Roxanne finally came to her senses. She glanced at Estella before whispering, “Estella… She seemed to have spoken just now.”Furthermore, she spoke fluently and has a lovely voice.Lucian glanced at his daughter with a surprised expression and asked, “What did she say?”Roxanne was taken aback by his question. She was too surprised by Estella speaking suddenly and could not remember what Estella said.Archie chimed in. “She said the beluga whale kissed her.”Next to Archie, Benny could not resist his curiosity and asked, “Isn’t Essie mute?”They had always thought Estella was mute. After all, they had never heard her speak since they first met her.Lucian frowned and answered, “When did I ever say that Essie was mute?”Archie and Benny exchanged glances.Roxanne asked in confusion, “Essie doesn’t speak. You also prepared a notepad so that she can write to communicate.”Lucian felt a little helpless as they mentioned this matter. “Estella was usually unwilling to speak because of autis
Archie and Benny looked at the toys delightedly.It was normal for boys to love robots and race cars. Furthermore, Archie and Benny had much higher IQs than their peers. Therefore, they preferred more complicated toys and were interested in high-tech ones.They used to badger Roxanne to buy them. However, some of these were too expensive. Although they liked those toys very much, they were sensible and did not mention them to Roxanne.Thus, they were surprised that Lucian knew what they liked.Benny could not resist taking a couple of steps toward Lucian and looking into the box.It contained all the toys he coveted on the website. He nearly used the small fortune Archie earned in stock trading to get them, causing Archie to scold him.Although Archie liked the toys, he could not forget that Lucian abandoned his mother. He stood still with a stern expression but could not resist looking into the boxes.One could see Archie and Benny desired the presents from Lucian.Benny looked at th
Prior to the birthday banquet, Roxanne had given the last round of treatment to Alfred. Although he couldn’t stay on his feet for too long, he was in better spirits, and he could even get out of bed and move around.Roxanne had also given him medications and told him to take them on time. After that, the treatment was complete.On the day of the birthday banquet, Roxanne went home to dress up after she finished her work at the research institute. After putting on a dress and tying up her hair, she put on simple yet elegant makeup before going to the banquet.When she arrived at the Queen residence, the banquet was just about to start. There were plenty of luxury cars parked outside, and the residence was packed with guests, all of whom were prominent figures in Horington.Since Roxanne had stayed in Horington before that, she knew most of the people there. However, very few of them knew who she was.Yet, she was the center of attention when she showed up at the venue.When the crowd s
Roxanne fell silent and smiled with her pursed lips.Frieda wasn’t happy when she heard how her parents were complimenting Roxanne. She then scanned the surroundings to look for Lucian and Aubree. When she realized neither of them was there yet, she glanced at the entrance in anticipation. Let’s see if that woman could still smile when she sees Lucian showing up alongside Aubree!Frieda didn’t need to wait long, though. A few minutes later, Lucian showed up at the entrance of the mansion.“Lucian is here!” Frieda exclaimed to get everyone’s attention.As soon as those words fell, everyone in the Qucen residence turned toward the mansion’s entrance. Roxanne also did the same instinctively.Lucian was dressed in a tailored black suit. The suit was so well-lined that it was showcasing the man’s toned figure. With most of his hair combed to the back, his perfect lacial features were for everyone to see. At the same time, those few stray strands of hair hanging down from his forehead promp
With her reddened eyes, Aubree answered, “Yet, all the doctors I’ve found were useless..”Alfred was moved when he saw how caring she was. With a smile on his face, he said, “I know you’re a good person. You deserve the credit for finding me those doctors for the past years. Otherwise, I would’ve suffered more.”Henrietta quickly comforted her as well. “You’ve been very thoughtful, Aubree. In fact, you’ve even been treating Old Mr. Queen like your own grandpa! We’re very grateful.”After saying that, she remembered how Lucian had also contributed to curing Alfred over the years. “Lucian, you too. Thank you,” she added.In response, Lucian slightly nodded. “We were just doing our duties as the younger generation.”Hearing that, Henrietta immediately glanced at their outfits and couldn’t help but say, “Good things come in pairs, right? Since you’ve already been together with Aubree for so many years, I guess we’ll meet each other again at your engagement party!”Jonathan glanced at Roxa
Roxanne smirked and walked up to her. “Hence, stop appearing in front of me and talk about things that don’t concern me. Do you have any idea how much of an annoyance you are?”With that, Roxanne walked past her without sparing her another glance.It took a long while for Frieda to regain her composure. When she did, she was so angry at what Roxanne said to her. She wanted to throw a tantrum, but Roxanne was already out of her sight.Roxanne fled pretty quickly because she didn’t want to hear any more of Frieda’s nonsense. Infact, she didn’t even know how she would react if she were to hear them again.Since Frieda found her at the spot furthest away from the crowd, Roxanne had no choice but to find a new quiet spot to have a seat. This time around, she was a lot nearer to the crowd at the banquetCoincidentally, that spot was just opposite where Lucian was at.Lucian noticed her presence the moment she appeared in his line of sight. After that, his attention was on her again.When R
