Old Hughes understood naturally and snorted lightly, "Do I need to deceive you? Besides, I would have loved for Anna to make money off you, but unfortunately, reality does not permit it."
At the end of his statement, a look of regret appeared on his face.
Old Walsh, seeing this, was stunned.
He looked at the regret on Old Hughes' face and asked subconsciously, "Why does reality not allow it?"
"Because initially, when Anna sold medicinal herbs, she was at her wit's end," Old Hughes recalled Deanna's situation five years ago with a sigh.
This caught Hassan's attention.
Hassan curiously asked, "What happened to Miss Jones before?"
Old Hughes sighed and slowly began, "Five years ago, Anna was framed, became pregnant before marriage, and was expelled from her family. She and her grandmother relied on each other for survival, and they lived a tough life."
These were things Hassan could easily find out about, so Old Hughes did not intend to hide them.
"I got to know Anna because she came here to sell the medicinal herbs she grew. Normally, we wouldn't buy such individually sold herbs at our pharmacy, but Anna's herbs were of exceptional quality. Moreover, at that time, she was with two children who didn't seem well-nourished, so I was moved with compassion and agreed to cooperate."
"Later, I was extremely grateful that I did the right thing. I have watched how Anna grew over time and how she raised two children on her own from nothing. She is truly remarkable. Of course, what impresses me the most is her medical skills. According to Anna, she started learning medicine midway through her life, yet she understands it more deeply than I do, though I have been studying it since childhood," Old Hughes concluded with emotion.
After hearing all this, Hassan was deeply moved and felt even more pity for Deanna.
He had not expected Deanna to have such a past.
Old Walsh was also surprised; he instinctively looked at his grandson and indeed saw him deep in thought, which made him frown.
However, he ultimately said nothing.
Meanwhile, Leticia, having bribed a source for information, learned that Lance was meeting a client at the golf course today.
So, she dressed up early and went to the golf course, planning an accidental encounter with Lance.
However, after waiting at the golf course for most of the day without seeing Lance, she became somewhat frustrated.
She sent a message to her informant, demanding, "Is the schedule you gave me accurate? Why hasn't Lance arrived yet?"
Shortly after sending the message, she received a reply.
The person said, "Miss Walsh, don't worry. I just asked, and Mr. Mercer has already left for the golf course."
Seeing this, Leticia decided to trust this person one more time.
She sat in the clubhouse reception lounge, propping her chin with her hand and staring unblinkingly at the clubhouse entrance.
Finally, after nearly half an hour, she finally saw Lance's figure.
She quickly lowered her head to check her attire, not wanting any flaws when she greeted Lance in a moment.
But Lance didn't notice Leticia at all; he walked into the clubhouse talking with his client.
As they entered, the clubhouse manager who had received the news earlier came personally to greet them.
"Mr. Mercer, Mr. Bishop, good afternoon. I have prepared the indoor venue according to the usual rules. Would you like to go there now?"
"What do you think, Mr. Bishop?"
Lance didn't answer immediately but turned his head to consult his client.
The client, Solomon Bishop, laughed and said, "I'm fine with anything. I'll follow Mr. Mercer's lead; however he arranges it is fine by me." He finished with a hearty laugh.
From his easy-going demeanor, it was evident that he usually had a good relationship with Lance.
Seeing this, Lance slightly curved his lips into a smile and said softly, "In that case, let's go straight to the venue."
"Alright, please follow me," the clubhouse manager nodded and then made a gesture for them to follow him as he led the way ahead.
Just as the three were about to leave, Leticia's affected voice rang out from beside them.
"Lance?" Leticia started by pretending to be unsure as she called out.
As she approached and feigned surprise: "Is that really Lance? I thought I was mistaken just now. What a coincidence that you are here too."
"Do you two know each other?"
Mr. Bishop looked at Leticia and then at Lance, asking hesitantly.
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, both Lance and Leticia responded simultaneously.
"No."
"Yes."
Hearing this, Mr. Bishop raised his eyebrows meaningfully as he looked at them both.
Leticia also showed a look of grievance and stared eagerly at Lance. "Lance, are you still angry? I know I did something wrong before, but I've realized my mistake now. Can't you stop holding it against me?"
Indeed, her demeanor was quite misleading.
Mr. Bishop was one of those misled.
He didn't say anything about mediating but considerately said: "I see Mr. Mercer has some personal matters to handle; how about I go to the venue first and play there while you sort things out? We can play together once you're done."