When Charles saw how Aubree’s face contorted with malice, he said hastily, “Understood.”
Unbeknownst to Roxanne, Aubree had begun to plot against her. She was too occupied with the research she had to do.
Her busyness was not entirely an excuse to send Estella home.
If the children had not insisted that she took a day off because of her injured wrist, she would not have taken a break from her research work.
Early the next morning, Roxanne was awakened by a call from her teammate. After a brief conversation, she rushed over to the research institute without even having the time to have a bite of breakfast.
The beginning and end phases of a research project were usually the hardest parts. At the start of the project, Roxanne had dedicated so much time to it that she would spend days at the research facility.
Since they were then at the final stage of the project, things were picking up again.
Colby, who was still assisting Roxanne on the project, was alarmed when he saw the injury on her wrist while they were conducting an experiment. “Dr. Jarvis… Your hand…”
Roxanne was so engrossed in her work she had forgotten about her injury. It was not until she trailed Colby’s gaze that she was reminded of it, and she smiled faintly, saying, “It’s no big deal. It’s just a scratch from an activity at my kids’ kindergarten.”
Colby was relieved to hear that it was not anything major. But still, he took over most parts of the experiment that he thought would be too physically demanding for Roxanne while she stood aside and gave him verbal instructions.
Their team dynamic was good, and they went on to carry out experiments for almost a week until they finally achieved the results they wanted.
The whole group in the lab was boisterous, and Roxanne was unequivocally glad that they got the results they intended.
Although she was already a practitioner of her own when she was abroad, most of the projects she participated in were under her professor. She was just a nominal independent researcher most of the time, but things were different this time.
That was the first ever research that she had directed on her own.
“Are you free tonight, Dr. Jarvis?” Colby inquired with a big smile as he walked toward her from the research facility.
The hesitation and the wariness in Roxanne’s eyes when she heard the question elicited a laugh on Colby’s face.
“What’s with that look? I bet you forgot that you promised you’ll treat all of us to a celebratory meal if the experiment goes well. Everyone is waiting for you to fulfill that promise,” he teased.
A smile broke out on Roxanne’s face. “Ah, all right. I’m sorry. I forgot about it. Tell everyone to meet at The Waterfront at eight tonight, then.”
Colby nodded and went back into the research facility after that.
Not long after he entered, a burst of cheer came from the inside.
It seemed that everyone was overjoyed.
To them, that was a day worth celebrating because one good thing happened after another. First, they scored a major breakthrough when they completed such a formidable project. Second, Roxanne had agreed to treat everyone to a celebration feast.
After Roxanne went back to her office, she asked her assistant to make a reservation for a private dining room at The Waterfront before calling Madilyn to request her help to take care of Archie and Benny that night.
Roxanne had promised the two boys the night before that she would go and pick them up after the project ended. They were elated and even mentioned Estella when they heard the news.
Roxanne suddenly felt a pang of guilt in her heart the moment she was reminded of the girl.
She was certain that her sons must have informed Estella of her return that night. She’s gonna be heartbroken now that I can’t go home tonight.
“By the way, Maddy, help me say sorry to Estella if you see her tonight. Tell her I still have something to do over here,” Roxanne added when she thought of the girl.
Madilyn was clueless about why Roxanne wanted to apologize, but she just agreed with a smile without probing further.
At eight that night, Roxanne and everyone from the research institute went to The Waterfront together.
After they were seated in the private room, they proposed a toast to Roxanne.
“Dr. Jarvis is a valuable addition to our research institute. Not only did she solve a huge medicinal problem, but she also initiated many projects. We are where we are today because of her!”
“I can’t agree more. To be honest, I thought we would not be able to see this project through, yet we survived thanks to her caliber and courage. She’s both a charming and a capable person!”
Roxanne smiled widely at the compliments. She rose to her feet and looked at them.
“Thank you. I’m just doing my part. Thank you for believing in me and cooperating as a team.”
When she first returned to the country, she was mostly unaware of the situation in the local research field. In fact, she had braced herself for the worst. She did not expect researchers to be that friendly and that everything would turn out so smoothly.
“Well, your fame precedes you, Dr. Jarvis. Dr. Galloway said a lot of good things about you before you came, and we were all impressed. Everything he said about you proved to be true in the end when we finally got to meet you,” one of the teammates replied.
Colby’s expression changed when he heard that, but he quickly composed himself and feigned nonchalance, raising his glass to Roxanne. “I was simply saying the truth.”
With that said, he lifted his glass and finished everything in one go.
Roxanne felt Colby was not himself at that time, but because she could not pinpoint what was it that puzzled her, and since everyone was busy proposing a toast, the thought just slipped her mind.
Meanwhile, Colby had been glancing at her from the corner of his eyes. When he saw that she did not seem bothered by what had happened earlier, he heaved a sigh of relief.
It was true that he had feelings for Roxanne, yet he knew that she was way out of his league. He only wished to hide his feelings from her until the day he became a man worthy of protecting her.
The clock almost struck ten when their gathering finally ended.
Everyone was in a positive mood after the meal because not only did they eat their fill, but they also had a great time with Roxanne.
As for Roxanne, because she had received toast after toast during dinner, she ended up feeling tipsy.
The alcohol made her swoon as she walked out of the private room.
“Let me send you back,” Colby said worriedly, looking at her.
A mild pain spread in her head, and she frowned. “I’m good. You don’t have to. All of you should just go home. It’s late. Bye!”
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.
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