Roxanne felt that this was unjust for Estella. “Just because Essie is a Farwell, does that mean she should be treated this way and not be allowed to befriend people she likes?”Sonya sneered, “If you’re talking about your sons, then she isn’t allowed to befriend them.”A flash of disappointment crossed Archie and Benny’s faces when they heard that.Does Grandma hate us that much? She won’t even allow us to be friends with Essie.Roxanne was upset, too. “Mrs. Farwell, the children have nothing to do with our grudge.”Roxanne knew that the elderly lady’s hatred for Archie and Benny must have stemmed from her, for they rarely interacted with Sonya.With that thought in mind, she cast the boys an apologetic look.Though the boys had no idea about their own background, their biological grandmother ended up despising them because of her.For one split second, Roxanne had the urge to reveal Archie and Benny’s identities to Sonya so she would stop insulting her boys.Sonya was not interested
Even though Roxanne and Lucian knew what Archie would say, they were still moved when they heard the boy actually put his thoughts into words. After looking down at Archie, Roxanne silently shifted her gaze to Lucian. If possible, I, too, wish Essie could stay a moment longer, at least until she calms down.Unfortunately, she knew she had no right to make such a request.Only after keeping quiet for a few seconds did Lucian turn to meet Roxanne’s gaze.Clenching her fists, Roxanne then looked away and pretended to be calm.“What do you think, Ms. Jarvis?” inquired Lucian in his deep voice.Roxanne reluctantly replied, “I have no say in the matter since Essie is your child, Mr. Farwell. However, I do hope that you’ll respect her wishes.”Since Roxanne did not intend to request him to let Estella stay, Lucian nodded understandingly in response and turned to Estella. “Then you should come home with me.”Estella had just stopped crying, but after hearing her father’s words, her face bega
Roxanne was dumbfounded since she did not expect Lucian to agree to their request so easily. She finally regained her senses when Estella came running toward her, sobbing after her father set her down on the floor.“Ms. Jarvis…” The girl quickly wrapped her arms around Roxanne’s thigh.After caressing Estella’s head, Roxanne looked up at Lucian, who then nodded indifferently at her and glanced at the three children before heading to his car.Only after watching Lucian drive away did Roxanne take the children into the living room.“You two look after Essie. I need to make a phone call,” instructed Roxanne.Archie and Benny immediately nodded in response and did their best to comfort Estella while Roxanne hurried into a corner to call Jack, who did not take long to answer.“What’s up, Ms. Jarvis?” inquired Jack.“Sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to take another rain check,” replied Roxanne apologetically.According to their schedule, the two were supposed to provide medical consultation
The next morning, when Roxanne woke up early, Estella was still asleep. She left the bed gently to avoid disturbing the girl and went downstairs to prepare the children’s breakfast.Because of the messy situation last night, she woke up a little later than usual even though she was awake before the children.She hadn’t even prepared breakfast when the doorbell rang.Roxanne stopped what she was doing, and her heart sank. Is Lucian that eager to bring Essie back home?The doorbell rang incessantly, which roused the children from their slumber and prompted them to descend the stairs.“Is Mr. Farwell here, Mommy?” Archie frowned at the entrance.Estella’s gleeful countenance from yesterday had been replaced with a pitiful expression as she stood behind the boys. I want to stay with Archie and Benny longer!Seeing that the children had arrived downstairs, Roxanne had no choice but to put the things in her hands down and open the door.“Mr. Fair—” Roxanne cut herself off when she realized
After Archie found Estella, he summoned Benny. “Let’s head inside and listen to what Mommy is talking about with Mr. Damaris.”Upon hearing that suggestion, the other two agreed.They opened the door carefully and saw Roxanne sitting on the single-seat couch and chatting with Jack. Both adults had a smile on their faces.The alarm bells in the children’s minds rang loudly the instant they noticed the faint smile on Roxanne’s face.Estella acted against her usual behavior and sprinted straight to Roxanne’s side.“Essie?” It was only then Roxanne noticed the children had returned.Jack gave Roxanne and Estella the once-over and said half-intentionally, “I can see the resemblance even clearer like this.”That sent Roxanne into a panic.Innocently, Estella asked Roxanne, “What resemblance, Ms. Jarvis?”Roxanne patted her head, shot a look at Jack, and said, “It’s nothing. It’s just a random comment from Mr. Damaris.” Then she stood up and faced Jack. “Is there anything else, Mr. Damaris?
