The meal was harmonious for Deanna and the others.
The happiest person was Samantha.
If it weren't for Logan's call, she wouldn't have wanted to leave.
After a brief farewell, Deanna escorted Samantha downstairs.
On the way, she couldn't help but ask, "Mrs. Mercer, I hope this isn't too forward, but how is Mr. Mercer doing abroad?"
Hearing this, Samantha turned her head to look at her.
"I thought you wouldn't ask."
She stopped walking, her eyes complicated. "Do you know why I didn't approve of you and Lance being together before? Because of your background, you can't help Lance. For instance, if you were from a prestigious family, Lance's current troubles would be easily resolved instead of him facing everything alone abroad."
Deanna's face froze, her emotions churning inside her.
Before she could say anything, Mrs. Mercer sighed and changed the subject.
"Although Lance's father and I have our doubts, you are..."
Samantha initially wanted to say 'the mother of his children,' but remembering that her son hadn't told Deanna yet, she swallowed her words and continued, "Lance has chosen you and is determined to be with you. For your sake, he almost abandoned us."
Hearing this, Deanna couldn't help but feel happy.
Samantha noticed this and felt a pang of sadness.
She quickly suppressed her feelings and said in a steady voice, "We won't force Lance, but we won't easily agree to this either. Unless you can prove that you can take on the responsibilities of the young mistress of the Mercer family."
Deanna was stunned by Mrs. Mercer's sharp gaze.
She hadn't expected such a request.
She and Lance weren't even officially dating yet; she didn't know how to respond.
Moreover, she felt a bit guilty.
She hadn't forgotten how she had previously denied any relationship with Lance beyond that of doctor and patient.
While she was feeling awkward and unsure, a black car stopped at the entrance of the community.
Logan got out and, seeing Deanna and Samantha at the gate, asked disappointedly, "Where are the kids?"
"The kids are at home doing their homework," Samantha replied before Deanna could.
Then she said goodbye to Deanna, "Dr. Deanna, this is as far as I'll go. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Deanna nodded in farewell.
Watching the car disappear down the street, she felt relieved but also heavy-hearted.
Mrs. Mercer's words had clearly affected her, leaving her unsure of what to do.
But then she thought that since she and Lance weren't even dating yet, there was no point in worrying about it.
So she quickly put it out of her mind-or rather, consciously chose to forget it.
...
In New York, after three days of investigation, Xavier finally found the culprit behind the gold mine collapse.
"Although the accident site was a blind spot for surveillance, after extensive investigation and questioning, we identified a suspect-Harold."
Xavier respectfully reported to Lance, "He was a patrol officer at the mine. Several days before the incident, he was often seen loitering around the site. Moreover, he's known to be a gambler who went to the casino every day after work. But during those days, he didn't go to the casino and was secretly transferring assets and arranging immigration procedures."
Lance's face darkened ominously upon hearing this.
"Since we've found him, capture him and interrogate him to find out who's behind this. Then hand him over to the police."
Lance ordered in a deep voice and then added, "It's also time to close in on Explority Group. Order everyone to fully suppress their stocks and business."
Xavier nodded and left to relay the orders.
That night, Harold, who was preparing to flee, was captured by Xavier's men.
Lance didn't participate in the interrogation; he left it entirely to Xavier.
He focused on countering Explority Group's retaliation.
He didn't use any underhanded tactics but openly declared war on Explority Group.
The wealthy businessmen of Cloudmere were shocked by Lance's ruthless methods.
In less than a day, Explority Group lost hundreds of millions of dollars, and the losses were still mounting.
Alonso's face darkened as he listened to his assistant report on the company's situation in his office.
He was about the same age as Lance but vastly different in temperament and appearance.
If Lance could be described as a noble gentleman, Alonso was an unremarkable commoner who had only gained his current status through luck and being born into the right family.
"Are you all useless? You can't even secure clients you've had for over a decade. What's the point of keeping you around?"