"Addison, have you made up your mind?" Marilyn asked, gripping her phone tightly, a sense of unease growing as she waited for Addison's response. After a long pause, Addison's voice finally came through. "I've decided ... I'll go tomorrow and speak with Grandpa in person. Please send me the exact time." Addison had thought it through carefully, and she believed meeting in person was the best choice. The prospect of seeing Lance again didn't thrill her, but at least Steven wouldn't be inviting Virginia, which meant she wouldn't have to endure seeing her too. "Well, Addison, I knew you'd make the right choice," Marilyn responded with a smile in her voice, her excitement clear. "You've always been so thoughtful toward the Johnstons. You'd never turn us down. "Unlike that Virginia, who seems so sweet but only cares about money. She couldn't care less about the Johnstons." "Just send me the time, and I'll hang up if there's nothing else," Addison replied, her tone calm but distant. "Alright, Addison. I'll see you tomorrow," Marilyn said softly, unfazed by Addison's coldness, her heart still fluttering with happiness. As evening fell, the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. The cool evening breeze swept across the rooftop terrace of the grand building, the air thick with the sound of lively conversation. The Johnstons' estate buzzed with activity as guests mingled in extravagant gowns, their voices blending with the hum of the night. In one of the rooms, Steven sat with a scowl, clearly agitated. "Where is Lance? Why isn't he here yet?" They had planned this event for weeks, and yet Lance was nowhere to be found. Most of the guests had arrived, and Lance was still missing. Steven found it utterly disrespectful. Marilyn, standing nearby, spoke up in his defense. "Lance has been caught up with work. Something urgent must have come up, which is why he's late. You're finally feeling better; don't let this get to you." Steven snorted in frustration. "Caught up with work? Why wasn't he busy earlier? We set this date ages ago, and still, he's late! "He obviously doesn't care about what I've said. I'm just an afterthought to him now."He stood shakily and looked down at the crowd of guests below. His eyes narrowed in irritation, scanning the room. "Where's Addison?" he muttered, clearly upset. "Since my illness, I haven't seen much of Addison. Lance hardly visits me either ... " Addison had always been kind to him, taking care of him when he needed it, always making sure he was comfortable. But now, during his illness, she hadn't even bothered to check in. This thought stung, but out of pride, he hadn't said anything. He'd arranged this gathering and invited the elites in Halton in hopes of sending Addison and Lance a subtle reminder. Marilyn smiled awkwardly when Steven mentioned Addison. "She's probably running a bit late. She'll be here soon." Before she could finish, the door opened. Raymond and Teagan entered, both looking polished and well-dressed, clearly putting effort into their appearance. Steven, thinking it was Lance, looked up, but froze when he saw who had entered. "Dad, we're here to visit you," Raymond said, sitting next to Steven with an overly flattering grin. "You've lost so much weight, Dad! You must have been through a lot lately," Teagan added, sitting beside him with a sympathetic tone. Steven didn't acknowledge Raymond, his gaze fixed on Teagan. "It's nothing. Just some minor issues." Raymond, realizing Steven wasn't responding to him, awkwardly shifted in his seat. He scanned the room, noticing that Lance still hadn't shown up. He had just come upstairs from downstairs and hadn't seen him there either. Where is Lance? "Dad, Lance still hasn't arrived?" Raymond asked, concern creeping into his voice. "That kid must be up to something. Still hasn't shown up!" Steven muttered, irritation clear in his voice. Raymond thought for a moment before speaking carefully, "He's probably tied up with work. The company's been extremely busy lately, and with so many urgent matters, it's hard for him to get away on time." Steven's frown deepened. "What's going on at the company? Why is it so hectic?"Raymond sighed. "There are rumors going around that Johnston Enterprises is close to bankruptcy ... " At these words, Steven's anxiety surged. "What's happening? Explain it properly!" I've fallen sick for some time, but how could the company be in such a terrible state already? If they are really on the brink of bankruptcy, why hasn't Lance said anything? Raymond took a deep breath, then continued. "It's not too complicated. It's just that ... "You know how we invested heavily in pharmaceuticals? Well, Lance overlooked something, and the clinical trial for our most important drug has hit a major snag. If they have to redo it, it'll take another two or three years." Steven's anger faded slightly as he processed the information. "What's so bad about pharmaceutical trials? Failures happen. Lance is still young. He'll learn from this. "How can people say Johnston Enterprises is going under? They just can't stand to see us succeed!" Steven said, growing more agitated. Raymond sneered. "That's what I thought too, at first. A minor mistake from Lance? Fine. Losing billions? Just part of the learning process. "But this time, it's different. The failure is with Levosulin, one of our flagship drugs." "What do you mean?" Steven asked, his face darkening. "Levosulin has been our star drug. You know we licensed it from Raven. But in a year, the license will expire. According to the plan I gave Lance, once our new drug was ready, it would replace Levosulin. But with this failure, we've lost our backup plan. "Now Johnston Enterprises will have to stop producing Levosulin in a year, and without a new drug, how will the company survive?" Hearing this, Steven's face turned pale. His voice trembled with rising anger. "Is this true? Why hasn't Lance told me about something this important?" Raymond smirked coldly. "He wouldn't dare tell you. You'd just yell at him! "I've been saying for ages that Lance is too young for such a big responsibility. But you didn't listen, did you? You put him in charge, and now look where we are. What will happen to Johnston Enterprise now?" Raymond continued, his face full of concern, though whether it was for the company's future or the huge financial losses was unclear. Steven's hands trembled, his face ashen. "That ... d*mn kid!" His voice cracked with emotion. He couldn't finish the sentence, his rage overwhelming him. Teagan immediately stood. "Dad, please calm down! Don't get worked up!" She then turned to Raymond, feigning anger. "Why bring this up now, when Dad is just recovering? "You know, the position Lance holds was his choice. Dad believed in him, and there must be a reason for that, right?"