Lucian grabbed her wrist just as she was speaking and planted a kiss on her lips before she could react. Roxanne was dazed for a moment, but soon enough, she yielded to his kiss, leaning into his embrace.
Her acquiescence surprised him momentarily, but Lucian snapped back after a short pause and kissed her so passionately that it took her breath away.
Amidst the kiss, Roxanne opened her eyes slightly and saw her best friend’s back from the window of the ward door. In a flush of embarrassment, she struggled to break the kiss. Lucian pulled away as she wished but still hugged her tight in his arms.
When Roxanne saw the usually-stoic man so overtaken by the fear of losing her, she felt bad for making him worry, so she let him hold her. By the time he finally let her go, there was no longer any trace of perturbation on his face.
“Thank you for everything you did,” Roxanne said apologetically, noticing how worn-out Lucian was. “I will do anything to make sure you are okay. I will settle this score with all those who put you through this!” Lucian swore as he locked his gaze on her. Roxanne was confused when she heard those words, but realization dawned a moment later. “Just now…”
She knew Lucian like the back of her palm. His absence when she woke up earlier had perplexed her, but she had not thought much of it since the kids were with her at that time.
When Roxanne finally had time to reflect on the matter, she figured Lucian must have gone to get even with Jack.
“Sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up,” Lucian apologized with a frown and a hint of lingering worry in his eyes. He did not want Roxanne to think he did not care enough about her.
Roxanne’s heart warmed when she noticed his concern, for she would never have guessed back then that there would come a day when Lucian would look at her that earnestly. To assure him that she was not angry, she smiled and held his hand to comfort him.
“By the way,” she voiced, changing the topic, “how are things with Jack now? You have to be more careful. He’s a cunning man, so I’m worried he might have something else up his sleeve.”
“Don’t worry. He has nothing to threaten me with aside from you and the children. Damaris Group is nothing more than a sitting duck now, so they can no longer do anything to you. There shall be a reckoning for them.”
His confidence assured Roxanne, and she remarked, “It’s good to know he’s only after me but not the kids.” She could not imagine her three children going through what she suffered.
It was fortunate that she was the one who had to endure the pain, for if Jack had done anything to her children, she would have readily caved in to his demands even if he had asked for Lucian-she would always choose the kids over anyone else.
Now that her thoughts had drifted to the children, Roxanne looked up at Lucian, thinking how the incident had taught her more deeply the importance of her children having a father- the man none other than the one before her. He and the children will be elated to know they are a family, but…
Roxanne hesitated again when she thought of Sonya’s attitude toward Archie and Benny, but this time around, she was more convinced to open up to Lucian.
“Actually, I…”
She parted her lips in an attempt to say something, yet there was still uncertainty in her eyes as she gazed at the man.
“What is it?” Lucian asked, sensing there was something Roxanne wanted to divulge. He waited quietly and allowed her to take her time when he saw she was still reluctant.
His thoughtfulness made Roxanne feel even more guilty and strengthened her resolve to come clean with him, but she did not know where to begin.
After some contemplation, she looked into his eyes and asked, “What do you think about Archie and Benny?”
“I adore them from the moment I saw them,” Lucian stated in all seriousness, his gaze fixed on her. At that point, he could already guess what was on Roxanne’s mind.
All he wanted then was for her to say the words, so he remained quiet after that and just looked at her sincerely with anticipation in his heart. Roxanne’s gaze wavered when she noticed how earnest Lucian was. “That’s great…”
Because she had kept the secret for a long time, she did not know how to break it to Lucian and was nervously trying to phrase her words before speaking.
Somehow, she felt it was not the best time to reveal Archie and Benny’s identities to him, but she knew she could not afford to keep the secret from Lucian any longer, especially after what had taken place. It was not right for her to deprive the children of a complete family now that they finally had one.
The picture of them smiling blissfully gave her the courage to finally admit, “Archie and Benny are actually your children too. I’m sorry I hid this from you for so long.”
After she said that, Roxanne studied Lucian’s expression carefully, trying to read his thoughts, but the man looked composed, as if he was waiting for her to explain herself.
Seeing that the man was not angry, she continued, “I found out I was pregnant after I went abroad. After that, I met Professor Lambert, who was a great help when I gave birth to the three children, but the baby girl died in labor. It broke my heart and took me a long time to put behind me.”
Here, she glanced at the door and smiled. “Unexpectedly, she has always been by your side.” It pained Lucian to listen to how life had been for Roxanne in those six years.
“As for Archie and Benny,” Roxanne went on with her gaze low, her tone lamenting, “I initially planned on staying overseas for good and never coming back.”
I wanted to hide them from you because I feared you would take them from me. At that point, Roxanne thought Archie and Benny were all she had in life.
“You were afraid I would take them from you,” Lucian worded her thought, to which Roxanne smiled with her lips pursed, admitting the truth of the statement. “I’m sorry you were separated from the boys for so long because of me,” she apologized.
“No. You don’t have to apologize because it’s my fault. I was the one who hurt you and betrayed your trust six years ago. I promise I will earn your trust back bit by bit. I’m glad that they were able to stay by your side all those years in my stead.”
Lucian believed everything had turned out how it was meant to be since Archie and Benny were why Roxanne managed to pull through those years without feeling lonely and why he could win her back so quickly.
Roxanne felt a burden off her chest when she saw that Lucian did not blame her, but something still bothered her. “Don’t you have anything to ask me? This is a serious matter. Do you really believe what I said, just like that?”
Roxanne could not wrap her head around Lucian’s reaction because, personally, she was staggered when she found out that Estella was her daughter, but Lucian’s face showed almost no traces of any emotions or doubt.
Does he trust me that much, or is it because he knew about it already? A frown marred her brows at the thought. Looking at the anxious woman, Lucian caressed her head, saying. “I knew about this. That’s why I’m not surprised.”
“When?” Roxanne blurted. Then, it occurred to her that Lucian’s attitude toward Archie and Benny had always been the same, even before she fell unconscious. Just as Lucian said, he had always been fond of the boys, although they disliked him because of Roxanne initially.
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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