Alonso was truly about to explode with anger.
He had initiated this provocation after observing Lance for a long time. He knew that Lance was infatuated with a private doctor, to the point of defying his family elders and even creating a rift with long-time family friends.
He thought he had the perfect timing and conditions to bring Lance down, making him suffer if not outright destroy him.
But within less than a week, Lance had turned the tables.
Could he really be that inferior to Lance?
Alonso began to doubt himself, and his resentment and anger towards Lance grew even stronger.
Since he could remember, he had always lived in Lance's shadow.
Even over the years, his father had been reluctant to hand over the company to him because he wasn't as good as Lance and couldn't be trusted.
As Alonso was thinking, his assistant knocked on the door and came in. "Mr. Valencia, the chairman wants to see you in his office."
"I see," Alonso replied, standing up with a grim expression.
He knew very well that his father calling him at this time likely meant he had discovered what he had done.
Indeed, that was the case.
Since the company's troubles began, Chace Valencia had been investigating and found connections to the Mercer Group. Following the trail, he discovered that his ambitious son was behind the current predicament!
When Alonso walked into the office, Chace was already fuming.
"You ungrateful son, are you trying to ruin the company?" he shouted in fury.
But even this outburst couldn't quell his anger.
He grabbed a glass ashtray from the desk and hurled it at Alonso.
Of course, Alonso wouldn't just stand there and take it.
He tilted his head slightly, dodging the ashtray, and said nonchalantly, "Father, why are you so angry?"
Chace's rage intensified at his son's attitude.
"I see you still don't understand what you've done wrong. I warned you long ago not to provoke Lance without absolute certainty. Do you know how much your actions will cost the company?!"
"Who said I wasn't certain?"
Alonso's eyes were filled with determination. "You taught me to be a competent hunter since I was a child. Although this plan had some flaws, I have a backup plan. Just watch me take a piece out of Mercer Group! I'll prove to you and everyone else that I'm not inferior to Lance!"
His final words were spoken with resolute determination.
Chace's initial fury began to subside as he saw Alonso's resolve.
He furrowed his brow and asked in a steady voice, "Are you sure your backup plan will succeed?"
"I'm sure!" Alonso replied confidently, a ruthless smile curling on his lips.
After all, without Lance, what was the Mercer Group? He could take it down whenever he wanted.
Lance was unaware of the impending danger.
Since defeating Explority Group, he had delegated the follow-up tasks to his team.
He took some time to rest after several consecutive days of intense work, which had taken a toll on his appearance.
Because of this, he hadn't contacted Deanna for days and missed her terribly.
Finally feeling somewhat recovered, he checked the time difference and knew Deanna and her children would be awake. He called them via video chat.
"Uncle, you've lost weight!" Chloe exclaimed with concern upon seeing Lance on the screen.
Deanna also noticed how much weight he had lost and furrowed her delicate brows. "Have you not been taking care of yourself abroad?"
Hearing her concern warmed Lance's heart.
He smiled slightly, looking at Deanna and her children with affectionate eyes. "Don't worry, I've been taking care of myself. I probably lost weight because I can't get used to the food here."
Deanna didn't think much of it and offered some caring suggestions.
"If you can't get used to the food, ask Mr. Nelson to find some chefs who can make homemade dishes."
"I did, but their cooking is not as good as yours."
Lance's words carried a deeper meaning as he looked at Deanna with deep affection in his eyes.
Deanna's heart raced under his gaze, a blush slowly creeping up her neck.
At that moment, Gregory suddenly exclaimed, "I know! Uncle wants to eat Mom's cooking, right?"
He looked at Lance on the screen with an expression that said 'Am I right?'
Lance chuckled softly, his eyes filled with tenderness. "You're right. I miss your mom's cooking."
"If you miss it so much, come back soon," Deanna responded shyly but sincerely.
Lance's smile grew brighter as he nodded. "Soon. There's just a bit of work left to wrap up. Once it's done, I'll contact you immediately."
Deanna smiled and nodded in return.
She knew that Mercer Group had been active recently and guessed that Lance would be back soon.
They talked for a while longer before ending the call.