After the call ended, Deanna looked a bit dazed.
She hadn't expected that in just one phone call, she would gain a new identity.
What made her happy was that her master finally acknowledged her as his disciple and said that upon his return, he would formally conduct the apprenticeship ceremony.
Lance watched her, sometimes frowning and sometimes smiling foolishly, finding it both amusing and intriguing.
"What did your master say to you to make you look so conflicted?"
"My master agreed to officially take me as his disciple."
Deanna happily shared this news with Lance.
Lance raised an eyebrow, "Is it because of the research institute matter?"
"Yes and no," Deanna nodded and then shook her head.
She remembered that her master said she could tell Lance about their conversation, so she explained proactively without waiting for Lance to ask, "My master had been considering whether to officially take me as his disciple. But after what happened at the research institute, he said he saw my resilience and courage in the face of authority, so he decided to take me as his direct disciple and heir."
As she finished speaking, Lance's brows furrowed tightly.
"Did you ask about your master's identity?"
"I did."
Deanna nodded and then revealed her master's information, "My master said he is the head of a hidden family, the Martinez family. His full name is Gunner Martinez."
Lance was shocked upon hearing the name, "It's him?"
"What, have you heard of my master?"
Deanna noticed Lance's strange expression and blinked at him.
Hearing this, Lance looked back at her with a complex gaze.
He never imagined that the renowned doctor he had been searching for was so close to him.
"Your master's name is probably known by almost everyone in the country."
"Wow, is my master that amazing?"
Deanna was stunned.
Seeing her naive expression, Lance couldn't help but smile and said, "When you have time, you can ask Old Hughes. Then you'll know what a remarkable person you've apprenticed under. But for now, let's talk about the research institute matter."
"Sure, I'll ask Old Hughes later."
Deanna then returned to the main topic, continuing from where she left off, "My master told me that the people targeting the research institute are indeed related to him. They are after the special medicine I have."
Upon hearing this, Lance's expression immediately became serious, "The special medicine you're talking about, is it the one I know of?"
Facing Lance's grave expression, Deanna also nodded solemnly.
"The special medicine was obtained by my master from abroad. Somehow, the information leaked. My master couldn't conduct research because those coveting the medicine infiltrated his side. In the end, he thought of me."
At this point, she glanced apologetically at Lance, "I know this matter involves many powerful forces. Originally, my master didn't want me to get involved, but I refused. Besides, if we successfully develop this special medicine, our country's patients won't have to rely on foreign drugs anymore. I can't just watch my master struggle. Without him, five years ago, I might not have been able to survive under Garrett and Mia's oppression with Gregory, Chloe, and my grandmother."
Hearing this, Lance understood Deanna.
Although he didn't want to see Deanna in danger, he couldn't bring himself to stop her.
Moreover, he knew that even if he tried to stop her, it would be useless.
Deanna insisted on continuing this matter not only out of gratitude but also because of her sense of duty.
Therefore, he had no right to stop her.
Since he couldn't stop her, he would support her!
"Silly girl, whatever you do, I will support you."
"I'm happy you support me. But in this matter, I don't want to implicate you. I also don't want my grandmother or Gregory and Chloe to get involved."
Deanna looked deeply at the man in front of her.
Lance met her gaze and suddenly had a bad feeling, "What do you mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Deanna analyzed the situation.
"The target is me. If you stay with me, the people behind this won't spare Mercer Group. They will try to create chaos within Mercer Group like they did this time, making it difficult for you to help me or even putting you in danger. They might also directly target Gregory, Chloe, or my grandmother to threaten me. So I thought of a plan: we could stage a public argument and fake a breakup. You could forcefully keep Gregory, Chloe, and my grandmother with you while I leave. This way, you all won't get dragged into this."
"I disagree!"
Lance's face turned cold as he immediately rejected Deanna's idea without even thinking!
At that moment, he was very angry.
He hadn't expected Deanna to come up with such a lousy idea of faking a breakup.
Even though he knew Deanna meant well, he couldn't accept it!