Ryan scratched his head sheepishly. "I just picked it up on a whim." "Really?" Addison tilted her head, skeptical. "Really." Satisfied with his answer, Addison nodded. "Looks like you and this flower were meant to be." "I searched all over Halton and couldn't find it, but you just happened to come across it. That's some luck." Ryan hesitated, avoiding her gaze. That so-called "luck" had cost him quite a bit of effort. "And what's in this bag?" Addison carefully cradled the flower in her hands and glanced at the other bag. "Lightbulbs." "Also a spur-of-the-moment purchase?" "No, one of the lights in the yard went out, so I bought these to replace it."Addison followed his gaze toward the darkened area. Now that he mentioned it, that part of the yard was noticeably dimmer than the rest. But earlier, all her attention had been on the thief, so she hadn't noticed. "If the light's broken, just let security take care of it. Why go out of your way?" Ryan stayed silent. Of course, he preferred handling things himself. "I ... " He started but couldn't find the right words. Instead, he just lowered his head. "I'll put in the new bulb for you." With that, he picked up the bag and walked toward the broken light. Once he got there, he stretched on his tiptoes to reach it. The lamp seemed close, but in reality, it was just out of his reach. "There's a ladder over there," Addison pointed out. Ryan grabbed it and set it up under the light. He climbed to the top, and Addison, feeling uneasy, immediately stepped forward to steady it. One person above, one below. The warm glow of the nearby lights cast soft halos around them, making their figures stand out against the night.Addison held onto the ladder, looking up at Ryan. From her angle, all she could see was the sharp line of his jaw and his long, slender hands. "Be careful. Don't fall," she warned. "Don't worry," Ryan replied with a bright grin. With Addison holding the ladder, he felt secure—there was no way he'd fall. He trusted her completely. To an outsider, the scene resembled a cozy moment between a couple, working together to fix a light in the courtyard. Beneath them, the pure white flowers seemed to bloom just for them. Then, the door swung open. Matthew stepped outside and froze at the sight before him. For a split second, he thought Lance had followed them to the villa. They had just returned from Johnston Residence—why was Lance here again? Was he really that relentless? Throwing on a jacket, Matthew stormed toward them, his voice carrying ahead of him. "Hey! Get down from there!"Addison instinctively turned to look, surprised to see Matthew striding toward them. But with both hands still gripping the ladder, she didn't dare let go. Instead, she called out, "Weren't you asleep? Why are you out here?" "Why is he here?" Matthew ignored her, marching straight toward Ryan. Just as Ryan finished changing the bulb and started climbing down, Matthew grabbed him from behind. "It's late! Why aren't you in bed? What are you doing here with Addy?" Ryan was caught off guard. For a split second, he thought the security team from Pendomium Heights had come to chase him off.