The forest was dark. Roxanne could only rely on her torchlight because the faint moonlight was insufficient to illuminate the path ahead of her.She walked carefully inside the forest, not knowing where she was.Roxanne only knew Estella was nowhere in sight thus far in her venture into the woods.After sending Archie and Benny back to the hotel, she checked the messages in the WhatsApp group and noticed none of the other parents had seen Estella.No one has yet to search the forest. This is the only place left. If Essie is really in here…Roxanne felt more frightened the more she dwelled on that thought.Even she was scared of being alone in that environment, not to mention Estella, who was just a little girl.Essie would not have come inside here if it weren’t for me.At that thought, Roxanne gritted her teeth and hastened her steps. She must locate Estella as soon as possible.“Essie! Where are you?”Roxanne shouted Estella’s name as she moved deeper into the forest, hoping to rece
Roxanne patted Estella, trying her best to comfort the latter. Still, the sobs of the little girl in her arms sounded weaker and weaker.“Essie?” Roxanne gazed down concernedly.Estella had pa*sed out after crying for so long, but tears continued to roll down her cheeks from the corner of her eyes.Roxanne struggled to catch her breath, as she could hardly stand the pain in her chest when she took in Estella’s wretched state.The weather is so cold, and Essie’s wearing such thin clothes. She won’t last if this situation drags on. I need to think of a way to get out of here!At that thought, Roxanne took off her jacket and wrapped Estella with her outerwear before racking her brain to figure out a solution.However, no matter her methods, she could not climb out of the pit.Instead, she ended up exhausting all her energy.After several attempts, she stopped her futile struggles in slight desperation. She held Estella in her arms to provide the little girl with warmth.The night breeze
Roxanne was only able to heave a sigh of relief after the doctor confirmed that Estella was fine.However, as Lucian was still worried, he decided to admit the little girl to the hospital for one night just to be safe.As it was getting late, Roxanne said, “Since Essie is all right, I’ll take the kids back to rest first. Call me if you need me.”She turned to leave after she finished speaking.However, when she walked past Lucian, the man grabbed her wrist, causing her to draw a sharp breath.“Please examine her too,” Lucian said to the doctor.When Roxanne heard that, she rejected it at once. “There’s no need for that. I know my condition best. I’m not injured and I just want to go home and rest.”Lucian refused to let go of her.Having no choice, the woman walked toward the doctor and rolled up her sleeves, revealing an abrasion on her wrist which Lucian was grabbing a moment ago.She had sustained a scrape from pulling Estella back earlier on but did not want the little ones to wor
After the meal, Lucian told Cayden to send Archie and Benny back home to rest while he stayed in the ward with Roxanne so they could both keep Estella company.Roxanne couldn’t bear to leave the little girl alone in the ward. Estella was still afraid and refused to release her grip on the corner of Roxanne’s clothes.Roxanne felt guilty at the sight of Estella’s pale face. She caressed Estella’s cheek and apologized, “I shouldn’t have rejected you this afternoon. I’m really sorry.”Estella shook her head silently.The guilt in Roxanne’s heart remained, and she looked downcast.Regret had overwhelmed her when she learned of Estella’s disappearance.Now that she knew that Estella was emotionally affected by the incident, she got so heavy-hearted that she could barely breathe.“It has nothing to do with you.” Lucian’s brows knitted together when he heard her blaming herself.Roxanne forced out a smile and glanced at him without a word.She had experienced losing her child, so there was n
Lucian brought Estella back to the Farwell residence after Roxanne left.When they arrived, Sonya and Elias were already waiting in the living room. Aubree was sitting beside them with a woeful expression.Seeing them, Aubree immediately got to her feet to welcome them. “Lucian, is Essie all right?”She then got down on her knees to check on Estella’s condition.Estella retreated and hid behind Lucian. She grabbed the edge of Lucian’s shirt and refused to look at Aubree.Aubree remained patient and reached out to take Estella’s hand. “Essie, I’m really sorry for upsetting you. I was just—”Slap! Estella slapped her hand away abruptly.I hate this evil Ms. Pearson! She’s the reason Ms. Jarvis stays away from me!Aubree refused to give up yet. She came closer to Estella as Sonya and Elias were watching her actions.I can’t let Essie show them that we’re not close to each other!She stretched her hand out again. “Essie, don’t be afraid. I just want to check on your injury.”Without waiti
After learning that it was Roxanne who had found Estella, Sonya stopped reprimanding her. She focused on consoling Estella, who was still crying in her arms.A while later, Estella exhausted her energy and finally stopped crying.“Good girl, Essie.” Sonya patted her back. “Ms. Pearson adores you. She accidentally angered you, so can you forgive her?”Hearing Aubree’s name, Estella scrunched up her brow and turned around. She stretched her hands toward Lucian.Lucian picked her up and answered on her behalf, “Essie refuses to forgive her. Even if Essie does forgive her, I will never forgive her!”With that said, Lucian glared at Aubree. “This has dragged on for long enough. I shall make myself clear once again. I will never marry you. From today onward, we no longer have anything to do with each other. You have no reason to show up before Essie anymore!”His words stunned everyone else.It took Sonya a few seconds to regain her composure. She grabbed Lucian’s arm and demanded, “Lucian,
Archie and Benny had already gotten up when Roxanne arrived home. They promptly asked about Estella.The boys were delighted to learn that Estella could talk again.As Roxanne’s wrist was injured, the boys refused to let her do anything and stayed by her side the entire day.The following day, Roxanne wanted to head to work at the research institute, but the boys insisted that she stay at home.“Mommy, you’re hurt. You should rest at home.” Benny shot her an imploring look.Archie chimed in, “We’re afraid you’ll fall ill, just like last time.”They could still remember how they had freaked out when Roxanne got sick previously.Roxanne knew the kids were worried about her. As her wrist was hurt, it would be difficult for her to work. Hence, she bobbed her head in agreement.After breakfast, the doorbell rang.Roxanne got to her feet and answered the door.She was taken aback by the unexpected visitors. “Why are you here?”Clad in a casual coat, Lucian held Estella’s hand. Estella was h
“You guys are right. All right, then. I’ll get going first. See you all,” Lucian said after a pause, pursing his lips. Since he had unilaterally called off his engagement with Aubree, and the news was not made public yet, Lucian thought he should only let them know later.Archie and Benny were surprised and disappointed when Lucian actually agreed so readily.So, he’s really getting married to that woman. Does this mean he doesn’t want us anymore?The disgruntlement evoked by this thought was apparent on the children’s faces, and they replied curtly, “Goodbye, Mr. Farwell.”Lucian was puzzled by their sudden change of attitude. The man wondered if he had done anything wrong to upset them, aside from his engagement with Aubree.Earlier on, he had found Archie and Benny strangely distant, so he had decided to leave them alone. Yet when he actually did so, the two boys suddenly seemed disturbed by his departure.Seriously… What’s the matter? I can’t think of a reason for their behavior.
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