Chapter 336 – Her Sudden Departure: A Tale of Love and Redemption (Lucian & Roxanne)

Upon hearing that, Roxanne couldn’t help but frown and question her own initial judgment.

Lucian didn’t give her much time to respond. He spun around and opened the car door for her.

He was holding that bouquet of roses and waiting for her at the car door.

Roxanne froze when she saw that. Subconsciously, she turned to check her surroundings.

Lucian was standing straight next to his luxurious car and holding a bouquet of roses. A scene like that could easily lead to misunderstandings.

Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief when she saw no one nearby. She then shifted her gaze back to Lucian and smiled. “You can lead the way, Mr. Farwell. I’ll drive myself.”

With an arched brow, Lucian uttered,

“Ms. Jarvis, if you don’t hop in, someone from the research institute is going to see us when they come back. Don’t blame me if they misunderstand us.”

In other words, he would keep standing there until Roxanne got into his car.

Roxanne pursed her lips in response. He’s blackmailing me, yet I have no choice but to hop in. If someone really sees this, how am I supposed to explain myself?

To her surprise, Lucian shoved the bouquet back into her hands the moment she got into the car.

Roxanne stiffened and glanced at Lucian. What is he up to?

“Please hold on to it, Ms. Jarvis. I don’t want the bouquet to stain the seats,” Lucian said casually, then walked over to the driver’s side and got into the car.

Roxanne held the bouquet in her arms throughout the journey to the restaurant. She was overwhelmed by mixed feelings.

Lucian didn’t know what to say either, so there was dead silence in the car. Almost half an hour later, the car slowly came to a halt outside a restaurant.

Lucian opened the door and got out of the car. Only then did Roxanne snap out of her daze.

She was about to reach out to open the door when it opened from the outside. Lucian had a calm expression on when he opened the door for her as if that was the most natural thing to do.

That unequivocally took Roxanne by surprise. Why is he acting so strange today?

At that moment, she did not know if she should get out of the car. There were servers waiting at the entrance. They were waiting for Roxanne to get out of the car so that they could lead them into the restaurant.

Seeing that there were people waiting, Roxanne endured the awkwardness and alighted from the car.

After getting out of the car, Roxanne wanted to return the bouquet to Lucian, but the man had already turned and walked into the restaurant.

Seeing that, Roxanne had no choice but to hold on to the bouquet. Just like that, they walked into the restaurant one after another.

Quickly, the server led them to the table Lucian had reserved. For some reason, Roxanne felt weird about the situation.

A lot of the patrons were sneaking glances at them because of their looks and temperament. Aware of the crowd’s attention, Roxanne scanned the surroundings in puzzlement.

Seconds later, she finally realized what was so weird about the situation. We look like a couple, and we look out of place!

She was irked when she heard the server saving. “This is the most popular couple set meal in our restaurant. Would you like to try it out?” Lucian didn’t correct the server. Instead, he agreed to have the set meal and went on to order some side dishes.

Upon hearing the conversation between Lucian and the server, Roxanne suddenly came to her senses. With a frown, she looked at Lucian before turning toward the server and explained, “There seems to be a misunderstanding. I’m not his-”

Before she could finish her sentence, the server looked at her enviously and said, “Miss, those flowers are beautiful. You’re so blessed!”

Roxanne was stunned. When she wanted to continue explaining the situation, the server had already walked away. The other diners were still looking at her.

Roxanne felt rather uncomfortable with the crowd’s inquisitive gazes. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why did you pick this restaurant?”

Lucian gave a small smile and answered, “I was craving the dishes here.”

Roxanne frowned when she heard that. She wanted to question him further, but the server was already serving the dishes. Left without a choice, Roxanne fell silent. A troubled looked appeared in her eyes when she saw the set meal for couples.

Lucian, who was seated across from her, saw the look in her eyes.

His expression turned gloomy when he saw how troubled she looked. Hence, he kept mum and started eating. Roxanne was concerned about his gastritis, so she didn’t say a word when she saw how focused he was when he ate.

