"Who would have thought that the esteemed Mr. Howard has a penchant for discussing matters in the bathroom?" Lance remarked sarcastically.
Raphael felt a surge of anger but clenched his teeth, reminding himself repeatedly that he was here to negotiate peace.
After taking a deep breath, Raphael met Lance's gaze and said, "I suppose Mr. Mercer has been wondering why I've been progressing so quickly lately."
Though phrased as a question, it was a statement. Lance remained silent, seemingly in agreement.
Unperturbed by Lance's attitude, Raphael continued, "I'm here today to ask Mr. Mercer to leave a way out for the Howard family. In return, I'll tell you everything you want to know."
At this, Lance broke his silence and directly asked, "Who is behind you?"
"I don't know who he is, but his target is you and Deanna. I got to know him through Emily; he values her highly," Raphael explained.
The information was scant, causing Lance to frown deeply. Raphael noticed but remained calm, continuing with his proposal. "I don't know the grudge between you, but it's clear that he won't rest until you're both gone. I can help lure him out. In exchange, you must promise to spare the Howard family. I'll be the bait."
Lance raised an eyebrow in surprise, clearly not expecting such an offer from Raphael. Just as he was about to speak, Raphael interrupted.
"I can't stay here long; I'm being watched. If I disappear with you for too long, he'll notice."
Lance stared into Raphael's eyes and said slowly, "I can agree to your terms, but once this is over, I don't want to see you in Cloudmere again."
Raphael hesitated for a few seconds before finally agreeing.
A few minutes later, Lance returned to the banquet hall and immediately looked for Deanna. He saw her standing nearby, looking around as if searching for something.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he approached.
Deanna turned at the sound of his voice and sighed in relief upon seeing him. "Where did you go?"
Lance didn't go into detail. He wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered, "I was discussing a cooperation deal. I'll explain in detail later."
"So you were negotiating. I thought you had left me," Deanna said playfully, not pressing further.
Lance chuckled. "That would never happen."
He led Deanna to a nearby seating area. The rest of the banquet proceeded smoothly without any incidents.
By the time they left, it was already midnight. Lance looked at Deanna, who was leaning on his shoulder with a tired expression. "If you're tired, just sleep. I'll carry you upstairs when we get home."
"No need. I'll just rest here for a bit," Deanna replied, not wanting to burden him.
Seeing her determination, Lance didn't insist. Instead, he changed the subject. "Raphael approached me at the banquet tonight."
Hearing this, Deanna's drowsiness vanished. She sat up and looked at him. "What did he want?"
"He came to seek my help," Lance said, summarizing their earlier conversation.
Finally, he added in a serious tone, "I agreed to cooperate with Raphael and spare him, but I demanded that the Howard family never show up in Cloudmere again."
Deanna was silent for a few seconds before she relaxed. "I see. Just be careful during your operations. I don't want to hear any bad news about you. And don't hide anything from me again, or I'll leave with the kids."
"I understand. I promised not to keep secrets from you anymore. So you and the kids stay safe at home," Lance said with a smile, gently pinching her nose.
Meanwhile, Raphael returned to the Howard family residence. Just as he was about to rest, he received a call from Duncan.
As soon as he answered, Duncan's voice came through angrily, "How dare you betray me!"
"What are you talking about?" Raphael feigned ignorance, though his heart raced.
Could it be that his secret meeting tonight had been discovered?
Duncan continued, "My men saw you and Lance leaving the banquet one after the other."
Hearing this, Raphael's heart nearly stopped.
Had he been found out?
Despite his fear, he decided to deny everything. "You're talking nonsense. I did leave the banquet briefly to go to the bathroom. As for Lance, do you really think we could cooperate given our current relationship? It's a miracle he hasn't killed me yet."