Lance saw Deanna enter the inner room with a pale face and immediately followed her without a second thought.
Old Hughes noticed this and felt concerned as well.
"Efrain, keep an eye on things outside. I'll go check on them."
With that, Old Hughes turned to follow them inside.
However, after just two steps, Xavier stopped him with a smile. "Dr. Deanna has Mr. Mercer with her. She'll be fine. Old Hughes, you should focus on the free clinical treatment."
It was clear that Mr. Mercer had gone in to comfort Dr. Deanna, and Xavier did not want anyone to interrupt this rare moment of privacy.
Old Hughes realized what was happening and gave Xavier a knowing look.
Then he nodded with a smile, "You're right. The most important thing now is the free clinical treatment. I'll check how many patients are still waiting."
With that, he walked away briskly.
Efrain was a bit confused by the situation.
He glanced inside, then at the long line of patients outside. Although he felt something was off, he didn't think much of it and continued with the free clinical treatment alongside Old Hughes.
Meanwhile, Lance followed Deanna into the room and saw her standing with her back to the door, her thin shoulders trembling slightly.
Deanna heard footsteps behind her and, thinking someone had come in, quickly wiped her eyes before turning around.
"Mr. Mercer?"
She looked at the man at the door in surprise. "Why are you here?"
Lance didn't answer immediately but stared at Deanna's slightly red eyes in a daze.
"Have you been crying?"
As he spoke, he walked over with a slight frown.
This was the first time he had seen Deanna cry since he had known her.
No matter what had happened before, she had always been very strong.
Even earlier, when Sariah caused trouble, she acted very tough.
But thinking about what had happened earlier, Lance understood.
Deanna had worked so hard to treat patients, only to be doubted like that. It must have hurt her deeply.
Feeling sorry for her, Lance didn't think much and just wanted to comfort her. He walked over and pulled her into his arms.
The sudden hug stunned Deanna, but she didn't push him away.
For some reason, listening to the man's heartbeat calmed her troubled heart.
Lance wasn't aware of this and spoke in a low voice, "If you're feeling wronged, you don't have to do this anymore. Old Hughes won't blame you."
Deanna shook her head gently without speaking, but she buried her head in Lance's chest and took a deep breath, feeling a bit overwhelmed.
In the end, she couldn't hold back and tears fell from her eyes.
Hearing the soft sobs from his embrace, Lance's eyes darkened a bit.
He gently patted Deanna's back, silently comforting her.
Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating their embracing figures amidst the ancient architecture, creating an indescribably beautiful and warm scene.
After a while, Deanna's emotions finally settled down.
She leaned against Lance's chest, feeling his warm breath, and her cheeks flushed red.
Almost instinctively, she pushed him away and took a step back, looking embarrassed and uneasy.
"Um, thank you."
Deanna didn't know what else to say and after some hesitation, chose to express her gratitude.
Lance looked at Deanna's shy expression with a hint of surprise and amusement in his eyes.
Even so, he maintained a serious demeanor. "Feeling better now?"
"Yes, thank you."
Deanna nodded and thanked him again.
Lance didn't like her polite demeanor but didn't say anything. He changed the subject and asked, "Since you're feeling better, are you going back to the free clinical treatment?"
"Yes," Deanna answered without hesitation.
After all, she had promised Old Hughes.
Moreover, she wasn't the type to give up after facing setbacks.
If she were that kind of person, she wouldn't have survived all these years.
With that thought, Deanna smiled again and said softly, "Let's go out. We shouldn't keep everyone waiting."
Lance nodded and followed Deanna outside.
As they walked out, he suggested, "I'll send a few bodyguards to protect you later. That should prevent any more troublemakers."
Deanna frowned slightly.
She knew Lance meant well but felt it was a bit excessive.
"There's no need for that. After what happened earlier, I don't think anyone will dare to cause trouble again."
After all, Old Hughes' attitude was clear for everyone to see.
Anyone with common sense wouldn't risk offending Old Hughes by causing trouble for her.
Lance understood this but insisted anyway.
"Even with Old Hughes' support, it's better to be cautious in case of any emotional outbursts. Besides, if anything happens to you, Chloe and Gregory would be very worried."
He persuaded Deanna.
Left speechless by his reasoning, Deanna reluctantly accepted his goodwill but felt warm inside.
After all, it was nice to have someone care about her since being expelled from the Jones family.