, making her sway, her steps unsteady as though she might fall apart at any moment. Lance watched her, his gaze softening for the briefest moment. For a second, he felt a twinge of guilt. Have I been too harsh? I didn't mean to hurt her like that—my frustration got the better of ne. I can see it now—I have probably wounded her more than I intended. But before the guilt could settle, his thoughts shifted. The first time I spoke, I was calm, but she ignored me, and now, she's facing the consequences. "Come back to Halton with me," Lance said, though he felt like he didn't deserve the blame. He reluctantly made the decision to bring Addison back, hoping she would feel better once they were on their way. But what neither of them anticipated was that Addison didn't turn around. Instead, she bent down and picked up a blade of grass that had fallen on the ground. She carefully brushed it off before holding it gently in her hand. Once she was sure it was clean, she straightened up and kept walking forward, as though their earlier conversation had never happened. What is she doing? I thought she had stopped to listen, but instead, she was just picking up a piece of grass? His expression, which had softened moments earlier, hardened instantly. Anger flared within him. Three strikes, and his patience was gone. "Addison, you're really pushing it now!" His voice was low and filled with fury, his veins visibly bulging. "Do you really think I won't follow through?" He was beyond frustrated. To him, the grass was just a nuisance, a meaningless weed. But to Addison, it was far more significant. She was an expert in herbs, and the grass she had picked up was a rare medicinal plant known to treat eye conditions.She had no idea where it had come from—perhaps the wind had blown it to her—but as a doctor, her instincts had driven her to collect it. Before she could secure the plant, though, a hand reached out from behind her and roughly knocked it from her grasp. "What are you doing?" Addison asked, startled, turning too slowly to see who had intervened. Her focus was solely on the fallen herb. Without thinking, she crouched down to retrieve it. But just as her fingers were about to touch it, a small foot appeared out of nowhere, stepping on the fragile plant and crushing it beneath its weight. The foot, delicate as it seemed, pressed down with an unkind force, crushing the stem with ease. Addison watched in disbelief as the bright green fluid oozed from the broken plant, almost like fresh blood. There are only a few dozen of this herb in all of Kreshill. Ruining it this way is sheer wastefulness. Who could be so cruel? Can't they even spare a single plant? Addison looked up, her gaze meeting Virginia's.Seeing Addison's furious stare, Virginia took a step back, her hands instinctively covering her mouth. "Oh ... I didn't see that grass," she stammered, pretending to be oblivious. "Addison, were you trying to pick that up?" she asked, acting surprised. "I didn't notice, I'm so sorry." Addison's face grew colder, a dangerous glint flashing in her eyes. She could tell Virginia was lying. "How could you be so heartless?" Addison's voice was sharp, laced with venom. "You couldn't even let one plant survive?" Virginia's eyes widened as the words hit her. "Do you think crushing something so small makes you feel important?" Addison's icy gaze was full of disdain. Virginia stammered, her face paling. "Why are you ... I told you it wasn't on purpose. Why are you looking at me like that?" Addison's eyes were intense, almost menacing. Virginia's heart raced, and she instinctively took a step back, hiding behind Lance. "Lance... Addison is terrifying. I'm scared," she whispered, her voice shaking.Lance, standing between the two women, shielded Virginia from Addison's glare. "It's just a weed," Lance said, his voice calm but tinged with annoyance. "Addison, stop making a big deal out of nothing." With Virginia cowering behind him, Lance noticed her anxiety easing. She felt safe again, her nerves settling. Lance is right. Why is Addison making such a scene over a piece of grass? It's just a weed. Why is she acting like it was something important? She's a nobody. What makes her think she can just lash out whenever she wants? She really needs to understand her worth. "Making a big deal?" Addison's anger flared. "Do you have any idea how valuable it is?" In her eyes, even if Virginia were sold, she wouldn't come close to the worth of that plant. Lance, however, wasn't interested in listening anymore. He was done with their endless fighting over something so insignificant. The constant bickering between the two women was starting to wear on his nerves.He didn't want to waste any more time, so he made his decision. "Come back to Halton with me, now," he ordered, grabbing Addison's wrist and pulling her down the stairs. He felt like he was doing this for her own good. He didn't want her to be humiliated by the people at the Daves. Those people were quick to judge, always looking down on others. It would be a terrible experience for her there. Why can't Addison see that I'm only trying to protect her?