Ch. 1741..1750
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1741-Jonathan beamed in response. “She's awake, and she even asked where you were.”
Lucian furrowed his brows. “Did you tell her?”
Jonathan quickly shook his head. “No. I said that something came up and you had to leave for the office.”
Lucian nodded in silence.
“Are you going to see Roxanne now?” Jonathan asked.
Lucian pondered a moment and said, “Maybe later. All that matters is that she's safe now.” He narrowed his eyes. “I want Jack to suffer the consequences of harming her first!”
Jonathan, who had grown up with Lucian, couldn't help but be shocked. He was relieved that he never had to go against Lucian.
Otherwise, a miserable death would be the only fate awaiting him.
Meanwhile, Jack was sent to the hospital by Kevin.
After a calm journey, Jack finally regained his senses.
“What is this place?”
Jack's expression turned grim when he saw the name of the hospital.
Kevin replied in a quivering tone, “It's a hospital owned by Damaris Group. I figured it would be more convenient—”
Before he could finish, Jack chided, “You fool! Are you trying to tell the whole world that I got beaten up? Take me to a different hospital right away!”
Kevin had no choice but to do as he was told.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he hurriedly helped Jack to get treated.
The sting of alcohol on his wound brought Jack's mind to full attention.
“Find out what Roxanne's current condition is right now! Has she really woken up?”
Jack wanted to know the answer as soon as possible, for he refused to believe that someone could neutralize his poison in such a short time.
What frightened him even more was Lucian's attitude when he left.
Prior to this, he didn't fear Lucian, as Roxanne's fate lay in his hands.
However, now that she had produced the antidote, Lucian would stop at nothing to make him and Damaris Group pay.
Jack couldn't help but shudder in fear.
All my efforts were meant to expand Damaris Group, not shove it into an abyss!
Kevin acknowledged the order and left quickly.
Fifteen minutes later, he returned with a grim look on his face.
“What's the situation?” Jack asked impatiently.
Kevin hesitated, looking flustered. “Mr. Damaris, now isn't the time to be concerned about Ms. Jarvis.”
The look on Kevin's face caused Jack's heart to sink. “What in the world happened?”
Hanging his head, Kevin steeled himself and replied, “Just a moment ago, thirteen of Damaris Group's warehouses have been seized by the police!”
He had not gone far from the hospital when the person in charge of the warehouses called him.
Upon ending the call, he turned his car around immediately.
“What?” Jack looked at him in disbelief. “Why have the police seized the warehouses? What's the reason?”
For so many years, Damaris Group had been building a positive reputation for itself and had a good working relationship with both the government and police.
Why are the police targeting us?
Kevin replied warily, “I was told that the police suspected that contraband is stored in our warehouses.”
As despair set into him, Jack finally understood what was going on.
He was now paying the price which Lucian had spoken off.
Roxanne has really produced the antidote!
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1742-“What should we do now, Mr. Damaris?”
Kevin, well aware that this was Lucian's means of revenge, was already gripped by fear.
Jack's temper flared up at that.
After giving Kevin an earful, he barked, “Contact Old Mr. Damaris. As the heart of the Damaris family, he might be able to exercise damage control.”
Kevin grunted in acknowledgment.
Jack added, “Also, transfer all of the company funds right away. We have to save as much of it as we can!”
He had a hunch that Lucian wasn't going to just stop there.
“Understood!” With that, Kevin turned to leave.
However, the more Jack thought about it, the more troubled he was. “Forget it. I'll go back with you!”
After hurrying the nurse to bandage his wounds, he got to his feet to leave.
All of a sudden, he felt a sudden bout of weakness in his body. He failed to exert any strength, and his legs became wobbly.
The very next second, Jack collapsed onto the ground, his consciousness fading away.
“Mr. Damaris! Are you all right?”
The commotion caused Kevin to turn around and hurry to Jack's side.
When he saw the unconscious Jack, a hesitant glint flashed across his eyes.
Lucian will never let Damaris Group go. If I continue to stick with them, I will be dragged down.
In that instant, Kevin was filled with the urge to flee.
On second thought, he figured that he would always be a member of Damaris Group in Lucian's eyes. Even if he left, Lucian might not necessarily forgive him.
