"My men are all around the foot of the mountain. Those folks don't have the capability to come in."
Upon hearing this, Deanna finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just as she was about to speak, Lance's voice came again, "However, we can't descend the mountain for a short while either. Let's stay here for the afternoon and reconsider later."
Hearing this, Deanna didn't argue. They had just shaken off those people, but who knew if they were still waiting somewhere. Staying put for now seemed like a reasonable option.
Deanna sighed helplessly, saying, "Mr. Mercer, I never thought that being with you would still entail avoiding life-threatening situations."
Lance couldn't help but smirk at that, "Dr. Deanna, it's just your bad luck. I've only encountered such situations twice, and coincidentally, both times were with you."
Deanna was speechless, feeling quite unlucky indeed...
"Alright, let's go inside," Lance said, leading the way into the villa.
As they entered, Deanna was stunned by what she saw. This wasn't just a villa; it was practically an estate.
The mansion was spacious, with the front yard resembling a private garden. Further in, there was a vast golf course, with picturesque scenery.
Deanna couldn't help but marvel at the stark contrast in wealth in the world.
Lance led Deanna into the courtyard, where the butler approached them, "Sir, Miss, what would you like to drink?"
Deanna nodded, "Just a glass of water, thank you."
As Lance observed Deanna's uncomfortable expression, he asked with concern, "Feeling better now?"
Deanna shook her head, "I'm fine now."
Lance then excused himself to attend to some work while Deanna explored the surroundings.
Meanwhile, Lance and Xavier headed to the study. Upon entering, Lance's expression darkened significantly.
"How's the situation down the mountain?" he asked sharply.
Xavier quickly pulled up the surveillance footage on the computer screen, showing their pursuers being intercepted by Lance's men at the foot of the mountain.
Lance watched closely as his men swiftly dealt with the intruders.
After giving some orders, Lance turned off the monitor and began attending to urgent matters in his inbox.
An hour later, feeling weary, Lance stood up and walked to the large window, taking in the scenery outside.
He noticed Deanna wandering around the garden, seemingly bored.
Frowning, Lance thought to himself that he shouldn't have brought her here and left her alone.
He descended the stairs and approached Deanna, who was examining the soil with great interest.
"What are you looking at?" he asked.
Deanna stood up, her eyes shining with excitement and surprise, "Mr. Mercer, I've discovered that the soil here is perfect for cultivating rare medicinal herbs. If possible, could I have a plot of land to grow them? I have some precious seeds that I've been unable to find a suitable place for. These herbs would greatly aid in your future treatments!"