“Let’s talk inside the hotel. It’s getting chilly outside,” Madilyn suggested tactfully, mindful that the two were too shy to say anything in her presence. Roxanne nodded before circling around Lucian to walk ahead.
Just as she brushed past his shoulder, Lucian reached out his hand but retracted it at the last minute with a frown. Given that he was the cause of her current predicament, he didn’t want to burden her any further as she already had a lot on her plate emotionally.
Meanwhile, there was no need for them to make reservations because the hotel they were in belonged to Farwell Group. Lucian had ordered the penthouse to be cleared so that they could live there for the time being.
Upon arriving at the suite, Madilyn led the children to another room, cognizant that the two adults needed some privacy to talk. No sooner had Roxanne entered the room than she heard the door close behind her.
Turning around, she realized that she was alone. with Lucian. Madilyn and the children were nowhere to be found. Thereafter, the frowning Lucian approached her with weighty footsteps.
“Where’s Madilyn and the rest?” Roxanne asked cluelessly. Instead of replying, Lucian walked up to her and grabbed her hand in a domineering manner, preventing her from leaving.
“Are you guys all right?” Lucian repeated his question from the rooftop. A warm smile gradually broke out across Roxanne’s face when she sensed his concern for her. “We’re fine. The kids were frightened initially but calmed down after they learned that the reporters couldn’t enter.”
As she spoke, she glowered at him. “Instead, it was the sudden appearance of the helicopter that gave us a shock.” Brows knitted, Lucian explained helplessly, “I couldn’t think of any other way. Besides, I sent the smallest helicopter we have in Farwell Group.”
He, too, had his doubts when Madilyn first raised the idea. It wasn’t until he deliberated upon it that he decided rescuing the mother and children was the priority. Even though Roxanne was just joking, the mention of the helicopter did frustrate her. “I understand, but isn’t sending the helicopter too dramatic? I’m not sure how this incident is going to blow up subsequently. I’m afraid…”
The distraught look on Roxanne’s face caused Lucian’s eyes to darken as he pulled her into his embrace. He reassured her, “Don’t be afraid. I’ll deal with this. I won’t let them interfere with your life.”
Roxanne, who was about to push him away, decided against it when Lucian’s calming scent filled her senses. Thereafter, she hesitated for a few seconds before wrapping her arms around his waist.
Even though they ran into trouble today, Roxanne was touched by Lucian’s acknowledgment of Archie and Benny as his own children, a choice he made without knowing the truth about their origins. In that instant, a warm atmosphere descended upon the room. The room door flung open abruptly, heralding Benny’s childish voice. “Mommy!”
Behind him was an anxious-looking Madilyn. “Don’t go in. Your daddy and mommy need to talk.” No sooner had she spoken than she saw the two adults locked in a tight embrace. The sight caused Madilyn and the children to stop in their tracks.
The two groups stared at each other, the newcomers wondering if they could still back out of the room and pretend that nothing happened. At the same time, the disruption caused Roxanne to freeze. Upon regaining her senses, she pushed herself out of Lucian’s arms by reflex.
