"Who is this?" Steven's face darkened almost instantly, the smile that had been there just moments before completely vanishing. Marilyn stood off to the side, holding Addison's hand. She, too, looked at Virginia coldly. "Mr. Steven, don't you recognize me?" Virginia felt an odd sensation in her chest when she heard his question. Steven ignored her, turning instead to Lance. His voice was sharp and commanding, "Answer me! Who is this?" What kind of agreement had this boy made with him? How could he forget so quickly? And to openly bring Virginia to the party? His words were booming and laced with anger. Though the guests in the hall couldn't hear him clearly, they could tell from the tone that Steven was genuinely upset. The atmosphere in the room grew tense and heavy, as everyone's curious attention shifted to Steven due to the question. Virginia stood still, too frightened to speak. She squeezed her hands together, looking nervously at Lance, who was standing beside her, his face an unreadable mask. "Lance, maybe I should leave. "I'll just upset Mr. Steven," she added softly. Lance grabbed her arm and insisted, "It's fine. You don't need to leave." Steven's anger flared at the sight of Lance's gesture. His gaze at Virginia grew even more disdainful. Lance, holding Virginia's wrist, looked directly at Steven. His tone was calm, almost indifferent. "This is Virginia Dolton, your future granddaughter-in-law." "Y-you b*stard!" Steven nearly choked on his words. He was so enraged that he couldn't catch his breath, struggling to speak for several moments. "Grandpa, please calm down," Addison quickly spoke up when she saw Steven's reaction. He had only recently recovered from a serious illness and wasn't able to handle this kind of stress. She instinctively spoke, trying to calm him. But to Lance, it seemed like Addison was just trying to gain favor, speaking up to make herself look good while Virginia was being humiliated.He shot a cold, icy glare at Addison. Addison, taken aback by the look, felt a twinge of confusion. She hadn't done anything wrong—she just couldn't help herself from speaking. Am I not even allowed to speak? Her dissatisfaction grew, and she met his gaze with one of her own, not backing down. "Make her leave. I don't want to see her." Steven finally regained some composure and pointed at Virginia, making his intention clear. "Virginia has already arrived. How can she be kicked out?" Lance's gaze shifted from Addison to Steven, his tone unwavering. "This is not how our family treats our guests." "W-what do you want?" Steven was now visibly disappointed with his grandson. "What have you promised me? What happened to the vow you made that day?" He took a breath, trying to control his anger. "Is this how the Johnstons are supposed to behave?" Lance stayed silent. He didn't want to escalate things further. "Today is your birthday; no need to make a scene." "Yes, it's your birthday; don't be angry," Marilyn interjected, trying to ease the tension. Although she didn't like Virginia, Marilyn understood that the larger picture needed attention. "Too many guests are watching. This isn't good," Marilyn continued, speaking sincerely. "Steven, let's put this aside for now. We can talk about it later after the party, and you can scold Lance then." Steven stood there, his face still full with anger. "Addison, come," Marilyn gestured to Addison. "Take Grandpa to get something to eat. He's been upstairs for so long and hasn't had anything to eat." "Okay." Addison nodded. "Steve, let's go eat?" Addison asked softly, her voice gentle, like the spring breeze. "I'm not hungry. Seeing her has made me lose my appetite," Steven replied bluntly. Addison gave him a polite smile and tried again, her voice even softer. "Steve, you might not be hungry, but I am. I haven't eaten all day and really need something." If Steven stayed here, still frustrated at Lance, he might end up making himself sick again.With a gentle nudge from Addison, Steven finally agreed to leave. After watching Steven walk away, Marilyn turned her attention back to the two of them standing together. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but the words caught in her throat. With a sigh, she muttered, "You're on your own." Now, only Lance and Virginia remained in the room. The guests around them continued to watch from a distance, though they quickly looked away when Lance's cold eyes swept over them, filled with an icy warning. The guests suddenly fell silent, no longer daring to join in the excitement, one by one shifting their gaze away. They had been watching out of curiosity, but none dared get any closer, sensing the tension. Aside from Steven's loud outburst, they hadn't heard a single word from the others. All they could see was Addison with a smile, while Virginia looked upset, appearing vulnerable and pitiful. From a distance, Lisa watched the scene, anger bubbling inside her. "Doesn't anyone at the Johnstons like Virginia? "Although the Johnstons are at the top of Halton, they're nothing compared to the Daves of Kreshill. Why are they treating Virginia like this? "Aren't they afraid the Daves will come after them?" Samantha chimed in, a bit incredulously, "Why are you so eager to defend Virginia now? This is still Halton, not Kreshill. "The Daves are indeed powerful, but their reach doesn't extend this far. Maybe you should tone it down." Lisa fell silent, taking a sip from her wine glass to mask her discomfort. She gave Virginia special treatment because of the Daves' influence. But then again, the Daves were from Kreshill—a powerful family. If they hadn't treated Virginia with respect, it must have been because they didn't understand the true nature of the Daves. Meanwhile, Troy, who had been standing in the shadows, stepped forward, having heard every word Lisa said. The little beauty is from Daves? He stared thoughtfully at Lance and Virginia, who stood in the distance.... Addison and Steven sat down at the banquet table. The two fell silent. The large table was mostly empty except for the two of them, which made the scene feel cold and isolating. Addison felt awkward and tried to break the silence. She steeled herself and asked, "Steve, how's your health these days?" Before Steven could respond, Marilyn's voice cut in from behind them. "Steve is recovering well; don't worry." Marilyn answered cheerfully, as if she had expected Addison to be concerned about the Johnstons. Addison had only come to the party because she'd been tricked, yet she still couldn't help but worry about them. Addison nodded. "Marilyn, did you finish the medicine I brought last time? Was it enough?" "Yes, yes, there was plenty," Marilyn replied. Before they could continue their conversation, Lance pulled out a chair on the opposite side. "Virginia, sit." Virginia looked at Steven with fear in her eyes. She looked terrified. "Lance, I'd rather not sit." Lance didn't respond to her and gently pressed her into the chair. "The seating arrangements were made in advance by the butler. There's no other seat. If you don't sit here, there's nowhere else for you." Virginia reluctantly sat down. She glanced at Steven, clearly noticing his expression darken. She felt a pang of unease. With Steven treating her so coldly, she had to come up with a plan. Perhaps she could take care of the authorization right here, in front of everyone at the party?