Addison lingered in the doorway, her gaze fixed on Lance. His face was stone-cold, looking closely, she could see the faintest trace of anger. He stood there, dressed in a white shirt, black vest, and a tie with a subtle gold pattern. His appearance was flawless, but his eyes ... they told a different story. "What's this about?" Addison finally broke the silence, her tone sharp. She noticed how tired he looked, his eyes bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept in days. "Not going to invite me in?" Lance's voice was even, almost emotionless. Invite him in? Addison wasn't interested in that. "You okay? This is my home. We're not together anymore. Why would I let you in?" she shot back, her words biting. Lance smirked, the sarcasm clear in his expression. "Are you angry?" he asked, still sounding detached. "You made me sign those papers. Now, you regret it? Throwing a tantrum?" Angry? No. Addison didn't feel angry. She felt something else. She laughed bitterly. "I'm not angry, and I don't regret a thing. I just don't want you in my space." Lance's gaze softened, almost like he understood. She was struggling, torn between wanting him back and keeping her pride intact. She was playing a game, and Lance saw right through it. But he wasn't here to play. "What do you want here?" Addison asked, cutting to the chase. If he didn't have a good reason, the door was closing. "There's a reason," Lance replied, his voice steady. "What's so important that you can't say it out here?" "Can't I come in?" he asked."Absolutely not," Addison replied without hesitation. Her response was too quick, too firm. It felt off. She had never spoken to him like this before. Something wasn't right. Lance's eyes narrowed as he stood in front of the villa. He needed to figure out if Addison had really gotten the authorization from someone else. Her behavior made it seem like the answer was obvious. "Is this about the authorization?" she asked. Addison's face remained unchanged. She knew why he was there. It could only be about the authorization. She held his gaze. Lance raised an eyebrow, ready to ask his question, but Addison spoke first. It was clear she knew him well enough to understand he preferred to be direct. "Where did you get the authorization?" he asked, his tone cold. Addison didn't flinch. "I got it from someone in the lab." She couldn't reveal she was Dr. Nancy, so she had to make up a plausible excuse. She'd already thought of this explanation in advance. After all, she had sent the package using her own name, expecting that Lance would eventually come to question her. Lance's lips twisted into a sarcastic smile. "You got it? From soneone in the lab?" he repeated, disbelief in his voice. "Tell me the truth," he said sharply. "I am," she responded without hesitation. "I got it from the lab." Lance scoffed. "You found Dr. Nancy?"He had tried to track down Dr. Nancy countless times, with no success. And now Addison claimed she had found her and gotten the authorization? It didn't make sense. "Why not? I got lucky and ran into her," Addison said, her voice calm as she stood on the step. Lance sneered. "Is that all? I'm closing the door," she said, her fingers gripping the handle. But as she went to shut it, Lance's hand shot out, stopping the door with force. His larger hand clamped down over hers, effortlessly pulling the door back open. Addison stood no chance against his strength. As Addison reached for the door to close it, Lance's mind flashed back to something that had been nagging at him. He didn't let go of the handle. "Hold on a minute." "If you really met Dr. Nancy, how did you get into the lab?" he asked, his voice steady. Addison's face didn't change. She had expected this. She had chosen to send the package under her own name, not Ryan's, because Lance had already seen her at the lab. The second time, she'd been doing an experiment. She'd arrived before Lance, which would make it hard for him to believe she simply followed him in. Lance was too sharp not to suspect something. By sending the package in her own name, she could explain why she was there first—she was just returning to ask for the authorization. As for getting into the lab ... "I used the bodyguard," Addison said calmly, giving no hint of nervousness. Lance's gaze sharpened, as though trying to see through her words. Addison didn't look away. She had nothing to hide. The bodyguard had already been dismissed, so Lance wouldn't be able to verify her story. This wasn't the response Lance had expected.Frustration crossed his face. He reached up and tugged at his tie, loosening it slightly. The collar of his shirt grew a little more relaxed. Addison's answer seemed airtight. But Lance's instincts told him something was off. It wasn't just intuition—he didn't believe Addison could have found Dr. Nancy. A powerless orphan like her didn't have the means to do that. "Are you sure you saw Dr. Nancy?" he asked, his voice dropping a bit. "Or did you ... " He trailed off. "Or did you find someone else and get the authorization from him?" he asked, his tone still calm but now edged with suspicion. Addison's stomach tightened. What was Lance suggesting? Was he implying she had gotten the authorization from another man? What was he talking about? Addison's expression hardened, the calmness she had earlier giving way to fury. "Lance, how could you think so low of me?" she said sharply. Lance raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Low of you?" "I'm only making a reasonable guess," he shot back. "Otherwise, why won't you let me in?" It seemed clear enough. "You think I got the authorization from someone else because I won't let you in?" Addison's breath was steady, but the anger was building. "I worked hard to get that authorization for the Johnstons. No thanks, nothing—just this nonsense about me relying on someone else?" Lance's face shifted, a flicker of guilt passing through his eyes. No matter how Addison had gotten the authorization, it had been for him, for the Johnstons. His words had been harsher than he intended.He hadn't meant to make her feel this way. Before he could speak, Addison's voice rang out again. "Is it because you couldn't find Dr. Nancy that you think no one else could?" "Just because you couldn't, doesn't mean I can't." "Maybe that's just a problem for people who lack the ability," she said, her voice firm, frustration clear. Lance's expression changed, and the guilt quickly faded. Her words hit too close to something deeper. He thought about Harvey, about the years of being in Harvey's shadow. "You'll never be as good as your brother ... " His father's voice echoed in his mind. The old wound opened again. Lance's face grew pale, his eyes sharpening with anger. The usual distance between him and everyone else was gone, replaced by a cold, unreadable look.