Lucian’s eyes darkened at her words. He originally planned to get straight to the point and tell her what he was after, but it felt as though her question had pierced right through his heart.If he were to tell her that he needed her help, the woman would have come up with something sarcastic to ridicule him.Staying silent for a few seconds, Lucian approached her in another way. “I just think that I haven’t given you a proper explanation regarding Archie and Benny getting kicked out of school. I hope that you’ll calm down and hear me out.”Roxanne was already determined that he was the one behind this incident. All she felt was irony when she heard what was just said.Explain? What’s there to explain? Did he not have enough of his fun over the past few days?At the thought of this, a cold glint flashed through her eyes. Her tone was distant as she said, “Mr. Farwell, you hold great power, so do whatever you want. You don’t have to deliberately explain after doing what you did. I don’
Lucian was perplexed and dumbfounded.It was only after a long time that Lucian managed to recollect his thoughts. He held on to her slender wrist, lowered his voice, and uttered word-by-word in precise clarity, “Since when did I say that Estella is Aubree’s child?”Roxanne’s wrist started to hurt, but she was distracted by his mind-blowing statement. Shock and suspicion filled her heart.Estella is not Aubree’s child!No wonder Aubree was not there that day when Estella was sick.However, from what she knew, no one else got together with Lucian besides Aubree.Who can it be? Who’s Estella’s mother?The thoughts started to overwhelm Roxanne, and she struggled to resist popping the question.“Mommy!” two familiar voices called out to Roxanne. “We finally found you! Are you okay?”The children ran frantically toward Roxanne, whose wrist was clutched tightly by Lucian.Archie and Benny exchanged glances before scrambling toward Roxanne.“Mommy, don’t be worried. We will protect you!” Ben
Cayden was driving at a blazing speed, and they arrived at the manor shortly after.After getting down from the car, Lucian led Roxanne, Archie, and Benny and rushed toward the second floor of the building.Meanwhile, James was waiting upstairs. Because of Estella’s resistance, he had to keep his distance while monitoring her, fearing that she would harm herself. Hence, he left the door slightly ajar and silently stood at the entrance.When he saw the four of them, James had his brows slightly knitted before nodding. “Ms. Jarvis.”Roxanne nodded in reply, and her attention was focused exclusively on Estella. “Where’s Essie? Let me take a look at her.”James pointed toward the corner of the room.Roxanne walked in that direction, and she saw Estella curled in the corner with her knees tucked in, and her eyes looked empty like a soulless doll.Recalling how Estella used to welcome her with a sweet, bright smile, Roxanne’s heart was wrenched in pain, suffocating her.This morning, Estell
Although Catalina was there, Lucian was the one who took care of Estella personally. Hence, he was well aware of her quirks and needs.Lucian remembered everything, including how Estella always woke up at midnight, that she needed to drink milk before sleeping, and that she was picky when it came to food.Lucian then stared at the rearview mirror and said to Roxanne, “I’ll leave Essie with you for the next few days. Thank you for helping her.”Roxanne replied calmly, “I’ve said this, and I will say it again. The child is innocent, and I will take good care of her.”Lucian did not overstay his welcome. Seeing that they had set up Estella’s room, he bid goodbye and left after that.Roxanne felt strange.Lucian confidently left Estella with me, just like that?However, her attention was subsequently directed back to Estella, and her lingering thoughts immediately vanished.Outside Roxanne’s house, Lucian’s expression darkened almost immediately. He then took out his phone and rang Aubree
Estella showed no response whatsoever when Roxanne helped undress her.As the pants came off, Roxanne was greeted by horrifying bruises and welts all over Estella’s buttocks.“It must’ve been really painful, huh?” Roxanne asked while caressing the little girl’s cheeks, feeling sorry for her.Estella simply stared blankly at her in response.“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure to be gentle, and we’ll give Daddy a call once we’re done with your bath,” Roxanne continued with a heavy heart after a brief moment of silence.After giving Estella a quick bath and a change of clothes, Roxanne had her wait on the bed while she gave Lucian a call.The call got through within seconds. “What’s wrong? Did Essie cause you any trouble?”“Was Essie’s autism really triggered by Archie and Benny being expelled?” Roxanne asked solemnly.Lucian frowned. “What do you mean by that?”Roxanne felt her heart ache when she realized he was probably oblivious to what happened, but the thought of him being an irresponsib
With that in mind, Roxanne nodded and led him upstairs.As Estella had already fallen asleep, the room was only illuminated by a night lamp at the time. Afraid that she would wake her up, Roxanne made sure to be extra careful and gentle.While standing by the door with his hands in his pockets, Lucian shifted his gaze from Estella to the decoration in the room.Not only did the room look exceptionally neat and tidy, but the dolls that Roxanne’s kids brought over also added a warm and homely feel to it.Looking at the room caused the anger that Lucian was suppressing to vanish completely and filled his heart up with warmth.After applying the ointment, Roxanne made sure that Estella was still fast asleep before getting up. “It’s done.”Her gaze met Lucian’s the moment she turned around, and the two of them locked eyes in silence for a few seconds.Eventually, Lucian snapped out of it and said with a nod, “Thanks.”Roxanne then closed the door behind her and walked him downstairs.After
