Chapter 7 This Can't Go Wrong

Deanna carefully watered the herbs, pruning away any unnecessary branches. She had been at it for over an hour.

When the sky finally turned dark, she let out a long sigh of relief.

These herbs were extremely valuable, far more so than the ones she had sold to Old Hughes earlier.

The herbs from this morning had fetched over twenty thousand dollars, but these young seedlings, once fully grown, would be worth a fortune, priceless in the market.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Deanna felt a sense of accomplishment. The thought of her two little ones waiting for her at home brought a warm smile to her face. She packed up her tools, locked the gate to the herb garden, and headed home.

Upon arriving, she opened the door to find her children wrapped in towels, playing chess with their great-grandmother.

Nearby, their two kittens, Whiskers and Luna, were playfully chasing each other. The scene was one of pure warmth and happiness.

"Great-grandma, you lost again," Gregory declared with a serious expression, his tiny arms crossed over his chest, making Deanna chuckle.

"You're getting better and better, Gregory!" Old Ashley beamed, proud of her great-grandson's sharp mind and logical thinking.

Chloe saw Deanna and ran to her, calling out in a soft voice, "Mommy's home!"

Gregory followed, bringing her a glass of water. "Mommy, are you tired? Are you thirsty?"

Deanna's heart melted as she hugged her children, feeling their love fill her.

For them, any sacrifice was worth it.

The next morning, Deanna dropped the kids off at kindergarten and then took a taxi to Hughes Apothecary.

At the front desk, the receptionist, Ava, was entering data into the computer. Seeing Deanna, she paused and looked surprised. "Miss Jones, are you delivering new herbs today?"

Deanna nodded. "Yes, I have a special batch. I'd like to sell them. I was hoping to discuss it with Old Hughes. Do you know if he's available?"

Ava looked regretful. "I'm sorry, Miss Jones. Old Hughes has a meeting this morning. He won't be back until the afternoon. You might have to come back later."

Deanna felt a pang of disappointment but maintained her polite smile. "Alright, I'll come back this afternoon."

As she turned to leave, the door to the lounge suddenly flew open. A tall man wearing gold-rimmed glasses rushed to the front desk, his voice full of urgency. "Ava, is Old Hughes here? Mr. Mercer isn't doing well. We need him immediately!"

Ava's eyes widened in shock. "What's wrong with Mr. Mercer? Old Hughes is out and won't be back until noon."

The man's face fell. Without Old Hughes, what were they supposed to do?

"Call Old Hughes right now. It's an emergency. He has to come back immediately!"

"Got it!" Ava pulled out her phone and dialed quickly, not daring to delay. Mr. Mercer was a frequent and important guest, and Old Hughes and Old Mercer were friends for years. Lance's well-being was critical.

However, all she heard was the busy tone. "Xavier, I can't reach Old Hughes! What do we do?"

Xavier's expression darkened.

The only option now was to take Lance to the hospital.

Just as he was about to speak, a loud crash came from the lounge, the sound of a glass hitting the floor.

Xavier and Ava exchanged worried glances and rushed into the lounge to see what had happened.