Upon realizing the fact, Kevin turned around and called out to the nurse, “Take him to the emergency room. Quick!”
Shocked by what she had witnessed, the nurse was brought back to her senses by Kevin's instruction. She called for a stretcher and rushed Jack to the emergency room.
Meanwhile, Jonathan was elated to learn that Damaris Group's warehouses had been seized.
“That b*stard, Jack, must be filled with regret by now!”
Standing beside Jonathan in the corridor, Lucian pretended not to have heard the comment. All he did was stare solemnly at Roxanne.
Roxanne was already sitting up and looked visibly better. Nonetheless, he could clearly see that she was still weak.
Madilyn and Linda were caring for her, while the children—having stopped crying—were all smiles as they chatted with Roxanne.
The atmosphere in the ward brimmed with warmth.
Upon learning of Roxanne's recovery, the specialists came over to examine her and ran into the two at the entrance. They slowed down and greeted Lucian warily.
Lucian nodded in response. “Don't let her know that I'm outside.”
The specialists agreed before proceeding into the ward.
The sight of Roxanne being truly awake filled them with shock. They examined her while still being filled with disbelief.
Once they were done, the look they gave her transformed into one of admiration.
“How is it?” Roxanne couldn't resist asking when she saw the strange look on their faces.
Having been brought back to their senses, they explained, “Your body is generally fine. The hardened blood vessels earlier have also improved. All you need is some rest, and you'll be back to your usual self.”
The children cheered at that news.
Roxanne stroked their heads with a smile.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1743-The heart-warming scene in the ward melted Lucian's heart.
“Lucian, do you really not want to go in?” Jonathan asked when he saw the change in Lucian's expression.
Lucian's face darkened again. “No. I'll do so after I crush Jack.”
Only after Jack had paid the price for his actions would Lucian have the peace of mind to stay by Roxanne's side.
If he were to go in now, he expected himself to go soft again because of Roxanne.
Knowing Lucian's thoughts, Jonathan stop persuading him and glanced at his phone instead. “The plan has been set in motion.”
Lucian looked as if he was unsatisfied with the current plan. He fell into deep thought and said coldly, “Next, Farwell Group and Queen Group will attack Damaris Group's stock overseas. On top of that, expose Damaris Group to the organizations overseas so that they, too, can join us in bringing down Damaris Group's share price.”
Jonathan nodded in acknowledgment and gave the orders immediately.
At one in the morning, an uproar broke out on the internet.
One headline read: Breaking news! Century-old Damaris Group inflated profits, cheating shareholders!
Another read: Damaris Group is overvalued. Prospects are grim!
All sorts of negative headlines flooded the news.
Moreover, there were even parties who began unleashing personal attacks on the employees of Damaris Group.
“Damaris Group is a hypocritical company. Their annual medical consultation is nothing but a PR stunt, as they increase their drug prices every year!”
“Despite being a self-style century-old traditional medicine family, they don't have any ethics at all. At the end of the day, they're just a greedy profit-driven family!”
Damaris Group's retail shareholders engaged in heated discussions with each other, unable to sleep after looking at the share price.
Within an hour, Damaris Group's stock price fell off a cliff, dropping by sixty-five percent due to the attacks by various factions, and it was still dropping.
Many of the panicking shareholders tried desperately to sell but simply froze like a deer in the headlights. In fact, some even suffered a heart attack from the shock.
Soon, a huge number of them were cursing at Damaris Group.
In just one night, Damaris Group's reputation was destroyed and burned together with its stock price.
The panic that resulted spread unabated.
Late at night, Hector was awoken from his sleep by a knock on the door.
He had been sent back to Bellridge by Jack. However, due to Jack's concern that he would go and treat Roxanne, Jack had him brought back to the main residence where he was being watched.
Hector was essentially imprisoned.
Never in his life had he been humiliated to this extent before.
Unfortunately, he was no longer the head of the Damaris family. In spite of his anger, all he could do was bear with it and live like someone without a soul.
When he heard the knock on the door, Hector assumed that Jack had returned to brainwash him again. He subsequently turned his back to the door and ignored it.
A moment later, the bodyguard's voice rang out.
