Upon realizing Roxanne didn’t feel any animosity towards her, Estella leaped into her arms happily. Smiling, Roxanne wrapped her arms around Estella and asked gently, “Why are you with Archie and Benny?”Hearing her question, Archie and Benny exchanged a sheepish glance before directing their gaze toward Estella.Should we let Essie tell Mommy we sneaked her out, or should we tell her ourselves? It has been a while since Mommy and Essie last met. She won’t get mad at Essie!Estella didn’t disappoint them, for she quickly revealed, “Archie and Benny came to visit me. I wanted to visit you, so I asked them to bring me here!” Her voice sounded smug.Luckily, I followed them back. Otherwise, there is no telling when I’ll get to meet Ms. Jarvis!Roxanne stiffened when she heard Estella’s answer.Essie ran away from home with Archie and Benny. If Lucian finds out about it, how should I explain it to him? He’ll most probably a*sume the boys persuaded Essie to follow them back to my house.W
Roxanne felt that this was unjust for Estella. “Just because Essie is a Farwell, does that mean she should be treated this way and not be allowed to befriend people she likes?”Sonya sneered, “If you’re talking about your sons, then she isn’t allowed to befriend them.”A flash of disappointment crossed Archie and Benny’s faces when they heard that.Does Grandma hate us that much? She won’t even allow us to be friends with Essie.Roxanne was upset, too. “Mrs. Farwell, the children have nothing to do with our grudge.”Roxanne knew that the elderly lady’s hatred for Archie and Benny must have stemmed from her, for they rarely interacted with Sonya.With that thought in mind, she cast the boys an apologetic look.Though the boys had no idea about their own background, their biological grandmother ended up despising them because of her.For one split second, Roxanne had the urge to reveal Archie and Benny’s identities to Sonya so she would stop insulting her boys.Sonya was not interested
Even though Roxanne and Lucian knew what Archie would say, they were still moved when they heard the boy actually put his thoughts into words. After looking down at Archie, Roxanne silently shifted her gaze to Lucian. If possible, I, too, wish Essie could stay a moment longer, at least until she calms down.Unfortunately, she knew she had no right to make such a request.Only after keeping quiet for a few seconds did Lucian turn to meet Roxanne’s gaze.Clenching her fists, Roxanne then looked away and pretended to be calm.“What do you think, Ms. Jarvis?” inquired Lucian in his deep voice.Roxanne reluctantly replied, “I have no say in the matter since Essie is your child, Mr. Farwell. However, I do hope that you’ll respect her wishes.”Since Roxanne did not intend to request him to let Estella stay, Lucian nodded understandingly in response and turned to Estella. “Then you should come home with me.”Estella had just stopped crying, but after hearing her father’s words, her face bega
Roxanne was dumbfounded since she did not expect Lucian to agree to their request so easily. She finally regained her senses when Estella came running toward her, sobbing after her father set her down on the floor.“Ms. Jarvis…” The girl quickly wrapped her arms around Roxanne’s thigh.After caressing Estella’s head, Roxanne looked up at Lucian, who then nodded indifferently at her and glanced at the three children before heading to his car.Only after watching Lucian drive away did Roxanne take the children into the living room.“You two look after Essie. I need to make a phone call,” instructed Roxanne.Archie and Benny immediately nodded in response and did their best to comfort Estella while Roxanne hurried into a corner to call Jack, who did not take long to answer.“What’s up, Ms. Jarvis?” inquired Jack.“Sorry, but I’m afraid I’ll have to take another rain check,” replied Roxanne apologetically.According to their schedule, the two were supposed to provide medical consultation
The next morning, when Roxanne woke up early, Estella was still asleep. She left the bed gently to avoid disturbing the girl and went downstairs to prepare the children’s breakfast.Because of the messy situation last night, she woke up a little later than usual even though she was awake before the children.She hadn’t even prepared breakfast when the doorbell rang.Roxanne stopped what she was doing, and her heart sank. Is Lucian that eager to bring Essie back home?The doorbell rang incessantly, which roused the children from their slumber and prompted them to descend the stairs.“Is Mr. Farwell here, Mommy?” Archie frowned at the entrance.Estella’s gleeful countenance from yesterday had been replaced with a pitiful expression as she stood behind the boys. I want to stay with Archie and Benny longer!Seeing that the children had arrived downstairs, Roxanne had no choice but to put the things in her hands down and open the door.“Mr. Fair—” Roxanne cut herself off when she realized
After Archie found Estella, he summoned Benny. “Let’s head inside and listen to what Mommy is talking about with Mr. Damaris.”Upon hearing that suggestion, the other two agreed.They opened the door carefully and saw Roxanne sitting on the single-seat couch and chatting with Jack. Both adults had a smile on their faces.The alarm bells in the children’s minds rang loudly the instant they noticed the faint smile on Roxanne’s face.Estella acted against her usual behavior and sprinted straight to Roxanne’s side.“Essie?” It was only then Roxanne noticed the children had returned.Jack gave Roxanne and Estella the once-over and said half-intentionally, “I can see the resemblance even clearer like this.”That sent Roxanne into a panic.Innocently, Estella asked Roxanne, “What resemblance, Ms. Jarvis?”Roxanne patted her head, shot a look at Jack, and said, “It’s nothing. It’s just a random comment from Mr. Damaris.” Then she stood up and faced Jack. “Is there anything else, Mr. Damaris?
“It’s our fault, Mommy. We didn’t keep a close eye on Essie.” The boys had already guessed the truth when their mother questioned them. Even though Estella had admitted to the offense, they still wanted to take the blame for her mistake.Roxanne did not know what to say as she watched the three of them protect each other.I would’ve been contended to see them caring for each other in another situation, but they’re covering for each other at the wrong time now. What do I do… Moments later, she suppressed her emotions and placed Estella on her thighs. “Tell me the truth, Essie. Did you do this by yourself or with the boys?”As Estella had learned that Roxanne disliked dishonest children, she, of course, wasn’t going to lie.Besides, she never wanted to drag the brothers down with her either.“I-I did it by myself…” she choked out.Roxanne nodded and wiped the girl’s tears away. “Why did you do it?”Even though the girl was crying intensely, she still answered the question, “Because I d
Roxanne felt extremely uncomfortable under Lucian’s penetrating gaze despite her valiant attempts to ignore him. When she heard his answer, she heaved a silent sigh of relief and put her fork down.“Let’s talk upstairs.”Turning to the children, she instructed, “Finish your lunch before you go off to play.”Archie and Benny nodded vigorously.Roxanne rose to her feet and shot Lucian a look. Getting her hint, he complied by getting up and following her up the stairs.They both came to a stop at the balcony on the second floor, one after another.Roxanne said nothing as she was wondering how she should start the conversation.Even after Estella had admitted to her mistake and apologized, she still couldn’t believe that the little girl was capable of committing such an action.Naturally, Lucian would not believe her, as he loved Estella dearly.If she were to reveal the truth bluntly, Lucian would most probably think she was trying to blame Estella for something the little girl didn’t d
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