Addison raised an eyebrow and asked, "Me? Stubborn?" She swallowed the rest of her words and let out a light chuckle. She almost forgot the image she had to maintain in front of Lance. As an orphan who had never seen much of the world, surviving on the goodwill of the Johnstons, it was impossible for her to have dined at Grimwell Restaurant. She wasn't even worthy of such a place. "Well, I guess I am stubborn then. "But as an orphan, I clearly don't deserve to eat at Grimwell Restaurant. If you hadn't said anything, I would have left." She grabbed her purse and stood up, ready to leave. She had no desire to sit and quietly eat with Lance. Looking at his face, so similar to his, she couldn't bring herself to enjoy the meal. It would only add to the bitterness she felt. Lance remained seated, his eyes calm and emotionless. He didn't even look at her, as though her departure didn't matter at all. He simply lifted his teacup, took a sip, and remained silent afterward. Addison was not stopped at all as she made her way to the door. Without hesitation, she opened it. The moment the door swung open, she saw several bodyguards standing in the hallway, their belts clearly displaying weapons. They formed a line, their cold stares fixed on her the instant they heard the door open. She froze for a moment, then quickly closed the door behind her and turned to face Lance. "Lance, you—!" Lance lazily raised his eyelids, his gaze cold. "Sit down." "Try the dishes at Grimwell Restaurant," he added briefly, but his words carried an undeniable pressure. Addison fell silent, slowly walking back to her seat. After this meal, she was definitely going to hire a whole team of bodyguards. Did Lance really think she couldn't afford them? She sat back down, took a sip of tea, and stared silently at the floating leaves in her cup, not saying a word. Lance, meanwhile, lifted his eyes and studied her intently.His gaze was deep and inscrutable, fixed on Addison, as though he was analyzing her, lost in thought. Since he had proposed the divorce, Addison had changed completely. But even if she had been pretending before, pretending to be meek and agreeable, could it be that she had now decided to completely abandon everything she had worked for? Was that even possible? She loved him so much. Could she really discard the perfect image of being the mistress of the Johnstons? Was she not concerned that her current behavior—so harsh and confrontational—would only make him despise her more? Addison caught his gaze and nodded slightly, meeting his eyes with an overwhelming indifference. Lance pulled his gaze away, as though the coldness in her eyes had pierced him. Since he had signed the divorce papers, Addison hadn't approached him once, not even with the pleading he had expected. She had completely left it to him to sign. Was this some new tactic? This is the only explanation that made sense. A knock interrupted Lance's thoughts. "Sir, the meal is ready to be served. May we begin?" Lance nodded indifferently. The waiter entered, carrying elegant wooden trays. Each dish was beautifully presented, with the lids being lifted to reveal the delicate food inside. In the center of the table was a white truffle and fish soup, pale in color with scattered fish roe. "Please enjoy," the waiter said as they left. "Now that the food is here, let's get to the point," Lance said. "My grandfather is turning 70, and my father is throwing a grand celebration." "Oh, and then?" Steven's seventieth birthday had nothing to do with her. Hadn't Lance always disliked her presence at the Johnston Residence? Why was he suddenly mentioning it now? "I want to invite you to attend," he said, fixing his gaze on Addison, as if scrutinizing every shift in her expression. Addison raised an eyebrow. Lance was inviting her to the Johnston Residence? Lance noticed the slight change in her face and smiled, then said slowly, "Of course, there is a price."Help me get another copy of the authorization letter, and you can attend the birthday party." His gaze was calm, but his words held a sense of inevitable victory. Attending this banquet would undoubtedly allow Addison to assert her position as his wife in front of all the high-society guests. This was exactly what Addison wanted. She wouldn't turn it down. But as she heard Lance's proposal, she couldn't help but sneer inwardly. Did he really think Steven's parties were enough to buy her authorization? Her authorization was worth much more than that—how dare he think it could be traded for a banquet? Even though Steven's event was priceless, something beyond the reach of money, the authorization letter was irreplaceable. Yet Lance seemed to be treating this party as some kind of business transaction to acquire her support. He was truly a wonderful grandson to Steven. Her eyes flashed with disdain as she slowly picked up her fork and took a bite of the dish in front of her. Lance narrowed his eyes. "Well? What do you think?" Addison chewed slowly, then set her fork down and raised her chin to look at him. "As I said before, do you really think my authorization is just some cheap commodity? "When I helped your company get the authorization before, I did it out of respect for our relationship. I'm sure you're aware of how valuable that authorization is. You think I'm stupid enough to trade it for one banquet?" Lance's handsome face suddenly darkened at this. His eyes turned cold, his entire demeanor giving off a dangerous aura, clearly angered. Before he could speak, the door opened abruptly. A delicate figure entered the room, followed by bodyguards in black. One of them, bending slightly, nervously spoke. "Mr. Johnston, Ms. Dolton insisted on coming in, and I couldn't stop her." Lance waved his hand and said, "You can leave now." "Virginia, what are you doing here?" he asked, forcing his anger down, his voice softening. Virginia stood in the doorway, glaring at Addison with fury. Her eyes seemed ready to shoot flames. She ignored Lance entirely. How dare Addison be alone with Lance in here? The audacity! She's shameless.Addison looked up casually and met Virginia's gaze. "Addison! How can you be ... ?" Virginia's words came out before she could stop them. But then, remembering Lance was still present, she quickly swallowed the rest of her sentence. Clearing her throat, Virginia softened her tone. "Addison, didn't you promise me that you wouldn't see Lance again, yet here you are." Addison remained impassive as she picked up another dish and ate quietly. "Ask your precious Lance. He's the one who invited me." She paid no attention to Virginia's fury. She hadn't expected the menu at Grimwell Restaurant in Halton to differ so much from Kreshill's. The dishes here suited her taste much better. Maybe she would come back to get a membership card. Virginia, fuming, watched Addison eat with calm indifference. "You're still eating?" she hissed. "Even if Lance invited you, how could you agree to come?" Lance had never brought her here before, and now Addison had beaten him to it. "With so many bodyguards around, do you think I had a choice?" Addison smiled sweetly at Virginia. "I'm just a fragile woman—do you really think I could fight off all those bodyguards?" Virginia was speechless. In a huff, she turned to Lance. "Lance!" "Why are you having a private meal with Addison? I waited for you in the office all morning, and yet you're dining with her here. What do you take me as?" Her eyes were filled with hurt. "For the authorization letter," Lance replied, his gaze steady as he pulled out a chair. "Come sit." Virginia's anger subsided slightly at his words. She didn't sit down but instead approached him and clung to his side, trying to appear sweet and needy, clearly staking her claim. "I came to see Lance about the authorization. I can handle it; you don't need Addison's help." Addison raised an eyebrow. So, they didn't need her help for the Levosulin authorization? She couldn't help but sneer coldly.