Under the warm yellow light, Lance watched Deanna with a focused and serious expression, his eyes gradually deepening.
Suddenly, he raised his other hand and touched Deanna's forehead, gently pressing against it.
"It seems the fever has really gone down."
As he spoke, he naturally withdrew his hand but couldn't help rubbing his fingers, as if savoring the delicate skin he had just touched.
Deanna was slightly stunned, seemingly not expecting Lance to make such a move. Her cheeks began to flush, and her heart skipped a beat.
However, she quickly suppressed her unusual feelings and smiled, "I told you I'm fine. I really am. I'm a doctor myself, wouldn't I know?"
Lance glanced at her, his eyes carrying a hint of mischief.
"If that's the case, then how did you end up getting sick?"
"Uh..."
Deanna was momentarily speechless.
After a while, she found her voice and defended herself, "Even though I'm a doctor, I'm not omnipotent. Who can control not getting sick? At most, we can only prevent it."
"Well, you didn't prevent it well enough."
Lance spoke again, leaving Deanna at a loss for words.
She awkwardly said, "It was an accident."
Just as she finished speaking, the man who had been smiling lightly suddenly became serious.
"No matter what, you need to take better care of yourself in the future because you're not alone."
Lance stared at Deanna with a serious expression.
Deanna met his dark eyes, and her heart pounded heavily.
The man's low voice echoed in her ears again.
"This time you got sick and scared the two kids. Even if not for yourself, you should take care of yourself for their sake."
"... I understand. There won't be a next time."
Deanna responded as she came back to her senses, then lowered her head uncomfortably, pretending to be focused on massaging.
Seeing this, Lance didn't say anything more.
Afterward, Deanna continued to massage him for a while before letting go. Her expression had returned to normal as she looked up and asked, "Now try moving. How does it feel?"
Lance nodded and lifted his arm slightly. "It's good. It's not numb anymore."
He retracted his hand and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 3 AM.
"It's still early. You can rest a bit more." Lance advised Deanna.
Deanna didn't refuse and nodded. "I'll sleep in a while. But you should go rest. You've been busy all day and must be tired."
Knowing Deanna was concerned about him, Lance felt warm inside.
He smiled slightly and said, "It's fine. I'll make do on the sofa for the night. Besides, I promised Chloe and Gregory that I'd stay with them."
Hearing this, Deanna couldn't insist on making him leave.
Especially when she saw the man lie down on the sofa in front of her and soon start breathing evenly. She couldn't say anything more.
Having no other choice, she took a blanket from the nearby cabinet and covered him before returning to her bed to rest.
However, after lying down, she found it hard to sleep. Her mind was inexplicably chaotic.
At this moment, Chloe's soft murmur reached her ears.
"Uncle, don't go..."
Hearing this, Deanna couldn't help but frown.
She suddenly realized that although she wanted the two kids to stay away from Lance, in reality, they were getting closer to him.
Of course, she could understand this.
After all, the children had lacked fatherly love from a young age. It was natural for them to be drawn to a male figure they liked.
But... Lance's recent behavior made her feel uneasy.
Thinking of this, Deanna couldn't help but glance at the sleeping man not far away.
Under the light, he slept deeply. His handsome features glowed softly, looking less aloof than usual and more harmless.
Unconsciously, Deanna found herself staring at him.
It wasn't until a long time later that she snapped out of her daze, feeling annoyed with herself.
How could she have been so mesmerized?
Fortunately, no one saw her lapse just now.
With this thought, Deanna's expression turned serious again.
Firstly, she was upset with herself for losing composure and for allowing the kids and Lance to get too close recently, which felt dangerous.
Secondly, it was Lance's attitude.
As mentioned earlier, Deanna noticed that Lance's recent actions seemed off. Whether towards the kids or herself, he seemed overly kind.
There was even an unfamiliar sense of intimacy?
"Am I overthinking it?"
Deanna muttered to herself.
But then she thought again; whether she was overthinking it or not, this situation wasn't good.
Especially since she hadn't forgotten what Mrs. Mercer had said when she came to see her.
Moreover, she worried that her relationship with Lance might undergo some fundamental changes.
After all, she was also a normal person with emotions and desires.
And with such an outstanding man like Lance around, unless one had no feelings at all, it would be impossible to remain indifferent.
This was precisely what Deanna feared most.
Because emotions are the most uncontrollable thing.