Leticia looked at the incredibly handsome man in front of her, suppressing her racing heart, and imitated Hassan's manner of address, saying, "Mr. Mercer."
As soon as she spoke, Lance noticed her presence and his eyes narrowed dangerously.
Deanna immediately sensed the change in the man's mood beside her. She tugged at his sleeve and whispered in a voice only they could hear, "You don't need to pay attention to her. I'll explain later."
Upon hearing this, Lance ignored Leticia and nodded at Old Hughes and the others as a greeting.
Seeing this, Leticia bit her lower lip hard to resist the urge to speak further. She couldn't show her intentions now, or her plan would fail.
At this moment, Hassan smiled at Deanna and said, "Miss Jones, I'll visit you and your family another time when I have the chance."
Lance's expression darkened upon hearing this. "I wonder in what capacity Mr. Hassan plans to visit my girlfriend and her family?"
"Naturally, as a friend," Hassan replied with a calm smile, seemingly oblivious to the coldness in Lance's eyes.
However, Lance found his smile increasingly annoying and his voice grew colder. "I wasn't aware that Mr. Hassan and my girlfriend had become friends."
"I didn't know Mr. Mercer was so domineering. Does Miss Jones need Mr. Mercer's approval to make friends?" Hassan's words were clearly provocative.
Lance's eyes narrowed dangerously as he retorted, "I won't interfere with Deanna's friendships, but those with ulterior motives are not acceptable."
"Are you implying that I have ulterior motives?" Hassan challenged.
Lance sneered, "Whether you do or not, you know it yourself."
He finished speaking and stared intently at Hassan. Their eyes met, sparks flying.
Deanna watched the confrontation between the two men, feeling a bit bewildered. Meanwhile, Old Walsh and Old Hughes watched with an amused expression.
Old Hughes elbowed his old friend and whispered, "You haven't given up yet, have you?"
"This wasn't my arrangement," Old Walsh shook his head in denial but then added, "But if my Hassan can win Dr. Deanna's favor, I'd be happy to see it happen. Miss Jones meets all my criteria for a future granddaughter-in-law."
Hearing this, Old Hughes snorted lightly, "You're dreaming. I'm telling you, your grandson doesn't stand a chance."
Old Walsh smiled without saying a word.
On the other side, Lance and Hassan had stopped their silent confrontation. Lance hugged Deanna and said goodbye, "It's getting late. We should head back."
"Alright, let's get together another time," Old Hughes nodded and signaled them to leave.
Lance nodded and led Deanna to the car. Soon, they disappeared from everyone's sight.
On the way back, Lance played with Deanna's fingers and asked, "What's the deal with Leticia?"
"She came on her own; it has nothing to do with Old Walsh," Deanna briefly explained what had happened earlier and mentioned Leticia's change in attitude.
Finally, she frowned and asked Lance, "Do you think this woman has really changed for the better or is she faking it?"
"A person who would harm her own grandfather for selfish reasons-do you think she can be trusted?" Lance scoffed coldly, his eyes full of sarcasm.
Deanna nodded, "I think so too."
Hearing this, Lance hugged her and advised, "Stay away from that woman in the future. It's best not to be alone with her."
"I understand," Deanna nodded again.
Meanwhile, Old Hughes was also bidding farewell to the Walsh family. As soon as Old Walsh saw his friend off, his smile disappeared instantly. He looked coldly at Leticia standing nearby.
"You and your mother are really something!"
Clearly, he was ready to settle accounts after the fact. Earlier, he had refrained from making a scene because Old Hughes and Deanna were present; he didn't want them to see the Walsh family's disgrace.
Now that they had left, he no longer needed to put on a friendly face. He ordered Hassan, "Take her back to the hotel!"
"Yes," Hassan nodded and gave Leticia a look that told her to behave.
Leticia felt both fearful and resentful.
Soon, they returned to the hotel. Old Walsh sat on the sofa and stared sharply at Leticia with a commanding presence. "Speak up. What is your purpose for being here?"
Feeling the overwhelming pressure in the air, Leticia almost collapsed to her knees. She gritted her teeth and held on, saying, "I have no ulterior motive. I just came to apologize to Deanna and hope she can forgive me."
"Do you think I would believe that?" Old Walsh snorted coldly, his aura growing even more oppressive.
Leticia felt as if a mountain was pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. Despite this, she held on and insisted, "Grandfather, whether you believe it or not, that's really my only reason."