“It’s our fault, Mommy. We didn’t keep a close eye on Essie.” The boys had already guessed the truth when their mother questioned them. Even though Estella had admitted to the offense, they still wanted to take the blame for her mistake.Roxanne did not know what to say as she watched the three of them protect each other.I would’ve been contended to see them caring for each other in another situation, but they’re covering for each other at the wrong time now. What do I do… Moments later, she suppressed her emotions and placed Estella on her thighs. “Tell me the truth, Essie. Did you do this by yourself or with the boys?”As Estella had learned that Roxanne disliked dishonest children, she, of course, wasn’t going to lie.Besides, she never wanted to drag the brothers down with her either.“I-I did it by myself…” she choked out.Roxanne nodded and wiped the girl’s tears away. “Why did you do it?”Even though the girl was crying intensely, she still answered the question, “Because I d
Roxanne felt extremely uncomfortable under Lucian’s penetrating gaze despite her valiant attempts to ignore him. When she heard his answer, she heaved a silent sigh of relief and put her fork down.“Let’s talk upstairs.”Turning to the children, she instructed, “Finish your lunch before you go off to play.”Archie and Benny nodded vigorously.Roxanne rose to her feet and shot Lucian a look. Getting her hint, he complied by getting up and following her up the stairs.They both came to a stop at the balcony on the second floor, one after another.Roxanne said nothing as she was wondering how she should start the conversation.Even after Estella had admitted to her mistake and apologized, she still couldn’t believe that the little girl was capable of committing such an action.Naturally, Lucian would not believe her, as he loved Estella dearly.If she were to reveal the truth bluntly, Lucian would most probably think she was trying to blame Estella for something the little girl didn’t d
“No longer related?” The sarcasm in Lucian’s eyes intensified. “This is all wishful thinking on your part.” Roxanne’s frown deepened. I’m stating the facts! Why is that wishful thinking? It was Lucian who used me all the while, and now he’s with Aubree. How are we related to each other now?As though reading her mind, Lucian said icily, “You may be right, but do you think Essie will give up on you when you treat her this well?”Roxanne was left speechless.Lucian concluded, “You are responsible for giving her false hope, which led to her committing that act, and you don’t even know that.”Hearing that, Roxanne couldn’t stop doubting herself.He’s right. I keep saying I want to sever ties with him, but when Essie cries, I can’t help but feel guilty and give in and shower my love on her. When she’s around, Lucian and I will inevitably have to interact. According to Lucian, Essie committed that act because of me…A while later, Roxanne finally found her voice. “If that’s the case, I’ll
Meanwhile, Roxanne was still lost in a daze. “Madilyn, what…”Cocking a brow, Madilyn stepped aside to usher them in. “Come onboard. I’m here to pick you up.”Roxanne was blown away by the words.Is she asking us to get in the helicopter and leave just like that? We might be able to escape this time, but what about when the reporters come for us again?When she saw Roxanne remaining motionless, the puzzled Madilyn urged her, “Hurry up! What are you still hesitating for? Whatever concerns you have, we’ll discuss it on board.”She extended her hand while speaking.With the helicopter hovering right before her eyes, Roxanne realized that Madilyn’s effort would go to waste if she didn’t get on.Holding that thought, Roxanne took the latter’s hand. Given how close the helicopter was, all she needed to do was take a step forward to board it.After carrying Estella over, Roxanne turned around to do the same with the boys. Little did she expect them to be raring to go.Reciprocating their ent
It wasn’t until Lucian heard Madilyn’s words that he realized her point and stopped in his tracks.“This whole incident might just blow over if you don’t show up, but it will definitely worsen if you make an appearance. If that happens, they might even swarm Farwell Group along with Roxanne’s house!” Madilyn reminded him.She knew the mentality of those journalists all too well.Lucian clenched his fists so tightly that his veins were bulging from underneath his skin. “What should I do, then?” he asked while trying to suppress his anger.I wouldn’t have acted so impulsively if I knew this would happen!Madilyn rolled her eyes at him in response. Why is he asking us for a solution when he’s the one who caused all this?“Mr. Farwell, how about we send someone over to get Mrs. Farwell out of there?” Cayden suggested cautiously.“How are you going to do that? There are so many journalists around!” Madilyn snapped at him.Cayden fell silent and flashed her an awkward look in response.“If
News about the Farwell family’s two additional young heirs, who were given birth by Lucian’s ex-wife, caused an uproar in Horington.Of course, the journalists took action almost immediately. No one knew how they got the information, but they found and swarmed around Roxanne’s research institute and mansion.Roxanne was still asleep when she received a call from Linda telling her not to leave the house that day.When Roxanne received that call, she was still in a daze.However, the moment she got out of bed and saw the crowd outside, she panicked.The crowd was clearly there because of Farwell Group’s statement yesterday.Noticing her room’s curtains were pulled open, the crowd downstairs hurriedly focused their cameras in the direction of her room window and began snapping pictures.Shocked, Roxanne hastily drew her curtains.At the same time, her phone rang again.She grabbed it to take a glance, only to see it was from an unknown number.Suspicious, she answered it. The person on t
