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.
