After leaning slightly, Lance bent his head and, without hesitation, took the steak straight off Virginia's fork and into his mouth. The entire motion was fluid and effortless, laced with an unmistakable hint of flirtation. Virginia stared at her now-empty fork, completely caught off guard. When she realized what had happened, Lance had already picked up a napkin and was leisurely wiping his mouth. His demeanor was refined and arrogant, with a distinct air of defiance. Sitting across from Lance, Addison witnessed the scene and nearly choked on her drink. If Lance wanted to eat, fine—but why did he have to do it while staring directly at her? What was that supposed to mean? Was he trying to show off? What mistake had she made to deserve witnessing this display of affection right before her? Just as she was silently complaining to herself, her phone suddenly rang. The screen lit up, and the word 'Grandpa' was prominently displayed. Addison froze for a moment, instinctively covering the screen with her hand. Thankfully, she was sitting far enough away. Otherwise, it would've been a disaster if Lance or Marilyn had seen it. "Marilyn, excuse me for a moment, I need to take this call." Addison set down her spoon and stood up, phone in hand. "Mm, go ahead," Marilyn said with understanding. She was a woman who knew when to respect boundaries and never pried into Addison's personal life. However, Lance's expression turned a bit strange. Virginia immediately seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. "Oh dear, Addison must be taking a call from another man. "If it were just an ordinary call, there'd be no need to step out. "To go outside just to answer—this must be someone very special to her," she said, dragging out her words in a deliberately sour tone. Although Virginia seemed to be speaking to herself, her words were loud enough to drift straight into Lance's ears.His brows furrowed tightly, and his expression grew cold and unreadable. Addison, oblivious to what Virginia was whispering in Lance's ear, walked straight out with her phone in hand. To her, family always came first, no matter the circumstances. She quickly stepped out of the house and into the courtyard. She stopped to answer the call only after finding a relatively secluded spot. "Addy." Matthew's warm and familiar voice came through when the call connected. "I'm flying to Halton this morning. I should be arriving by afternoon." Addison nodded obediently. "Alright, I'll head out to pick you up later. "Are you bringing any other doctors with you this time?" Whenever Matthew traveled to treat patients, he often brought along some younger members of the Daves family to give them a chance to learn rare and invaluable techniques.Upon hearing her question, Matthew suddenly sat up straight, fanning himself with a palm-leaf fan as he shook his head. "Nope." He looked rather endearing, nodding and shaking his head with a playful expression. "Why not?" Addison was surprised. "This time, it's for the Johnstons." His trip to Halton had two primary purposes. The first, of course, was to treat Steven. This went without question. The second, however, was to carefully evaluate Lance. To see whether he was truly worthy of being Addison's husband and fit to enter the Daves. Until Lance passed his tests, he had no right to meet anyone from the Daves—not even the younger members.