Grabbed by the wrist, Roxanne was almost forcibly pulled from the banquet, in plain sight of the crowd. She tried several times to break free, but his grip was too tight. Only when they reached the outside did his grip loosen.

Roxanne pulled away with a grimace, stepping back to distance herself. "Thank you for your kindness," she said, "but I can drive myself home. There's no need to trouble you, Mr. Farwell. Your mother and fiancée are still inside; you should rejoin them."

She started toward the manor gate, avoiding him. She had initially planned to slip away unnoticed, but the situation had escalated unexpectedly. She couldn't believe Lucian was capable of this. Roxanne's mind was racing; all she wanted was some peace and quiet.

As she passed Lucian, he caught her wrist again, his grip tighter than before. Roxanne stopped. Suppressing her turmoil, she looked at him with forced calm. "Is there anything else, Mr. Farwell?"

Lucian frowned, seeing only apathy in her eyes. A pang of displeasure crossed his heart, remembering her smile while talking to Larry. "As I said," he said, "I want to see my daughter. Taking you home is on my way. I want her to sleep early, so please stop wasting time and get in the car."

"I drove here," Roxanne insisted. "And Catalina is watching them at home. You can go."

His stern face darkened at her repeated refusals, his eyes flashing with anger. "You had a couple of drinks earlier. Are you planning to be charged with driving under the influence?"

Roxanne frowned, but before she could answer, Lucian grabbed her wrist and led her to the car. She couldn't break free or refute his reason. He wanted to see his daughter; it wasn't a detour. Refusing him again would make her seem churlish and self-indulgent. Besides, he was right; she had had two drinks.

Cayden was already holding the car door open when they arrived, though Roxanne was hesitant.

"Weren't you in a hurry to go home?" Lucian demanded. "Or was that an excuse to avoid staying at the banquet?"

Roxanne had no choice but to get in. Lucian followed and sat beside her. She silently moved to the window, giving him a glower.

The journey was silent. Cayden tried to be as unobtrusive as possible. The car was deathly quiet.

Lucian's eyes darkened as he saw her profile reflected in the window. She had smiled when speaking to the man at the banquet, but now The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. Unable to bear the silence, he cleared his throat. "Who is Mr. Morrison to you? He mentioned you know each other well."

Roxanne froze, then glanced at him coldly. "I don't think that's any of your business."

She turned away, clearly unwilling to speak further. Silence descended again. Lucian's chill was almost palpable. Cayden wished he were anywhere but in that car, breathing carefully to avoid attracting attention.

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