Upon hearing Avery's words, Eula frowned and pondered for a few seconds before shaking her head in denial.
"No, we can't do it this way. If both children are Lance and Deanna's, arranging it like this will only show everyone how deep their bond is."
This would not only upset Deanna but also herself.
Avery understood the implication and nodded without saying anything further.
Eula then changed the subject and asked, "Did you find out who hypnotized Deanna?"
"We found some clues from Mr. Mercer's side. The person who hypnotized Deanna is Duncan from the Miller family's main branch. However, this person disappeared after our master and Mr. Mercer attacked their forces. But since he last targeted Deanna, it's certain that he's in Cloudmere," Avery reported truthfully.
Eula raised an eyebrow at this information.
At that moment, an idea struck her. She said, "Since we know he's in Cloudmere, find him before Lance does."
Avery nodded in acknowledgment.
Three more days passed.
During these days, Deanna and the two children lived peacefully.
However, the Howard family and the entire business community of Cloudmere were far from peaceful.
The Mercer Group had been very active recently.
First, they pressured the Cain family into bankruptcy. Then they announced that anyone who cooperated with the Howard family would be blacklisted by the Mercer family forever.
Under such pressure, the Howard family's projects and partners left one after another.
Raphael was furious but had no way to change the situation.
Lance was aware of the pressure on the Howard family.
This was intentional on his part.
He was waiting for Raphael to come to him.
Unfortunately, Raphael had not responded.
But Lance didn't mind; hunting required patience.
He increased the pressure on Raphael.
After two more days of struggle, Raphael listened to his assistant's bad news, knowing that the company had no way out.
He had two choices: declare bankruptcy like the Cain family or bow to the mysterious person.
But he didn't want either option.
The former was out of the question; he couldn't do it.
The latter he didn't want to do because he knew that if he begged the mysterious person, the company would no longer belong to the Howard family. He would never have a chance to rise again and would only become someone else's lapdog.
No, he couldn't allow himself to fall to such a level.
There had to be another way.
Raphael thought fiercely to himself.
Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind.
Why not let the mysterious person and Lance fight each other?
After all, the mysterious person's target had always been Lance and Deanna.
He was just cooperating with the mysterious person for mutual benefit but ended up being the scapegoat.
If he could negotiate with Lance, there might still be a chance for the Howard family.
But how could he meet Lance?
Raphael knew that his every move was monitored by the mysterious person.
If the mysterious person sensed any signs of betrayal, he would surely be killed.
While Raphael was troubled about how to avoid the mysterious person's surveillance and talk to Lance, an opportunity presented itself.
It was Old Shepard's seventy-ninth birthday.
As the saying goes, men celebrate their ninth birthdays but not their tenth. So, the Shepard family took this birthday banquet very seriously and invited all notable families and businessmen in Cloudmere.
Lance was among them.
Because the Mercer family and the Shepard family had long-standing ties and many business collaborations, Lance accepted the invitation despite his busy schedule.
He also informed Deanna to clear her schedule and accompany him to the banquet.
That evening, Deanna wore the dress Lance had sent her and applied elegant yet charming makeup. She slowly descended the stairs with her skirt lifted.
Lance saw her and his eyes filled with amazement and tenderness.
The two children beside him also looked astonished.
"Wow, Mommy looks so beautiful."
"Mommy will surely amaze everyone tonight. Daddy, you have to keep an eye on Mommy," Chloe said mischievously, winking at Lance.
Lance smiled at her and said, "Of course."
Deanna listened to their conversation with a mix of amusement and exasperation. She looked at them and said, "No joking around. We won't be here tonight, so you must take good care of your Great-Grandma, okay?"
"Got it, Mommy. Don't worry," the children nodded obediently.
After giving a few more instructions, Deanna prepared to leave with Lance.
Just as they reached the door, they encountered Eula returning from outside.
Seeing their matching elegant outfits, Eula's eyes flashed with jealousy.
Especially seeing Deanna's incredibly beautiful face made her want to slash it with a knife so this wretched woman could no longer seduce Lance!