Lance urgently knocked on the door. "Mr. Martinez, come out quickly! Gregory and Chloe are sick!"
He called out several times before the door finally opened, revealing Gunner, who had put on the wrong shoes and clothes in his haste.
But Gunner couldn't care less about these details.
"Who did you say is sick?"
He looked at Lance anxiously for an answer.
Lance didn't bother to reply directly but pulled him towards the children's room, saying, "Gregory and Chloe are sick. I felt their foreheads; they have a fever."
Hearing this, Gunner didn't need any more prompting and started running.
In less than two minutes, they reached the children's room.
Gunner immediately began examining the two little ones.
Lance stood by, trying to contain his worry, waiting quietly.
After a moment, Gunner's tense expression relaxed a bit.
"It's not serious. They've been emotionally stressed and scared these past few days, which triggered a physical reaction. They don't need medication. Go get a basin of warm water; we'll use it to help reduce their fever."
"Okay."
Lance responded and headed to the bathroom.
Half an hour later, the children's temperatures had indeed gone down.
At this point, they woke up.
"Daddy, Grandmaster, why are you here?" Gregory asked in a hoarse voice.
As he spoke, he tried to sit up but found he had no strength.
Chloe, beside him, frowned and complained to Lance, "Daddy, I feel awful. What's wrong with me?"
"You both had a fever just now. Your temperature has just come down, so you'll feel weak for a while. It's normal."
Lance spoke gently as he tucked Chloe in more snugly. "Since you're not feeling well, lie down for a bit longer. Gregory too. I'll bring breakfast up for you both in a while."
The two little ones nodded obediently.
Then they looked at Lance standing there and exclaimed, "Daddy, are you feeling better too?"
Lance was momentarily stunned before he realized the soreness in his limbs.
Not wanting to show his discomfort in front of the children, he nodded firmly. "Yes, Daddy is fine."
Gunner saw through his act but said nothing.
The children believed him and were happy for Lance.
At that moment, Gregory suddenly grabbed Lance's sleeve and whispered, "Daddy, don't tell Great-grandma that we were sick. Just say we slept in. I don't want her to worry."
"Yes, Daddy, please don't say anything," Chloe echoed.
Seeing how considerate they were, Lance felt his heart melt.
He nodded in agreement and coaxed them back to sleep before dragging his exhausted body out of the room.
As soon as he stepped out, he saw Gunner standing in the hallway with a wheelchair.
"Mr. Martinez?"
He spoke in surprise, clearly not expecting him to still be there.
Gunner understood the confusion in his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong? Not in pain anymore? Come sit down; I'll help relieve your condition."
Hearing this, Lance pursed his lips slightly but did not refuse.
After the treatment, it was about time for breakfast.
With Gunner's help, Lance wheeled himself to the dining room.
There were already people there.
Old Ashley greeted them with a nod and then asked, "Why are only you two here? Where are Gregory and Chloe?"
"They cried most of the night and couldn't get up this morning. I let them sleep in," Lance explained.
Old Ashley's face immediately showed concern. "Let them sleep longer then."
During this time of uncertainty about Deanna's fate, the two little ones had been very well-behaved but still needed an outlet for their anxiety.
Days passed one by one.
A week went by with no news of Deanna.
Though Lance received daily treatments, his condition visibly worsened day by day.
Old Ashley didn't look much better either.
Even the two little ones had lost weight.
During this period, Eula's days were also difficult.
All her assets, both overt and covert, were being relentlessly suppressed by Lance and Gunner at any cost.
In just one week, she had lost billions of dollars in assets, not including her hidden forces.
One day, after receiving another report of losses from her subordinates, she could no longer hold back and summoned Avery for questioning. "Didn't I tell you to divert Lance's anger towards Bella? Why hasn't there been any movement?"
"There was an unexpected issue before, but it's resolved now. Lance will get the news by tonight at the latest," Avery explained immediately.
Hearing this, Eula finally breathed a sigh of relief.
She then asked with concern, "How did you arrange it?"
Avery detailed his plan. "I convinced Kabaf to register as a mercenary with Abla."