Addison stepped out of the lab, her eyes immediately falling on Ryan, who was sleeping outside in a chair. His tall frame leaned slightly toward the door, his head turned just enough that she could catch a glimpse of his profile. Despite his impressive height, the way he slouched in the small chair gave him an almost comical, endearing look. With quiet steps, Addison made her way toward him. Ryan's lips barely moved, and his eyelashes fluttered gently in his sleep. She had expected that Ryan would have left to take care of his own business while she was working in the lab, but instead, he had stayed by the door, patiently waiting for her. Throughout the time she spent inside, he hadn't moved an inch ... Addison couldn't decide if Ryan's devotion was a sign of earnestness or just pure, stubborn loyalty. Seeing him asleep in that uncomfortable chair, she sighed. He couldn't possibly stay like this for long—it was too cramped. Surely it couldn't be comfortable for him to sleep in that position. She gently tapped his shoulder, and he startled awake, his sleepy eyes blinking in confusion. "Dr. Daves ... did everything go well?" he mumbled, still half in a daze. "It's all sorted out," Addison replied, straightening up and pulling her mask off. Ryan immediately stood up, his face lighting up with excitement. "That's awesome! I'll let the team know. They'll be thrilled!" He had always known Addison was capable, but to see her handle everything so swiftly left him impressed. Addison glanced at him as he hurried to keep pace, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You don't need to follow me. You can go do your own thing now." Ryan scratched his head awkwardly. "I'll walk you down, then I'll head off. I just want to stay a bit longer. I'm excited to finally meet Dr. Daves. Maybe when she moves to the new lab, she'll need me again. But ... for some reason, I just don't want to leave." Addison, sensing his determination, chose not to argue. She pressed the elevator button, and Ryan stood patiently beside her as they descended together. They walked side by side to her car. "This is me. You really don't need to follow me," Addison said with a friendly smile. "O-oh, okay," Ryan stammered, catching the teasing tone in her voice and blushing a little."Well, I'll be going now. Goodbye, Dr. Daves." Ryan took one last glance at her before turning to leave. "Wait, hold on. I've got something for you," Addison called out just as he was about to walk away. She opened the car door and pulled out a small, carefully wrapped vial of medicine. "This is for you," she said, handing it to him. "I made it a while ago but kept forgetting to give it to you. Things have been hectic." "For me?" Ryan was surprised, clearly touched by her thoughtfulness. "You've had stomach issues, right? This is a formula I created specifically for you. Try it out and see if it helps. If not, I can adjust it for you." Before she had married into the Johnstons, Ryan had been her assistant—always by her side, helping with her research and experiments. Addison knew what she was like when she got lost in her work. She would forget to eat, drink, or even sleep. Ryan had always stuck around, and, without realizing it, he had started to take on some of her habits. When he was too busy to finish his work, he wouldn't eat either, and that was when his stomach problems had begun ... But it was Keith who had told her about it. Had Keith not mentioned it, she might never have noticed, so consumed was she in her own world of experiments. "Thanks, Dr. Daves, I'm sure it'll work," Ryan said as he took the vial, still processing her thoughtfulness. He never imagined that she knew about his stomach problems. He thought he'd been doing a good job hiding it. "Well, I'll be off now." Addison was already getting into the car, but seeing Ryan still standing there, a little stunned, she waved at him. As her car pulled away, Ryan looked down at the vial in his hand, gripping it a little tighter. ... Addison had intended to head home after saying goodbye to Ryan, but a sudden phone call interrupted her plans. She checked the caller ID—Marilyn. Her heart skipped a beat, and she silently hoped Marilyn wasn't about to try to talk her out of the divorce.Addison suspected that Virginia's outburst at the Johnstons' home, particularly her involvement in getting Marilyn to call her so often, was not a coincidence. It seemed like Virginia had a hand in all of this. With a resigned sigh, Addison answered the call. "Hello, Marilyn. What's going on? Is everything okay? Are you feeling alright?" "I'm fine, Addison. I've been doing really well lately," Marilyn replied, her voice warm. Could it be ... that Marilyn is calling to convince me to not get a divorce? "Addison, how have you been? What's going on with you? I've missed you," she said, her tone soft and caring. "I'm doing okay. Don't worry about me." Addison replied, trying to keep her voice neutral. She wanted to avoid sounding too friendly. She didn't want Marilyn to get the wrong idea and think there was still something between them. Marilyn hesitated before speaking again. "I was wondering if you're free tomorrow ... " "I'm busy tomorrow. I really don't have time." Addison quickly rejected, without giving it much thought. Marilyn picked up on Addison's tone but pressed on. "Tomorrow, the Johnstons are holding a banquet to celebrate Steven's recovery. He specifically requested that you come. He's just gotten better, and I can't let him be disappointed, right? "After all, he doesn't know about your divorce from Lance. As Lance's mother, it wouldn't be appropriate for me to bring it up ... " Addison remained silent, listening to Marilyn's words, but saying nothing in return. Sensing the silence on the other end of the line, Marilyn sighed. "Steven only has one request. Please, Addison, just come for the banquet. If nothing else, you can tell him about your divorce yourself. It'll be easier for him to hear it from you than from me. I'm just worried about Steven—it would be hard for him to hear the news, especially since he just got better." Addison hesitated, her mind in turmoil. She hadn't told Steven yet about her divorce from Lance ... "I ... " she started to speak but faltered, unsure. Marilyn immediately sensed her uncertainty. "Addison, I know you've already made up your mind about the divorce. If you come to the banquet, you can explain everything to Steven. I won't pressure you, I just want you to know that I respect your decision."Addison's thoughts raced. Telling Grandpa in person right after he recovered ... Would he even be able to handle such news? Lance will definitely be there. This time, I will bring the divorce papers with me and explain everything to Grandpa. I'll have Lance sign them on the spot, ending things once and for all.