After Bella left, Lance put down the newspaper and went to the dining room.
As for the breakfast Bella brought, he acted as if he hadn't seen it and didn't touch it at all.
After finishing his meal, Lance left for the company.
He had several meetings scheduled for the morning, including an international one. Additionally, there was a pile of documents waiting for his review.
It wasn't until the afternoon that Lance could finally take a break.
He sat at his desk looking exhausted, his complexion not very good.
Xavier, who was nearby, looked on with concern. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine."
Despite his words, Lance raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples. Perhaps due to overworking his brain, he felt a heavy sensation in his head.
Then he asked, "Is there anything else that needs to be handled today?"
"Most of it has been taken care of. By the way, there's something I need to report. The Assard Mountain Hotspring Resort is completed and about to open. Initially, it will be free for experience. As the owner, you could go there to relax. You've been busy lately and haven't had a proper rest. This could be a good opportunity for a break," Xavier suggested, looking at him.
Lance paused, recalling the matter.
Assard Mountain was originally a barren hill, but a few years ago, a natural spring was discovered there. The government organized its development, and Mercer Group obtained the development rights.
After several years of construction, it was finally completed.
Thinking about this, Lance didn't immediately agree with Xavier's suggestion. "Given my current condition, I'm not sure if I can use the hot springs. I'll need to ask Dr. Deanna first."
Xavier was momentarily stunned by this response.
In his memory, Mr. Mercer never needed to consult anyone before making decisions.
But considering it was Dr. Deanna, he understood.
Mr. Mercer had no principles when it came to Dr. Deanna.
An idea suddenly struck Xavier.
"Speaking of which, since the resort is opening, why not invite Dr. Deanna and the two kids along?"
Xavier finished speaking and cautiously looked at his boss.
Lance seemed to have no objections and appeared to agree.
Thus, Xavier mused internally. 'Mr. Mercer is becoming more and more different when it comes to Dr. Deanna. I wonder when they will finally be together.'
Lance was unaware of Xavier's thoughts.
After work in the evening, he went straight home.
Today was the day he had scheduled for treatment with Deanna.
When he arrived, Deanna was already there, sitting on the living room sofa reading a magazine.
Deanna heard the noise and put down the magazine, looking up to see the handsome man walking in against the light. She stood up with a smile and greeted him.
"Mr. Mercer, you're back."
Lance nodded, feeling a strange emotion inside.
It felt like a wife waiting at home for her husband to return from work.
But this thought quickly passed and was dismissed by him.
Deanna was unaware of this.
She looked at him with smiling eyes and asked, "Mr. Mercer, when do you plan to start the treatment?"
However, Lance responded with an unrelated question.
"Have you eaten?"
"Not yet."
Deanna shook her head.
She had planned to eat after the treatment.
But upon hearing her answer, Lance directly invited her. "Since you haven't eaten yet, let's have dinner together before starting the treatment."
Deanna couldn't refuse and agreed.
At that moment, Sam respectfully approached. "Mr. Mercer, dinner is ready."
"I understand."
Lance acknowledged and turned to Deanna, gesturing for her to join him.
Deanna nodded and followed him to the dining room.
During dinner, Lance remembered what Xavier had mentioned in the afternoon and asked about it.
"Dr. Deanna, do you think my current condition allows me to use hot springs?"
"Hot springs? Yes, you can use them. They might even be beneficial for you. Just don't stay in too long," Deanna advised before casually asking, "Where do you plan to go for hot springs, Mr. Mercer?"
Lance didn't hide anything. "The hot spring resort at Assard Mountain is completed and will soon open for trial operations. I plan to go there and check it out while enjoying the hot springs."
As he spoke, he recalled Xavier's suggestion from the afternoon and looked at the woman across from him, extending an invitation.
"By the way, Dr. Deanna, do you have time next weekend? You could join me at the resort."
Deanna was momentarily stunned.
She hadn't expected Lance to invite her.
After recovering from her surprise, she politely declined. "Thank you for the offer, Mr. Mercer, but I'll pass."
Lance wasn't surprised by her response.
He glanced at Deanna and continued speaking on his own accord. "Actually, I mainly want to invite Chloe and Gregory. They probably don't get many chances to go out and play. It's a rare opportunity; I want to take them along. I think they would enjoy it."
For a moment, Deanna felt both amused and helpless.
She couldn't refuse Lance's invitation any longer.
Indeed, the two children had been very sensible since they were young. Knowing that their family wasn't well-off financially, they never pestered her to go out and play.
"Then I'll trouble you with this, Mr. Mercer."