After a moment, he said, “You left us with so many words, but do you have any for Mr. Farwell? We can pass the message!” His words jolted Roxanne to a realization. Her brows creased lightly.
I have never needed to inform Lucian about impending business trips, but things are different now. Knowing how much he dislikes Jack, I should inform him it is with Jack I’m making this trip. I have gotten so used to leaving whenever work crops up for the past six years that I would have forgotten if not for Benny’s reminder.
Benny watched his mother’s expression soften and knew his timely words worked. Although his face glistened with anticipation, he was also silently urging his father to hurry up.
Roxanne fell silent for a long while before grabbing her phone to give Lucian a call. Just when she found his number, a horn sounded outside the mansion. Somehow knowing exactly who it was, Roxanne put her phone away and walked to the entrance with her suitcase in tow.
She saw Lucian’s Bentley at the door. Clad in a smoky gray vest with sleeves rolled up halfway, he emerged from the car and strode toward her. “What are you doing here?”
Roxanne had a funny feeling as she watched him approach. Lucian frowned at her luggage. “What about you? Where are you going?”
Roxanne followed his gaze and felt a twinge of guilt about her business trip with Jack..
Unwilling to discuss it in the children’s presence, she said carefully, “I’m going to Jadeborough for a business trip. I was about to tell you when you came.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Lucian came over and took her luggage. Roxanne frowned in puzzlement. “What are you doing?”
He placed her suitcase in the car while she followed suspiciously behind. Benny heaved a secret sigh of relief at the arrival of his father. He made a face at his mother’s back before turning to Linda. “We’re going to be late, Ms. Linda. We need to get going to the kindergarten!”
There’s no way we’re getting involved. Linda glanced at the time and, with a jump, bid. Roxanne farewell before ushering the children into the car and driving off.
Suddenly, Roxanne and Lucian were the only ones left at the mansion entrance. She was still uneasy even after he placed her suitcase into his trunk. “I’m running late. Let’s talk about it when I get there.”
Meeting her eyes, Lucian grabbed her wrist and dragged her to the passenger seat. Too confused to resist, Roxanne found herself forced into the passenger seat. Then she watched as he got in on the other side.
“Just as well. I, too, am here to inform you that I’m going to Jadeborough to take care of some business. Since we’re heading the same way, let’s travel together,” Lucian said placidly and started the car without giving her a chance to turn him down.
Soon after, Lucian drove out of the mansion. Roxanne, seated in the passenger seat, mulled over Lucian’s words. What a coincidence! Lucian never mentioned anything about going to Jadeborough before this.
In fact, even Lucian did not know he would be making a trip to Jadeborough. Observing the side of his face, Roxanne could not detect any deception amidst his relaxed concentration behind the wheel.
She felt disappointed by her suspicion as soon as the thought occurred to her. Why would Lucian lie? This is not something worth lying about!
“Are you going to Jadeborough for business?” Roxanne couldn’t hold back the question any longer as the car picked up speed. Lucian nodded in response to her question, his eyes never leaving the road. “There’s a problem with the account, and I need to check it out.”
Suspicion shone in Roxanne’s eyes. “And you have to go there yourself?” She thought Lucian showing up to check the account was a bit much despite her limited business knowledge. Lucian’s expression remained unchanged. “The person in charge is someone from the Farwell
family. Anyone else may be unable to keep them in line, so I must go.” It was a reasonable explanation, one that Roxanne reluctantly accepted.
She assumed Lucian’s job entailed nothing more than sitting in the office and devising strategies, oblivious to the fact that many trivial matters still demanded his time and attention.
“Well, what about you? Why are you going on a business trip after just recovering?” Lucian turned and gave her an unreadable look.
Guilt snapped her back to the present. She had mentally braced herself to tell him the truth, but words eluded her now that she was sitting beside him.
“I…” Roxanne hesitated for a long moment before answering evasively, “I’m going to help out with an emergency in a nursing home in Jadeborough.”
“Help out?” Lucian echoed, puzzled. “With whom? Is it set up by the research institute?”
Roxanne averted her eyes sheepishly. “No. It’s by the Damaris family. Mr. Damaris contacted me yesterday morning asking if I was interested. He said the situation is quite dire, and this time I’ll be able to learn medical skills from them, so…”
She snuck a peek in the rearview mirror at Lucian, fully expecting him to disapprove of her traveling plans with Jack..
However, his expression revealed nothing, and he simply nodded. “You should do it if the geriatrics need help. Take care of yourself and avoid overworking.”
“That’s it? You have nothing else to say?” Roxanne couldn’t stop the words from coming out of her mouth. Lucian arched a brow in bewilderment.
She realized she had said something she shouldn’t have, and regret instantly filled her. Yet, words, once spoken, couldn’t be retracted.
It was a while before Lucian’s voice rang out in the small space. “There’s nothing to say. Saving patients is your job, and I can’t choose your work partner. Jack is indeed an exceptional doctor. I’m confident that both of you will keep your relationship strictly professional.”
She felt an overwhelming sense of dissonance remembering Lucian’s prejudice toward Jack and then hearing what he said now. She was so caught up in her astonishment that she didn’t notice Lucian’s white-knuckled grip on the wheel during the conversation. He clearly didn’t mean what he said.
Quiet settled in the car again. Lucian had thought Roxanne would offer him an explanation or words of reassurance after he had shown understanding, but she remained silent for a long time.
That ticked him off, but he couldn’t go back on his words and could only keep his emotions in check. Thankfully, Benny had notified him of this earlier, or he would have flipped his lid thinking about Roxanne and her indulgent demeanor working together with Jack.
“You could take a break on this trip, too,” Lucian continued, not meaning a word he said. “The stories circulating online these few days must have affected you. I should have handled it better. I wanted to take you away for an excursion after my trip, but it seems that the medical consultation came at the right time.”
Roxanne came back to her senses and seemed to remember something. “Sorry for troubling you with the comments online.” Lucian frowned. “I was the one who put you in this situation. I should be the one apologizing. to you.”
Roxanne hesitated before continuing, “But it should be me who files the defamation suit. People will misunderstand if you do it for me…”
They appeared to be a family in the eyes of everyone else, which was the desired effect Lucian wanted. He feigned confusion. “Misunderstand what?” A hint of resignation flashed in Roxanne’s eyes, and she stared at him without answering. He clearly knows what I mean, yet he acts clueless.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.