On the way back, the car was very quiet.
Deanna looked at the man driving seriously, feeling a tickle in her heart like a cat's paw scratching.
She really wanted to know what the man originally intended to say in the restaurant.
But at this moment, she felt too embarrassed to ask. In the end, she suppressed her curiosity.
Lance also noticed her expression.
However, Lance felt that it wasn't the right time for a confession and didn't want to be hasty. So he held back his impulse.
Thus, the two of them returned to the apartment complex in silence.
"We're here." Lance broke the silence as he stopped the car.
Deanna was startled and nodded slowly, "Thank you, Mr. Mercer. You should go back now."
As she spoke, she opened the door and got out of the car.
Lance didn't stop her, watching her walk into the complex before driving away.
When Deanna got home and changed her shoes, she found her grandmother still in the living room.
"It's so late, why haven't you gone to bed yet?"
"I couldn't sleep with something on my mind. Come here, I need to ask you something."
Old Ashley waved her over excitedly.
Deanna sighed and walked over to sit beside her grandmother.
As soon as she sat down, her grandmother leaned in with a gossiping look, "Tonight, you and Mr. Mercer..."
Old Ashley didn't finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.
Deanna found it both amusing and exasperating.
"Nothing happened tonight; we're still just friends."
"Still friends?!"
Old Ashley was surprised and frowned, "What's going on? Did Mr. Mercer do nothing?"
She looked a bit displeased and muttered under her breath.
"Is it you or Mr. Mercer who's not making a move? With opportunities like this, when will you two get together?"
"Grandma," Deanna said as she clung to her grandmother's arm.
She thought for a moment and said, "Actually, he was going to say something, but an emergency came up. Mr. Mercer's father fell ill, so we went to see him."
"Really? Is his father seriously ill?"
Old Ashley's attention was immediately diverted.
Deanna shook her head, "Not too serious. With proper care, he'll be fine."
Hearing this, Old Ashley felt relieved and thought of something else.
"So you didn't have dinner tonight?"
"No, I didn't. Now that you mention it, I'm feeling hungry. Is there anything to eat at home?"
Deanna touched her stomach and looked pitifully at her grandmother.
Old Ashley affectionately tapped her forehead and said, "You wait here."
Watching her grandmother walk towards the kitchen with small steps, Deanna felt warm inside.
Even though her mother was gone, having her grandmother around was wonderful...
Just as Deanna was resting on the sofa, her phone rang from her bag.
She thought it might be Lance calling but saw it was Old Hughes instead.
She could guess why he was calling even without answering.
She didn't want to pick up at first but eventually did.
"Old Hughes, why are you still up? Staying up late is bad for your health!"
"Hehe, I'm just curious. So, did Lance confess to you?"
Old Hughes's excited voice came through the phone.
Deanna leaned back in her chair and calmly replied, "No!"
"How could he not? Didn't he go to see you?"
Old Hughes sounded just as surprised and frustrated as Old Ashley had earlier. "That boy doesn't know how to seize opportunities. No wonder he's been single for so long!"
Deanna didn't know what to say to that.
Just then, she saw her grandmother coming out with a bowl of noodles. She quickly said, "Old Hughes, get some rest. I'm going to have a late-night snack."
With that, she hung up and walked towards the dining room.
"It smells so good. Grandma's cooking is still the best."
"Eat up and get some rest. You've had a long day."
Old Ashley looked at her lovingly and urged her to eat.
Deanna nodded and sat down at the table.
...
The next day at Cody Group, Bella had just finished a morning meeting and returned to her office when her assistant walked in.
"Miss Cody, the investigation you requested has results. The information has been sent to your email."
"I got it. You can go now."
Bella waved her hand dismissively.
After the assistant left, she went to her desk and opened her computer to check the email.
As she read through the information in the email, Bella's calm expression turned into shock, then gloominess, and finally anger.
It seemed that the Mercer family maid hadn't lied.
Deanna's two children were indeed Lance's children.