Chapter 1417

At noon the next day, Jonathan took Frieda shopping. They purchased several gifts before driving to the restaurant where they were to meet Roxanne. The restaurant was near the research institute; Roxanne planned to return to work if their meeting concluded early.

However, something at the institute detained her, so Jonathan and Frieda were already waiting in their private room upon her arrival.

“I’m sorry, Dr. Jarvis. Did I interrupt your work?”

Despite addressing Roxanne informally with Lucian present, Jonathan maintained a polite demeanor. Roxanne offered a polite smile, then her gaze fell on Frieda, and confusion clouded her eyes. If I'm not mistaken, Frieda never liked me. So why is she here today?

Considering her heavy workload, Roxanne wished to avoid any unnecessary complications. Jonathan rose, pulling out a chair for her. “Frieda recognized her error and asked my help in arranging this meeting. She wishes to apologize personally.” He glanced at his sister.

Frieda rose, smiling sincerely. “Dr. Jarvis, I was immature in the past. Because Aubree and…” She paused. “Aubree and I are good friends, and seeing your closeness to Lucian, I harbored prejudices. I realize I was wrong and hope you won’t hold it against me.”

Frieda subtly shifted blame to Aubree. Roxanne understood the implication and felt slightly uncomfortable; she hesitated to accept the apology. Jonathan, too, recognized Frieda’s tactic; his expression darkened. “Frieda!” he chided.

Frieda’s sincerity intensified as she produced a gift. “I’ve realized my mistakes. You’re the only one Lucian has ever loved. Roxanne, I was foolish; please forgive me? Since Jonathan and Lucian are best friends, I’d like to be your bestie, too!” she exclaimed, offering the gift.

This put Roxanne in a difficult position, making refusal seem unkind. Frieda felt confident of success. I've humbled myself this much; there's no way Roxanne will refuse to forgive me!

To Frieda’s surprise, Roxanne paused before gently pushing the gift back. “I’m willing to forgive your past attitude, but it’s too soon to be ‘besties.’ We aren’t that close.” She offered a polite, distant smile. “You can call me ‘Dr. Jarvis,’ as Mr. Queen does. We can start by being friends.” Roxanne had only agreed out of respect for Jonathan.

Frieda stiffened, taken aback by the rejection. Jonathan, however, felt this was a good start. He chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. “Dr. Jarvis is right. Why not start as friends? You’ll have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better. Whether you become besties is something only time will tell.”

Roxanne looked at him, her smile relaxing considerably. Since their first meeting, she’d found Jonathan consistently courteous and considerate.