The atmosphere in the room grew tense. Jonathan discreetly shuddered, wondering if he should continue.

"Why are you asking about that?" Lucian glanced at him.

Jonathan cleared his throat, replying with as much nonchalance as he could muster. "When she came to give Grandpa a checkup yesterday, I remembered you were close to her, so I wanted to ask. If you rarely talk to her, then I won't bother."

Before Jonathan could finish, Lucian's eyes darkened. Jonathan knew Lucian would soon understand. He stopped, giving Lucian a confused look. "What's wrong, Lucian?"

"Do you want to court her?" Lucian's brows furrowed, annoyance evident.

Jonathan was dumbfounded. What have I said to make him think this way?

Roxanne was a nice woman, but Jonathan knew about her past relationship with Lucian. Even though it was over, he wouldn't betray their friendship. Besides, Roxanne had clearly rejected Alfred's matchmaking attempt. How could he shamelessly court her now?

Nevertheless, Lucian gloomily regarded his friend, a myriad of thoughts flashing through his mind. He knew Roxanne, despite infuriating him, was charming. Therefore, Jonathan's interest wasn't surprising.

Moreover, Jonathan's hesitant behavior since Lucian entered the room—evidently treating the topic as sensitive—made Lucian realize what Jonathan was about to discuss the moment he mentioned Roxanne. The thought of that possibility ignited a sudden fury, chilling the air around him.

A tense silence followed. It took Jonathan a moment to recover from Lucian's shocking question. He quickly waved his hands. "Why would you think that? I just noticed Dr. Jarvis lost weight, and since you were so protective of her I wanted to ask if you two"

Jonathan looked at Lucian, cautiously separating his hands as if to end the conversation. He was asking if Lucian was still interested in Roxanne.

Lucian's expression grew colder. "I was protective of her?"

Jonathan nodded. "I saw it when Dr. Jarvis treated my grandpa and at his birthday. We've been friends for years; I know you well."

Lucian curled his lips mockingly. To outsiders, he was exceptionally protective of Roxanne. Yet, she had avoided him, even fleeing overseas to hide.

Jonathan's headache returned as he sensed the shift in Lucian's demeanor. He couldn't say Lucian was unconcerned about Roxanne, yet he'd heard no word of concern. Lucian seemed aloof and in a bad mood, as if someone owed him money.

Yet, Jonathan couldn't say Lucian didn't care. He'd never seen his friend experience such mood swings for a woman. Not only did Lucian not interrupt, he continued the conversation.

Should I talk to him about it?

(Note: I removed the repeated numbered lines and the promotional text about FindNovel.net. I also corrected minor grammatical errors and improved sentence flow for clarity.)