"Let go of me!" Addison's wrist was caught tightly in the man's grip, and she couldn't break free. His hold remained unyielding, making her feel powerless. "Stop touching me! Let go, now!" The spot where he held her burned, the heat growing more intense by the second. Lance, however, paid no attention to her frantic protests. He scoffed coldly. "Let go of you? So you can humiliate yourself at the Daves' doorstep?" Addison didn't care about that, but clearly, he did. "What does my humiliation have to do with you? Don't you think you're overstepping here?" "Overstepping? "Think about your status. Do you honestly believe I'm overstepping?" She's my wife, after all. Her business is my business! I'm only trying to protect her, but how could Addison be so stubborn?Lance couldn't stand women who continuously pushed his limits. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Ignoring Addison's angry protests, he kept pulling her along. Addison stumbled, forced to follow him. Virginia, trailing close behind, watched the couple's locked hands, her eyes burning with resentment. Her hand tightened into a fist, and her gaze was filled with venomous hate. How dare Addison, a mere substitute, act so boldly by holding Lance's hand? Not only did she grab his hand, but she did it right in front of me! How dare she! She's not worthy of him! That hand is meant for me alone, and I will never allow another woman to challenge my claim. Fuming, Virginia stepped forward quickly, blocking their path. "What do you think you're doing?" Lance took a small step back, instinctively narrowing his eyes. Virginia recoiled from his sharp tone.Biting her lip, she looked up at him with a mix of hurt and disappointment. "Lance, why are you being so harsh?" Her expression was one of a small, abandoned kitten—full of sorrow and an almost irresistible allure. "I just wanted to remind you ... to stop holding Addison. You're hurting her ... " As she spoke, Virginia placed her hand on theirs, attempting to pull them apart. But Lance's grip was too firm, and her weak effort was in vain. She could only force a smile, silently pulling her hand back. Lance observed Virginia's exaggerated gestures with a blank expression, unaffected by her display. Once, he might have been moved by her, but now, for some reason, he felt nothing at all. Virginia, sensing his coldness, turned her focus to Addison. "Addison, it must hurt ... " Her hand slowly touched Addison's pale skin, its coldness sending a strange, unsettling feeling through her.Addison rolled her eyes inwardly. "Please remove your hand." She felt disgusted. But Virginia seemed oblivious, continuing, "I know it must hurt, but Lance is agitated, so he lost control. Please don't take it personally." Virginia then pouted slightly, as though apologizing, "But he's never been this rough with me, so I don't know how much it hurts ... " Lance was always gentle with her, never like this. Addison raised an eyebrow, completely ignoring Virginia's dramatic performance. Virginia's little acts of drama were all too obvious to Addison. It was nothing more than a ploy to gain sympathy and make herself feel significant. "Step aside," the man ordered, his voice sharp. "Lance ... look, Addison's wrist is turning red. Even if you don't like her, I think you're going too far," Virginia said, refusing to budge. Her eyes pleaded with him. Lance met her gaze, his frustration growing. His brows knit together in irritation. Addison, watching the exchange, suddenly had an idea. Though Virginia's words were grating, the timing couldn't have been better. This is my chance. Without hesitating, Addison took advantage of the distraction. She yanked her wrist free with a swift twist. Before Lance could react, she wrenched herself from his grasp. "You little—" Lance's eyes widened, stunned by her sudden move. "What's wrong, Mr. Johnston? Did you grab my hand like that for a reason? "Are you planning to pay for my medical bills?" Addison rubbed her wrist, shrugging with a smirk, her posture defiant. Lance was livid, his face shifting from pale to purple, struggling for words. "Addison, how dare you!" "Speaking of medical bills ... " Addison's eyes glinted as she turned toward Virginia."Virginia, you just crushed the herbs I was holding. How are you going to compensate me for that? "Cash or card? "Either works, you can choose. I'm not picky." Addison's smile widened as she tilted her head, her gaze daring and taunting. She crouched down, carefully picking up the crushed herbs, continuing to provoke. "It's just some worthless herbs, and you want me to pay for them?" Virginia crossed her arms, a sneer forming on her lips. "Addison, is it really that bad for you after leaving the Johnstons? Have you really sunk this low?" She might have framed it as asking for compensation, but it's clear she's trying to extort me. Addison considered Virginia's words for a moment, then repeated them with a mocking tone. "Worthless herbs? "Why don't you take a closer look and see if they're truly worthless?" She slowly raised her hand and tossed the herbs toward Virginia.Virginia tried to move out of the way, but she was too slow. The herbs landed squarely on her white skirt. The sticky sap splattered across the fabric, the green liquid slowly dripping down, almost painfully noticeable. "Ah!" Virginia yelped, spinning in a frantic circle, desperately trying to shake the herbs off. My skirt is white—how could I let something so dirty stain it? "Addison! You did that on purpose! "How could you throw that filthy thing on my clothes? Do you know how much this outfit cost?" It's worth a thousand times more than these wretched herbs she found! "Oh? Your clothes are expensive?" Addison couldn't help but feel the intensity of Virginia's glare, her eyes burning with fury, as though she could strike her down with a single look. But Addison played it cool, pretending to be utterly innocent."Sorry, I didn't see well earlier, so I just tossed it!" she said with a nonchalant shrug. If Virginia could thoughtlessly crush the herbs underfoot, then she deserved a little consequence. "You—you're lying! You saw perfectly!" Virginia's fury twisted her expression. "You can't bother to watch where you were going when you stepped on the herbs, but I can't make a mistake?" Addison lifted her chin slightly, smiling with a gaze full of mockery, her eyes shining with disdain, which only made Virginia's frustration grow. Virginia stomped her feet in anger. Lance, seeing the situation spiral out of control, furrowed his brows and reached down to remove the sticky herbs from Virginia's skirt. The thick sap instantly transferred from his fingers to his palm. This herb ... Why does it seem so familiar?