Virginia felt Lance's hand, which had been resting on her shoulder, suddenly withdraw. She blinked and turned to look at him. She couldn't decipher the emotion in his eyes. But in her rush to prove herself, she didn't care about what Lance might be thinking or why his gaze had shifted in such a way. Virginia stood up, grabbed the phone beside Lance, and opened Keith's WhatsApp. But as her finger hovered over the screen, she froze. Addison's words echoed in her mind. "Do you really think Keith will give you the authorization?" The question made her hesitate. Virginia hesitated; she glanced around the table. Steven's expression was one of clear disbelief. Marilyn looked equally skeptical. Addison, however, wore a calm, almost indifferent look. Virginia wondered if she was imagining things, but Addison's face seemed to hold a hint of something else—was it mockery? What was that expression? Shouldn't Addison be panicking? She was about to lose her position; surely she felt a little embarrassed about it. Was she trying to hide her fear behind that sarcastic look? A small smile tugged at Virginia's lips. She steeled herself, pressed the voice message button, and the recording began. All eyes turned to her. Lance's gaze darkened, his emotions unreadable. Virginia felt the weight of his stare but decided to press on. She pressed the speakerphone button, determined to make her point. She needed to prove herself, and she wanted everyone who doubted her to hear it clearly. The sound from the phone grew louder, and everyone at the table could hear it clearly. Addison raised an eyebrow. Virginia's bold move had undoubtedly cornered her. She was taking quite a risk by putting it on speakerphone—did she really have that much confidence? Maybe she was acting too rashly.The sound continued. The people around the table were all in different moods; their expressions varied, but no one dared to speak. They were all waiting for the call to connect. The sound of the voice persisted for about a minute before the call finally went through. "Hello?" Keith's voice came through the phone. Virginia took a deep breath. "Ke—" Before she could finish his name, she saw Lance's dark expression. What was going on? Virginia suddenly understood where Lance's mood had come from, and a small smirk formed on her lips. But she didn't change her tone. "Keith, it's Virginia." A little panic for Lance's sake wouldn't hurt. "Is something wrong?" Keith's voice came, tense. He stood by the window, gazing at the moon outside, his brow furrowed. He felt the voice was familiar but couldn't place it. Keith brought the phone closer, finally seeing her name on the screen. Wait. He remembered her—she was the woman who had been standing next to Addison last time. And she looked somewhat like Addison, too. Calling him at this hour? She'd better have an urgent reason. If it wasn't something critical, calling him now would definitely get her scolded; Addison would get the same treatment. His voice was tinged with irritation, clearly not in the mood. Addison, overhearing Keith's impatience, raised an eyebrow. She remembered Keith was abroad, and it was night there. He must be sleeping. Virginia's call had woken him up, and Keith hated being disturbed like that. Addison recalled the time when she'd set an alarm on Keith's phone to bother him, waking him up in the middle of the night. Keith had been furious and refused to talk to her for days after that. A smile tugged at Addison's lips as she remembered. Lance shot a piercing look at her the moment she smiled, clearly displeased. Addison froze, blinking. Maybe her smile wasn't appropriate? She quickly tried to compose herself.Virginia heard Keith's irritated tone, and her face paled, a feeling of unease creeping into her chest. The small joy she'd felt when thinking Lance was jealous quickly faded. Had she been wrong? Did Keith not like her? That couldn't be true, right? Then why had he been so affectionate last time, even letting Addison into Raven? Virginia pushed the uncertainty aside, giving herself a mental pep talk. "I-I need your help with something." Her voice was shaky, her nerves getting the best of her. There was silence on the other end of the line. Virginia felt like disconnecting the speakerphone. The situation was nothing like she had imagined. She was nervous, almost panicking, and glanced at the people around the table. She met Steven's intense gaze, making her grip the phone tighter. "Keith? Are you there?" After about half a minute, a word came through the phone. "Speak." Steven frowned. Keith's irritation was so clear. This wasn't the tone someone would use with a close acquaintance. What was Virginia doing? "Hmm. Isn't Dr. Nancy at Raven Company?" Virginia forced herself to speak. "Huh? What about it?" "Dr. Nancy has the Levosulin authorization, right?" she asked the question cautiously. "Yeah." Keith's answer was short. "Do you know the Johnstons' Levosulin authorization has expired?" Virginia asked, her voice growing quieter. Addison, sitting nearby, felt her patience wearing thin. Was Virginia trying to squeeze every last bit of information out of him, one question at a time? Her hesitation and stammering were getting on her nerves. She had been so confident about making the call, but now she couldn't even form a coherent sentence. Frustrated, Addison poured herself a drink, the amber liquid swirling in her glass. "The Johnstons?" Keith's voice sounded confused; he hadn't caught the last part. "Yeah, the Johnstons," Virginia repeated. "What did you say about the Johnstons?" Keith's tone suddenly grew serious. Virginia quickly repeated her earlier statement. "The Johnstons' Levosulin authorization is expiring." Keith frowned, confused. Why should I care that Levosulin's authorization expired? Her mention of the Johnstons had startled him, and all sleepiness vanished. He had thought Addison was involved with the Johnstons again. But this was about Levosulin? "So you're here to get the authorization for Lance?" Keith's tone had softened, no longer as impatient. "Yeah, yes, I'm here to help the Johnstons get the authorization," Virginia quickly affirmed. "Can you give it to them?" The people at the table took a collective breath. Keith's voice came again, short and final. "No." Although it was brief, it had a profound impact.