In the apartment, Deanna was having breakfast with the two little ones and her grandmother.
Hearing the doorbell, she got up to answer it without much thought.
When she saw who was at the door, she was quite surprised.
"Mr. Mercer, what brings you here?"
"I just got back from a business trip and brought some toys for the kids."
Lance noticed that Deanna was still standing in the doorway, not inviting him in. He frowned slightly and then asked, "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
"Uh, please come in."
Deanna was momentarily stunned but eventually invited him inside.
After all, he had come with good intentions.
Once inside, Lance saw the two little ones and Old Ashley sitting at the dining table, and a smile appeared on his face.
He nodded at Old Ashley in greeting before turning to the children. "Gregory, Chloe, it's been a few days. Did you miss Uncle?"
"We did," they replied in unison.
However, their actions didn't match their words.
Given how much the two little ones liked Lance before, they should have already jumped into his arms after not seeing him for so many days.
But today, they remained seated at the table, only responding politely.
Lance immediately noticed the change in their attitude, feeling a sinking sensation in his heart.
Deanna, on the other hand, felt both relieved and a bit sad at their reaction.
She knew how much her children liked Lance.
Thinking it over, she decided it was best to be honest with Lance to avoid future misunderstandings.
"Mr. Mercer, since you're about to get married, it's best if you don't come by anymore or buy things for the kids. It could cause misunderstandings and upset your fiancée."
"I..."
Lance tried to explain.
But before he could finish, Deanna interrupted him. "As for medical treatment, I'll provide it to you at Hughes Pharmacy from now on. Even though we both know it's for treatment, being alone together can lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary trouble."
Deanna's tone was polite but distant as she addressed potential misunderstandings.
Lance rubbed his temples in frustration.
"Wait, let me explain."
He made a pause gesture to get Deanna to listen.
Deanna pursed her lips slightly and nodded. "Mr. Mercer, go ahead."
"I want to say that I don't have a fiancée. The rumors about my marriage are false; they're just media fabrications."
Lance said this all in one breath.
Deanna was visibly taken aback, not expecting this turn of events.
She frowned in disbelief. "How could it be false?"
The online reports seemed so convincing.
Lance saw her skepticism and continued, "You can ask Xavier. That night, I didn't take Bella in; I had him send her away."
Xavier stepped forward to vouch for Mr. Mercer.
"Dr. Deanna, I can vouch for Mr. Mercer. He has no relationship with Miss Cody. That night, although she came to see him, he didn't entertain her. I personally sent her away; nothing happened between them."
Deanna looked skeptical.
The two little ones were secretly delighted.
Especially Chloe, whose smile became more genuine. "Uncle Xavier, is that true?"
She looked up at him with wide eyes.
Xavier nodded firmly.
"It's true. Miss Cody is not my boss's type."
"Then what's Uncle Lance's ideal?" Chloe couldn't help but ask.
Xavier glanced at Mr. Mercer for approval and then boldly said, "Mr. Mercer likes gentle, patient, and loving women like Dr. Deanna."
He almost directly spoke Deanna was Mr. Mercer's type.
Unfortunately, Deanna didn't catch his hint and instead thought Lance had good taste for liking someone like her.
Gregory snorted and frowned. "Uncle Xavier is Uncle Lance's man; of course, he'd speak for him. If there's really nothing between them, why would there be news online? My teacher says it takes two to tango; you can't fool my mom and sister."
Hearing this and seeing Gregory's serious expression made Lance and Xavier chuckle.
Lance laughed and said, "You know the saying 'it takes two to tango'? Not bad. But you can't judge online matters by that standard because many things online are fabricated without evidence. So don't believe them."