Around noon, Lance went to find Deanna.
Deanna was just returning from the herb field for lunch. She was surprised to see the distinguished man sitting in the living room.
"Mr. Mercer, what brings you here? Are you feeling unwell?"
As she spoke, she approached with concern and took Lance's hand to check his pulse.
Seeing this, Lance swallowed the words he was about to say, deciding to wait until Deanna finished.
After a moment, Deanna released his hand and visibly relaxed.
"Your health has improved quite a bit over the past two weeks. If you keep this up, you'll definitely see more progress."
"I know. I'm not here about my health today; it's about the herb field."
Lance withdrew his hand and spoke calmly, "Xavier has found some clues. Although there's no concrete evidence yet that Emily is behind it, it's highly likely. Tom is her driver in the entertainment industry."
Hearing this, Deanna sneered coldly.
She had suspected Emily. Even without evidence, she was now certain it was Emily!
"Who else could it be? I've been growing herbs here for years without any issues. The fact that something happened now can only mean it's her!"
"Indeed. But how do you plan to handle it?" Lance nodded and looked at her.
Deanna's face darkened as she gritted her teeth. "Naturally, she must pay the price!"
With that, she stood up to go find Emily.
Lance immediately stood up as well.
"Are you going to confront that woman now?"
"Yes."
Deanna nodded firmly and asked, "Is there something else you need, Mr. Mercer?"
Lance shook his head. "No, but if you're going to see Emily, I'll go with you. They won't dare touch you if I'm there."
Hearing this, Deanna felt deeply grateful and did not refuse.
She knew very well that she had no power or influence. Going to confront Emily alone might not end well for her.
...
In the living room of the Howard family villa, Emily sat leisurely on the sofa, sipping tea.
At that moment, a servant walked in. "Missus, there's a woman outside who claims to be Deanna and wants to see you."
"Deanna? Let her in." Emily raised an eyebrow and instructed smugly.
She knew exactly why Deanna was here.
So she sat back on the sofa, ready to watch Deanna lose her composure.
She didn't have to wait long before the servant brought Deanna in.
"Oh, isn't this my dear sister? What brings you here today?"
She lifted her chin slightly and looked over arrogantly.
Deanna's face darkened. Rage surged within her.
She pursed her lips and said nothing, striding over to Emily and slapping her twice. The force of the blows left Emily's meticulously made-up face instantly swollen and red.
Emily was stunned. When she came to her senses, she screamed in anger, clutching her cheek and glaring venomously at Deanna. "Deanna, how dare you hit me!"
Deanna didn't even regard Emily as worth her attention and sneered coldly.
"So what if I hit you? I'm telling you, today it's you I'm after!" With that, she raised her hand to strike again.
The thought of all the rare herbs she had painstakingly cultivated being destroyed by Emily made her murderous with rage.
Those herbs were not only her hard work but also her family's source of income!
Emily had never seen Deanna so furious. Her initial smugness turned into fear and guilt.
The commotion downstairs caught the attention of Raphael in his study upstairs.
He came out of the study and saw Deanna hitting Emily downstairs. His face changed drastically.
"Stop!" he shouted as he quickly descended the stairs, pulling Deanna away forcefully. "Deanna, are you crazy?"
Caught off guard, Deanna stumbled backward but was steadied by Lance's embrace.
Seeing Raphael appear, Emily clung to him and began to sob. "Honey, you're finally here. Deanna has gone mad! I kindly let her in to see me, and she attacked me as soon as she came in!"
Hearing this, Deanna laughed in disbelief.
"Am I the crazy one? It's clearly you who's lost it! Emily, do you think no one will find out about what you've done? I'm telling you, your actions are pushing the limits of the law. Are you prepared to spend the rest of your life in prison?"