Larry knew he could have done better. Lucian gave him a sardonic look and turned to look at Jack. He wanted to see what kind of explanation the latter would come up with.
Jack’s eyes darkened. He did not fumble for an explanation. Instead, he said, “I am to be blamed for this. This happened because of me. I will take care of the rest. Dr. Jarvis’ name will not be tarnished because of this misunderstanding.”
Lucian pursed his lips into a thin, hard line. Then he regarded Roxanne with a frown. These two men were the ones whom he had witnessed to be quite close to Roxanne. In fact, Lucian felt threatened by their presence.
However, seeing as these two men could not even protect Roxanne from being slandered, Lucian vowed that he would never hand her over to any of them.
Roxanne was his and his only. The tension among the four of them was palpable right then.
Of course, Roxanne felt the air going still as well. She lifted her head to look at the three men. She could not help but frown as she noticed the tense expression on their faces. Hence, she took the initiative to break the silence.
“Please let go of me, Mr. Farwell. I’m not going to run away.”
With that, Roxanne wriggled her wrist out of his grip. Lucian cocked an eyebrow and let go of her. He had only gripped her hand because he did not wish to see her standing beside another man.
Given the situation, it would not seem right, no matter where she stood. Lucian reckoned that Roxanne must have realized the same as well.
He was right. Roxanne did notice that something was off. She hesitated for a moment and made no move. Then she looked at Jack and asked, “Mr. Damaris, is the car not here yet?”
It was getting late. She should be heading home.
Roxanne could feel the air growing still right then. Needless to say, it was because of Lucian. Roxanne clenched her fist and told herself repeatedly not to turn around and watch. She wanted to pretend that Lucian was not there at all.
His question had made her squirm uneasily. At the thought of his out-of place confession, Roxanne was worried that he might make more unreasonable demands.
Meanwhile, Jack frowned when he saw that the driver was running late. “Let me make a call,” Jack said as he took out his phone.
The next moment, Lucian’s voice rang out. “Since Mr. Damaris’ driver is going to take some time, I could send you home if you don’t mind, Ms. Jarvis.”
Roxanne tensed up once again and turned around immediately to reject his offer. “That won’t be necessary. I’ve already made the arrangement with Mr. Damaris. Feel free to leave first if you’re in a rush, Mr. Farwell!”
Then Roxanne scurried to Jack’s side. She did not wish to be alone with Lucian, afraid that he might say anything that would cripple her defenses, or worse, entrap her again.
Roxanne had not seen Lucian’s trick coming in the morning, and that served as a lesson for her to be warier of him.
Noticing that Roxanne was about to run away and scurry off to another man’s side, Lucian reached out to grip her hand once again. “Didn’t you say you won’t run away, Ms. Jarvis?”
Roxanne paused in her tracks and lowered her gaze. After she straightened out her rambling thoughts, she turned around and met Lucian’s gaze calmly. “Mr. Farwell, I’m grateful for your kind gesture. But I don’t wish to trouble you further since it’s already quite late. I’ll just head back in Mr. Damaris’ car.”
Having said that, Roxanne noticed that Lucian was staring at some place behind her. She did not know what he was staring at. However, the two men behind Roxanne were already staring right back at Lucian.
After some time, Lucian averted his gaze and said, “Is it truly that much trouble? I’ve given you many rides, Ms. Jarvis. Isn’t it a little too late to say that you’re troubling me? Or are you saying that you feel more comfortable with Mr. Damaris, Ms. Jarvis?”
Roxanne stared at the man incredulously. First, it was Larry, and now it’s Jack. What the hell does he want?
If any other man were to say that, Roxanne would surely think that the man was jealous. However, the man standing before her was no other man.
Lucian would never be jealous because of her. Besides, she was not in that kind of relationship with Jack.
Roxanne could understand it if it came from the drunken Jessica’s mouth. However, to hear it coming out of Lucian was an insult.
Even if she were not to dwell on his dubious confession, Roxanne could not believe that the man who had just proclaimed his love for her would say something like this to deny her efforts.
“It just so happens that my place is along his way. Please don’t misunderstand, Mr. Farwell,” Roxanne said as she tried her best to suppress the boiling rage inside of her. “How are you different from Ms. Hightower if you say such things?”
Roxanne could feel the grip on her wrist tighten right after she said that.
The pain made her wince. However, she gritted her teeth and continued, “I have worked very hard to secure this collaboration with Mr. Damaris. You can always come up with a myriad of ways to humiliate me if you must. But please don’t belittle or deny my effort in this matter!”
Roxanne leveled a stare at Lucian as if she was questioning him about the reason he was accusing her like so many others who did not know any better. Lucian was momentarily stumped.
He was angry at himself for saying things that he should not have said. His tone was gentler when he spoke again. “That’s not what I meant.”
Lucian simply did not wish to see her leave with another man. However, his clarification was to no avail. Roxanne’s face stiffened as she rebutted, “What could you possibly mean to say then, Mr. Farwell?”
Lucian frowned and cast a glance at Jack before saying, “After the commotion just now, my efforts to defend you would be in vain if you should be spotted to leave with Mr. Damaris.”
Then, his gaze drifted from Jack back to Roxanne as he said in a low voice, “I know you might not feel very grateful for my help just now, but I don’t wish to see my efforts going down the drain either. Do consider my stand in the matter, Ms. Jarvis.”
Roxanne was taken aback. His words. had managed to sway her. Lucian had a point. So many people had witnessed the drama just now, and they all had heard what Jessica said.
If Lucian had not stopped Jessica, Roxanne knew she would have been labeled as the woman who had only secured the collaboration with Jack because of her pretty face, and the slander would have tarnished the Damaris family’s reputation as well.
It had taken much effort on Lucian’s part to clear her name, but it would all have been for nothing if Jack was spotted sending her home.
People who were cager to slander her name would jump at the chance and accuse her of being involved with Jack. Roxanne knew that the tide of public opinion would turn against her.
Hence, she gave up on her initial plan. Roxanne turned to Jack and said apologetically, “Mr. Farwell is right. It’s not appropriate for you to send me back, Mr. Damaris. I will hail a cab home.”
Jack could find no words to refute Lucian’s claim, for he knew that it was a perfectly sound argument. Larry eyed the two men and said gently, “It’s late. Let me send you home.”
Lucian then said derisively, “Do you really think there’s a difference between you and Mr. Damaris sending her home?”
Larry frowned in response.
Although he was reluctant to admit it, Lucian was right. Both he and Jack were the pillars of the collaboration project with the Damaris family. Any one of them sending her home would incite gesticulation as to the reason Roxanne could participate in it.
Larry went silent, as he could find no words to refute Lucian.
Roxanne flashed Larry a grateful smile and said, “It’s all right, Larry. I was not planning to trouble you either.”
Then she turned around to face Lucian once again. Just when she was about to say something, Lucian interjected, “I have nothing to do with the collaboration project. Nobody can slander your name if I’m the one to send you home. Besides, Archie and Benny are still waiting for you at home. I suppose you don’t wish to keep them waiting for long, yes?”
Despite still feeling offended by what Lucian had said, Roxanne could not find a better way out of the situation.
She hated to admit it, but Lucian always knew her weakness and would use it against her. “Since Mr. Farwell has put it that way, let him send you home, Roxanne,” Larry said.
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.