“It was Lucian who let Essie stay with me. So, if you want to take her away, you’ll have to get his consent first,” Roxanne emphasized without a change in her expression.The little girl in her embrace immediately chimed in, “I’ll do what Daddy says!”As Sonya watched the mother and daughter duo presenting a united front, she felt her temples throb.After all, her son had already made such a statement. The answer she would get could not be more obvious if she made the call.Roxanne’s saying that because she has no plans to let me take my granddaughter away! Most importantly, my son is siding with her. Ugh! I can’t do anything about it.After waiting for some time and seeing that Sonya didn’t take any action, Roxanne said, “If you don’t want to make the call, then please leave now. It’s getting late, and the children are hungry. I don’t have the energy to prepare another person’s portion.”With that, Roxanne put Estella down and gestured for the boys to take Estella upstairs.Once the
Originally, Sonya did not intend to cause trouble for Roxanne at such an hour.Yet she did not expect her son to release such a shocking announcement on the internet, and she only found out while she was having dinner.Sonya was so incensed that she didn’t even finish dinner. After throwing her cutleries in a rage, she set off and drove to Roxanne’s house.She was determined to make Lucian and Estella cut ties with Roxanne as soon as possible.Now that Sonya saw how dependent Estella was on Roxanne, her anger was further fueled.“Roxanne Jarvis, give me back my granddaughter,” she uttered frostily as if Roxanne had snatched Estella away from her.Sensing Estella’s nervousness, Roxanne gripped the former’s hand to soothe her anxiety. Next, Roxanne lifted her head to face the woman opposite her.If this had happened in the past, Roxanne might not know how to respond to a demand like this.However, things were different now. She was Estella’s mother, so she had the right to keep Estella
The boys were exhilarated for nearly the whole day after seeing the announcement in the morning.When night fell, Roxanne had just stepped into the house when Archie and Benny flung themselves at her in excitement. “Mommy!”She was slightly perplexed by their gleeful demeanor. “What’s going on? Did something nice happen in the kindergarten?”As soon as she ended her sentence, she glanced at Estella and was puzzled. If something did happen in the kindergarten, why isn’t Essie acting the same way as them?Upon detecting his mother’s confusion, Archie said, “Didn’t you see the news on the internet?”That confounded Roxanne even further. What news on the internet?Excitedly, Benny added, “Mr. Farwell claimed that we’re his children, just like Essie!”Did I hear that right? Lucian said Archie and Benny are his children? How’s that possible? Roxanne was stunned.He could tell his mother was befuddled, so he grabbed the laptop, clicked on a public forum, and showed it to her.Farwell Group’s
Jonathan’s jaw dropped open in disbelief. If they aren’t his, why does he look so calm in comparison to me, who is freaking out?“What are you thinking?” He shot Lucian an incredulous look. “If you want to help Roxanne by stopping the haters online, then you can just publicize your relationship with her and issue warning letters through your lawyer. Why would you do this?”If it was revealed that the CEO of Farwell Group had claimed to be the biological father of his ex-wife’s children even though they were not his, no one would believe it. It sounded pretty ridiculous, but that was exactly what Lucian did.“If I only did that, the netizens will still a*sume the worst about the boys’ father.” Displeasure flashed across Lucian’s eyes as he explained, “The kids are innocent. If she’s willing to marry me, it will only be a matter of time before the boys become mine, too.”Lucian knew very well that the last thing Roxanne wanted was to drag the kids into her mess, so he was more than wil
Soon, some recalled Roxanne’s previous scandal after reading the statement. One comment read: So what happened between Mr. Farwell and Aubree Pearson?Another read: Isn’t that obvious? Aubree is the homewrecker. She was the one who faked the rumors so Roxanne would give up on Mr. Farwell!One netizen replied: But what about Roxanne and Jack? They had been involved in two scandals. Besides, they seem to be on good terms.Another comment read: Isn’t that obvious? They are both capable doctors. Besides, the recent medical consultations were all initiated by the Damaris family. It’s normal for them to be on good terms!Many online users expressed their disapproval of Aubree, while the rest offered their support and blessing to Roxanne and Lucian.Now that Roxanne and Jack’s relationship was clarified, everyone thought Roxanne and Lucian were the perfect couple.One comment read: I heard that Roxanne had participated in various medical consultations recently. A while ago, someone ran into
The medicinal herb company owned by the Damaris family was mainly run by their own people, leaving outsiders nothing but envy. Lucian went silent after hearing that.However, that piqued Jonathan’s interest. “Why? Is Roxanne working with the Damaris family again? Do you need my help with anything?”Lucian managed to detect the hint of derision in his voice and snickered. “Go on and acquire the Damaris family’s medicinal herbs company if you’d really like to help.”Jonathan rubbed his nose sheepishly and said, “Well, anything but that.”“Then there’s nothing you can do. Bye.”Lucian hung up the call right after that.Jonathan’s face was full of reproach as he watched his phone screen go dark.That was the second time Lucian had woken him up in the middle of the night and hung up after dropping a bomb on him.It had taken him considerable effort to finally drift off to sleep.Great. It looks like I won’t be able to sleep at all tonight, either!Jonathan lay back down in bed, scrolling