When Keith's voice came through the phone, an eerie silence engulfed the room. Virginia was utterly speechless. Her bold declaration moments earlier echoed faintly in her mind before her thoughts turned blank. Addison was still swirling her glass of wine in a rhythmic motion. The amber liquid glinted when it caught the light. Her face betrayed no emotion. The turn of events was entirely within her expectations. Virginia tried to gather her scattered thoughts as she stammered, "Did you just say ... you won't transfer the authorization to Johnston Enterprise?" She was desperately searching for a glimmer of hope. "That's correct," Keith replied, his tone patient but firm. If he hadn't been jolted awake by the unexpected call, he would've hung up by now. "It's not for free," Virginia hastily added as if recalling something important. "Johnston Enterprise is willing to pay for it." She comforted herself silently that Keith liked her and he wouldn't refuse a generous offer. In her mind, his reaction was entirely within reason. After saying her piece, she glanced at Steven. His face was dark, but he made no move to interject. Relieved, Virginia pushed further. "Keith, name your price. Johnston Enterprise can pay for it." "Whatever the price?" Keith sounded nonchalant. "Yes." Virginia nodded eagerly. "Still no." Addison couldn't help but smirk when she heard this. Keith liked to give others hope but to squash it the next second. It was just his style. She downed her glass of wine. On the other end of the call, Keith twirled a flower from the vase absentmindedly, his mind momentarily considering the issue of authorization. Though the rights to Levosulin technically belonged to Raven Company, the drug itself was Addison's creation. Naturally, the authorization depended entirely on her approval. His opinion didn't carry weight in this matter. "Anything else?" Keith asked indifferently. "N-no—" Virginia stammered in regret and bitterness after the repeated rejections. But before she could finish her sentence, Keith cut her off. "If there's nothing important, don't call me again." Then came the abrupt sound of the call disconnecting. The silence that followed was deafening. Virginia was stunned as if she hadn't fully processed what had just happened. It was Steven who broke the silence, his voice cold and sharp. "What an embarrassment." Those words struck like a whip, making Virginia's awkwardness more palpable. However, Marilyn remained composed, as if she had anticipated this outcome all along. She then served Addison some food, saying, "Addison, don't just drink; eat something." It was as though Virginia didn't even exist. Addison quickly waved her hands, flustered. "Mrs. Marilyn, I'm already full. No, thank you." "Eat more," Marilyn insisted firmly as she continued piling food onto Addison's plate. "You need to take care of your health. You've done so much for the Johnstons, but you've gotten so much thinner than when you first married into the family. You need proper nourishment." Marilyn paused and continued, "But Addison, there's one thing I have to say to you." "What is it?" Addison looked at Marilyn in surprise. "You never talk about the things you do for others and always work quietly behind the scenes. That's not a good thing. "You're not like some who haven't done a single thing for the Johnstons yet have the audacity to criticize you for not contributing." Her words carried a clear implication. Virginia understood immediately, and her face flushed red. She wished she could disappear on the spot.Just moments ago, she had boasted about knowing Keith and being able to secure the authorization for the Johnstons. Now it was painfully clear that Keith didn't even know her, let alone consider granting the authorization. Her lips felt dry, and she didn't know what to do. "Sit down," came Lance's deep voice. Virginia turned to him and noticed his calm expression. "S-sure." She nodded hurriedly as she didn't want to embarrass herself further. Sinking back into her seat, Virginia tried to compose herself. She reached for her wine glass to mask her discomfort as her gaze inadvertently landed on Addison. Their eyes met. At that moment, an idea struck Virginia. She suddenly spoke up, "Addison, back me up! You were there that day. You know exactly what happened!" Addison raised an eyebrow at her outburst. "That day, I called Keith on a video call right in front of you. One word from me, and he let you into Raven, didn't he?" Virginia's voice was urgent as if clinging to a lifeline. Addison remained silent. "Keith has always treated me like a little sister. You heard it yourself—he called me by my nickname the moment he picked up the call. You remember that, don't you?" The room grew quiet. Lance's emotionless gaze fell on Addison, while Marilyn and Steven also turned their attention to her. Addison met Virginia's desperate gaze with a faint smile. There was a hint of amusement in her eyes as though thoroughly entertained by the situation. Virginia's chest tightened at the sight of Addison's expression, which she interpreted as mockery. "Say something!" she demanded. "Tell them I'm not lying. I really do know Keith!" Addison could clearly see the anger and resentment in Virginia's eyes but she didn't care. Virginia's humiliation was inevitable, and as for the hatred? Even if Addison had done nothing, Virginia would still despise her. Moreover, Addison had already warned her, making everything clear. Her conscience was untroubled. Virginia glared at Addison, her voice filled with bitterness. "Why aren't you saying anything? Are you trying to kick me while I'm down and make everyone laugh at me?" Addison blinked and finally replied, her tone calm. "Are you sure you're close to Keith?" "Stop changing the subject! Just tell everyone the truth! I didn't lie, and I wasn't pretending to be something I'm not—" Suddenly, Virginia paused, her expression shifting. She noticed the mocking glint in Addison's eyes and a realization struck her. Why had Keith rejected me so firmly today? His behavior on the video call had been entirely different. That day, his words, his gaze, and his demeanor had all shown interest—clear, unmistakable interest. But today, Keith was nothing like the man from that day. What has changed? The answer was glaringly obvious. That day, Addison had been present and she hadn't appeared on the call today. No way! A chilling thought struck Virginia, and her gut twisted with foreboding. Her gaze shot back to Addison, her wide eyes locked onto the woman with an almost unsettling intensity. That nickname Keith had muttered—was he calling Addison ... instead of me? As the possibility sank in, Virginia's mind replayed the scene from the video call. The subtle glances Keith had cast were not at her but toward someone in the background. So, Addison had known everything all along? And had been waiting for me to embarrass myself? The realization set her blood boiling. She had been played by Addison all this time. Furious, Virginia burst out, "So ... that nickname was meant for you?"