In the following days, just as Lance had said, neither Garrett, Mia, nor Raphael appeared again.
As the day of the banquet approached, Samantha visited the estate daily. She came to see her two grandchildren and to educate Deanna about the intricacies of the Mercer family and their relatives and friends.
Worried that Deanna might not remember these complex relationships, Samantha wrote them down on paper, then tore it up to reveal the underlying interests involved.
Deanna understood Samantha's intentions and listened attentively each time she explained.
"That's about it for the relationship network. The rest aren't very important; you just need to maintain appearances," Samantha concluded after summarizing her notes.
Deanna nodded and said softly, "I will remember these."
Seeing the serious expression on Deanna's face, Samantha nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "Don't rush. As you interact more with these people, you'll get a better grasp of this information. Now, let's talk about our Mercer family's relatives."
She paused, giving Deanna time to digest the information.
Seeing that Samantha had no notes in hand, Deanna immediately called for a servant to bring pen and paper.
Once the materials were ready, Samantha began to speak slowly about the Mercer family's relatives and friends.
"Our Mercer family is mainly divided into the main family and the branches."
"The main family consists of your father-in-law and Amy, Lance's aunt you've met. There are no other relatives. As for the branches, there aren't many people either. There are five siblings, but since they manage overseas businesses, and you know how chaotic some places abroad can be, they can't leave. So only one representative came this time. According to seniority, you should call him Uncle. As for the others, I'll introduce them to you when you meet them later."
Deanna nodded and carefully noted down this information in her notebook.
Later, as it got late, Samantha returned to the mansion.
After she left, Deanna continued to study the complex relationships with her notes in hand.
When Lance finished his work in the study and came out, he saw Deanna sitting alone on the sofa, engrossed in her reading.
He smiled and walked down the stairs, asking, "Did Mom leave?"
"Samantha just left a little while ago," Deanna replied, looking up with a smile. "You're done with work?"
Lance nodded and then noticed the notes in Deanna's hands. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did Mom give you all that?"
"Yes, I never knew there were so many intricate relationships in a wealthy family. It's making my head spin," Deanna said, wrinkling her nose.
Seeing her adorable expression, Lance's eyes softened with affection. "If you don't want to read it, then don't."
"No way. Samantha prepared these notes especially for me to help me get familiar with this circle quickly and stand firm. I can't let her down," Deanna firmly refused and resumed her "battle" with the relationship network.
In the end, she lost the "battle".
Lance watched as Deanna's head bobbed up and down in sleepiness beside him, his smile growing wider.
He propped his chin on his hand, admiring Deanna's sleeping face.
Soon after, Deanna lost her balance and started to fall to one side.
Fortunately, Lance caught her just in time, preventing her from hitting the floor.
Looking at Deanna sleeping soundly in his arms, Lance chuckled softly and gently tapped her nose before lifting her in a princess carry and heading towards the bedroom.
...
A week passed in the blink of an eye, and it was finally the day of the Mercer family's public banquet.
Early in the morning, Samantha had Lance take Deanna and their family to the main house.
Upon arrival, they found that many people had already gathered at the main house. Except for one unfamiliar face, everyone else was known to them.
"Great-grandfather, you're here!" The two little ones greeted Old Mercer with bright smiles.
Old Mercer laughed heartily. "Yes, today is an important day for our Gregory and Chloe. Great-grandfather couldn't miss it!"
He beckoned them over with a wave of his hand.
The two little ones immediately ran over to him.
Before long, the three of them were playing together happily.
Hearing their laughter, everyone else smiled warmly.
Amy noticed her nephew standing with Deanna, Old Ashley nearby and couldn't help but chide him. "Lance, why are you standing there? Invite your wife and Lady Ashley to sit."
She didn't wait for Lance's reaction before greeting Deanna and Old Lady Ashley herself.
"My dear niece-in-law, come sit with your grandmother. We don't need to stand around with that emotionally clueless Lance."
"Aunt..."
Lance looked over helplessly.
Amy raised an eyebrow at him before taking Deanna's hand and arranging seats for them.
After some pleasantries, Deanna learned that the only unfamiliar face was Colton Mercer, the branch representative Samantha had mentioned earlier.
The man appeared to be in his forties, always wearing a gentle smile. He exuded a scholarly air and had an elegant demeanor.
At that moment, Deanna couldn't help but marvel at how good the Mercer family's genes were because she realized there wasn't a single unattractive person among them.