After Roxanne was done tending to Estella, Archie and Benny returned downstairs while carrying Estella’s gifts.They each had a strange-looking stuffed toy in their hands and walked up to the little girl. “We bought these with our pocket money. You can have them.”The dolls looked adorable yet hideous at the same time and didn’t seem to suit Estella at all.However, this was the girl’s first time receiving gifts from peers her age whom she liked very much. Thus, she joyously accepted the stuffed toys and hugged them more tightly than she did her previous doll.After a long while, Estella finally put the toys down and scribbled a massive word of thanks on her notebook, showing her writing to Archie and Benny.This was the boys’ first time seeing her beam like that.They used to avoid her because she was a child their father had with another woman.But after they saw how adorable she looked, their hearts skipped a beat as they exchanged glances and scratched their heads sheepishly.She’
Benny turned to the other boy in a daze, but he immediately came to a realization upon meeting the latter’s warning glance.Right! We can’t show this guy how much we like Essie!Remembering that, Benny hastily shut his mouth, using only his eyes to express his discontent.Lucian took notice of everything the boys had just done.Still, he didn’t know what they were thinking. Assuming he had frightened them, he fell silent for a moment before softening his expression.They might be another guy’s kids, but they’re still young. Lucian knew he shouldn’t take his annoyance out on the children.“In any case, the fact that Essie showed up at your door early in the morning must’ve caused you some trouble. Thank you for playing with her,” he tried his best to state calmly.The boys nodded icily in response.Then, the living room fell into silence.“Where’s your mommy?” Lucian asked in frustration a while later, rubbing his temples.Despite having a daughter, he wasn’t particularly good at inter
Povonne’s chest tightened at the sight, but with Lucian here and whatever happened vesterdav. no words of comfort could come out of her mouth.“Thank Ms. Jarvis, then we’ll go home,” Lucian instructed frigidly.Estella’s expression softened more as she heard that, and she stared at Roxanne expectantly, hoping that the woman would invite her to drop by again next time.Yet, after all that waiting, she received not a single word of response.The girl looked down dejectedly.“Ms. Jarvis has to go to work. We shouldn’t bother her anymore,” Lucian urged.Estella finally picked up her notebook and began to write in it again.It seemed to take her a long time just to write “Thank you.”Yet, when she was done scribbling, she raised her notebook at Lucian instead.Daddy, can I come to see Ms. Jarvis again next time? I want to be friends with Archie and Benny.Everyone saw what she had written.Roxanne and her two boys felt sorry for her, but they dared not say anything due to Lucian’s sullen e
Roxanne noticed the man was overwhelmed with emotions. She could even predict what he was about to say next.Before he could say anything, however, Roxanne shut her eyes for a bit to conceal all her emotions and interrupted their conversation nonchalantly, “All right. Essie is not crying anymore, so it’s time for you to go home. I should get to work soon, too.”She then released the little girl and gently stroked her head. “Go home with your daddy, all right? You can always come and visit Archie and Benny next time.”Pleased with Roxanne’s assurance, the teary-eyed Estella broke into a smile and nodded before returning to her father.Lucian’s eyes darkened for a second. He decided not to ask further since it was clear that Roxanne did not want to continue the topic.As the little girl with red-rimmed eyes walked toward him, he rubbed her head quietly and toned down his voice. “Say goodbye to Ms. Jarvis.”Estella raised her hand and waved Roxanne and the two boys goodbye.The mother an
At noon both Elias and Sonya stayed at the manor for lunch. Aubree also made up an excuse and stayed.At the dining table, she put on an attentive act. Not only did she take soup and food for the couple every so often, but she even helped Estella peel prawns that she didn’t eat much herself.“Here, I remember that you love eating prawns, so I peeled them especially for you, Essie.”Aubree slid the plate of prawns she had peeled to Estella.Estella merely lifted her head and glanced at it. Then, she dipped her head again and continued eating the food in her bowl as though she didn’t see anything.Aubree’s hand was still on the plate, and the smile on her face stiffened slightly.Some time passed, but still, Estella didn’t touch that plate of prawns at all.“Essie, why are you not eating the prawns Ms. Pearson peeled especially for you. Besides, you didn’t even thank her,” Sonya chided.Estella turned a deaf ear to it and continued eating.Upon seeing that, Sonya frowned slightly, and h
For some inexplicable reason, however, only their father’s countenance flashed across theirminds whenever they imagined a man with their mother.How strange. We’ve never seen Mommy and Daddy standing side by side, but we instinctively feel that Daddy is the only one who’s worthy of standing by Mommy’s side. Therefore, it’s best that we keep a distance from Mr. Galloway!“Thank you, Mr. Galloway, but my mommy already has a date tonight. So, it’s okay,” Archie declined politely.Colby looked at Roxanne in mystification.Throughout the day, he hadn’t heard her mentioning about a date that night.Roxanne swept a gaze over Archie and Benny. While she couldn’t fathom why they lied, she still went along with them. “I have a dinner date with my best friend tonight. I’ll take a rain check.”At that, Colby flashed her a warm smile. “I’m all muddled from work that I forgot to ask whether you have plans later. In that case, I’ll head off first.”After saying that, he bid Archie and Benny farewel
Enraged at the end of the day, she had asked Frieda out to shop in a bid to dissipate her anger.However, never had she expected to hear such news.Countless renowned doctors were helpless in the face of Old Mr. Queen’s condition, yet Roxanne managed to cure him. That aside, Jonathan even signed a contract with her, promising to supply medicinal herbs to the research institute at half the price! In that case, haven’t my efforts of urging the medicinal herbs suppliers in Horington to boycott her research institute been in vain?At that line of thought, Aubree’s gaze turned chilly. “Didn’t I arrange for a medical team to treat Old Mr. Queen? Were they not effective? Why was she allowed to take over his treatment?”While saying that, she glanced at the woman who was meters away from her with fury blazing within her.I’ve gone to such lengths, but she still managed to find a medicinal herb supplier in Horington! She must have laughed at me behind my back!Frieda was startled for a moment
Archie and Benny proceeded to compare Aubree with Roxanne from head to toe. In the end. they felt that she was all too far beneath their mother.Daddy actually abandoned Mommy for that woman? How blind of him!After inwardly disdaining him for a while, Archie suddenly remembered the conversation in the restaurant earlier. He leaned close to Roxanne and inquired, “Mommy, what did you mean when you said that the woman sabotaged you just now? Did she pick on you?”Roxanne didn’t want to involve her two sons in the mess, so she denied it casually, “It’s nothing. It was just a work issue, and it has been resolved.”No sooner had she said that than Archie’s determined voice rang out beside her ear.“She did pick on you, then! What happened exactly? Hurry up and tell us, Mommy!” The boy’s petite face was stretched taut, and he frowned in an adult-like manner.“Didn’t we promise each other that there can be no secrets between us, Mommy? You can’t lie to us!” Benny seconded.Roxanne’s brows kn