Whowould not runafterhearingwhat he justsaid? Anyonewouldbolt. Oh, wait—ifit were Virginia, sheprobablywouldn'trun. Not onlywouldshestay, butshe'dlikelywakeuplaughingaboutitlater. One person'spoisonisanotherperson'shoney. "Are you leaving or not?" Addison muttered, her gaze fixed on the tip of her shoe. "What if I don't?" His tone carried a hint of teasing, his voice rising slightly. "You ... " "If you're late and delay the Divine Healer, you'll take responsibility," she said, her voice low and muffled. The awkward atmosphere forced her to pull out the big guns—Matthew. Surely Lance would not riskdelayingtheDivineHealer, right? And just as she thought, the mention of the healer wiped the smirk off his face. His expression turned more serious as he straightened slightly. He glanced down at her trembling eyelashes, his thoughts unreadable. After a pause, he spoke softly, "Let's go." Addison, feeling like a maid granted amnesty, quickly fell in line behind him, following step by step. ... Addison followed Lance through the winding, narrow paths until they finally stopped in front of the ward. She had expected the ward to be just like the others—windowless, stuffy, and oppressive. To her surprise, Steven's ward was completely different, almost like it existed in another dimension. The area was bright, bathed in sunlight, with the sound of flowing water nearby and large patches of vibrant flowers surrounding the space. She had always thought of Lance as a heartless person, but looking at this setup, well, maybe she could admit he was half-hearted at least. Addison quietly judged him in her mind, a faint trace of amusement flickering in her thoughts."You go in," Lance said. "I'll wait outside. Everything you need is already prepared in the ward. If you need anything else, just call me." He looked into her eyes as he spoke, his voice measured and deliberate. Addison nodded instinctively but then paused and looked up at him. "Aren't you coming in?" "Me?" He pointed to himself, then shook his head. "No, I'll wait out here. Once you're done with the check-up, we'll head to the airport together." At that moment, Lance sounded like a meticulous travel planner, reminding her of Isaac—precise, methodical, and strangely out of character. "Aren't you afraid that I ... " Addison's words trailed off, leaving the question hanging. Before, Lance had been so guarded around her. When she had to perform surgery on Steven during a tense situation, he had been nervous and distrustful, unwilling to believe she was capable. Even then, he had insisted on changing into surgical scrubs and supervising her in the operating room. Itisvery abnormal. "What do you want to say?" Lance raised an eyebrow, clearly puzzled by her unfinished words. "Never mind." He must be out of his mind today. Addison waved her hand dismissively, deciding not to dwell on it. She lowered her head, focusing on putting on her sterile gloves. Then, she pushed the door open and stepped inside. Steven lay silently on the hospital bed, his condition unchanged, trapped in a semi-vegetative state and completely unaware of the world around him. The ward was quiet, save for the steady beeping of the medical equipment.