Meanwhile, in Lucian’s car, Roxanne couldn’t help but glance at him through the rearview mirror. Six years ago, she wouldn’t miss the chance to spend time with Lucian.
She would always stare at his face intently, hoping he could spare a glance at her. Alas, it had never happened. Now, she finally got the chance to stare at him whenever she wanted.
All the while, she had thought her feelings for Lucian had faded over time. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to still be deeply and wildly in love with Lucian.
“How was it? Are you satisfied?” Lucian suddenly turned to look at her. Roxanne stiffened and blurted out, “Not bad.” Hearing that, Lucian chuckled in amusement.
Roxanne belatedly regained her composure and realized what she had just said. Her cheeks flushed a crimson red immediately. Lucian wasn’t about to push her too much.
Sensing her anxiety, he changed the topic.. “Thanks to you and the boys, Essie is doing so much better now.”
Roxanne relaxed subconsciously when she heard Estella’s name. Her eyes softened as she said, “I didn’t do anything. Essie is shy, so we should make an effort to befriend her. I should be grateful that she’s willing to open her heart to me.”
There was nothing more moving than being trusted by a young girl.
They chatted about Estella’s change throughout the journey. Roxanne’s gaze soon drifted to the scenery outside the car window. She was taken aback by the unfamiliarity of her surroundings.
Glancing at her watch, she realized they should’ve arrived at the research institute from the kindergarten ages ago. “Are you sure you’re going the right way?” she
asked quickly, her voice full of concern. “This isn’t the route to the research institute.” Lucian didn’t make a U-turn. Instead, he asked calmly, “Didn’t you agree to go someplace with me?”
Roxanne was reminded of the fare Lucian had mentioned earlier. Furrowing her brows, she protested, “You didn’t say that we’re heading. there now.”
I was planning on heading back to the research institute Knowing what she was thinking, Lucian drawled, “You haven’t visited the research institute in a while, but it’s still functioning efficiently, right? This shows that the institute can operate smoothly even when you’re not present. You needn’t feel obligated to return today.”
Roxanne could not refute his words. Indeed, the research institute had been doing well despite her and Colby’s absence..
After accepting a project, the researchers simply had to conduct their research as planned. In normal circumstances, nothing unexpected would occur.
She sighed inwardly and caved in. “Where are we going now?”
“Since you returned to the country, you’ve been occupied with work and looking after Archie and Benny. You can’t be stressed all the time. I’ll take you to a place where you can unwind.”
Roxanne instinctively wanted to respond that she didn’t feel stressed at all.
However, it was as though Lucian had expected her response, as he added, “I’ve been pretty busy with work at Farwell Group as well. I also had to investigate Colby’s background. It’s pretty exhausting, so I’d like to take a break.”
Roxanne swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue. If Lucian was merely concerned about her, she would think it was unnecessary to drive to someplace just to relax.
However, Lucian had used himself as an excuse, hinting to Roxanne that he was too busy investigating something. This left Roxanne feeling guilty, and she felt that it was her responsibility to unwind with him.
