Chapter 1369

Quiet settled in the car again. Lucian had expected Roxanne to offer an explanation or reassurance after his show of understanding, but she remained silent. This irritated him, but he couldn't retract his words and could only control his emotions. Fortunately, Benny had warned him earlier; otherwise, he would have been furious imagining Roxanne and Jack collaborating.

"You could take a break from this trip," Lucian said, insincerely. "The online stories these past few days must have affected you. I should have handled things better. I planned a getaway after my trip, but this medical consultation seems timely."

Roxanne seemed to regain her composure. "Sorry for the trouble caused by the online comments."

Lucian frowned. "I put you in this situation. I should be apologizing."

Roxanne hesitated. "But I should be the one filing the defamation suit. People will misunderstand if you do it for me..."

They appeared to be a family in everyone's eyes—the desired effect Lucian sought. He feigned confusion. "Misunderstand what?"

A hint of resignation flickered in Roxanne's eyes as she stared at him without answering. Lucian knew she understood, and he remained unmoved. "Let them misunderstand. It works in my favor; everyone will stay away from you."

He was pleased with the idea of publicly claiming what was his and had no intention of changing course. Roxanne, realizing she couldn't change his mind, let the matter drop, pretending the conversation hadn't occurred.

The silence continued until a strange sound was followed by a lurch.

"Tire's blown."

Lucian glanced at the dashboard, his brow furrowed in a solemn expression. "Buckle up. I recall an expressway exit ahead. I think we can still make it." He checked the road before merging into the outermost lane.

This was Roxanne's first such experience, and she periodically checked the rearview mirror for tailgaters or signs of further trouble. Fortunately, Lucian maintained a moderate speed, and they were close to the exit.

"That was a scare, huh?" he said apologetically after pulling over. "The car was fine when we left. Perhaps we ran over something."

Her heart still pounded, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the car stopped. "It's fine as long as nothing worse happened. Luckily, we were near the exit." Then, checking her phone, her face fell. "I'm not sure I'll make my medical consultation."

"If it's an emergency, wait here while I send someone with another car," Lucian offered.

Roxanne immediately asked, "What about you? Don't you have business in Jadeborough?"