He silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Thankfully, she hadn't lied to him. "That brooch is really important to Mom. By giving it to her, it's like giving her a chance to keep living." Lance gazed into the distance and took another sip of his wine. "You ... " Addison noticed the shift in his mood and turned to look at him. He seemed a little troubled, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what was wrong. She wanted to show some concern, but he quickly concealed his emotions and changed the subject. "Did Mom say anything else to you?" "She also said ... "She said Harvey ... is gone." Addison struggled to get the words "is gone" out. "Gone?"That's what Mom told you?" Lance looked at Addison with a faint, inscrutable smile. His dark eyes were unfathomably deep. Just moments ago, he had felt relieved that Addison hadn't lied to him, but now, was he about to be proven wrong? The sense of relief he had just regained suddenly vanished, leaving a pang of self-pity in his heart. Addison didn't know what he was thinking and nodded calmly. "Yes." These words were like a death sentence to Lance. He raised his voice. "Mom is the last person who would ever believe Harvey is dead. How could she possibly tell you that he's gone?! "In her heart, she's always stubbornly believed that Harvey isn't dead—just missing. "She would never say something like that." She's lying. But Addison wasn't on the same wavelength as Lance at all. Her mind was completely consumed by shock. What?! Not dead? Just missing? Addison's thoughts pushed aside everything Lance had just said. All she could hear was that one sentence. Not dead, just missing. "Really?!" Her eyes widened, and a faint excitement flickered across her delicate face. "What?" Lance was confused. He was unsure why she was reacting so strongly. Addison noticed his expression and immediately realized her mistake. She quickly tried to rein herself in. "Uhm ... uh ... I think I misheard you. What did you just say?" Lance gave her a suspicious glance. Though doubtful, he held his patience and decided to give Addison another chance."I said, Mom could never have told you that Harvey is gone. "She's always stubbornly believed that Harvey isn't dead—just missing. "Even if the world told her he was gone, she still wouldn't believe it. She'd keep holding onto that brooch, muttering to herself, anxious and restless every single day. "So where exactly did you hear the news that Harvey had passed?!" Lance didn't want to believe that Addison was lying to him. Despite his emotions, he forced himself to say more, holding back his frustration. "Huh?" It wasn't until Lance repeated himself that Addison's excitement-filled mind seemed to catch up. She realized it wasn't a fact—it was just Marilyn's hope. Marilyn hoped that Harvey wasn't dead, just missing. But the truth wasn't the same. She had overreacted and lost control of her emotions.The excitement on Addison's face vanished almost instantly, her expression returning to its usual calm. It was as if the vibrant, animated woman from a moment ago had never existed.