Chapter 554
lucian’s heart wrenched again the moment he saw her smile. He would rather she looked at him indifferently, as she always did, because her affection only reminded him of how things had been between them six years ago. Back then, he had been her world, yet he had taken her for granted. He did not appreciate her and had killed her love for him instead when she left in Brokenness.
In the end, their intimacy reminded him that things had ended up as they were because of him. At that thought, Lucian smiled ruefully and averted his gaze. Have some water. It’ll make you feel better. Roxanne did not respond for a long while. Just as he was about to check on her again, he felt a weight on his chest. Lucian, the play. Was it really an accident? She asked, her voice fading away as she fell back asleep. Lucian loosened his arms when he realized she had dozed off. He hesitated for a while and put the glass of water on the table.
He figured Roksan might end up not sleeping well if he kept waking her up, so he tucked her and Estella in before going out of the room quietly. Back at the bar counter downstairs, Lucian sat down in front of the half emptied bottle of red wine that Roxanne had opened. I wonder how she felt when she quaffed all this. Lucian recalled the questions she had asked back in the room, and a sense of selfpity rose in his heart. He knew better than anyone else if what had happened during the play was an accident. It was just that he could not control himself when he saw her sleeping deeply.
But what bothered him was the fact that he did not have the courage to come clean with her. Lucian could not believe that there were actually things that he did not dare to admit. When Roxanne woke up the next morning, she felt a stabbing pain in her head.
She turned her head and saw the glass of water and hangover pills on the table. Then memories of what had happened the night before came flooding back, and her eyes widened like saucers. I couldn’t sleep so I went downstairs to have some wine, and I ended up drunk. Then he carried me upstairs.
I even said some nonsense to him before he left, and he said, no, stop. I’m not going there. Roxanne wondered if Lucian would be bothered by her action, just as he had been six years ago. A self-mocking smile touched her lips when she thought of that.
When Estella saw Roxanne sitting beside her in the bed, she snuggled into her embrace and mumbled her name as she woke up.
Ms. Jarvis, morning, Roxanne greeted gently, looking at the girl in her arms. I dreamed that Daddy came yesterday, she said, still not fully awake. Roxanne’s body stiffened. Well, he really came. Roxanne hoped Estella did not hear what she had blurted out to Lucian.
The night before. Because if Estella did, Roxanne would not know how to face the girl anymore. What else did you dream about? Roxanne asked tentatively, trying to elicit more information. Estella frowned and thought hard until she finally shook her head. 1s Nothing else? It’s weird. It was a super short dream. Roxanne. A silent sigh of relief.