“Old Mr. Damaris, there's someone here to see you downstairs.”
Someone's here to see me?
Hector gradually sat up on his bed.
Jack has been preventing me from seeing anyone out of precaution, so what's going on now?
Hector staggered to the door and opened it. Just as he was about to ask the bodyguard who it was, he heard an argument downstairs.
“Where's Jack? Tell him to come out. I demand an explanation from him today!”
“Get Damaris out here right now! Otherwise, we'll drag him out if we have to!”
The hostile voices caused Hector's heart to lurch as he gave the bodyguard a curious look.
The bodyguard lowered his head, not daring to say a word.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1744-“Calm down, everyone. What's going on?”
Hector could vaguely guess that Jack had caused some trouble. Still, that matter concerned Damaris Group, so he chose to step in ultimately.
Seeing Hector stepping up, the crowd toned down their anger to show their respect. “Old Mr. Damaris, this matter has nothing to do with you. Please have Jack come and speak to us.”
Everyone was well aware of Hector's character after his many years of involvement in the medical field.
Many of those present had even been on the receiving end of Hector's kindness, so they didn't want to distress him.
Hector glanced around the living room and noticed that the crowd comprised mainly superintendents of companies that had business relations with Damaris Group.
Some of them had collaborated with Damaris Group for many years, but even they were visibly enraged.
That observation further agitated Hector. He forced himself to stay calm before pressing on, “Jack isn't here at the moment. Why don't you tell me what exactly happened? If he did something wrong, I hereby apologize to all of you on behalf of Damaris Group.”
Everyone exchanged glances.
Nevertheless, the silence merely prevailed for a few minutes.
The room erupted in a commotion again when the crowd realized Hector had no intention of calling Jack out.
“Old Mr. Damaris, let's hear your take on this. Our companies cooperated with Damaris Group for so many years because we had faith in you and believed in Damaris Group's stable and long-term growth. But look at what's happening now! After this disastrous incident, all the money I invested has gone to waste!”
“This is all thanks to your grandson's doing! Everyone now despises Damaris Group. Under such circumstances, can we still receive the remaining balance Jack promised us? The project is already nearing its completion!”
Disastrous incident? Despised by everyone?
Listening to their questions, Hector felt dizzy and utterly panicky. “W-What is going on? What happened to Damaris Group?”
Taking in Hector's pale face, most people couldn't bear to continue and fell silent.
However, there were still others who prioritized their personal interest above all else. One of them immediately revealed Damaris Group's predicament.
“Damaris Group is now involved in a lawsuit, and I heard the police have seized the company's warehouses. The supply of medicine will certainly be disrupted tomorrow. Also, Damaris Group's stock price has plummeted. All of these happened because of Jack!”
Colors drained from Hector's face. “That unfilial son! I've told him to stay out of Damaris Group's operation. I warned him early on t-to...”
At that point, he swept his eyes across the others inside the living room and caught himself in the end.
He had no doubt it was Lucian's retaliation that caused Damaris Group's downfall. If these people discover that Damaris Group is not only caught in a tight spot but has also offended Farwell Group, they will undoubtedly cease all partnerships with Damaris Group.
Hector couldn't speak of that matter despite the agony in his heart. He could only regret his decision inwardly. It was all my fault for making this poor judgment in the past. Why did I fail to discern Jack's greediness and ruthlessness? It was I who personally handed Damaris Group over to Jack. I am responsible for Damaris Group's current pathetic state.
Remorse churned within Hector's chest at that instant.
He had many heart conditions, to begin with. As extreme grief and anger washed over him, he failed to catch his breath and passed out on the spot.
Kevin arrived in time to witness Hector collapsing. He rushed over to help him up.
“It's him! He's Jack's assistant!” someone shouted after identifying Kevin.
Subsequently, pandemonium reigned in the living room.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1745-“Where's Jack? Tell him to come out here and provide us with an explanation!”
The crowd surrounded Kevin, pressing for Jack's whereabouts.
Kevin supported Hector with difficulty while trying to think of ways to calm the others around him. “Mr. Damaris is waiting for all of you at Damaris Group. Please head there now while I send Old Mr. Damaris to the hospital.”
