That night, Lance returned from a social event, nearly midnight.
By then, all the servants in the manor were asleep, and the surroundings were silent.
Lance, carrying a faint scent of alcohol, returned to his bedroom and saw the door slightly ajar, with bright light streaming out from inside.
He frowned, his eyes cold.
He thought it was Eula who had once again come to his room without permission.
But when he pushed the door open, ready to scold, the figure he saw made him swallow his words.
"Deanna?"
He spoke with some surprise.
Deanna looked up from her magazine upon hearing the noise, smiling warmly at the man at the door. "You're back."
As she spoke, she got up and walked towards Lance, catching a faint smell of alcohol. She couldn't help but frown. "You drank?"
"I couldn't refuse, just had a little. Not much. You can ask Xavier if you don't believe me."
Lance replied softly, pulling Deanna into his arms, his chin resting on her neck. He smiled lightly. "When did you get back?"
Deanna's cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. She couldn't help but smile.
She hugged him back gently. "I came back in the evening. Master gave us three days off."
"Then I'll clear my schedule for these three days. Tomorrow is the last day of the weekend. Let's take Gregory and Chloe out for a fun day."
Lance looked down at her.
Deanna nodded in agreement.
The next morning, after breakfast, the two little ones were thrilled to learn that their parents were taking them out to play.
Eula watched the happy family of four and found it very annoying.
She couldn't help but say, "Since you're going out to play, why not take me along? I heard from Ollie that a new horseback riding club opened twenty kilometers outside the city. We haven't gone riding in a long time. It would be a good opportunity to check it out and have a little competition to see if you've gotten rusty."
"Today is a day for our family of four. I just want to spend time with my fiancee and children. If you want to go riding, I'll have Ollie accompany you."
Lance refused coldly.
Eula felt a sharp pain in her chest.
Especially when she heard Lance imply that she was an outsider, jealousy surged within her, almost bursting out.
Fortunately, she calmed down at the critical moment.
A good hunter must have patience.
But her calm didn't last long before it broke again.
The reason was Old Ashley's advice to Deanna. "When you go out to play, remember to avoid the sun. It's less than a month until your wedding. Don't get tanned."
"I know, Grandma. Don't worry. I'll be the most beautiful bride."
Deanna playfully winked at the old lady.
The two little ones nodded vigorously in agreement. "That's right! Mommy will be the most beautiful bride."
Old Ashley laughed at their words.
She looked lovingly at the mother and children and teased, "How can you praise yourselves like that? Aren't you afraid Lance will laugh at you?"
Lance, who was named, was stunned for a second before meeting three pairs of similar eyes.
"Daddy, do you think Mommy will be the most beautiful bride?"
The two little ones looked at Lance expectantly.
It seemed that if Lance didn't give them a satisfactory answer, they would cry right there.
Lance understood the hidden threat and smiled. "Of course. Your mommy will be the most beautiful bride."
At the end of his words, he looked affectionately at Deanna.
Deanna was looking at him too.
They smiled at each other, and the air around them turned sweet.
Eula watched this scene, feeling her chest churn with anger. She could hardly maintain her calm expression.
"I'm full. You all enjoy."
She spoke with her last bit of rationality and then turned to leave without caring about anyone else's reaction.
Lance watched her leave with a frown, displeasure evident in his eyes.
Deanna and Old Ashley also felt uncomfortable but didn't show it.
After all, no matter what, Eula was Lance's friend and savior.
Moreover, since Lance hadn't said anything, they felt it wasn't their place to comment.
Back in her room, Eula grabbed a pillow from the bed and pounded it fiercely as if it were Deanna.
After venting her anger, she gradually calmed down.
No way would she allow Deanna and Lance to get married.
Once the wedding happened, she would have no chance left.
With this thought, Eula's face darkened as she took out her phone and made a call.
"Master?"
"The person I asked you to find earlier-how's it going?"
Eula asked coldly.
Since Emily had become useless as a pawn, she had been searching for another replacement.
Avery reported respectfully, "We have a target but need further investigation to confirm if she meets your requirements."
Hearing this, Eula's grim expression softened slightly.
She smiled with satisfaction and ordered, "Deliver the investigation results within a day."