Addison had been smiling, but when she heard the sadness in Matthew's voice, her expression immediately changed. "Grandpa, I told you, you'll live a long time," she reassured him. Matthew simply smiled and shook his head, not responding. Addison's heart dropped. She blinked, her eyes filled with concern. "I mean it. Don't you believe me?" She held up her fingers as if swearing to the sky. "My words are strong. You shouldn't doubt them." Matthew watched her with a warm, kind smile as if she were just playing a child's game. He thought her earnestness was cute. But his gentle expression made Addison feel uneasy. The way he shook his head with such indifference about life and death made her feel a cold fear rise in her chest. For some reason, her thoughts turned to Harvey—how he had once been by her side, but abandoned her, leaving her alone.Now, with her grandfather by her side, she couldn't bear the thought of losing him too. She didn't want to face the loneliness of being without him. The experience with Harvey had left Addison with a deep fear of death. She feared not only death itself but also the idea of losing those she cared about and facing the unknown. Death had taken away the person she loved the most, and with it, it seemed to take everything from her. She was no longer the carefree, lively person she once was. Her heart had withered along with Harvey's passing. "I told you, you'll live a long life," Addison said, holding her grandfather's hand. Her voice quivered as she continued, "You'll live well. I promise. Trust me. You won't die. If anyone dies, it'll be me before you ... " Her words became choked, and she struggled to finish. The thought of losing another loved one was unbearable. After all she had been through, she couldn't go through it again. If it had to happen, she would rather be the one to go first. Seeing his granddaughter so close to tears, Matthew's smile faded and he looked startled. He quickly stood up, flustered. "Okay, okay, I believe you," he said, his voice a bit shaken. "You're right. I'll live a long life. I'll be here with you and make sure no one hurts you." Addison didn't know why, but thinking about Harvey had set off her emotions, and she couldn't stop herself from crying in front of her grandfather. What truly upset her wasn't death, but the idea of losing those she loved and having to say goodbye. She hated goodbyes. Matthew gently brushed her hair from her face, his tone soft. "Don't cry. Why are you so upset all of a sudden? "Leon, get her a tissue." The tissue was handed to Addison, who wiped away her tears as she sniffled. "What's wrong, Angel? If something's bothering you, you can tell me. Don't keep it inside," Matthew said, looking at her with concern. After Addison dried her eyes, Matthew looked at her cautiously. He knew there had to be something deeper behind her tears. Before Addison could respond, Leon, who had been watching, suddenly spoke up, his voice full of realization. "I knew it wasn't just that!" he said, staring at his niece with a knowing look. Matthew looked at Leon, puzzled. "What do you mean?" Leon ignored Matthew's question and turned to Addison. "Angel, tell me—besides Georgina, is anyone else giving you trouble? Are people always picking on you? Don't worry. I'll deal with them." He assumed that Addison must have remembered a time when she was bullied and felt upset, which caused her to start crying. As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, looking as though he was ready to step in and fight. "No, no, that's not it," Addison quickly said, wiping her tears and shaking her head. "It's not true at all, Uncle Leon. Please don't go to anyone and cause any trouble." Addison still vividly remembered the time when, as a little girl, she had been bullied by the spoiled son of the Wisburns. She had cried all the way home and, while in tears, had bumped into Leon.He immediately stopped her and grabbed her arm, asking what had happened. At that time, she was innocent and trusting. Since he asked, she told him everything, all the details. Leon, however, didn't react much. He simply smiled and gave her a candy. At a young age, the candy distracted her, and she forgot about the bullying. With candy in hand, Addison happily walked back to the Daves Residence, holding the nanny's hand. The next day, she learned that the Wisburns' son had been beaten so badly that he couldn't leave his bed. She later heard that he had been paralyzed from the waist down. Addison didn't want Leon to get upset and do something drastic, so she quickly denied it. "Really?" Leon asked, still not convinced. She nodded vigorously, almost knocking her head against the table in the process. Seeing how strongly his granddaughter denied it, Matthew sighed and waved Leon away. "Go drink your soup. Don't make things worse and scare Angel." Leon hesitated but took a step back.Addison, feeling the need to explain, finally said, "I was crying because ... because ... " Matthew looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. "Because I can't bear the thought of losing you, Grandpa. The idea of saying goodbye makes me so sad," Addison said, quickly coming up with an explanation. "Good girl. Don't cry," Matthew said with a warm smile. "You're still so young. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. We still have so much time together." He reached out to pat her head, hoping to reassure her. Addison's emotions slowly settled, and she took the opportunity to adjust her expression. "Please don't talk about things like life and death again. It makes me too sad," she said, looking at Matthew with a serious expression. "Okay, okay, I won't bring it up anymore," Matthew promised, nodding solemnly. ... When Addison left the living room, she was still holding the tissue she had used to wipe her tears. "Ms. Addison, you have a lot of missed calls," the maid said, handing her phone back. Addison frowned as she took it. There were almost 20 missed calls, all from the same person. She threw the tissue in the trash and called the number back. The call was answered quickly, but when the line connected, Addison only heard Lance's breathing. He didn't say a word, and the silence was thick with tension. It was obvious that Lance was upset with Addison. Missing one or two calls might have been tolerable. But over a dozen? That was too much for him. He couldn't figure out why she hadn't answered even once. Addison heard his steady, frustrated breathing and arched an eyebrow. She could tell he was sulking. Since he stayed silent, she decided to do the same. Both of them held their phones and were wrapped in an unspoken tension.