Everyone didn't doubt Kevin's words. In addition, they felt it was inappropriate for them to keep blocking the way since Hector had fainted. After watching Kevin leave, they made their way to Damaris Group angrily.
The Damaris family's century-old business had abruptly fallen apart overnight.
Jonathan arched his brow at Lucian after seeing that news. “Will you go in and visit Roxanne now? She's been looking for you ever since she regained consciousness.”
Lucian was barely satisfied with that outcome. He schooled his features and dispelled his hostile aura before opening the door and stepping inside the room.
Hearing the movements at the door, everyone looked over.
Upon noticing the newcomer, Linda whispered, “Mr. Farwell is here.”
Of all those present, only she was unaware of what was going on.
Madilyn glanced at the man at the door. Then, she looked at her best friend and held the three kids' hands while smiling. “Let's go. I'll take you out to enjoy some delicious food. You three must be starving after being busy all night, right?”
The children nodded sensibly and giggled discreetly at their father.
Peregrine also excused himself afterward.
Everyone tacitly left the room to allow the couple some time alone.
Pin-drop silence lingered in the air as they gazed at each other from afar.
“Where were you?” Roxanne was the first to break the silence.
A worried look spread across her countenance.
Lucian moved forward and sat beside her. He scrutinized her solemnly for a few moments, seemingly assessing her body's condition.
Roxanne smiled at him and said gently, “I'm fine now. The specialists already performed a physical examination on me, and so did Old Mr. Lomax. I'll fully recover after resting for a couple more days.”
Only after listening to her words did Lucian relax completely. Tenderness filled his eyes as he spoke. “Archie and Benny used to say you're the best doctor in the world. I thought they were exaggerating, but now it seems to me they were right.”
Roxanne couldn't help but laugh. “Archie said the same thing earlier. You two are really in sync.”
Lucian raised his brows indifferently. “There's indeed nothing wrong with our remark. If it weren't for your exceptional medical skills, I might've lost the love of my life, so I truly wish to thank you.”
From addressing her as his wife to referring to her as the love of his life, Roxanne noticed Lucian had become more straightforward in the way he expressed his affection for her.
Hearing that term of endearment, she couldn't help but fall into a daze for a few seconds. Then, she blushed and lowered her head sheepishly.
Fear continued to linger in his chest as he looked at the woman before him. He muttered in a deep voice, “It's true. I was so close to losing you...”
Now that he thought about it, every encounter they shared was initiated by Roxanne, including the times when they first got married and their reunion after six years.
In the past two life-and-death situations, she was also the one who did her best to save herself and stay by his side.
Intense guilt surged within him as those thoughts crossed his mind, rendering him at a loss for what to do.
As the man was silent, she looked up at him in bafflement.
When their eyes met and Roxanne noticed the emotions swirling in Lucian's eyes, her heart shuddered. She thought he was still troubled after being worried about her for the past few days, so she reached out to caress his face.
“Don't be scared. Look. I'm perfectly fine now, aren't I?”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1746-Lucian grabbed her wrist just as she was speaking and planted a kiss on her lips before she could react.
Roxanne was dazed for a moment, but soon enough, she yielded to his kiss, leaning into his embrace.
Her acquiescence surprised him momentarily, but Lucian snapped back after a short pause and kissed her so passionately that it took her breath away.
Amidst the kiss, Roxanne opened her eyes slightly and saw her best friend's back from the window of the ward door. In a flush of embarrassment, she struggled to break the kiss.
Lucian pulled away as she wished but still hugged her tight in his arms.
When Roxanne saw the usually-stoic man so overtaken by the fear of losing her, she felt bad for making him worry, so she let him hold her.
By the time he finally let her go, there was no longer any trace of perturbation on his face.
“Thank you for everything you did,” Roxanne said apologetically, noticing how worn-out Lucian was.
"I will do anything to make sure you are okay. I will settle this score with all those who put you through this!” Lucian swore as he locked his gaze on her.
Roxanne was confused when she heard those words, but realization dawned a moment later. “Just now...”
She knew Lucian like the back of her palm.
His absence when she woke up earlier had perplexed her, but she had not thought much of it since the kids were with her at that time.
