Virginia squinted at the leather notebook, drawing it closer to get a better look. Addison raised an eyebrow, watching Virginia carefully. The pages inside were filled with concepts that only someone deeply versed in pharmaceuticals could even begin to comprehend. Even for an expert, they might only grasp the general ideas. It wasn't something a typical PhD could understand in full. Only someone with significant expertise could see the deeper meaning, and Addison's ideas were far beyond what most could grasp. The notebook had been created specifically for Ryan, considering his exceptional abilities. There were few people who could match his talent. Virginia, naturally, wasn't one of them. She held the notebook, brow furrowed in confusion. The contents seemed related to pharmaceuticals, but she wasn't sure. She had no experience in that field. Her discomfort grew as she pretended to scan the pages, but she understood none of it. What was Addison writing here? "Are you done? Do you understand what's written in there, Ms. Dolton?" Addison asked, her voice cutting through the silence after watching Virginia for what felt like an eternity. "If you don't get it, just say so. Don't waste my time." Virginia's frustration boiled over. "Who knows what nonsense this is? Probably just random scribbles!" She snapped, no longer pretending to read. Angrily, she threw the leather notebook onto the floor. It had to be nonsense—why else wouldn't she understand it? The notebook landed on the stone floor, its spine facing up. A few pages fluttered out, the sight hard to ignore. "What are you doing?!" Addison exclaimed, rushing to grab the notebook. This was her work—carefully put together for Ryan. She had been waiting for him to become an expert, and now Virginia was going to destroy it. Addison fought the impulse to slap Virginia across the face.She was alone, surrounded by bodyguards, and making a scene would only make things worse. So she held back. "Don't let her touch it!" a sharp voice rang out. Virginia saw Addison bending down to pick up the notebook and yelled, furious. Addison's hand was almost there, just a second away. But before she could reach it, a bodyguard moved quickly, snatching the notebook out of her reach. "Don't push it, Virginia," Addison said, her voice trembling with barely contained rage. She had always believed Virginia to be a shallow person, someone obsessed with Lance to the point of being possessive. But she never imagined Virginia could go this far. The bodyguard handed the leather notebook to Virginia, who let out a scoff. "This is going too far? What you've done to me is far worse." Addison remembered the time she had insulted Virginia. If she hadn't quickly used her mother's death and her hardships abroad to manipulate Lance, she would've been out of the picture by now. "Figure out what's written in this," Virginia said, tossing the notebook to the person standing next to her. "Me?" The man took the notebook reluctantly, his voice laced with unease. "Ms. Dolton, I'm just a bodyguard. If you don't understand it, how could I?" "Maybe you should find someone else," he suggested, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of angering Lance's favored woman. "Useless!" Virginia snapped. "Since no one can understand it, just give it back. What use is it to you?" Addison's eyes were sharp with irritation. "Give it back? I haven't figured out what's inside yet. I'm not giving it back to you," Virginia replied, clutching the notebook tightly. "But ... Wait. Find someone else?" Virginia's eyes lit up with an idea. How had she not thought of this before? Without hesitation, she snatched the notebook from the bodyguard, placing it on the table. Flipping through a page, she quickly grabbed her phone and snapped a picture of the content."Hey, there's something in this notebook I don't understand. Could you help me figure it out?" she texted, then added a voice message, her tone now sweet and coaxing. It was a voice that made Addison's skin crawl. A moment later, a reply came in. Addison shivered, rubbing her arms as she looked at Virginia, her gaze cold and steady. Virginia read the message, her eyes widening in disbelief. How could this be? With trembling hands, she tucked the phone away, clearing her throat before turning to Addison. "You know how to make meds?" As she turned, the shock faded, replaced by the haughty expression she always wore. She couldn't let Addison see her surprise. Addison met her gaze without flinching. "Yes," she answered plainly. Since Virginia had already asked for help, and since she had acknowledged the notebook was hers, there was no point in denying it. It was better to simply own it. "You're an orphan with no education, yet you know about pharmaceuticals?" Virginia's voice wavered as she tried to maintain her composure, but the shock was clear. She had never expected this. She had always thought of Addison as a simple orphan, someone easy to overlook. She had clearly underestimated her. Now, there was no way she could allow Addison to get closer to Lance. But now it all made sense. Addison knew about pharmaceuticals, and she was here in this small building surrounded by all these herbs. It had to be her—the rich person buying the supplies. Virginia's mind clicked into place. "You ... you ... " Virginia stammered, still processing everything. Addison raised an eyebrow. She watched Virginia's face go from pale to flushed, her lips sealed in confusion for a long moment.All I said was I knew how to make meds. Why the huge reaction? "Can you give me the notebook back?" Addison's tone was cool, uninterested in why Virginia was so rattled. "Give it to her, quickly," Virginia's voice shook. She grabbed the notebook from the table and handed it to the bodyguard, signaling him to pass it to Addison. What on earth was going on? Addison blinked. Virginia's change in attitude was so sudden. Did something knock her in the head? The bodyguard, equally confused by Virginia's sudden shift, hesitated. Is this another way to torment this woman? "Give it to her?" the bodyguard asked, unsure. "Yes, give it to her! What part of it don't you understand?" Virginia snapped, her brows knitting in frustration. "Right away, miss," the bodyguard quickly handed the notebook to Addison. "Ms. Daves, here you go." Addison took the notebook and flipped through the pages. A few were torn, others barely clinging to the cover. "I might've gotten a little too rough," Virginia said awkwardly, noticing Addison's eyes on one of the damaged pages. "It wasn't on purpose, I swear." "Is that so?" Addison raised an eyebrow. Not on purpose? Addison thought. She had seen Virginia throw the notebook to the ground without hesitation. How could she try to deny it now? But Addison didn't press the issue. Virginia's behavior wasn't new. This was just how she was. Still, Addison couldn't help but wonder why Virginia's attitude had shifted so drastically. It couldn't be just because Addison admitted to knowing pharmaceuticals. Virginia wasn't the type to change her attitude over something so simple. No, it must have been something else. Was it money?Addison rubbed her temples. There was no way she had admitted to being the one buying the herbs. But Virginia had clearly made the connection. If Lance found out ... her secret would be out. He'd certainly come asking for authorization. "Addison, I'm really sorry for what happened earlier. I got caught up in things and did things I regret. Please don't take it personally."