Later, Lance came to pick up Deanna and noticed the worry had vanished from her face, replaced by a cheerful smile.
"You're in such a good mood. Let me guess, did you solve the issue with the herbs?"
"Congratulations, you guessed right, but unfortunately, there's no reward."
Deanna looked playfully at Lance.
Seeing this, Lance raised an eyebrow, grabbed Deanna's wrist, and pulled her into his arms. He leaned in and chuckled, "Who said there's no reward?"
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, he kissed Deanna on the lips.
Xavier, who was driving in the front, tactfully lowered the partition.
After the kiss, Deanna leaned against Lance, panting.
Lance didn't look much better; the veins on his forehead were prominent from restraint.
Fortunately, by the time they got home, both had calmed down.
At this moment, Lance casually asked, "How did you resolve the herb issue?"
"It was thanks to Mr. Grant. His friend allocated a batch of herbs to us, which solved the crisis."
Deanna didn't hide the truth and also mentioned her plan to invite Lionel for a meal and outing over the weekend. "Mr. Grant said he hasn't had a chance to explore Cloudmere properly. Considering how much he's helped me, I agreed to go out with him this weekend."
Worried that Lance might get jealous, she quickly added, "Of course, you, as the host, should come along too. So I hope my fiancé can help arrange the outing and meals in advance. Is that okay?"
"As my fiancée has instructed, how could I refuse?"
Lance looked at Deanna lovingly and agreed to her request.
...
Soon, the weekend arrived.
Since they had planned to go out with Lionel, Deanna and Lance got up early with their two kids.
After a simple breakfast, they drove to pick up Lionel.
In less than twenty minutes, they arrived at the apartment.
The kids immediately saw Lionel standing at the door.
They exchanged glances and then smiled innocently, waving at Lionel from the car. "Uncle Lionel, we're here with Daddy and Mommy to pick you up. Get in the car!"
Lionel heard their voices and saw the ordinary black car parked not far away.
The car didn't show any brand, but his intuition told him it wasn't as ordinary as it seemed.
Indeed, once inside, Lionel found that the car was top-notch in terms of configuration.
He quickly realized that the car was meant to make travel more convenient for Deanna's family.
After all, Lance's identity wasn't simple; many people in Cloudmere watched his every move.
Lost in thought, Lionel was brought back by the children's innocent voices.
"Uncle Lionel, do you know where we're going today?"
"No idea. Do you know?"
Facing these angelic children, especially since they were his beloved's kids, Lionel's expression softened with unusual patience.
Seeing this, Lance narrowed his eyes and stared at Lionel suspiciously.
The kids didn't notice anything strange about Lionel; they just thought he was very kind and didn't dare to misbehave.
But remembering that this uncle wanted to take their mommy away, they quickly reaffirmed their resolve. With big eyes blinking sweetly at Lionel, they said, "We know! We're going to Hotspring Resort today. It's so much fun there."
"Oh? What's fun about it?"
Lionel seemed interested and continued to ask.
The kids earnestly listed the fun activities on their fingers. "You can hike; the scenery along the way is beautiful. We took lots of photos with Daddy and Mommy last time. And you can soak in hot springs."
"The most important thing is that the food and snacks there are delicious. My brother and I ate a lot last time."
Chloe's eyes sparkled like a little foodie, making Lionel laugh.
Lance and Deanna watched from the side, their eyes full of smiles.
At this moment, Lance casually recalled their previous trip to Hotspring Resort. "That was our first family outing. Today feels different from the first time we came here. Don't you think?"
He finished speaking and held Deanna's hand, looking at her affectionately.
Lance's deep and tender gaze made Deanna's heart race inexplicably. Her fair cheeks turned slightly red. She didn't deny Lance's words but instead joined him in reminiscing.
"It is different. I remember back then I was just your personal doctor. I only got to go to Hotspring Resort because of Gregory and Chloe."
Seeing this warm family scene where he couldn't even get a word in edgewise, Lionel felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He felt his presence unnecessary here.