When Roxanne finally had time to reflect on the matter, she figured Lucian must have gone to get even with Jack.
“Sorry I wasn't here when you woke up,” Lucian apologized with a frown and a hint of lingering worry in his eyes.
He did not want Roxanne to think he did not care enough about her.
Roxanne's heart warmed when she noticed his concern, for she would never have guessed back then that there would come a day when Lucian would look at her that earnestly.
To assure him that she was not angry, she smiled and held his hand to comfort him.
“By the way,” she voiced, changing the topic, “how are things with Jack now? You have to be more careful. He's a cunning man, so I'm worried he might have something else up his sleeve.”
“Don't worry. He has nothing to threaten me with aside from you and the children. Damaris Group is nothing more than a sitting duck now, so they can no longer do anything to you. There shall be a reckoning for them.”
His confidence assured Roxanne, and she remarked, “It's good to know he's only after me but not the kids.”
She could not imagine her three children going through what she suffered.
It was fortunate that she was the one who had to endure the pain, for if Jack had done anything to her children, she would have readily caved in to his demands even if he had asked for Lucian— she would always choose the kids over anyone else.
Now that her thoughts had drifted to the children, Roxanne looked up at Lucian, thinking how the incident had taught her more deeply the importance of her children having a father—the man none other than the one before her.
He and the children will be elated to know they are a family, but...
Roxanne hesitated again when she thought of Sonya's attitude toward Archie and Benny, but this time around, she was more convinced to open up to Lucian.
"Actually, I...”
She parted her lips in an attempt to say something, yet there was still uncertainty in her eyes as she gazed at the man.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1747-"What is it?” Lucian asked, sensing there was something Roxanne wanted to divulge.
He waited quietly and allowed her to take her time when he saw she was still reluctant.
His thoughtfulness made Roxanne feel even more guilty and strengthened her resolve to come clean with him, but she did not know where to begin.
After some contemplation, she looked into his eyes and asked, "What do you think about Archie and Benny?”
"I adore them from the moment I saw them,” Lucian stated in all seriousness, his gaze fixed on her.
At that point, he could already guess what was on Roxanne's mind.
All he wanted then was for her to say the words, so he remained quiet after that and just looked at her sincerely with anticipation in his heart.
Roxanne's gaze wavered when she noticed how earnest Lucian was. "That's great...”
Because she had kept the secret for a long time, she did not know how to break it to Lucian and was nervously trying to phrase her words before speaking.
Somehow, she felt it was not the best time to reveal Archie and Benny's identities to him, but she knew she could not afford to keep the secret from Lucian any longer, especially after what had taken place.
It was not right for her to deprive the children of a complete family now that they finally had one.
The picture of them smiling blissfully gave her the courage to finally admit, “Archie and Benny are actually your children too. I'm sorry I hid this from you for so long.”
After she said that, Roxanne studied Lucian's expression carefully, trying to read his thoughts, but the man looked composed, as if he was waiting for her to explain herself.
Seeing that the man was not angry, she continued, "I found out I was pregnant after I went abroad. After that, I met Professor Lambert, who was a great help when I gave birth to the three children, but the baby girl died in labor. It broke my heart and took me a long time to put behind me.”
Here, she glanced at the door and smiled. “Unexpectedly, she has always been by your side.”
It pained Lucian to listen to how life had been for Roxanne in those six years.
“As for Archie and Benny,” Roxanne went on with her gaze low, her tone lamenting, "I initially planned on staying overseas for good and never coming back.”
I wanted to hide them from you because I feared you would take them from me.
At that point, Roxanne thought Archie and Benny were all she had in life.
“You were afraid I would take them from you,” Lucian worded her thought, to which Roxanne smiled with her lips pursed, admitting the truth of the statement.
“I'm sorry you were separated from the boys for so long because of me,” she apologized.
“No. You don't have to apologize because it's my fault. I was the one who hurt you and betrayed your trust six years ago. I promise I will earn your trust back bit by bit. I'm glad that they were able to stay by your side all those years in my stead.”
Lucian believed everything had turned out how it was meant to be since Archie and Benny were why Roxanne managed to pull through those years without feeling lonely and why he could win herback so quickly.
Roxanne felt a burden off her chest when she saw that Lucian did not blame her, but something still bothered her.
