As Lance announced the wedding news, the atmosphere at the banquet reached its peak.
At this moment, the banquet officially began.
Lance held Deanna as they stepped off the stage.
Just as he was about to introduce Deanna to his friends, he heard his mother's voice.
Samantha walked over, pulled Deanna aside, and said, "You take Gregory and Chloe to meet people with your father. I'll take Deanna to meet my friends."
Lance knew his mother intended to introduce Deanna into her social circle, so he didn't object.
He nodded slightly and whispered to Deanna, "Go with my mom to meet some people first. I'll come find you later."
"Okay, but be careful and don't drink."
Deanna reminded him with concern.
Seeing Deanna still worried about Lance's health, Samantha felt even more satisfied with her future daughter-in-law.
She then took Deanna to meet her close friends.
Since Samantha personally introduced her, the elite circle of ladies warmly welcomed Deanna.
Moreover, Deanna's graceful demeanor and high emotional intelligence made a great impression on everyone.
Soon, Deanna seamlessly blended into the circle, drawing both envy and admiration from many young ladies around.
Everyone could see that Deanna's position in the Mercer family was firmly established.
About half an hour later, Lance came to find Deanna.
"Mom, I'm taking Deanna to meet my friends."
"So soon? I haven't finished talking with her yet."
Samantha looked over with some reluctance.
Lance pretended not to notice, pulling Deanna to his side.
The surrounding ladies couldn't help but tease, "The young couple is so affectionate. We won't be the bad guys; your fiancée is yours."
"This is the first time I've seen Lance so clingy."
"Indeed. He used to be impatient with everyone. Finally, someone can handle him."
Samantha joined her friends in teasing Lance.
Lance remained unfazed, as if he wasn't the one being teased.
But Deanna couldn't handle it. With so many teasing eyes on her, she wished she could find a hole to hide in.
Helplessly, she tugged at Lance's sleeve for help.
Seeing her flushed cheeks, Lance chuckled softly and said, "Mom, I'll take Deanna away now. If you keep teasing her, she might not want to see anyone."
"Go ahead. I know you care about your wife."
Samantha waved her hand, signaling Lance to take Deanna away.
Lance nodded and led Deanna towards his friends.
Along the way, many people greeted them and offered drinks.
Deanna and Lance accepted all greetings graciously.
After walking for nearly ten minutes, they finally reached where Ollie and the others were.
"Hello, Deanna!"
As soon as Deanna approached, she heard this clear shout and was momentarily stunned.
Ethan seemed to notice something and lightly knocked Ollie on the head, admonishing, "Be respectful. You scared Deanna. Be careful or Lance will make you spar with him tonight."
"I didn't scare her."
Ollie protested, covering the spot where he was hit.
Then he seemed to think of something mischievous and said, "Besides, with Deanna here tonight, there's no way Lance would waste time on me."
Seeing Ollie's fearless attitude, Ethan and Jenson decided not to remind him further and turned to greet Deanna.
"Hi, Deanna." They greeted her.
Deanna nodded gracefully and replied, "Hello."
Seeing them exchange greetings, Lance held Deanna close and introduced his three friends: "This is Ollie Houghton from the Houghton family. He's usually idle but knows a lot about fun activities. If you ever want to take the kids out for fun, you can ask him for recommendations."
"Lance, I'm not idle. You're just jealous of my good looks and trying to undermine me in front of Deanna."
Ollie protested loudly but kept his voice low enough to show some restraint.
Deanna couldn't help but laugh again.
Seeing his beloved wife so happy, Lance also smiled indulgently.
Ignoring Ollie's protest, he pointed to his other two friends and continued the introductions: "This is Ethan Thomas from Cavesun Group. And this is Jenson Jordan from Jordan Trading Company. I've been meaning to introduce you all but never found the time."
Everyone laughed at this.
With Ollie around, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
After chatting for a while longer, someone came over to offer drinks.
To avoid disturbing his friends, Lance took Deanna elsewhere.
As a result, even more people came to offer drinks.
"Congratulations Mr. Mercer. You and Mrs. Mercer are a perfect match. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness."