Addison froze when she saw a familiar face appear before her, her heart skipping a beat. She instinctively took a few steps back, her gaze locking onto Lance. His eyes, devoid of emotion, scanned her from head to toe, lingering briefly on her white gown. A moment later, his expression turned icy, and without saying a word, he turned and walked back to his spot, leaving Addison standing there, unsure of what to make of the interaction. Raising an eyebrow at Lance's sudden shift in demeanor, Addison quickly let it go, not bothering to question the source of his chill. She glanced into the room ahead. Raymond, who had been on the verge of speaking, fell silent as the sound of Lance's footsteps outside cut through the tension. His fiery temper seemed ridiculous in comparison as Lance walked toward the door. Raymond stood still, his rage seeming almost absurd in comparison to Lance's indifferent exit. With no one to direct his anger toward, Raymond's frustration boiled over even more. He swallowed the harsh words he'd been ready to shout. When Addison looked up again, she saw Steven seated at the head of the table, with Raymond standing off to the side, his face still flushed with irritation. She walked into the room. As Addison was about to step inside, Raymond stormed past her with a scowl, brushing her aside as he stormed out. "Raymond, where do you think you're going? The party hasn't even started yet!" Marilyn's voice rang out, her surprise evident as she watched him leave without a word. While Marilyn didn't care for Raymond, she couldn't afford to show her indifference. As the lady of the Johnstons, she had to maintain an appearance of concern, especially given Raymond's seniority in the family. "Let him go. If he wants to leave, so be it," Steven said, his face betraying no hint of emotion. Raymond had always been a disappointment, lazy and morally bankrupt, with a history of shady dealings. There was no way Steven could entrust the future of Johnston Enterprise to him. The company, and the family, would be doomed if Raymond took charge. For Steven, there was only one person who could truly carry on the Johnston legacy: Harvey. Thinking of Harvey brought a bitter ache to Steven's heart. Harvey had always been the ideal successor, but circumstances had forced him to settle for Lance. Lance might not have the same potential as Harvey, but in the present situation, he was the best option Steven had. That was why he had made the choice to refuse Raymond so decisively, without hesitation or sentiment. Hearing Steven's words, Marilyn gave up her facade and walked over to Addison. "Addison, you made it!" Addison offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Marilyn. I got held up on the way." Marilyn didn't press her further, glad to see Addison had arrived at last. She had been worried when Addison hadn't shown up on time, fearing she had changed her mind about attending. Now that Addison was finally there, her concerns eased. "It's okay. I understand. Come on in and sit down," Marilyn said, flashing a warm smile. Addison didn't sit down right away. Instead, she turned toward Steven. "Grandpa, I'm sorry for being late and keeping you waiting. Please allow me to apologize." Apologizing for being late had become second nature to her. Steven smiled and waved her off. "No need for that. I'm just happy to see you here," he said, gesturing to the seat beside Lance. Addison followed his hand and frowned slightly. She had come today to explain her divorce to Steven and didn't want to be caught up in anything more than necessary. Sitting next to Lance didn't seem like the best idea. She glanced at the seat next to Marilyn, considering taking it, but then hesitated. Maybe it was better to just get the explanation over with now, before Steven had a chance to ask why she wasn't sitting next to Lance. Lance noticed the reluctance in Addison's eyes as she looked toward Marilyn's seat. She was clearly planning to sit there, but paused as if unsure of herself. His lips curled into a cold smile. Since she's already at the Johnstons' residence, why pretend? The reluctance to sit beside me is clearly an act, a game. Does she think playing hard to get would spark my interest? I found the idea laughable. If she's pretending not to want to sit next to me, then I will oblige her. Lance stood, his gaze sweeping over Addison before meeting Steven's. "Grandpa, don't let Addison sit down just yet. "Since she's here, let's go downstairs. The guests have been waiting for a while." Realizing the guests were still downstairs, Steven nodded. "Alright, let's head down." He rose from his seat and made his way toward the stairs.Marilyn also stood and turned to Addison. "Addison, let's go downstairs." Addison, about to speak, paused and gave a nonchalant hum of agreement. She'd explain everything to Steven during the party—either now or later. Addison followed Marilyn, dressed elegantly in a black gown, as they made their way downstairs. But just before Addison could move, Marilyn reached out, pulling Lance to stand beside Addison before walking ahead. Lance suppressed his inner revulsion. He had promised Steven not to divorce, after all. His expression remained blank as he walked beside Addison. Addison sighed inwardly but subtly shifted a little further from him. The stairs at the Johnstons' residence were narrow, and from below, it looked as though the two were standing quite close. "Here comes Mr. Steven!" A guest downstairs spotted him descending and quickly rushed forward, their face plastered with a sycophantic smile. Several other guests also noticed Lance and Addison following Steven, walking side by side. One looked cold and regal, the other graceful and serene. The two seemed like the perfect match. "The Johnstons' couple has arrived! They make such a perfect pair!" "What a beautiful couple!" The voices of the guests drifted up, their praise filling the air. Hearing those half-hearted or genuine compliments, Addison couldn't help but smirk to herself. A perfect pair? Is that how they see us? I found the idea laughable. Lance's face grew even darker. His pace quickened as he stormed down the stairs, leaving Addison to follow behind at a slower pace. Marilyn watched Lance's retreating figure with a sigh, feeling helpless at the situation.