Chapter 921: An Apology

Upon sensing Lucian's anger, Roxanne blinked, guiltily avoiding his gaze. "If this isn't the reason for your visit, Mr. Farwell, then what is?" she asked.

Lucian looked at her gloomily. He was only here at Jonathan's suggestion—to offer help during a crisis. However, her chilly demeanor made him reluctant to reveal the truth. A dreadful silence filled the study. Roxanne's heart grew heavier.

After a while, unable to bear the silence, she lowered her gaze. "If there's nothing else, let's leave. The children have been waiting."

Roxanne circled Lucian to leave, but her wrist was seized by his large hand before she could take more than a step.

She stopped, frowning. What is wrong with him? He won't tell me what's wrong, and he won't let me leave. What does he want? Unsure of his intentions, she impatiently tried to free herself.

After a long moment spent controlling his fury, Lucian said in a deep voice, "My information indicates the fire at the research institute destroyed the medicinal herbs you took from Herbscape Group."

Roxanne stopped struggling, suspicion resurfacing. How could he know unless he was involved? However, given his explanation, she couldn't openly voice her doubts.

She lowered her gaze, hiding her thoughts. "So what if that's true? What concern is it of yours, Mr. Farwell?"

A thought struck her, and she looked up. "Are you trying to help Herbscape Group recover the herbs?" Although she wasn't sure why he'd do that, it seemed plausible.

The temperature in the study plummeted. Roxanne's heart sank; she believed she'd guessed his intention.

Lucian stared at her impassively, complex emotions swirling in his eyes. His grip on her wrist tightened and loosened. He didn't understand why she was so suspicious. In their brief interaction, she'd already expressed her doubts numerous times.

It took considerable willpower for Lucian to restrain himself from breaking her wrist in anger.

Feeling the increased pressure, Roxanne looked down at her wrist. She wondered if it was her imagination, but she felt it might snap at any moment. This further fueled her suspicions.

"Mr. Farwell, if you're here only to discuss this, I can only apologize," Roxanne said, her tone lacking fear. "The herbs were incinerated. There's nothing I can do, even if you want them back. If you insist, I can have someone collect the ashes from the storage room. Perhaps something can still be salvaged."

Her sarcasm caused Lucian's brow to furrow, and his grip tightened uncontrollably.