"I won't intrude on your rare family outing," Julia said, then changed the subject. "By the way, did Mr. Mercer tell you about Emily and Raphael?"
Deanna glanced at the two figures in the distance and asked, puzzled, "What about them?"
"Oh, you don't know? It seems Mr. Mercer didn't tell you. I understand; he cares for you so much that he wouldn't want to upset you with such unpleasant news," Julia said, a hint of envy in her voice.
Deanna caught on and chuckled. "What, Mr. Grant isn't good to you?"
"Let's skip that topic. Let's talk about Emily and Raphael," Julia quickly redirected the conversation.
Deanna wasn't very interested. "What's there to say about those two?"
"You really don't know, do you?" Julia teased before revealing, "Emily is dead, and Raphael is in prison."
Deanna raised her eyebrows in surprise and disbelief. "How could that be?"
"It's karma. You wouldn't believe it, but Emily died at Raphael's hands. Even she probably didn't expect to die that way, in such a humiliating manner!" Julia sighed.
Deanna's curiosity was piqued. "What did Raphael do?"
"He suspected Emily of cheating on him, so he found some beggars in the suburbs... He's a scum. You can guess what happened. Then Emily died," Julia explained.
Deanna felt a complex mix of emotions. She hadn't even taken action, yet the Jones family had already fallen apart. Her mother's revenge had been achieved without her realizing it, leaving her feeling somewhat empty.
Julia's voice came through the phone. "Deanna, are you listening? Is the signal bad in the suburbs?"
"I'm listening. I just got lost in thought," Deanna quickly responded.
Julia noticed Deanna's low spirits and coughed lightly to cover it up. "Look at me, talking about such depressing things on a beautiful day. Enjoy your time with Mr. Mercer and Gregory. Don't let what I said affect your mood. I don't want Mr. Mercer coming after me."
"Don't worry, he wouldn't dare. I've got your back," Deanna reassured her friend with a smile.
She knew Julia was sharing this news to make her happy.
After hanging up, Deanna handed her phone to Shannon and looked towards Lance and Gregory. They had already started flying the kite.
The two children were competing on the lawn to see whose kite could fly higher.
Deanna walked over and stood beside Lance, smiling. "When did you get the kite up?"
"While you were on the phone. We asked that gentleman for some tips," Lance said, pulling Deanna close and looking at her with concern. "Are you feeling down?"
Deanna bit her lip, knowing she couldn't hide her feelings from Lance.
"It's not that I'm down; it's just... I don't know how to describe it. I feel a bit lost," she said, looking at Lance with complex emotions.
Lance raised an eyebrow and stared at Deanna for a few seconds before saying confidently, "You found out everything?"
Deanna nodded. "Julia just told me. Suddenly, I feel like I have no goal."
Lance understood her feelings. Although Deanna didn't live for revenge, it had given her a lot of motivation. Now that her revenge was complete, feeling lost was normal.
"You still have goals. Without these burdens, you can fully pursue what you want to do-like loving me more," Lance whispered the last part into Deanna's ear.
His magnetic voice made Deanna's heart race and her cheeks flush.
"Stop it, there are so many people around!" she said shyly, trying to break free from Lance's embrace.
But Lance didn't let go. He rested his chin on her shoulder and reassured her, "Don't worry, no one is paying attention to us, and they can't hear what we're saying."
Deanna had no choice but to let Lance hold her.
The two children watched from a distance, exchanged glances, and smiled even more brightly.
That evening, the family had dinner outside before returning home.
The children had played all day and were fast asleep on the way back.
After settling them in, Deanna and Lance returned to their room.
After washing up, they lay in bed together.
Suddenly, Deanna spoke up. "I want to visit my mother tomorrow."
"I'll go with you," Lance said, knowing Deanna wanted to tell her mother about the Jones family so she could rest in peace.