After laughing for a few seconds, Emily continued on the phone, "Since that wretched woman is sick, there's no need to proceed with the rest of the plan. The remaining money will be your bonus. Leave this place quickly and don't let Lance catch you!"
"Of course."
The man hung up immediately after speaking.
Meanwhile, Deanna still had a slight fever, Lance insisted she stay in the hospital for another day.
To avoid worrying those who cared about her, Deanna stayed despite disliking the smell of disinfectant in the hospital.
Having sweated all night, she felt sticky and uncomfortable.
Seeing Deanna squirming on the bed, Lance asked, "What's wrong?"
"I want to take a shower. I feel sticky and uncomfortable," Deanna expressed her thoughts.
Lance didn't agree. He was worried that taking a shower might worsen her condition since her fever hadn't fully subsided.
Instead of outright refusing, he suggested a compromise, "A shower is out of the question. You're not fully recovered, and I don't want you to get worse. But I can get you a basin of water so you can wipe yourself down."
Deanna was disappointed but understood that Lance had her best interests at heart, so she agreed.
Soon, Lance brought hot water and dampened a towel, ready to help Deanna wipe herself.
Seeing this, Deanna quickly took the towel, her cheeks flushing, "I'll do it myself. You can leave."
Lance couldn't help but laugh at her shyness and teased, "I've seen you naked before and even helped you clean up. Isn't it too late to be shy now?"
"That's different!" Deanna glared at him, embarrassed.
Before, she had been groggy and it was nighttime, so it wasn't the same.
Seeing Deanna's eyes almost shooting fire, Lance stopped teasing and cleared his throat, "I was just joking. Go ahead and clean up. I'll wait outside."
He left the room after speaking.
A few minutes later, Deanna finished wiping herself and felt much better, both physically and mentally.
After tidying up, she sat on the bed and asked about the investigation into the accident.
"Any leads on who's behind it?"
"Xavier is still investigating, but there's no useful information yet," Lance replied, looking displeased.
Despite his efforts, they hadn't discovered who was behind the scheme.
Deanna was surprised that Lance hadn't found any leads yet.
She pondered for a moment and said, "This was clearly targeted at me. I just don't know if it was someone from the business world or elsewhere."
"I had someone investigate Garrett. He's been busy saving his company and isn't behind this. As for the business world, you just took over Vortex Technology and haven't had any conflicts with other companies. Plus, everyone knows you have Mercer Group backing you. No one would dare target you. So I suspect someone else," Lance explained his analysis.
Deanna found his reasoning sound but was still puzzled, "If it's not Garrett or someone from the business world, who else would have such animosity towards me?"
"Think about it. Is there anyone else who holds a grudge against you?" Lance prompted.
Hearing this, Deanna suddenly thought of Emily.
"Could it be her?"
"Who?" Lance asked seriously.
"Emily," Deanna replied.
This woman had always been hostile towards her. Even after marrying into the Howard family, she continued to cause trouble for Deanna.
At a previous banquet, Emily had openly and covertly mocked her. Deanna had embarrassed Emily at that event, so it wouldn't be surprising if she held a grudge.
Lance didn't know what Deanna was thinking but guessed some of it.
He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "I hadn't considered her before. I'll have someone check her recent activities."
He contacted Xavier to investigate Emily.
After arranging this, they changed the subject.
Deanna felt better and wanted Lance to have someone bring over her company's documents.
But Lance refused.
"If you're recovering, then focus on that," he said firmly, insisting Deanna rest.
With no choice, Deanna spent time on her phone.
In the afternoon, Logan and Samantha heard about Deanna's illness and rushed to the hospital.
Unaware of the threats she faced, they were worried by her pale appearance. "How did you get sick all of a sudden?"
"I caught a cold because I wasn't careful," Deanna lied to avoid worrying them.
Lance understood her intention and didn't expose her lie.