“Don't you have anything to ask me? This is a serious matter. Do you really believe what I said, just like that?”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1748- A Second Chance
Roxanne could not wrap her head around Lucian's reaction because, personally, she was staggered when she found out that Estella was her daughter, but Lucian's face showed almost no traces of any emotions or doubt.
Does he trust me that much, or is it because he knew about it already?
A frown marred her brows at the thought.
Looking at the anxious woman, Lucian caressed her head, saying. “I knew about this. That's why I'm not surprised.”
"When?” Roxanne blurted.
Then, it occurred to her that Lucian's attitude toward Archie and Benny had always been the same, even before she fell unconscious.
Just as Lucian said, he had always been fond of the boys, although they disliked him because of Roxanne initially.
It did not matter whether it was because of his feelings for her or because he genuinely loved Archie and Bennie. Either way, it was evident that he cared for the boys as much as he did Estella, especially when he had made their background public to protect them.
Roxanne recalled everything that happened, but the more she thought about it, the harder it was for her to pinpoint when exactly Lucian found out the truth.
“I went to Colby to see if there was a way to save you when you fell unconscious. I was over the moon when I learned the boys are mine, but I was more worried about you at the time.”
Since Lucian already knew they were his sons, it did not come off as surprising for him when Roxanne revealed the truth.
“So, it was him...” A sense of resignation washed over Roxanne at the mention of Colby's name.
Reading her mind, Lucian said, “Colby really regrets what he did. Actually, he's partially why you managed to recover this time, so I took the liberty of inviting him to return to work at the research institute after his jail sentence ends. Of course, I can always send him elsewhere if you don't feel comfortable about it.”
Roxanne was astonished to hear the news. “Well, I definitely don't mind if he is sorry for what he did. It’s just that...”
Roxanne intended to give Colby the benefit of the doubt and was more than happy to work with him again since they went a long way back, but she was unsure if Lucian would get jealous.
“I warned him I wouldn't let him off the hook this easily if he were to do anything to harm you or the children again,” Lucian asserted with a frown.
Roxanne smiled at his reply. “I'll make sure to be on my guard too.”
Now that she thought about it, she found it ironic that she—a doctor—had repeatedly been drugged.
I bet Professor Lambert will say I need to go back to school. I need to hone my medical skills after I get discharged from the hospital to save more people and take better care of myself.
When Lucian saw that Roxanne was being critical of herself, he quickly changed the topic.
“By the way, I might have come to terms with Archie and Benny's relationship with me, but I'm still disgruntled by the fact that some other man was in the know before I was.”
The fact that Colby was the one who took care of her throughout her pregnancy made Lucian feel guilty, or more precisely, jealous.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1749-Roxanne collected her thoughts the moment she sensed the jealousy in Lucian's voice.
Certain that the man was not upset about her keeping the truth from him since he pampered her too much to find fault in her, she turned the tables and argued instead, “Come on. Do you think we would have stayed hidden if we didn't need to? I figured you would recognize them since they look so much like you. That's why we never came back.”
Caught off guard by her questioning, Lucian was suddenly stumped for words.
Now that Roxanne had pointed it out, he realized Archie and Benny did take after him in terms of looks.
"Well, I was so caught up with getting you back I didn't notice that.”
The thought of his oversight suddenly made Lucian feel guilty. “I thought someone else was their father. At that point, I even told myself that I would teach that irresponsible man a lesson if he were to go looking for you guys, but it turns out I am the guy.”
The hatred Lucian felt toward Archie and Benny's unknown father had turned into self-recrimination ever since he learned the truth about the children.
"I'm sorry you had to go through all that. None of this will happen again. I promise I will make it up to you all.”
“It sure was tough back then. I wouldn't have tried so hard to hide their existence if I had known you couldn't tell who they were,” Roxanne complained, trying to pull his leg.
“It's all my fault. I should've found out who they were earlier and spared you all the years of hiding.”
When he thought about how the children and Roxanne could have lived differently if he had found them earlier, the ambiance in the room became tense as the guilt in Lucian's heart grew.
