After listening to the officer, Ricky still held onto a glimmer of hope. He thought that the small shop where he bought the medicine in the suburbs couldn't possibly have surveillance. But when he saw the footage the officer presented, he knew he was finished.
Seeing Ricky's ashen face, the officer continued the interrogation. "All the evidence is here. Do you have anything to say?"
"Since you've found everything, why ask?" Ricky had given up on lying but was still reluctant to admit his actions.
The officer pressed on, "So, you're indirectly admitting that you bought the musk?"
"What if I did? What if I didn't?"
"And your motive? Why did you do it?"
Ignoring Ricky's impatience, the officer continued questioning him for another half hour before leaving the interrogation room.
Lance and Old Hughes immediately approached him. "Did he confess?" they asked with concern.
"Ricky admitted it. He bought the musk to frame Deanna. According to him, he owed over four million dollars in high-interest loans and thought he could extort some money from Deanna's well-off family," the officer explained.
Lance's face darkened upon hearing this. Old Hughes was equally displeased, and Xavier, standing nearby, was also furious on Deanna's behalf.
"What an ingrate. Deanna helped his mother get treatment, and this is how he repays her," Xavier fumed.
Lance shot him a cold glance but said nothing. Instead, he turned to the officer. "Now that the investigation is clear, shouldn't she be released?"
"Yes, but you'll need to complete some paperwork," the officer replied, leading them away.
About ten minutes later, Deanna emerged from the detention center, looking a bit dazed. But when she saw Lance standing not far away, a warmth filled her dark eyes. "Mr. Mercer..."
"It's good you're out. We'll talk about everything else later," Lance said gently, extending his hand to her.
Deanna instinctively took his hand and nodded lightly. Xavier and Old Hughes exchanged knowing looks as they watched the two.
Old Hughes couldn't resist teasing, "Anna, this isn't right. We're standing here too, but it seems you only have eyes for Lance."
"I didn't mean to ignore you; I just didn't get a chance to greet you," Deanna quickly defended herself, blushing.
Old Hughes teased again, "I think you just didn't care about us."
"Old Hughes!" Deanna stomped her foot in embarrassment, her previously pale cheeks now flushed red.
Lance's heart softened at the sight. Seeing Deanna so flustered, he cleared his throat and interrupted, "Please stop teasing Dr. Deanna. Let's get her home so she can freshen up. She probably hasn't rested well these past few days."
He then gave Old Hughes a silent warning look. If you keep this up, don't blame me for messing with your herbs.
Old Hughes understood the warning and gritted his teeth but said nothing more.
Once in the car, Deanna noticed they weren't heading towards her home. "Mr. Mercer, this isn't the way to my house. Where are we going?" she asked.
"We're going to my place first. Although I had your house cleaned up, it's been empty for a few days and might be dusty," Lance explained gently. Then he added, "By the way, I had Chloe, Gregory, and your grandmother brought over. You'll see them soon."
Deanna nodded and looked at Lance's handsome features, suddenly at a loss for words. She felt an inexplicable sense of security knowing Lance had thought of everything for her.
Noticing her gaze, Lance asked, "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing much. I was just thinking that Mr. Mercer's future wife will be very lucky," Deanna replied with a faint smile, feeling a sudden pang of jealousy.
Lance was momentarily taken aback by her comment. Just as he was about to respond, Deanna changed the subject. "Did Ricky confess today?"
"Yes, he did. Old Hughes found records of him buying the musk in the suburbs," Lance summarized.
Deanna's mood visibly darkened as she listened. She couldn't understand why such misfortune had befallen her despite her good intentions.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she became. It felt like a betrayal from someone close to her, making it hard to let go.
Lance noticed Deanna's emotional shift. Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, he couldn't help but pull her into his arms and softly comfort her, "If you want to cry, just let it out."