“Jonathan, who’s this gentleman?” Lucian’s indifferent voice broke the silence.Jonathan shuddered before pushing Larry toward Lucian while retreating to the side himself.“Oh! I‘ve forgotten to introduce you guys to each other. This is Larry Morrison from the Morrison family. Mr. Morrison is a medical practitioner, and he‘s abroad most of the time.”With that, he introduced Lucian to Larry, “This is Lucian Farwell. Mr. Farwell is the CEO of Farwell Group. You‘ve heard of him, right?”As soon as those words fell, Lucian reached out his hand expressionlessly. “Oh, it‘s you, Mr. Morrison. Nice to meet you.”Although it was a very gentleman–like gesture, Larry felt as though Lucian had considered him an enemy. After a moment of hesitation, Larry reached to shake Lucian‘s hand. “I‘ve heard about you ages ago, Mr. Farwell! Roxanne and you are—”As he was speaking, Larry subconsciously glanced at Roxanne. When he was about to complete his sentence, Roxanne interrupted, “Larry, I don‘t know
The next moment, Jonathan turned to examine Lucian’s expression.Taking his lack of displeasure as a sign of consent, Jonathan was about to obey his grandfather when Larry’s voice rang out. “Don’t bother yourself. I have to get home early to attend an online seminar that’s starting soon. I can drop Roxanne off on my way home.”Jonathan felt a tangible drop in the air pressure around him when Larry spoke. Clearing his throat, he was about to reclaim his errand when another cold voice cut across him.“I don’t mind sending Ms. Jarvis home on your behalf, Mr. Morrison, seeing as you are so busy with work.” As if addressing the crowd was not enough, Lucian then slowed down his speech to ensure that every word of his was caught. “Just as well, too. I can drop by Ms. Jarvis’ to see my daughter.”Everybody present was stunned in an instant, with Sonya and Aubree appearing crestfallen.They had made arrangements for Lucian to attend the banquet with Aubree in an endeavor to spend romantic time
Estella was confused, but she still smiled innocently, for she knew Roxanne was praising her. The former then retracted her hand obediently. Subsequently, Roxanne took out the tools she had prepared and carefully scooped out the yellow flower along with its roots.Estella cocked her head to one side, confused by what she saw.“For medicinal herbs like this, we need to preserve their roots as well,” Roxanne explained patiently.Hearing that, the girl nodded even though she did not understand Roxanne’s words completely.Now that Estella knew Roxanne was looking for that kind of flower, the former quickly got up and scoured the area.It did not take long for Estella to find a huge area of it, so Roxanne collected a few more to be preserved.Soon, noon arrived. The children were clearly hungry because their pace had slowed.Noting that, Roxanne brought them back to the tent to prepare food for them.She had woken up early that morning to prepare a various selection of food for the childr
“What is…” Estella carefully placed the wreath in her hand and shot Roxanne a delighted look. Smiling, Roxanne patted Estella’s head and said, “It looks a little funny because I haven’t made one in a long time.”In response, Estella shook her head fervently. “I love it!”As if to prove how much she loved it, Estella placed it gently in front of her and began drawing it.Seeing that, Roxanne and the boys scooted over curiously, only to be shocked by Estella’s drawing, which was slowly becoming complete.Her previous drawing of the plants was rather decent, though her brushstrokes were a little childish.However, her drawing of the wreath was unbelievable. In fact, it almost looked real.“Essie, you’re amazing!” Benny breathed.Roxanne, too, smiled and nodded in agreement.By the time Estella was done with the drawing, Benny could not help but ask, “Essie, have you taken art cla*ses before?”However, Estella shook her head in confusion.The look of surprise in Benny’s eyes only intensi
The camping location Roxanne had picked was in the suburbs near a mountain. It was a two-hour drive from the city, so they only arrived when it was close to noon. When Roxanne got out of the car, she could not help but sigh in awe while scanning the surroundings. The two-hour drive was worth it.Their camping location was on a lush field with tiny flowers growing all over the place.Roxanne had purposely chosen a wider area to set up their tent. There was also a little forest not far from their spot.The vegetation in the forest was denser, and rabbits would hop out and encircle their visitors from time to time.On the other side was a tiny waterfall, and thanks to the moving water, the surrounding air was quite refreshing and cool.The gurgling sound of water also created a serene vibe. It could not be a more suitable camping site.Happiness was written all over the children’s faces.“It’s so beautiful!” Estella gazed at the scenery, forgetting all the unhappy events that happened t
