Addison stared at the message, her lashes fluttering with every blink. She had intended to distract herself by reading the text message, forcing herself to detach from her emotions, but when she saw it was from Lance, her chest tightened even more. What difference did it make? No matter how important it was, it had nothing to do with her. She placed her phone back on the desk. Addison stood up and went downstairs to pour herself a cup of tea, hoping it would calm her mind. She placed a pinch of tea leaves into a cup and poured water over it. Steam rose from the cup, carrying a light, soothing fragrance that brought a moment of tranquility. After finishing the tea in silence, she returned to her desk and carefully began to glue the pages of a leather-bound book together. She was a perfectionist, and since the pages were quite thin, it took all her focus to align them precisely without damaging the paper. Her phone buzzed again, unusually loud in the silent house, echoing like cicadas on a summer day. The vibrations seemed to echo through her, irritating her to the point where her hand trembled, causing her to accidentally glue the paper slightly off. Addison sighed, her thinning patience evident as she picked up her phone. She tapped on the message and quickly scanned through it, skimming past Lance's barrage of texts until her eyes landed on the end of it. Her eyes flashed with surprise. "If you don't reply to my messages, I'll find you in Pendomium Heights." How shameless of him! Disgust filled her eyes as she silently cursed buying the house in Pendomium Heights so early. Now, it had become leverage for Lance to control her. Addison took a deep breath and typed her reply. "What's so important? Say it here." Lance's reply came swiftly, though it didn't answer her question. Instead, it simply dictated the time and place with an assertive tone. "Tomorrow at noon, Grimwell Restaurant, Room 9." Addison raised an eyebrow. She quickly typed back, "I won't go.""If you don't come tomorrow, I'll send someone to Pendomium Heights to pick you up." His words were final, impossible to argue with. Addison could already picture the row of black-suited bodyguards standing behind Virginia. If Virginia could do something like this, Lance, with his temperament, would be capable of even worse. She had seen what Lance was capable of. Her lips pressed together in a dry smile, and she sighed inwardly. Were these two taking turns to bully her for being alone in Halton with no one to turn to for help? "No need." Addison felt exhausted, her frustration growing. A strange sense of helplessness washed over her. She had a home she could never return to, a lover she could no longer meet. Now, someone was trying to blackmail her. Lance, astute as always, understood the meaning behind her reply and didn't respond directly, knowing it meant her silent consent. He smirked and slowly typed, "See you tomorrow." Though Addison had stated she wouldn't go, he knew deep down she couldn't resist the urge to meet him after all. When did she become so stubborn? The next morning, Virginia arrived early at Lance's office. She had been here many times before and was familiar with the structure of the company. Lance hadn't arrived yet, so she sat quietly in the lounge, waiting for him. She had attempted to visit Johnston Residence several times to meet him, but each time she was stopped at the door. Virginia later learned that Marilyn had instructed the guards at Johnston Residence to prevent her from entering. Virginia had been furious for days, complaining to Lance about it, but he just told her to wait. That only made her angrier, and she had even gone without eating for several days. Addison pushed those irritating thoughts out of her mind and sat up straight in the lounge. She had woken up early today to earn her praise. Though she hadn't found the wealthy person who opposed Johnston Enterprise at every turn, she had unexpectedly learned her special position in Keith's eyes, and securing the authorization letter would be easy now.... Time passed; Lance still hadn't shown up. Virginia frowned and glanced at her watch. It was almost noon—was Lance not coming to the office today? Meanwhile, at Grimwell Restaurant. Addison stepped into the restaurant, wearing a sleek black Chanel jacket over a simple yet elegant dress that highlighted her perfect figure. Her jet-black hair cascaded naturally over her shoulders. She slowly entered the restaurant. "Good afternoon, madam. Do you have a reservation?" A hostess greeted her at the entrance; her voice was soft and polite. This was a members-only restaurant—no matter how wealthy someone was, they couldn't get a reservation here without membership. It was well-known in Kreshill. "Mr. Johnston made a reservation for Room 9," Addison replied smoothly. She was familiar with the restaurant and didn't need to mention Lance's name. The hostess would know exactly who she meant. "Of course, this way, please." The hostess's tone was gentle. Guided by the hostess, Addison approached Room 9, its carved partitions offering fleeting glimpses inside but obscuring the full view. She pushed the door open. A man sat at the table, dressed entirely in black. From Addison's angle, she could see his cold face and slightly raised eyebrows. One hand rested on his forehead, while the other drummed impatiently on the table. The sound echoed, sharp and irregular, a clear sign of his irritation. Addison raised an eyebrow, acknowledging that his frustration was justified—she was, after all, late. Lance hated being kept waiting. And she had done it on purpose. Lance turned his head as he heard the door open. His eyes were filled with displeasure as he looked at the woman before him, his finger tapping the table. "You're exactly one hour late," he said, his voice low and pointed. He had specifically told her the time this morning. How could she have shown up an hour late? She was getting bolder. "Sorry to keep you waiting," Addison said with a raised eyebrow, her voice casual. Though she apologized, Lance could tell there was no genuine remorse in her words—just a thinly veiled sarcasm. He frowned, ignoring Addison, and waved at a nearby waiter. "Waiter, the guest has arrived. We can start serving the dishes." The waiter nodded and withdrew. "So, what's this about? You do realize I didn't come here just to eat, right?" Addison sat down, getting straight to the point. Another waiter stepped forward and poured her a cup of tea, the fragrance filling the room. Lance withdrew his hand from the table and looked at her with a smirk. "Oh? Is that so?" Now that they were seated at the table, wasn't it a bit too obvious to pretend otherwise? He let out a cold laugh. "Of course, once you're done talking, I'll leave. I wouldn't want to waste your precious time," Addison replied, frowning as she glanced at Lance's expression. Actually, she had intended to tell him to stop wasting her time, but changed her words just before speaking. "Are you blaming me for your tardiness?" "I have time, and the dishes haven't arrived yet. Don't you want to try the food at Grimwell Restaurant?" He raised an eyebrow at her. Grimwell Restaurant wasn't just any place—Lance had only gained membership last year. He doubted Addison wouldn't want to try the renowned dishes at the century-old establishment. "The food here is nothing special," Addison replied, recalling her frequent visits to Grimwell Restaurant in Kreshill. Over time, it had felt like just another high-end restaurant. Lance frowned as he looked at her. "When did you become like this? You've never even tried it, and now you're saying it's ordinary?" Or perhaps her vanity was making her say such things?