With that in mind, Roxanne greeted him and waited for Pippa to bring the kids out the door.It wasn’t long before class was over, and the kids walked through the door in a straight line.Archie and Benny could be seen escorting Estella on both sides as they came out.After the five of them got into Lucian’s car, Benny kept tugging at Roxanne’s sleeve with a huge smile on his face.Unsure of why he was grinning from ear to ear, Roxanne flashed him a confused look in response.“Essie seemed to have a bad dream after waking up from our afternoon nap today! She kept crying even though Ms. Ward and the other kids tried to comfort her. In the end, Archie and I were the ones who calmed her down! Do you think she knows us, Mommy?”Roxanne had felt the same way earlier that morning, so hearing about it filled her heart with a warm sensation. “Maybe. I’m really glad that you two are able to look after Essie.”Benny patted himself on the chest confidently as he said in his childish voice, “Don’t
Roxanne was taken aback by how the girl had launched herself into her arms, but after the shock came delight.It was the same action as before. In the past, Estella would jump into Roxanne’s arms whenever she saw the latter.Although the girl was crying, at the very least, she was reacting to her surroundings.At that thought, Roxanne lifted her uninjured arm and gently hugged the girl to her. At the same time, she tentatively asked, “Essie, have you recovered? Do you know who I am now?”The girl gave her a slight nod, but she continued to sniffle.At that, Archie’s and Benny’s eyes lit up. They then walked over to Estella and pointed at themselves. “Then do you know who we are?”However, Estella’s gaze was fixed on Roxanne’s injured arm; she did not look at them at all.The boys were disappointed.Sensing their emotions, Roxanne raised her hand to ruffle Estella’s hair and softly said, “The boys are here too. Do you see them? They’ve been taking care of you the past two days.”It was
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
It was already past nine at night when Roxanne reached home. As she got out of the car, she felt anxious and guilty for leaving the children alone at home.Hence, she hurried into the mansion, but as soon as she entered, she was greeted with the lively sounds of the children playing with each other and running around.Roxanne stopped in her tracks and looked inside the living room, surprised.Initially, she thought Madilyn had come over, but Lucian was sitting on the couch instead.As if sensing her presence, the man turned around to look.When their gazes met, Roxanne’s shock intensified. “What are you doing here?”Didn’t we agree on meeting some other day?Upon noticing her return, the children stopped playing and gathered around her, yearning for affection.“Mommy, you came home so late! Daddy’s been waiting for a long time!”Roxanne ruffled the children’s hair, but her gaze was still locked on Lucian.Lucian sat on the couch, crossing his legs. The button on his collar was undone
Lucian had mentioned visiting Roxanne in the past few days, but she rejected him by saying she had work to do. When he heard Estella mention that Roxanne was rarely home, he finally realized how hard she had been working recently.“Are you free tomorrow at noon? Let’s have lunch together,” Lucian suggested.He was determined to let Roxanne get some rest.Roxanne fell silent for a few moments when she heard the time he mentioned before replying apologetically, “Sorry, I’m not free.”Lucian frowned. “Why? Is there work that you have to complete?”Roxanne scratched her nose sheepishly. “I’ve promised to meet up with Mr. Damaris for lunch tomorrow to discuss a project.”Jack Damaris?Lucian’s expression instantly darkened.We’ve hardly been in contact these few days, and yet she’s been contacting him?What the elderlies from the nursing home said echoed in Lucian’s mind once again.After all, he and Roxanne did not work in the same industry. Plus, the woman was a workaholic, causing thei
I can’t believe the Queen family is the culprit! I… I a*sume that with our friendship of years, even if they refuse to help us, at the very least, they won’t hit us when we’re down. Yet, they are the reason we ended up in such a state! If that’s the case, why did Frieda come to our house yesterday? Did she come to shed crocodile tears? Gina glared at her daughter resentfully. “You knew about it, didn’t you?”Aubree’s involvement in the company’s affairs meant that she must have known who the culprit was, yet she still permitted Frieda to visit her, much to Gina’s bafflement.If I knew the Queen family was behind this, I wouldn’t have allowed Frieda to enter our house!Aubree’s eyes had also turned red. “So what if I did know? It was the Farwells’ order! Lucian drove us into a corner all because of that b*tch!”I refuse to give up just yet! Even if I end up in hell, I’ll drag that b*tch down with me!Her words made Gina feel as though the world was crumbling around her.She could not
At noon the next day, Jonathan brought Frieda shopping. They bought a bunch of gifts before driving to the restaurant where they were supposed to meet Roxanne. The restaurant was near the research institute. Due to the closeness of both locations, Roxanne thought she could head back to do some more work if their meeting ended early.Something in the research institute held her up, so Jonathan and Frieda were already waiting in the private room by the time she arrived.“I’m sorry, Dr. Jarvis. Did I interrupt your work?”Despite addressing Roxanne by her name in front of Lucian, Jonathan was mindful of his behavior and addressed her politely when she was present.Roxanne offered him a polite smile. Her gaze then landed on Frieda, and confusion crossed her eyes.If I’m not mistaken, Frieda never liked me. So why is she here today?Considering how busy she was handling various projects at the research institute, Roxanne did not want to be involved in any trouble.Jonathan rose to his fee