Chapter 626 – Her Sudden Departure: A Tale of Love and Redemption (Lucian & Roxanne)

Fortunately, that did not seem like Lucian’s intention. After sighing in relief internally, Jonathan nodded in response and strode out, leaving his sister behind.

“I’m so sorry, Lucian. I should’ve kept an eye on Frieda.” In the end, Jonathan still decided to share the blame after walking out the door.

Frieda stood rooted to her spot as she looked at Jonathan and Lucian leave. She was stunned for a while before regaining her senses and hastening toward Aubree’s ward.

She had to hear Aubree’s answer in person. Frieda was halted by Jonathan’s subordinate, who was stationed outside the ward’s entrance. “Ms. Queen, Mr. Queen forbade you from coming close.”

She glared at him angrily. “Get lost! I’m just going in to say a few things. I’ll come out the moment I’m done talking.” With that, she made to stride into the room.

Jonathan’s subordinate was caught in a difficult position, standing before Frieda and blocking her way forward. Still, he didn’t dare to lay at finger on her and could only watch as she pushed the door open and walked into the room.

“Aubree!” Frieda impatiently wanted confirmation from Aubree right after she opened the door. The next second, she caught herself when she witnessed Aubree crying hysterically. Then, she quietly left the ward.

There wasn’t any need for her to probe further, as Aubree’s demeanor cleared up her doubts. Lucian had indeed called off their engagement.

Terror surged within Frieda as she realized that. She was scared out of her wits when she was reminded of all the things she had done alongside Aubree.

Meanwhile, after Lucian left the hospital, he asked Jonathan to send him back to Farwell Group. Cayden knocked on Lucian’s door and entered the office upon the latter’s arrival. At that moment, Lucian was still giving off a gloomy aura.

As a result, Cayden shuddered when he stepped into the room. “Mr. Farwell, the result of the investigation into the incident at the research institute is out.”

Hearing that, Lucian looked at Cayden with a frown. “What’s the result?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the components, and the experiment was carried out by adhering to Ms. Jarvis’ usual work protocol. Logically, that gas shouldn’t have been produced,” Cayden replied politely.

That meant someone had indeed tampered with the experiment. Lucian’s gaze darkened. He fell silent for a long while before suddenly getting up and exiting his office.

Cayden hastily followed him. “Mr. Farwell, where are we going now?”

Lucian uttered coldly, “Let’s check out the research institute.” I told Colby to find out all the medicines on the lab table which were used that day. I wonder how his progress is.

Cayden guessed Lucian might’ve found a lead, so he trailed behind the latter without saying a word. After reaching downstairs, Cayden drove them to the research institute.

Coincidentally, Colby had just come out from the building. Colby panicked momentarily when he saw the pair get out of the vehicle. However, he swiftly recollected himself and approached them nonchalantly. “Mr. Farwell.”

Lucian nodded. “Did you find out all the medicines?” A guilty look flashed across Colby’s eyes. “I did, and I placed everything back on the table accordingly.”

Lucian glanced at him dubiously in response. “You placed everything back? Didn’t you mention it was dangerous?”

Colby lowered his head to force himself to stay calm. “I already reminded the research facility’s personnel to avoid touching the medicines on that lab table, so there shouldn’t be an issue.”

Lucian nodded. “Bring me there and show me the medicines.” Colby grunted in acknowledgment before turning around and leading the two into the research facility.

Upon entering the building, they saw many researchers carrying out their duties. The researchers offered simple greetings to Lucian and the others, then immersed themselves in their experiments again.

Colby led them to the lab counter and stood to one side. “These are all the medicines.” The arrangement on the lab table had been restored to its previous state, similar to the day when Roxanne did the experiment.

However, Colby used a different medicine to substitute the one he added to the flask the other day. The two bottles had a slight difference in size.

No one would notice that minor change in detail if that person weren’t a researcher who spent a long time inside the laboratory. Even Roxanne and Jack wouldn’t notice he had switched the medicine as they were focused on carrying out the experiment that day.

The trio stayed quiet. Cayden and Colby stood at one side, looking at Lucian examining the lab counter with different thoughts running through their minds. Colby was nervous to the extent of almost forgetting to breathe.

Given a choice, he wouldn’t be willing to heed Lucian’s order to restore the scene during the day of the experiment because that would easily expose his wrongdoing.

Still, if Colby had refused to follow Lucian’s instruction, that would be no different from declaring his guilt to the latter.

After mulling his options over, he had no choice but to restore the arrangement of the medicines on the lab table, albeit with a slight alternation. He could only hope Lucian wouldn’t notice anything suspicious.

Lucian was oblivious to Colby’s train of thought. He was focused on inspecting the medicines on the lab table, meticulously checking every item.

While doing that, he recalled every detail he saw on the surveillance footage that day. Lucian clearly remembered Roxanne had touched all of the bottles on the table.

All of a sudden, he fixated his gaze on a transparent bottle placed in the corner for a few seconds before turning around to speak to Colby. “Bring me to the surveillance room again.”

Colby’s pupils constricted as uneasiness filled him. He had noticed Lucian staring at the bottle for a prolonged time. Why is that? Did he discover something?

Colby’s hand, hanging by his sides, trembled. uncontrollably when he considered that possibility. However, under Lucian’s watchful gaze, Colby could only tuck his hands into his white coat’s pockets, feign calmness, and nod. “Okay.”

After saying that, he spun on his heels and guided them to the surveillance room. Lucian played the surveillance footage from that day and studied the video carefully again.

As he expected, when Roxanne was doing the experiment, she accidentally knocked over the transparent bottle at the side but hastily picked it up the next second.

Although the differences were insignificant, that bottle was not the same size as the one Colby had currently placed on the lab table.

Besides that, the quantities of the medicine inside the bottles were also dissimilar. Lucian shifted his gaze onto the Colby onscreen, who was standing behind Roxanne.

He didn’t believe Colby, who had spent so many years working at the research institute, would fail to distinguish between the two bottles of medicines.

Unless he did it on purpose. “Mr. Farwell, did you notice anything?” Colby suppressed his anxiousness and asked warily, attempting to seize control of the situation.

Lucian glanced at him with an unfathomable look in his eyes. “Nothing for now. I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to keep that particular table in that state, Dr. Galloway.”

Hearing that, Colby took a deep breath. His facial expression relaxed imperceptibly. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”

Lucian bobbed his head. After that, he got up and left the surveillance room without taking another look at the surveillance footage. Cayden followed closely behind him.

After exiting the research institute, Cayden started the car. “Mr. Farwell, are we returning to the company now, or is there any other place you wish to visit?”

Lucian glanced at the research institute’s entrance while wearing a grimace. Colby stood there reverently to see them off. Looking away, Lucian replied, “Go back to the office.

Also, I want to see all the recent purchase orders by the research facility by tonight.” Cayden agreed with alacrity, started the car, and drove toward Farwell Group.

At the research institute’s entrance, Colby’s legs turned to jelly after Lucian’s car disappeared from his vision.

Lucian had displayed an ambiguous response earlier, causing Colby to be unable to ascertain whether Lucian had discovered he was the culprit. And because of that, Colby felt all the more terrified.

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