Noticing that he had fallen for her act, she quickly said, “It's okay. I should've known that a busy man like you wouldn't have time to pay attention to people's looks. In fact, I doubt you even know what you look like now.”
The expression on Lucian's face showed her words had struck him as accurate, for indeed, he had never paid any attention to his own appearance.
Caught by surprise by his reaction, Roxanne burst out in laughter, saying, “Estella actually looks a lot like you too.”
Her comments put a deeper frown on his forehead.
“Well,” Roxanne added, shaking her head, “Estella might have my eyes, but the rest of her features take after yours. Also, you were still with Aubree then, and your mom kept saying Estella's mom was somebody else, so I didn't think much about it.”
Not to mention I was under the impression that my daughter had died, so I never once thought Estella could be her.
Because her daughter's apparent death was a heavy topic, Roxanne did not say it out loud, but what she expressed was already enough to add more weight to Lucian's guilty conscience.
“It's all my fault. I should've told you I found out about it.”
Lucian knew there was nothing else he could do but apologize, yet Roxanne smiled forgivingly at him.
“It's okay. What matters now is that we still found each other when we didn't know anything about the children. They are happy where they are now. That's the most important thing.”
Having reconciled with one another now that they had opened up honestly about their feelings, Lucian and Roxanne looked into each other's eyes lovingly and chatted till midnight. At that point, Lucian finally coaxed her to bed, after which he left to send off the visitors.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1750-News about Damaris Group spread like wildfire the subsequent morning.
When Roxanne woke up, discussions about the company had already dominated the online world after everything that unraveled the night before.
Many scrambled to cut ties with Damaris Group; some even leveled accusations against them.
Insiders went on to reveal that Damaris Group had undergone a drastic change after Jack took over, as he would turn a blind eye to numerous illegal operations.
In fact, many drugs did not even go through proper testing before hitting the market at a price way higher than market standards. The profit-driven company could not care less about consumer safety, considering Jack even worked with unregistered drug producers, leaving product quality questionable.
On top of that, he was found to have bribed private hospitals to buy the drugs in a deliberate attempt to drive up the prices.
Following these revelations from company employees, patients began to disclose their consultation records online, accusing the company of disregarding human lives.
Patient A wrote: That guy has no conscience. I chose that hospital because of Damaris Group's reputation, but I lost both my health and wealth because of an unethical doctor in that hospital. I went in with just a minor illness but came out with a serious disease!
Patient B added: Their medical consultations are all just an act. They would blow up the seriousness of senior patients' conditions so that we would seek out treatment at their hospitals, where we often end up paying a high price for drugs.
Another customer shared: They also make false claims about their products, packaging regular supplements as miracle-makers that cure cancers. We bought the story because of the brand, and our health was jeopardized. Someone even died because of it, but nothing was done because they bought over all the media outlets to silence complaints.
A netizen commented: The company got what it deserved!
In a short period, comments flooded in to accuse and rebuke Damaris Group, leaving the reputation of the century-old prominent medical family in tatters.
Their fall from grace left Roxanne disturbed and confused.
To her, Jack should have grown up to be an honorable man, given the noble values that the family had upheld, but he turned out to be a selfish and devious man who would do anything to get what he wanted.
As a doctor, it was apparent that he had not the slightest respect for human lives.
Speaking of, this reminds me that he intended to price the new batch of drugs at three hundred. That price was still reasonable, but from what I gathered online, I don't think things would have ended up well for our research institution if we had worked with them. Who knows how much he would have wanted to sell our new products for? Worse still, we might even have lost our reputation because of him.
Just as Roxanne was deep in thought, Lucian entered and saw her expression. “What's the matter? You seem worried.”
Roxanne snapped back to her senses and explained, “I just read the news about Damaris Group. I can't believe what Jack did. I wonder how many people were affected because of his evil deeds.”
“This is already everywhere on the news. I suppose no one else will fall prey to their lies now. As for Jack, he will have to face the consequences of his actions,” Lucian replied, his face darkened.
“I hope so.”
Roxanne sighed and could not help but feel it was a shame for the medical industry to lose a prestigious family with a long history in that field.
She was certain that their downfall was singlehandedly caused by Jack and that Hector had been blindsided.
I wonder if Old Mr. Damaris will be able to take it...