Chapter 530

Once again, Roxanne found his words ridiculous. Her expression darkened. He had kissed her publicly, yet now claimed the matter was settled and past. He made it seem as though she was overreacting.

Seeing her anger, Lucian stated seriously, "Whether you believe it or not, the kiss was an accident. Besides, I have no reason to kiss you." Her anger subsided; even though she didn't want to believe it, she had to admit he was telling the truth. He had no reason to kiss her—Aubree was his fiancée, and he wouldn't risk such a misunderstanding.

However, the more Roxanne considered this, the more upset she became with herself. Why had she overthought it? She must have made a fool of herself. Laughing softly at her own absurdity, she lowered her head.

Lucian mistook her silence for continued anger. After a moment, he smiled. "I apologize. If you're bothered by the stolen kiss, you can steal one from me. I promise I won't move."

Roxanne looked up in disbelief. A moment ago, he'd claimed the kiss was unintentional; now this? Didn't he realize this would cause misunderstandings? She couldn't fathom his intentions.

"So, Ms. Jarvis? Forgiveness, or a kiss in return?" Lucian pressed.

Seeing his nonchalance, Roxanne almost laughed in frustration. To avoid further discussion, she said, "Since you've explained yourself, let's pretend it never happened. Thank you, Mr. Farwell. I'm going back inside."

She turned and left. She could only hope the audience hadn't seen the kiss, or if they had, that they'd attribute it to the play. Lucian watched her go, a mocking smile playing on his lips as she didn't even glance back. He then followed her inside.

By the time they returned, the prize-giving ceremony was underway. The children's eyes lit up at their arrival.

"Mommy, we won first place!" Benny whispered excitedly as she sat down.

Roxanne smiled and ruffled his hair. "Thanks to your hard work! You were all amazing!"

Benny puffed out his chest, his excitement evident. "We even got prizes!"

Roxanne, assuming the prizes would be toys, waited patiently. The host announced the winners and began describing the prizes, awarded based on the number of families in each group. Third place received two children's mountain bikes; second place, three limited-edition Lego sets; and first place, two family vacation vouchers to a hot spring—one for Roxanne, and one for Lucian.

Roxanne was stunned. She'd expected toys, not this. The contrast between the prizes was stark.