Early on, Archie mentioned that there was something wrong with his water, and Roxanne had indeed detected a faint smell that usually occurred only when a certain type of bacteria was mixed with water. However, the problem was that it was a type of bacteria that only survived under laboratory conditions.The fact that it was found in the wilderness meant that someone must have intentionally placed it there.As such, the first thing Roxanne did was to check if there was anyone else around.However, she had a clear view of the entire field. Apart from them, there was no one else.Due to that, Roxanne a*sumed it was a coincidence that the water had such a smell and not because the bacteria were actually present.Little did she expect that someone had added the bacteria to the kids’ water.Roxanne’s heart clenched when she thought about the symptoms one would experience after ingesting the bacteria.“Mommy, it hurts so much…” Benny muttered, grabbing his mother’s hand. He had finally cave
“Ms. Jarvis…” Estella, who was in Roxanne’s embrace, called out weakly. Roxanne stroked her cheek and a*sured her, “Come on. You’ll not be in as much pain anymore after drinking the medicine.”Naturally, Estella trusted her and leaned over to have her medicine.A frown instantly formed on her face after she took a sip.Roxanne placed the cup near Estella’s lips. However, the latter refused to open her mouth again.Ever since Estella was young, she had always taken pills or been on an IV drip when she was sick. She had rarely had any traditional medicine.Hence, Estella could not stand the bitterness of it.Just as Roxanne was worrying about how she could get Estella to finish her medicine, Archie walked in.“Hurry up and drink your medicine, Essie. I’ll give you a piece of candy once you finish it!”He squatted down in front of Estella and waved his fist.Hesitating, Estella looked at Archie for a moment before opening her mouth and chugging the medicine. She then turned her head and
Roxanne shut the door and gave Madilyn a call.It took a while before Madilyn answered.“Roxanne? Didn’t you go camping? Is there something you need?”It seemed pretty noisy on the other end of the line, so Roxanne asked, “What are you doing?”Madilyn sounded pained. “Don’t mention it. I was forced to work overtime again.”As soon as she said that, the noise increased.Before Roxanne could say anything, Marilyn hurriedly added, “I need to get back to work. I’ll call you later.”She then hung up right away.Roxanne’s gaze turned dark as her phone screen dimmed. She didn’t call Marilyn back.After a brief hesitation, she tried calling Larry.Larry picked up pretty quickly, but he was in another state and couldn’t be of help in time.Roxanne didn’t tell him anything despite his concern. She dismissed him with a few cursory words and hung up.There was no time to explain things. Besides, she didn’t want to trouble them further.As her friends couldn’t be of help, Roxanne couldn’t stop pan
Hearing his suggestion, Roxanne was almost convinced but remained hesitant.After all, Lucian wasn’t in the medical industry. He couldn’t recognize many medicinal herbs.Besides, she also needed the exact dosage.She couldn’t afford the consequences of getting an incorrect dosage.Lucian had already gotten into his car to start the engine. “I’m going to the research institute now. I’ll call you when I arrive, so you need to think about what medicinal herbs you need now.”Without waiting for a response, he cut the line and called Cayden.“Mr. Farwell, where are you? The meeting…”Cayden felt an incoming headache when Lucian left without looking back, leaving the higher-ups waiting inside the conference room.Lucian ordered, “Something else cropped up, so the meeting is adjourned. They can leave now.”Cayden agreed hastily and entered the conference room to relay his orders.After giving that order, Lucian hung up and sped toward the research institute.Roxanne stared at the smartwatch
Jealousy surged within Colby’s heart.He had a*sumed Roxanne’s call was a result of her realizing something unusual about the fire.He did not expect it to be for this reason.I have done so much, but still, Roxanne refuses to spare me even a glance! If that is the case, I don’t mind teaching her a lesson!With that thought in mind, Colby purposely slowed down and made slight mistakes along the way.Since Roxanne was so anxious about the infected people, he wanted to make sure they suffered longer.That way, Roxanne would learn to find professionals to handle professional matters the next time.For instance, he knew more about medicinal herbs than Lucian!“Is it not done yet?” Lucian asked as he looked at the time, furrowing his brows.Colby raised his head indifferently. “The quantity of medicinal herbs used has to be very precise. I have to be careful when measuring them.”Hearing that, Lucian suppressed the worry in his heart and fell silent. His brows drew together as he watched C
Archie also grew nervous upon hearing his brother’s voice.If Mommy finds out that we knew about our father a long time ago and were just hiding it from her, would she be upset?In reality, Roxanne had not even considered this possibility.Even though she was still considering whether to reveal the truth about their background to her children a moment ago, she regained her senses right after she heard Benny’s voice.She was not ready yet.At that thought, Roxanne pinched herself to snap out of it as she looked calmly at Lucian.“You can pa*s Benny to me. He must be frightened.”Roxanne moved closer to Lucian and pa*sed Estella to him. “Estella must miss her father too.”Lucian furrowed his brows at Roxanne. She seems to be acting strangely today.However, he did not think much of it as he pa*sed Benny to her.Estella seemed to realize she had left Roxanne’s embrace and murmured in dissatisfaction.Benny also frowned in disappointment upon leaving Lucian’s embrace.Roxanne glanced at L
After hearing Lucian’s explanation, Estella finally understood the situation and responded with an obedient nod.“Did you have fun today?” Lucian stopped asking about her sickness and began talking about the camping trip in an attempt to divert her attention.As expected, the mention of the camping trip diverted Estella’s attention instantly. “I had tons of fun!”Then, she curled up her fingers one by one, counting the events that happened that day, as if she was worried that her father wouldn’t believe her simple remark. “Ms. Jarvis gifted me a lovely flower wreath, and we had a delicious barbecue. Also, Benny and Archie gifted me some beautiful pebbles!”It seemed like Estella had encountered endless joyful events that day. After recalling all the happy occasions she had experienced that day, her stomachache didn’t seem to be so serious anymore.Lucian’s expression softened as he listened to Estella recount her experiences throughout the day.Roxanne did a body check-up on the child
After Archie, Benny, and Estella had dozed off, Roxanne turned off the small night light in the tent.Consequently, the tent was pitch-dark right then, and she had no idea whether Lucian was asleep on the other side.Well, I didn’t hear any movement in a long time, so he has probably gone to sleep.At that thought, Roxanne quietly got up and left the tent. She sat outside under the moonlight alone and stared blankly into space.The weather had been great for the past two days. The moon shone brightly, but there weren’t many stars in the sky.For safety reasons, Lucian had the headlights turned on, illuminating the tent’s surroundings and rendering it like daylight.As Roxanne looked at the scenery around her, her mind gradually began drifting.Too many things had happened that day.At first, the children suddenly contracted a bacterial infection. Then, she inexplicably ended up in the same space as Lucian.Both of the incidents had her emotions turn into a jumbled mess.While she was
At the side, Estella had her head lifted and gazed at Roxanne, looking hopeful.Roxanne’s gaze flickered. Only after obtaining Lucian’s promise did she forcibly suppress the worry within her.“Got it. I’ll take good care of Essie for the next few days.”Lucian indifferently inclined his head a fraction in acknowledgment. Shortly after, he took his leave and left.Roxanne watched as his car disappeared into the distance before bringing Archie, Benny, and Estella into the mansion.All three children were already starving to the point that their stomachs growled incessantly.Without tarrying, Roxanne prepared some quick and easy breakfast to fill their stomachs first.After having breakfast, she had the children play by themselves while she stood up and went into the study.She simply couldn’t sit back and do nothing about the person who used the bacteria on the children.Worse still, Lucian left Estella at her place. Hence, she wanted to catch the culprit as soon as possible to eliminat
“Have you and the kids been here?”Lucian came to a stop under a gigantic tree.Stopping with him, Roxanne looked around before shaking her head. “No.”That tree was located at the edge of the woods.Yesterday, she had been with Archie, Benny, and Estella in the woods or by the waterfall.As such, they indeed hadn’t been to that particular spot.Nodding in understanding, Lucian motioned for her to take a look at the bottom of the tree.Roxanne followed his gaze and took a closer look, upon which she made out a vague footprint.From the looks of it, it obviously belonged to an adult.As the footprints moved toward the edge of the gra*sy area, they grew increasingly faint.Therefore, she had no way of knowing whether the owner of those footprints had gone anywhere near the tent.However, it was certain that someone else was there yesterday other than her and the children.In fact, that person had been watching from the side while she was playing with the children.That realization had a
After Archie, Benny, and Estella had dozed off, Roxanne turned off the small night light in the tent.Consequently, the tent was pitch-dark right then, and she had no idea whether Lucian was asleep on the other side.Well, I didn’t hear any movement in a long time, so he has probably gone to sleep.At that thought, Roxanne quietly got up and left the tent. She sat outside under the moonlight alone and stared blankly into space.The weather had been great for the past two days. The moon shone brightly, but there weren’t many stars in the sky.For safety reasons, Lucian had the headlights turned on, illuminating the tent’s surroundings and rendering it like daylight.As Roxanne looked at the scenery around her, her mind gradually began drifting.Too many things had happened that day.At first, the children suddenly contracted a bacterial infection. Then, she inexplicably ended up in the same space as Lucian.Both of the incidents had her emotions turn into a jumbled mess.While she was
After hearing Lucian’s explanation, Estella finally understood the situation and responded with an obedient nod.“Did you have fun today?” Lucian stopped asking about her sickness and began talking about the camping trip in an attempt to divert her attention.As expected, the mention of the camping trip diverted Estella’s attention instantly. “I had tons of fun!”Then, she curled up her fingers one by one, counting the events that happened that day, as if she was worried that her father wouldn’t believe her simple remark. “Ms. Jarvis gifted me a lovely flower wreath, and we had a delicious barbecue. Also, Benny and Archie gifted me some beautiful pebbles!”It seemed like Estella had encountered endless joyful events that day. After recalling all the happy occasions she had experienced that day, her stomachache didn’t seem to be so serious anymore.Lucian’s expression softened as he listened to Estella recount her experiences throughout the day.Roxanne did a body check-up on the child
Archie also grew nervous upon hearing his brother’s voice.If Mommy finds out that we knew about our father a long time ago and were just hiding it from her, would she be upset?In reality, Roxanne had not even considered this possibility.Even though she was still considering whether to reveal the truth about their background to her children a moment ago, she regained her senses right after she heard Benny’s voice.She was not ready yet.At that thought, Roxanne pinched herself to snap out of it as she looked calmly at Lucian.“You can pa*s Benny to me. He must be frightened.”Roxanne moved closer to Lucian and pa*sed Estella to him. “Estella must miss her father too.”Lucian furrowed his brows at Roxanne. She seems to be acting strangely today.However, he did not think much of it as he pa*sed Benny to her.Estella seemed to realize she had left Roxanne’s embrace and murmured in dissatisfaction.Benny also frowned in disappointment upon leaving Lucian’s embrace.Roxanne glanced at L
Jealousy surged within Colby’s heart.He had a*sumed Roxanne’s call was a result of her realizing something unusual about the fire.He did not expect it to be for this reason.I have done so much, but still, Roxanne refuses to spare me even a glance! If that is the case, I don’t mind teaching her a lesson!With that thought in mind, Colby purposely slowed down and made slight mistakes along the way.Since Roxanne was so anxious about the infected people, he wanted to make sure they suffered longer.That way, Roxanne would learn to find professionals to handle professional matters the next time.For instance, he knew more about medicinal herbs than Lucian!“Is it not done yet?” Lucian asked as he looked at the time, furrowing his brows.Colby raised his head indifferently. “The quantity of medicinal herbs used has to be very precise. I have to be careful when measuring them.”Hearing that, Lucian suppressed the worry in his heart and fell silent. His brows drew together as he watched C
Hearing his suggestion, Roxanne was almost convinced but remained hesitant.After all, Lucian wasn’t in the medical industry. He couldn’t recognize many medicinal herbs.Besides, she also needed the exact dosage.She couldn’t afford the consequences of getting an incorrect dosage.Lucian had already gotten into his car to start the engine. “I’m going to the research institute now. I’ll call you when I arrive, so you need to think about what medicinal herbs you need now.”Without waiting for a response, he cut the line and called Cayden.“Mr. Farwell, where are you? The meeting…”Cayden felt an incoming headache when Lucian left without looking back, leaving the higher-ups waiting inside the conference room.Lucian ordered, “Something else cropped up, so the meeting is adjourned. They can leave now.”Cayden agreed hastily and entered the conference room to relay his orders.After giving that order, Lucian hung up and sped toward the research institute.Roxanne stared at the smartwatch
Roxanne shut the door and gave Madilyn a call.It took a while before Madilyn answered.“Roxanne? Didn’t you go camping? Is there something you need?”It seemed pretty noisy on the other end of the line, so Roxanne asked, “What are you doing?”Madilyn sounded pained. “Don’t mention it. I was forced to work overtime again.”As soon as she said that, the noise increased.Before Roxanne could say anything, Marilyn hurriedly added, “I need to get back to work. I’ll call you later.”She then hung up right away.Roxanne’s gaze turned dark as her phone screen dimmed. She didn’t call Marilyn back.After a brief hesitation, she tried calling Larry.Larry picked up pretty quickly, but he was in another state and couldn’t be of help in time.Roxanne didn’t tell him anything despite his concern. She dismissed him with a few cursory words and hung up.There was no time to explain things. Besides, she didn’t want to trouble them further.As her friends couldn’t be of help, Roxanne couldn’t stop pan
“Ms. Jarvis…” Estella, who was in Roxanne’s embrace, called out weakly. Roxanne stroked her cheek and a*sured her, “Come on. You’ll not be in as much pain anymore after drinking the medicine.”Naturally, Estella trusted her and leaned over to have her medicine.A frown instantly formed on her face after she took a sip.Roxanne placed the cup near Estella’s lips. However, the latter refused to open her mouth again.Ever since Estella was young, she had always taken pills or been on an IV drip when she was sick. She had rarely had any traditional medicine.Hence, Estella could not stand the bitterness of it.Just as Roxanne was worrying about how she could get Estella to finish her medicine, Archie walked in.“Hurry up and drink your medicine, Essie. I’ll give you a piece of candy once you finish it!”He squatted down in front of Estella and waved his fist.Hesitating, Estella looked at Archie for a moment before opening her mouth and chugging the medicine. She then turned her head and