The two little ones stood up from the ground, smiling sheepishly.
Chloe looked at Lance not far away, then at her mother with a worried expression. "Mommy, are you arguing with Uncle?"
Gregory also sensed the tension between them. He stepped forward, took Deanna's hand, and pleaded, "Mommy, please don't argue with Uncle. He's really nice."
Hearing them speak up for Lance made Deanna feel a pang of sadness. It hadn't been long, and the children were already taking Lance's side.
Deanna felt a wave of grievance and turned her head away without saying anything.
Lance noticed this and his face darkened, but he restrained himself in front of the children. Shortly after, he left Deanna's apartment.
For the next two days, possibly due to their argument, Lance did not return to Deanna's apartment. Deanna acted as if nothing had happened, going about her daily routine. However, the two little ones missed Lance dearly.
One day, they couldn't hold back and approached Deanna. "Mommy, yesterday was Uncle Lance's treatment day, but he didn't come. Should we call him to check?"
Deanna looked down at them, knowing they were trying to create an opportunity for her and Lance to reconcile. But their issues couldn't be resolved with just a few words.
"No need. He's not a child who needs reminders," Deanna replied coldly.
The children felt disheartened.
On the other side, Lance wasn't doing any better. He had deliberately skipped the treatment to give Deanna a chance to reach out. If she contacted him, it would mean they could move past their issues. But after waiting a whole day and night, he received no call from her.
"You are so heartless," Lance muttered to himself, gripping his phone in frustration. His mood worsened, affecting the entire Mercer Group. The employees, especially the executives, were on edge every day.
Half a month passed, and Deanna and Lance were still in a cold war. Lance hadn't visited the Jones family during this time. The children were very worried.
"Brother, will Uncle Lance never come back?" Chloe asked Gregory with teary eyes.
Gregory frowned like an old man and shook his head. "I don't know."
Chloe's face fell as she sniffled and said, "I miss Uncle Lance."
"I miss him too," Gregory admitted, blinking his eyes. "But Mommy doesn't want Uncle here and won't let him come over."
Just then, Chloe's eyes lit up with an idea. "If Mommy won't let Uncle come over, we can go find him ourselves."
Gregory thought this was a good plan. Maybe they could help Uncle Lance and Mommy make up.
That evening after school, the two left through the back gate to avoid being stopped by Deanna, who waited at the front gate.
Unaware of this, Deanna waited at the school entrance but didn't see them come out. As most of the children had left, she went inside to find their teacher.
"Miss Tiffany, did Gregory and Chloe stay behind?"
"Gregory and Chloe left a while ago," Tiffany replied with a smile.
Deanna was stunned. "They left? But I didn't see them at the gate."
Tiffany was surprised too. "Today Gregory told me their dad would pick them up from the back gate."
Deanna paused before smiling. "I see. Sorry to bother you."
She turned to leave, her face darkening with displeasure. She was upset that Lance took the kids without informing her but realized she hadn't set that expectation either.
Deciding not to pursue it further, she returned home with a cold expression.
Old Ashley noticed her return alone and asked with concern, "Why are you alone? Where are Gregory and Chloe?"
"Lance took them," Deanna replied flatly, clearly not wanting to discuss it further. She then invited her grandmother to dinner.
Old Ashley nodded and didn't press further.
Meanwhile, the children arrived at Mercer Group but were disappointed to learn that Lance had left early for an engagement.
"We should have called Uncle Lance instead of surprising him," Chloe said regretfully.
Gregory also looked frustrated.