In the garden, Hassan and Leticia stood face to face beside a cluster of flowers.
"Why did you call me out here? What do you want to say?" Hassan asked, his expression blank.
Leticia, feeling irritated by his demeanor, couldn't help but retort, "Hassan, we've grown up together as cousins. Are you really going to ruin our years of sibling bond over a woman?"
"You've got it wrong. It's not about a woman; it's about our fundamentally different values," Hassan denied flatly.
He looked at Leticia with a heavy gaze and said coldly, "At least I wouldn't poison my own grandfather for revenge."
Hearing him bring up the past, Leticia's eyes flickered with guilt. But she quickly regained her composure and argued, "I've told you, that had nothing to do with me. And it's in the past. Can you stop bringing it up?"
"It's laughable. If Uncle Ernest hadn't covered for you and Grandpa hadn't pursued it, do you think it would have blown over so easily? You clearly have no sense of your wrongdoing," Hassan said angrily, regretting having come out here.
He lost his patience and said, "Forget it. Talking to you is a waste of my time."
With that, he turned to leave.
Seeing this, Leticia wanted to let him go but ultimately called out to him.
"Don't you want to know if Deanna is with Lance?" she shouted at Hassan's back.
Hassan stopped in his tracks immediately.
After a few seconds of hesitation, he turned back and asked, "You know?"
"Yes, I do!" Leticia nodded and stepped closer to Hassan. "I don't know why they said what they did, but I observed them closely. Deanna seemed distant from Lance and even consciously kept her distance."
Hearing this, Hassan narrowed his eyes, his gaze dark and unreadable.
Before he could respond, Leticia continued, "Let's work together. You help me get Lance, and I'll help you get Deanna."
Leticia looked at Hassan expectantly, thinking he was likely to agree.
But unfortunately for her, things didn't go as planned.
Hassan's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Even if they're not in the kind of relationship we think they are, it's close enough. Do you really think you can break them apart? Besides, I have no interest in using tricks to get someone. It's meaningless."
With that, he walked away without looking back.
Watching him leave, Leticia was furious.
"Hmph! You may claim disinterest now, but we'll see if that's true! Lance will be mine!" she muttered angrily before turning and running off.
That evening, Old Walsh ordered the kitchen to prepare a lavish dinner to welcome Lance.
During the meal, everyone chatted and laughed, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Though Lance conversed with Old Walsh and the others, he constantly kept an eye on Deanna. Whenever she glanced at a dish that was far from her reach, he would quietly serve it to her.
At first, Deanna was puzzled by the extra food in her bowl. But realizing it was Lance's doing and his way of caring for her, she felt a sweet warmth inside.
The others noticed their interaction and had varied reactions.
Old Walsh teased them, saying, "You two have such good chemistry; you look like a couple married for over ten years."
"Indeed. I've never seen Lance take care of anyone like this before. Only Anna could make him break his rules," Old Hughes added.
Ernest chuckled and joked, "Mr. Mercer is showing blatant favoritism."
Deanna blushed deeply at their teasing, feeling so embarrassed she wanted to hide her face.
Lance saw this and, with a rare playful mood, joined in the teasing. "Alright, enough. If you keep this up, I might end up sleeping on the floor tonight."
This remark brought another round of good-natured laughter in the dining room.
Deanna buried her head further, feeling her face burn with embarrassment. Under the table, she kicked Lance hard and whispered angrily so only he could hear, "Stop talking nonsense! Don't join in their teasing or you'll really be sleeping on the floor tonight!"
"So you're saying I can sleep with you?" Lance suddenly leaned in and asked.
His eyes sparkled with amusement, clearly in a good mood.
Deanna's mind went blank at his words, her entire face turning red from embarrassment.
What had she just said?
Before she could respond, Lance's deep and joyful voice came again, "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes."