Lucian's heart wrenched again at the sight of her smile. He would have preferred her indifference, her usual demeanor, because her affection only reminded him of their past, of six years ago. Back then, she had been his world, yet he had taken her for granted, failing to appreciate her and ultimately destroying their love. Her departure had left him broken.

Their intimacy now only served to remind him that their current situation was entirely his fault. This thought prompted a rueful smile, and he averted his gaze. "Have some water," he offered. "It'll make you feel better." Roxanne remained silent for a long time. Just as he was about to check on her, he felt her weight on his chest. "Lucian," she murmured, her voice fading, "the play...was it really an accident?" She fell back asleep. Lucian gently released his arms as she dozed off, hesitating before placing the glass of water on the table.

He decided it was best to let her sleep undisturbed, so he tucked her and Estella in before leaving the room quietly. Downstairs at the bar, he sat before the half-empty bottle of red wine Roxanne had opened. He wondered how she had felt while drinking it. Recalling her questions from earlier, a wave of self-pity washed over him. He knew better than anyone if the incident during the play had been accidental. Yet, he couldn't control himself when she slept so soundly.

What truly troubled him was his lack of courage to confess the truth. He was astonished by his inability to admit certain things. When Roxanne awoke the next morning, a sharp pain stabbed at her head. She saw the water and hangover pills on the table, and the events of the previous night flooded back, widening her eyes. "I couldn't sleep, so I went downstairs for some wine," she thought, "and got drunk. Then he carried me upstairs. I even said some nonsense before he left, and he said, 'No, stop. I'm not going there.'" She wondered if Lucian would be bothered by her actions, just as he had been six years ago. A self-mocking smile touched her lips at the thought.

Estella, waking to find Roxanne beside her, snuggled into her embrace and mumbled her name. "Ms. Jarvis, morning," Roxanne greeted softly, looking at the girl in her arms. "I dreamed Daddy came yesterday," Estella said sleepily. Roxanne's body stiffened. "Well, he really did come." She hoped Estella hadn't heard her outburst to Lucian the night before; if she had, Roxanne wouldn't know how to face her. "What else did you dream about?" Roxanne asked tentatively. Estella frowned, thought hard, then shook her head. "Nothing else? It's weird. It was a super short dream." A silent sigh of relief escaped Roxanne.