Chapter 858: That Is Not What I Meant

A corner of Jack's lips quirked upward. The one billion, two hundred million he'd forked out last night made a significant difference. He wasn't surprised by Dean's humble demeanor that day.

Oblivious to the previous night's events, Roxanne remained silent, standing behind Jack. As they entered Herbscape Group, her phone rang.

The men stopped and turned. Roxanne offered an apologetic smile before retrieving her phone. Her expression tightened at the caller ID.

"What's wrong? Are the kids unwell?" Jack asked, concerned.

Roxanne froze momentarily. Regaining her composure, she hung up and smiled. "It's nothing urgent. Let's sign the papers first, shall we?"

Jack and Dean didn't think much of it, resuming their walk. However, Roxanne's phone rang again after a few steps.

Her heart sank at the caller ID. This time, she apologized. "I'm sorry, I have to take this call. Please proceed without me. I'll catch up shortly."

Nodding to the men, Roxanne moved to the entrance and answered. Before she could speak, she heard Estella wailing.

"What's wrong? What happened to Essie?" Roxanne worried.

Lucian, suppressing his displeasure, answered in a deep voice, "She wants to see you. If you're available, please do me another favor."

He couldn't help brooding over her hasty dismissal of his first call. I don't know what she's thinking, but I believe she's throwing a tantrum. The thought elicited a smirk. She was at fault, yet she had the audacity to hang up on me!

Roxanne responded hesitantly, "But I'm a little busy right now..."

The closing would take effect in under thirty minutes. They needed to work quickly; any delay meant discarding Herbscape Group's inventory.

Lucian's expression darkened. He didn't take her rejection well. Catalina instinctively stepped back, noticing the shift in his demeanor.

"Essie has been crying all morning," Lucian said, barely containing his anger. Estella's wails intensified at Roxanne's reluctance.

The child's cries broke Roxanne's heart. Still, she had to refuse. "I'm sorry. I'm swamped with work. Can you give me an hour? I'll rush over as soon as I'm done!"

Lucian's icy reply followed immediately. "You don't have to if you're busy. Essie's just throwing a tantrum. You don't have to worry about her since you're not related to her anyway!"

Roxanne frowned. "That's not what I meant. I—"

Lucian interrupted. "Sorry for disturbing you. I'll handle Essie myself. Have a nice day." He hung up.

Roxanne stared at the black screen, feeling anxious.