Thankfully, Lucian wasn’t insistent and put his daughter down on the ground as she wanted. However, just as he was about to reach for Estella’s hand, he realized she had already scampered away.For a moment, Lucian was stunned as he subconsciously turned to look behind him.To his surprise, he saw Roxanne and the rest smiling fondly at Estella, with the former even walking toward the little girl.It was a rare sight as Estella ran toward the school’s entrance while waving wordlessly at Roxanne and the boys.Seeing that the little girl was too caught up in the excitement to care about road safety, Roxanne quickly rushed over to hold her hand. When she saw Lucian walking calmly toward them, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of helplessness.Estella grinned from ear to ear as she held Roxanne’s hand. Once they stopped walking, she even hugged the latter’s leg affectionately.Archie and Benny weren’t jealous either and greeted Estella with big, friendly smiles.When Lucian finally came t
By the time the treatment was over, Frieda had also returned home.Upon finding out from the butler that Roxanne was treating Alfred, she made a beeline for the latter’s bedroom.“Grandpa, how are you feeling?” Frieda asked concernedly the moment she stepped into the room.Alfred nodded slightly. “Much better.”Having lived for so long, he had gained an understanding of how traditional medicine worked and had also consulted countless famous doctors.Roxanne, however, had come as a delightful surprise to him.After each course of her treatment, Alfred would always feel a significant improvement in his health, which was something that not even the best doctors in the world could achieve.Frieda looked her grandfather over and finally nodded with a smile. “That’s good to hear.”Then, she turned to Aubree and added, “Have you come to visit Grandpa too, Aubree? Since it’s getting late, why don’t you stay for dinner?”Naturally, Aubree had no objections to that and grinned broadly. “In that
Frieda glanced at Roxanne and was surprised to see her still so calm and composed. Hence, she turned to Aubree and said with a lilt to her voice, “Aubree, you and Lucian look so much in love! Have you picked a date for your wedding yet? I’m still waiting to be your bridesmaid!”As soon as those words were out, Roxanne froze in her tracks.Huh? What did she mean by that? Are Lucian and Aubree not married yet?Aubree, too, felt her smile freezing in place. After all, she hadn’t expected Frieda to bring up the wedding right there and then.Just as she began thinking about how best to change the topic, she felt Alfred’s concerned gaze on them. “That’s right. The two of you have been together for so many years. Even Estella has grown up too. Isn’t it time to settle down?”“Yes, you guys should’ve gotten married a long time ago. I don’t even know why you’ve dragged it on until now,” Jonathan teased.For a moment, everyone had their eyes on Lucian as they waited for his response.However, in
Jonathan, too, couldn’t help but furrow his brows.Since dinner started, he could already feel something was wrong between Lucian and the two women, but unfortunately, he couldn’t put his finger on it.“Aubree?” Frieda mumbled, baffled at how stunned her friend was.Thankfully, Aubree was brought back to her senses and quickly forced out a smile. “Well, I still have work to do, so I shan’t disturb you guys any longer.”Even though Jonathan and Frieda could tell that something was amiss with Aubree, they refrained from asking any more questions. After exchanging a few more words, they eventually saw her off.Once they were back in the mansion, Jonathan immediately turned to his sister. “Hey, how did you know that Dr. Jarvis has kids?”Frieda pursed her lips. “I saw them when I was out for lunch with Aubree. Oh, I also know that she’s Lucian’s ex-wife! I can’t believe she had the gall to come back!”Upon hearing that, Jonathan was momentarily shocked before realization dawned on him.No
Roxanne overheard Catalina’s words through the phone and know Estella wasn’t feeling well. Shepromptly got worried.After hearing what Lucian had to say, she made a U-turn and sped toward the Farwell residence.Twenty minutes later, her car rolled to a stop outside the Farwell residence.Recalling Estella’s condition, Roxanne shot the man a dubious look. “Take good care of Essie. If you need my help, just let me know anytime.”Lucian met her gaze mockingly. “If you’re that worried about her, why don’t you take a look at her? Besides, Essie adores you. If she sees you when she’s sick, I believe she’ll feel better.”With that said, he opened the door and got out before heading in the direction of the mansion.It appeared he was leaving it up to her whether she wanted to visit Estella.The sight of his back caused Roxanne to frown slightly.Essie’s sick. Shouldn’t he get her mother to visit her? No matter how busy Aubree is, she won’t ignore her sick daughter, right?As the thought of t
Roxanne explained, “We bumped into each other at my patient’s house. I heard that Essie was sick and decided to come to pay her a visit.”Hearing that, Catalina felt a stab in her heart. “That’s good. Ms. Estella will surely get better quickly if you keep her company,” she muttered under her breath.Roxanne assumed Catalina was referring to the fact that she was a doctor and could treat Estella’s condition by taking care of her. Chuckling, she inclined her head and promised, “Don’t worry. I’ll help out if Essie needs me.”Catalina was puzzled after hearing her reply.Why is Ms. Jarvis acting all formal? Ms. Estella is her daughter. Isn’t it natural for her to take care of her sick daughter? Besides, Ms. Estella would feel better if her mother were to stay by her side. Back then, it was Ms. Jarvis who treated my headaches. I know she’s a great doctor, so she is definitely capable of treating Ms. Estella’s fever.A wave of regret hit Catalina when she recalled the times Roxanne was stil
Beside her, Lucian heard the boys’ voices faintly and placed his work aside. He looked at her and was about to ask whether she had to head home to take care of them, but the sight of her tenderexpression made him change his mind.“Who normally takes care of the boys when you’re busy? Do they stay at home? Or do you hire someone to take care of them?” he asked.Roxanne told him, “My friend helps out. Now, Lysa will take care of them.”Lucian asked, “Was it the same when you were working overseas?”Despite not knowing why he posed that question, Roxanne answered instinctively, “I’d hire someone to take care of them or bring them to my workplace. My colleagues loved them.”Right after those words left her mouth, the living room went silent again.Roxanne lowered her gaze to check on the little girl’s condition.“They’re older now and easier to take care of. It must have been hard when they were younger,” Lucian said suddenly. His gaze fell on her as he pretended to ask nonchalantly, “Ho
Lucian’s brows snapped together. He hesitated briefly before accepting the blanket from Catalina. Bending his body, he draped the blanket over them carefully and tucked Roxanne in.After that, he was about to get up when his gaze landed on Roxanne’s sleeping face.Lucian froze, and he couldn’t keep his gaze off her.This was the first time he had ever seen her up close.It was obvious that she wasn’t sleeping well. Her lashes would flutter occasionally as though she would wake up any minute.Lucian wondered when she would wake up.Suddenly, she frowned in her sleep as her head slipped off the couch.Before she could fall off the couch, Lucian reached out instinctively to protect her head. She fell into his embrace instead.Suddenly, he registered the sensation of her soft cheek brushing against his palm.Lucian’s gaze turned dark. Afraid of waking her up, he didn’t move an inch.Roxanne was in his embrace, and Estella was in Roxanne’s embrace.Seeing that, a thought occurred to Catali
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