A while later, she saw that Lucian was almost done with his food, so she said, “Mr. Farwell, it’s getting late. I think we should get right into business.”

Lucian paused and knitted his brows. “What do you want to say?”

“Please stop sending me flowers. I don’t like them, and I don’t think it’s appropriate.” Roxanne lowered her gaze to hide her emotions.

Lucian stared at her and asked, “Then what do you like if you don’t like flowers?”

Roxanne was stunned.She quickly regained her composure and cast him a confused glance. Lucian is a smart person, so I bet he knows what I meant. Why did he ask me that anyway? What exactly is he up to?

Roxanne didn’t dare to think too much about it. She clenched her fists to keep her cool. “That’s not your concern, Mr. Farwell. We’re not that close. Please mind your actions and don’t put me in a tough spot.”

Lucian’s gaze darkened when he heard how determined she was when she rejected him. Roxanne pursed her lips and looked at him, hoping to get the answers she wanted.

After a while, Lucian asked in a deep voice, “I’m not married, and neither are you. How am I putting you in a tough spot, Ms. Jarvis?”

Roxanne could barely keep her emotion in check when she heard that. She furrowed her brows and said, “If I remember correctly, it was you, Mr. Farwell, who reminded me often to keep the kids in mind.”

Lucian seemed unfazed. “I was just reminding you to stay away from those weird men.”

Roxanne could not wrap her head around the man’s behavior. “Who do you think you are to me, Mr. Farwell? What makes you think you can interfere with my private life?”

Lucian scrunched up his face. In the next second, he uttered bluntly, “I’m telling you as someone who’s trying to court you. Is that enough?”

Roxanne was taken aback. She thought her ears were playing tricks on him.

“What did you say?”

Lucian knitted his brows. Since he had already revealed so much, he didn’t mind telling her more. “You heard me right, Ms. Jarvis. I like you, and I want to pursue you.”

Roxanne was still confused when she heard him repeating himself. After keeping silent for almost a minute, she shook her head in amusement.

She had heard him clearly, but she found Lucian’s words ironic. “Mr. Farwell, don’t you remember what happened six years ago? Don’t you think it’s a bit too late for that?”

Lucian, with a darkened gaze, recalled what had happened when they were at the resort. His heart sank when he remembered how Roxanne looked when she was drunk. “I remember, and I regret it, okay?”

Roxanne stared at him for a few seconds. She was getting moved by how serious he looked. However, she quickly recomposed herself and asked in a cold tone, “What about Ms. Pearson? Is the marriage contract of six years between both of you just a lie, Mr. Farwell?”

Regardless of six years ago or the present, Aubree was still a barrier between the both of them.

Lucian’s expression turned solemn when he was reminded of Aubree. “I don’t care if you believe me or not, but I never wanted to marry her. There are still some private matters I need to settle with her. Just give me some time and I promise I’ll give you an explanation you’ll be satisfied with.”

Roxanne’s mind went blank when she heard that. Six years ago, Lucian was so keen on being with her. Now, she sounds like a problem to him.

Roxanne didn’t know if he was telling the truth, but either way, she felt like a joke when she recalled what she had gone through six years ago.

At that moment, events from six years ago flashed across her mind like a slideshow. She found the situation more and more ironic. After a long while, she asked calmly, “Are you doing this because Essie doesn’t like Ms. Pearson?”

Lucian frowned and looked at her confusion.

“I know you love Essie deeply, Mr. Farwell. But I didn’t expect you to make such an enormous sacrifice just so that Essie could have a mother she likes. I’m surprised you would offer someone the status of being your wife.”

Roxanne raised her head and looked at him calmly. “You don’t have to beat around the bush and say anything that violates your will, Mr. Farwell. You’ve already made yourself clear last time on the phone. You only choose me because Essie likes me.”

Although it sounded as though she was trying to tell Lucian off, Roxanne was actually trying to convince herself to stay away from him. Lucian’s gaze turned even more solemn as he stared at her.

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