Unsurprisingly, Deanna's return brought a touch of joy to the manor.
Especially for the two little ones, who went wild with happiness upon seeing their mommy.
"Mommy, you're finally back! We missed you so much."
"I missed Mommy and Daddy too. By the way, where's Daddy? Why don't I see him?"
Gregory looked towards the door, thinking Lance was behind her.
Deanna smiled nonchalantly, "Your daddy has some matters to handle abroad and hasn't returned yet. But he asked me to bring you gifts."
In fact, these gifts were bought earlier when she and Lance were traveling in Espuenia.
Chloe didn't think much and happily went to rummage through the gifts.
Only Gregory frowned, looking up suspiciously, "Mommy, is Daddy really busy with something important abroad? What could be more important than the company here?"
Hearing this made Deanna's heart skip a beat.
She looked down into her son's innocent eyes and felt a bit guilty, wanting to avoid his gaze.
But she knew that if she evaded, her clever son would surely guess the truth. So she braced herself and answered calmly, "Of course it's important. Besides, your grandpa is here at the company, so your daddy isn't worried. Now, don't think too much at your age. Learn from your sister and go see if you like the gifts Mommy and Daddy bought for you."
"It's just that Daddy and Mommy always make us worry."
Gregory wrinkled his nose playfully and muttered.
Deanna couldn't help but laugh.
Before she could say anything else, the little guy turned around to pick out his gift.
It was then that Deanna had time to approach her grandmother and inquire about the situation at home while she was away.
"While you were away, we were all fine. Weiwei and Lance's mother often came to see us. Don't worry."
Her grandmother looked at Deanna with loving eyes but hesitated halfway through her sentence.
Deanna could tell that her grandmother had something to ask but was holding back because Gregory and Chloe were still there.
Sure enough, after Gregory and Chloe went to their room to play with their new toys, her grandmother said to her, "Come with me to the room."
Deanna smiled wryly but got up and followed her to the room.
Once inside, she didn't wait for her grandmother to ask and confessed everything.
"Lance isn't busy abroad; he's missing. I was worried Gregory and Chloe couldn't handle it, so I didn't tell them the truth."
"I knew something was wrong. Given how much Lance cares about you, he wouldn't let you come back alone. So what happened? What's the situation now? Did you come back because you were worried about home? Don't worry about home. Go back to Lance tomorrow and take good care of him. I remember he's at a critical stage of treatment; he can't neglect his health."
Hearing this, Deanna knew her grandmother thought Lance was injured abroad and couldn't return immediately.
Deanna pressed her lips together and finally said truthfully, "Grandma, Lance isn't injured; he's missing."
"What?!"
Her grandmother looked at her in shock, taking a long time to process the news. Her expression immediately turned serious.
She asked urgently, "What happened? How did Lance go missing? Weren't you together?"
"At first, we were together. But later, something happened at Lance's company that needed his attention. He was attacked by thugs and went down with a sinking ship."
Deanna omitted the dangerous details and briefly explained the situation, including her reason for coming back.
Her grandmother listened and became even more worried about Lance.
But she didn't show it.
She knew her granddaughter cared deeply for Lance and must be feeling worse. Saying more would only add to her pain.
So she changed the topic and advised, "Since you're helping at Mercer Group, keep it steady for Lance until he returns."
"I know. But I'll need your help with Gregory and Chloe. I'm afraid I won't have much time for them."
Deanna nodded and asked her grandmother for help.
Her grandmother took her hand and comforted her, "Leave the house to me. You focus on your work but take care of yourself too."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
The door opened slightly, and two little heads peeked in, their eyes shining as they looked at Deanna.
"Great-grandma, are you done talking with Mommy? We want to sleep next to Mommy tonight."
"We're done. Take your mommy back to the room."
Her grandmother waved them in, feeling sorry for the kids who hadn't seen Deanna in a while.
Deanna followed the two little ones out of the room.
She kept some things from her grandmother, fearing that saying too much might reveal more than intended.