The game began with Roxanne and Lucian in the middle and the boys on either side. “Green light… Red light!”Estella waited for them to take a few steps before suddenly spinning around.Although the others stopped in their tracks at once, the two little ones lost their balance and swayed about for a little bit before steadying themselves.Fortunately, all Estella wanted was for them to all play together. Hence, she did not take issue with it and quickly turned back.When the game resumed, Roxanne could not help wondering whether the boys’ excitement was causing them to veer toward the center.She glanced at Archie, who was next to her, helplessly.However, all his attention was on Estella standing right in the center.It seemed as though he was straying in that direction solely because he was eager to tag Estella.Seeing that, Roxanne sighed inwardly and moved toward the center to make room for him.Meanwhile, Lucian, too, noticed the same thing with Benny. He seems to be behaving odd
The children were no longer in the mood to continue playing. Roxanne had left anyway, so there was no need for them to carry on with the game. At the side, Lucian watched as they dragged their feet over to the carpet and plopped down listlessly. Twitching his lips in amusement, he lifted his eyes and glanced upstairs. Then, he headed up the stairs.After all, he had to talk to Roxanne about the misunderstanding earlier and clarify things.The children initially thought their battle plan this time was a total flop, but they spotted Lucian voluntarily going upstairs when they looked over their shoulders.Without a shadow of a doubt, he was going to look for Roxanne.When they saw that, a spark of hope flared within them.Upstairs, Roxanne shut herself in the bedroom, feeling exceedingly conflicted.She didn’t know what was wrong with her earlier.Just a while ago, I was irritated by Lucian’s domineering attitude. Yet, I was still bewitched by the tenderness in his eyes during the game.
The children weren’t much help in the kitchen, but with them around, Roxanne’s turbulent emotions slowly subsided. When she came out after cooking dinner, she immediately spotted Lucian sitting on the couch.He seemed to be rather tired, for he had already dozed off while they were preparing dinner. His head tipped slightly to the side, and he half-leaned against the couch. Even while asleep, he was still as elegant as ever.Seeing that, Roxanne instinctively gentled her movements to not make too much noise and made a shushing gesture at the children.The children followed her gaze. The instant they laid eyes on the sleeping man, a glimmer of bemusement flashed across Archie and Benny’s faces.Daddy would usually settle work matters whenever he was free. But today, he actually fell asleep. Has he been too exhausted from work recently?The brothers looked at Estella in confusion.When Estella’s eyes fell on the man asleep on the couch, the smile on her face gradually faded. Her eyes b
Terrified by Lucian’s sudden movement to the point that she didn’t dare move, Roxanne reacted like a petrified cat when the man drew close to her. She desperately tried to break free, but he effortlessly seized her hands and locked them behind her back. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free. “Wake up, Lucian!” Her eyes brimmed with panic as the distance between their lips diminished. Even her voice had grown a touch tense.Unfortunately, Lucian remained unmoved and continued leaning closer to her.Only when the distance between them was so negligible that they could sense each other’s breathing and Roxanne was so nervous that her heart almost stopped pounding did she sense the man finally drawing to a stop.Heaving a sigh of relief, she cautiously turned her face and studied his expression to ascertain whether he had awakened.The moment she did so, she met the man’s clear gaze.“Sorry. I was still half-awake earlier.”Masking the mirth in his eyes, Lucian put on
Despite her reluctance, Estella knew that they would definitely be frequent visitors henceforth since her father was pursuing Roxanne. Thus, she obediently slid off the couch and sweetly bid Roxanne farewell before leaving with Lucian. Only when Lucian’s car had driven into the distance did Roxanne turn back around and return to the mansion with Archie and Benny.The two boys spent the whole day playing and worrying about the adults’ matters, so they started yawning incessantly now that things had settled down.It was already pretty late, so Roxanne had them go in and rest while she went to the study.As the top prestigious family in the medical field in the country, the Damaris family attracted much attention despite having gone into seclusion for many years.Consequently, the research institute established this time promptly came to light as soon as it was completed.When it came to the collaboration this time, the Damaris family didn’t plan on keeping a low profile. Instead, they
Roxanne a*sumed that the list of partners would only be announced by the Damaris family in a few days. Little did she expect to receive Larry’s call the next morning, right after she woke up.Hence, she answered the phone groggily.“Have you seen it? The Damaris family has released the list of partners.” Larry’s voice rang out the moment the call connected.His words jolted Roxanne awake. “Why so sudden?”I’m not ready yet.Larry chuckled. “I’m as clueless as you are. However, I heard that there’ll be a commencement event in two days in the form of a press conference. Therefore, we had better be prepared, as reporters nowadays can be very demanding. Who knows what sort of questions will be thrown out by them, especially toward someone new like you who doesn’t have any background.”The grateful Roxanne replied, “Thanks for giving me the heads-up, Larry. I’ll make the necessary preparations.”Nonetheless, Larry quickly followed up. “Anyway, congratulations, Dr. Jarvis. Your reputation
Meanwhile, Roxanne had delegated Madilyn to pick the children up to Madilyn as she promptly headed to the meeting. No sooner had she stepped out the door than she saw Jack’s car at the entrance.At the sight of her, he alighted from the car and took a look behind her. Feeling slightly disappointed, he inquired, “Are the children still at school?”Roxanne nodded. “I got a friend of mine to pick them up. Is there a reason why you want to see them, Mr. Damaris?”Jack casually nodded. “I’ve brought them some gifts. But since they’re not around, let’s just forget it. I’ll personally hand them over the next time I see the boys.”The fact that he had prepared presents for them surprised Roxanne, for she didn’t expect him to be so attentive.“Since you have gotten them the presents, it’s only right you hand them to the boys yourself.” Roxanne pursed her lips into a smile upon regaining her senses.With that, she turned around and headed toward her car.She had barely taken a step when Jack’s
Subsequently, she got to her feet and regained her composure before heading to the restaurant next door. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”Upon entering the restaurant, Jessica gave her two guests an apologetic look.Her arrival brought a sense of relief to Roxanne and Jack who responded with a faint smile. “It’s all right. Please take a seat.”Nodding in acknowledgment, Jessica sat down beside them. However, at the sight of the untouched food on the table, she looked at them in surprise. “Didn’t I ask you to start first? Why did you wait for me? I’m really sorry that the food is now cold.”Since Roxanne didn’t know Jessica that well, she simply broke into a cordial smile.As for Jack, he gave her a perfunctory reply. “Since you’re the host, it’s right that we wait for you.”He had barely spoken when silence descended upon the table.At a loss as to what to do, Roxanne gave Jack an awkward look, for she intended to leave early if possible.When Jessica wasn’t around, she and Jack