Seeing the two little ones hiding behind Lance and teasing her, Deanna couldn't help but laugh and scold them.
"Just you wait, I'll catch you in a bit."
Then she looked at Lance, blinking her eyes and acting cute. "Mr. Mercer, could you go easy on me later?"
Lance and the two little ones were stunned.
Clearly, they hadn't expected Deanna to be so blatant about cheating.
"No way, I can't go easy."
The two little ones got anxious and started to plead with Lance as well.
Lance raised an eyebrow, looked at the two little ones, then at Deanna, his eyes twinkling. "Don't worry, I won't go easy. Play fair to get what you want."
Hearing this, Deanna's eyes filled with resentment.
If she could win, she wouldn't ask Lance for that.
Seeing this, Lance's eyes filled with amusement.
The game continued.
Deanna was still the Eagle.
This time she was determined to catch the two little ones and redeem herself, so she launched a fierce attack on Lance.
She originally thought her attack wouldn't touch Lance, but to her surprise, Lance didn't dodge or evade.
Deanna caught Lance and was momentarily stunned.
At that moment, she heard the man's amused voice in her ear. "I'm injured; I can't move."
With that, Lance clutched his chest and sat down on the ground.
Deanna was even more bewildered now.
Seeing the dazed woman, Lance's eyes showed helplessness. He quickly reminded her, "Hurry up and catch them."
Deanna snapped out of it. Looking at the man sitting on the lawn, her heart felt warm.
She rubbed her hands together and deliberately made a mischievous face as she approached the two little ones with a sly smile.
"Now there's no one to help you."
The two little ones finally realized they had been betrayed by Uncle Lance and screamed as they turned to run.
"Uncle cheated; that's too much!"
"You said you wouldn't go easy! Uncle doesn't keep his word."
Lance didn't mind at all when he heard this.
He sat on the grass, watching Deanna chase after the two little ones. The smile on his face was bright, and he felt a sense of fulfillment he had never experienced before. This kind of daily life was wonderful.
Later, when Deanna and the two little ones were tired from playing, they returned to Lance's side.
The two little ones were still upset that Lance hadn't kept his word and pouted unhappily.
Lance noticed this and pulled them into his arms to comfort them.
Deanna watched the father and sons whispering together without interrupting them.
Before long, the joyful laughter of the two little ones echoed through the garden again.
Then they happily ran towards the living room.
Deanna looked at Lance in confusion and asked, "What are they doing?"
"I told them Xavier bought new Legos and put them in the study. They should be there now," Lance replied with a smile.
Deanna frowned slightly. "You've already bought them so many Legos. Some haven't even been opened yet. Don't buy any more."
"It's fine. Let them play slowly or keep them as collectibles," Lance said nonchalantly.
Deanna felt helpless watching him.
At that moment, she saw Lance suddenly hand her a black card. She frowned and looked at him in confusion. "What does this mean?"
"This is compensation from that assassin organization for kidnapping you. I've dealt with those two assassins. I haven't apologized for dragging you into danger," Lance said apologetically as he looked at Deanna.
Deanna understood what he meant after a moment of surprise and shook her head as she pushed the black card back to him. "You don't need to apologize or give me this."
Lance insisted on giving it to her.
Unable to refuse, Deanna accepted it but made her stance clear first.
"I'll consider this money for the kids."
"That's fine as long as you accept it," Lance nodded with a smile.
Then Deanna remembered the crisis Mercer Group faced while he was abroad and asked with concern, "Did you resolve your company's issues?"
"It's already resolved," Lance replied briefly, not wanting to expose Deanna to the dark side of business affairs.
Deanna noticed his reluctance to discuss it further and didn't press him on it...
At Cloudmere, in the dining room of the Cody family villa,
Jeffery spoke gravely. "It's fortunate our Cody family didn't get involved this time. From Mercer family's attack to Valencia family's downfall took only three days. It seems we underestimated Mercer's strength."
Bella nodded in agreement, feeling relieved inside.
If she hadn't been cautious earlier and confided in Mercer family, their Cody family would have been next after Valencia family.
At that moment, her father's warning echoed in her ears.
"I know your feelings for Lance. Don't rush things; take it slow. After all, Lance isn't married yet; you'll always have a chance."
"I understand," Bella nodded in response but had different thoughts in her heart.
Taking it slow might mean she'd never get close to Lance at all.
She thought as long as she acted discreetly without leaving any evidence behind...