Chapter 1269

From Roxanne's expression, Colby understood. He chuckled bitterly.

Roxanne looked up. "And so, you devised this plan?" Even then, she found it hard to believe the gentle, elegant man who had helped her so much would do such a thing. Her skepticism only fueled Colby's resentment. "If I hadn't done this, would you have noticed me? Do you know how much I've sacrificed to gain your attention? Do you think I'm only capable of being your second-in-command, considering my abilities?"

Each word struck Roxanne deeply. Only then did she realize how much she had overlooked. She was the top traditional medicine practitioner in Chanaea, and he was nearly her equal—Professor Lambert had even praised him. He could easily work independently, yet he remained her partner. She'd always assumed Professor Lambert had paired them because he trusted them, never imagining the true reason.

"Do you think this incident is the only thing I've done?" Colby's voice rang out.

Roxanne stared, shocked. Meeting her gaze, Colby laughed. "Haha! You don't even know what I've done! You only investigated this because Lucian mentioned his suspicions, huh? You never notice me, no matter what I do!"

"No, that's not it! I just... I trusted you too much," Roxanne responded instinctively.

Colby cut her off coldly. "I'd rather you didn't trust me so much! I don't want you to always treat me professionally. You smile at them, cry for them, but with me, it's always business. Am I not even worthy of being your friend? Do you look down on me that much, Roxanne?"

Roxanne frowned, unsure how to respond. After a moment, she asked awkwardly, "Other than this, what else did you do?"

Colby's expression had become impassive. A slight smile touched his lips. "I'm not telling you. I'm leaving soon. You've never seen me, so this time, I'll leave you wondering. Go investigate yourself!"

Roxanne clenched her fists. "Don't do this, Dr. Galloway—"

Colby interrupted sharply. "Don't call me Dr. Galloway! I almost killed you! Aren't you even angry? Why are you still so formal?"

Roxanne frowned, silent for a long time before murmuring, "Why did you do this, Colby? You could have just talked to me. Why this method?"

When she finally used his first name, his expression softened for a second, before hardening again. He remained silent despite Roxanne's continued pleas.

Lucian strode over, finding Roxanne silent. "Colby Galloway, you should never have done that to her!"

Before Colby reacted, Lucian landed a hard punch to his stomach. "I'm only giving you one punch because you've cared for Roxanne for so long. If you dare do anything foolish again, I won't hesitate to kill you!" Lucian's voice was icy.