Having planted all the herbs, Deanna felt a strong sense of accomplishment.
She rarely took out her phone, but she snapped a photo and shared a new post.
A moment later, a notification popped up. Lance had liked it instantly.
Seeing Lance's profile picture flash on the screen, Deanna was taken aback and couldn't help but smile.
She hadn't expected the esteemed Mr. Mercer to like someone else's post. It was quite rare.
Deanna immediately opened the chat and sent Lance a message.
"Didn't expect Mr. Mercer to be so busy yet still check my updates?"
Lance replied quickly.
"I happened to see it and liked it. I just finished a call with a client. How's everything going on your end?"
Deanna nodded, "Yes, thanks to you, Mr. Mercer. If it weren't for the people you sent to help, I'd still be busy for a few more days."
Planting herbs wasn't difficult, but nurturing them required meticulous care and effort.
Without the gardeners Lance arranged, she would have had to work much longer.
Lance smiled, "Glad to be of help."
He had been worried about whether those people would be suitable, but now it seemed he had worried for nothing.
They chatted casually for a while longer.
As the sun set, Deanna finally left.
...
On the way home after picking up the kids.
Gregory, carrying his little backpack, said, "Mommy, let's go to the bookstore. We're out of practice books at home and need to buy new ones."
Hearing about buying books, Chloe's eyes lit up.
She jumped excitedly, "Yay! Mommy, can you also buy me a storybook?"
She had already read all the storybooks at home multiple times and was bored with them.
Seeing the excitement on their faces, Deanna couldn't help but laugh.
She nodded, "Alright, let's go buy some."
Her tone was full of affection for them.
At the bookstore, the two kids couldn't wait and rushed in to start picking out books.
Chloe stood by the bookshelf, struggling on tiptoe to reach a picture book on the shelf.
At that moment, a woman walked by as if she didn't see Chloe and bumped into her.
Chloe lost her balance and fell to the ground with a thud.
Almost instantly, Deanna rushed over.
She picked Chloe up, "Are you okay, Chloe?"
The woman was also startled and quickly squatted down, "Are you alright? I'm sorry, I didn't see you."
The woman's delicate face showed some guilt.
She had been focused on finding a book and hadn't noticed the little girl in front of her.
If Lance were here, he would have found her familiar.
Because the woman was none other than Bella.
She had come to buy some materials and accidentally bumped into Chloe.
Chloe blinked her big watery eyes and shook her head, "Auntie, Mommy, I'm fine!"
Her adorable expression melted hearts.
Though Chloe said she was fine, Deanna was still worried.
She frowned, "Are you sure you're okay?"
She checked Chloe over to ensure there were no injuries before finally relaxing.
"Mommy, I'm really fine!"
Beside them, Bella also visibly relaxed.
She smiled, "It's good that you're okay. If anything happened to such an adorable little one, I'd feel so guilty!"
Seeing Chloe's lovable appearance, Bella's heart softened.
She glanced at Gregory on Deanna's other side and felt a strange familiarity.
"Your kids are really good-looking!" Bella couldn't help but praise.
Chloe blinked and said sweetly, "Auntie, you're very pretty too!"
Everyone likes compliments, especially from such a cute child.
Bella's smile widened instantly.
She reached out and patted Chloe's head, "You little sweet-talker!"
"Auntie, I'm telling the truth."
After chatting for a bit more, Bella left.
After buying the books, Deanna took the kids home.
Every day seemed to bring new worries...
Early the next morning, Deanna's phone rang.
Picking it up, she saw it was Lance calling.
"Mr. Mercer, it's so early. What's the matter?"
Lance's serious tone made Deanna straighten up as well.
"Dr. Deanna, are you free today? If convenient, please come to Mercer Group now."
Deanna couldn't help but ask, "Has there been progress on the previous matter?"
Lance nodded and answered directly, knowing what Deanna was thinking. "Yes, everything we entrusted to the lawyer has been handled."
"If you're free today, please come over as soon as possible to complete the next steps."
Deanna's heart skipped a beat, her fingers tightening instinctively.