"Thank you for what you did earlier."
Suddenly, Deanna said this to Lance.
Lance smiled apologetically and said, "It happened because of me. I should be the one apologizing."
"I brought you here but didn't take good care of you, which led to such an embarrassing situation."
Deanna shook her head. "It's not your fault."
Emily had targeted her deliberately to embarrass her. It would have happened regardless of who she came with.
Suddenly, Lance seemed to remember something and asked, "How's your foot?"
Deanna nodded. "It's much better now."
Lance nodded in return. "Just wait for me a little longer. The party is almost over."
Deanna wasn't in a hurry and nodded, staying by Lance's side as he socialized.
At that moment, Bella approached from a distance.
She was holding a glass of champagne and was about to greet Lance when she saw Deanna beside him and froze.
Her grip on the champagne tightened.
Why is this woman here again?
It was one thing for her to show up at the company, but now she's at this party, and Lance brought her along.
Bella's mind was filled with questions.
She masked her surprise and put on a gracious smile as she walked up.
"Lance!"
Lance turned around and responded with a cold "Hmm."
Bella smiled lightly, not feeling awkward at all.
She looked at Deanna and asked, "Lance, who is this lady beside you? I saw her at the company last time but didn't get an introduction."
She smiled warmly, appearing non-threatening.
Lance nodded and instinctively looked at Deanna. "This is my companion, Deanna."
Deanna smiled and extended her hand. "Hello."
Bella also extended her hand in response. "Hello, Miss Jones. I'm Bella Cole. Just call me Bella."
"Miss Jones, didn't we meet once before at the company?"
Bella casually brought it up, glancing at Lance to gauge his reaction.
Deanna didn't shy away and nodded. "Yes, we met at the bookstore last time."
Bella laughed. "I knew I wasn't mistaken!"
"Miss Jones, your two children I saw at the bookstore were so adorable!"
Bella emphasized the word "children," guessing that Lance was unaware of this.
Proud as he was, how could he accept a woman with two children?
But to her surprise, Lance remained calm.
Deanna also nodded nonchalantly. "Yes, they are very well-behaved."
Mentioning her children brought a smile to Deanna's face.
Bella was even more puzzled by the lack of reaction...
Despite her confusion, she maintained a friendly demeanor.
"Lance, do you mind if I borrow your companion for a chat?"
Without waiting for his response, she pulled Deanna aside and started talking.
"Deanna, I hope you don't mind me calling you that?"
"For some reason, I felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity when I first saw you. Maybe it's fate..."
Bella spoke warmly to Deanna.
Her enthusiasm startled Deanna a bit.
Deanna smiled lightly and nodded. "Hmm."
But she couldn't shake off a strange feeling inside.
This woman's enthusiasm seemed odd...
Although Deanna didn't interact with people much, she had basic judgment skills.
No matter what Bella said, Deanna responded simply and politely.
Seeing that she couldn't get anything out of her, Bella gave up.
Later, due to some social engagements, Lance ended up drinking a bit.
Deanna stood nearby and noticed Lance looking unwell. She quickly excused herself from Bella and approached him.
"Sorry, Miss Cole, I have something to attend to."
She walked over to Lance, grabbed his arm, and asked, "Are you okay?"
She looked at him with concern in her eyes.
Lance smiled lightly and shook his head. "I'm fine."
The more he said that, the more worried Deanna became.
She frowned, clearly not convinced.
Seeing Lance pick up another glass of wine as someone approached to toast him,
Deanna interrupted by raising her own glass in front of him.
"Mr. Mercer shouldn't drink these days. I'll drink on his behalf." She said and downed the glass in one go.
"Miss Jones has quite the tolerance!"
Lance leaned in and whispered, "If you can't handle it, don't drink."
Deanna nodded. "Don't worry, I know my limits. I won't overdo it!"
Lance smiled. "Alright."