The next day, Estella got out of bed and waited outside Lucian’s room. She still wanted to convince him to go camping with them. When Lucian opened the door and was about to leave the room, he noticed the girl was standing right before him.Needless to say, Lucian knew her motive.Instead of giving her a chance to speak, he said, “Come. Let’s go and have breakfast. Ms. Jarvis should be arriving shortly.”The girl shook her head, but before she could say something, Lucian interrupted again. “I need to go to the office now. You must obey Ms. Jarvis, okay? Call me if you need anything.”Before Estella could open her mouth and speak, he immediately walked past her and went downstairs.Meanwhile, Catalina was preparing breakfast for them in the dining area.When she saw him walking to the door, she asked in concern, “Breakfast’s ready, Mr. Farwell. Would you like to eat some before leaving?”Lucian continued walking. “I have to leave now. Remember to open the door for Ms. Jarvis later. Sh
On the way to the Farwell residence, Estella puffed up her cheeks as she sat in the backseat. She stared at her father through the rearview mirror. “Daddy, did you make Ms. Jarvis angry again?”Lucian frowned slightly when he heard Estella’s soft and adorable voice.Estella caught on to the change in Lucian’s expression and knew that she had guessed correctly. She snorted angrily.She had thought that Lucian wanted to bring her to meet Roxanne.However, it turned out he had gone to create trouble for Roxanne instead.“I won’t listen to you anymore, Daddy!” Estella said gloomily.Lucian’s frown deepened. He patiently explained, “It’s because of work.”It’s this excuse again!Estella looked at the rearview mirror unhappily and said, “You only know how to lie to little kids, Daddy.”Lucian’s eye twitched in anger when he heard that.Estella continued listing out her grievances. “You also said that to me the previous time! Earlier tonight, you tricked me into bringing you to Ms. Jarvis t
Lucian stared at Roxanne with a grim expression. Even if she did not say it out explicitly, he could tell that she was still being suspicious of him.Realizing that, Lucian’s expression darkened terribly, while the tone of his voice became colder.“Since you are refusing my offer, Ms. Jarvis, I won’t insist upon it anymore.”With that, he turned around and left the study.As she watched his retreating figure, Roxanne’s eyes glinted with an unfathomable emotion. Confusion filled her heart at that moment.Lucian’s words still left her wondering why he had decided to come all the way to see her in the first place.She wouldn’t believe his claim that he was merely here to provide the medicinal herbs.However, Lucian did not mention anything else besides that.Roxanne mulled over it in the study alone, but she could not find an answer to her doubts.After quite some time, she finally decided to leave the room.Meanwhile, the children had finished their dinner and were playing in the livin
Roxanne could feel Lucian’s heavy gaze on her back. Although her back was facing him, she still could not ignore the fact he was staring at her.Due to Lucian’s presence, she was no longer in the mood to eat anything.“You kids go ahead. I have something to discuss with Mr. Farwell,” said Roxanne softly after taking several quick bites and placing away her cutleries.She could not stand having Lucian staring at her all the time, and she wanted to know why he came to her place.The kids did not think too much about that and nodded obediently in response.Seeing that the kids had agreed to let her go, Roxanne stood up and walked over to Lucian. “Let’s talk in the study.”Lucian nodded casually and stood up, following her to the study.“Mr. Farwell, to what do I owe this pleasure of having you over at my place? Do you have something important to tell me?” Roxanne stood in the center of the study, looking at him warily. “If you’re here to offer me the technical advisor’s position for Her
That night, Lucian went to the kindergarten to pick Estella up. It was already late by the time he arrived, so Estella was the only kid left at the kindergarten.“Daddy,” Estella greeted him aggrievedly after noticing his arrival.He patted her head apologetically. “I’m sorry that I’m late.”Then, he looked up and nodded at Pippa.Pippa had waited with Estella the whole night. Now that Lucian had finally shown up, she could rest a*sured and let him take the little girl home.After bringing Estella into the car, Lucian sat idly for some time instead of starting the vehicle.Estella urged him in puzzlement, “Daddy?” Her voice pulled him back to reality.He glanced at the little girl through the rearview mirror and saw a bewildered expression spread across her face.“Have you seen Ms. Jarvis in the past few days?” he asked.Estella became crestfallen upon listening to his question and shook her head dejectedly.However, she quickly turned delighted. “Archie and Benny said I’ll be able t
Jonathan cleared his throat at Lucian’s lack of response.“I heard a fire broke out in Dr. Jarvis’ research institute two days ago.”Hearing that, Lucian snapped his brows together.Jonathan was satisfied to see his response. “What’s the matter? Did you not know about this?”Lucian nodded, his expression somber.He had not seen Roxanne since the kiss the other night.Therefore, he knew nothing of what happened to her.Although Estella would try to get news about Roxanne from Archie and Benny before telling her father what she learned, Lucian knew that Roxanne would not let the boys know that she had been in danger.Jonathan fell silent when he saw his friend’s grim expression, and he waited for Lucian to speak instead.“Was the fire a bad one? Was she hurt?” Lucian could not help but ask.Jonathan lifted a brow. “Won’t you know if you go and take a look at her?”At that, Lucian’s expression turned dark again.Jonathan was bewildered by that.What does this mean? Did they have a fight