Pippa sent a message to the parents’ group chat to get an update.Yet every response she received was of no good news.Everyone knew how precious Estella was to Lucian, so they had gone all out to look for her. Unfortunately, the botanical garden was located near the forest, and no one was dumb enough to go there.Lucian read everybody’s reply, and he looked even more upset knowing that no one found Estella.He did not get in touch with Roxanne after the two of them parted ways at the botanical garden, so he did not know how she was doing.It was getting late, and he didn’t feel right to have her, a physically weak woman, continue searching.Thus, he gave her a call.However, the automated responses told him that she was not in the service area after he made several calls.Lucian’s gaze became even darker.Cayden arrived with his team at that moment. “Mr. Farwell, we’ve sent our men to spread out in the forest and commenced the search.”Lucian nodded and sternly informed, “Search over
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
Jack froze for a few seconds before coming to some kind of realization and agreeing to it. The two of them then went out of the research institute.A look of delight danced across Colby’s face when he saw them leave.Ever since Jack came for Roxanne, Colby had been keeping his focus on the two.Therefore, he saw the look of struggle on Roxanne’s face.Evidently, what he had said in the morning was effective.Meanwhile, Roxanne came to a stop in her tracks at the entrance of the institute with mixed feelings still surging in her heart. In the meantime, Jack stopped behind her.“Sorry.” Roxanne had calmed herself down on their way out and realized that she had been a little too carried away earlier.Jack raised a brow and teased, “What’s the matter? Why are you apologizing to me all of a sudden? You couldn’t have secretly done something terrible to the project, could you, Ms. Jarvis?”Roxanne shook her head immediately. “Of course not.”I’ve done so much for this project. Why would I d
Estella looked at her father, who was already at the door and turned to look at Aubree, who was still standing by the couch. A few moments pa*sed, and the little girl finally begrudgingly got out of her chair and jogged to keep up with Lucian.Aubree let out a relieved sigh and caught up to them as well.“Daddy,” Estella mumbled. She gave her father a puppy-eyed look and tugged at the corner of his shirt in a bid to curry favor with her father.Lucian lowered his gaze to meet Estella’s. He lifted his hand and patted her head. “I’m really busy lately. Please don’t throw a tantrum at me.”Estella pursed her lips in disapproval, refusing to believe what he said.She knew as a matter of fact that Lucian was in a bad mood because he had quarreled with Roxanne.Estella was flabbergasted that Lucian was still trying to lie to her, despite the fact that even she knew the real reason her father was upset.Why are adults so weird? Why doesn’t Daddy just make up with Ms. Jarvis?Of course, Luci
Cory was in a good mood, knowing he had once again made a fortune. He then said, “Of course. Ms. Pearson, I’m sure you’ve come to me again because you believe in my capabilities. Now, tell me. What is it that you want me to investigate?” Narrowing her eyes, Aubree said, “Investigate what happened between Roxanne and Lucian!”Cory let out a meaningful chuckle when he heard what she said.Aubree questioned coldly, “Why are you laughing?”As if unaware of her anger, Cory muttered, “Since you’ve agreed to the price I proposed so readily, I have to show you something.”With that, he took out a phone from the bag beside him and typed away on the screen.Soon, Aubree received a few messages on her phone.“I believe what you’re about to see won’t disappoint you, Ms. Pearson.” Cory sounded confident.Aubree furrowed her brows and swiped open her phone, checking the messages he sent.The chat interface showed that Cory had sent her more than ten pictures.Each picture was attached with the tim
Aubree followed Estella closely into the room. Hesitantly, she muttered, “Lucian…” She felt somewhat guilty when she noticed the young girl fuming at Lucian.At the same time, she was relieved that Estella had not said a word to her father.Lucian nodded at Aubree and said, “Sorry for troubling you to look after Essie.”Aubree was delighted by his words. She sputtered, “Not at all. I’m happy to do this. Essie’s a lovely girl.”As for how she upset Estella in the car earlier, Aubree decided to sweep things under the rug if the young girl kept things to herself.“Dinner’s ready. Why don’t you eat with us?” Lucian offered.Aubree was over the moon. “Sure.”They entered the dining room one after another.Catalina had already set the table for three.Aubree said, “I’ll go get Essie.”Despite her suggestion, she was not confident about coaxing Estella downstairs.After all, the young girl was put out because of Aubree, and she might not listen to her instructions.If she throws a tantrum i
Archie and Benny stayed in the bathroom for a little while longer before heading out. Roxanne was still chatting with Jack at the time.She had wanted to get him to leave as soon as possible, but Jack started talking about the ancient medicine books halfway through the conversation.Due to Roxanne’s incredible pa*sion for medicine, she couldn’t help but get carried away talking about it again.It wasn’t until Lysa told them dinner was ready that she snapped out of it.“Would you like to stay for dinner, Mr. Damaris?” Roxanne asked out of courtesy.Jack arched an eyebrow when he saw Archie and Benny standing next to the kitchen.They were both glaring daggers at him and looked like they would tear him to pieces if he accepted her invitation.Because they were still kids, they just looked adorable no matter how fierce their expressions were.Jack couldn’t help but smile in amusement as he drawled suspensefully, “Thank you for the invitation, Ms. Jarvis. I—”He was halfway through his s
In the kindergarten, Archie and Benny sat in their seats quietly while the other children were playing games with Pippa. They could sense something was off when Roxanne said she would send them to school that morning.It wasn’t until Roxanne handed them over to Pippa that they noticed Roxanne glancing at the crowd from time to time as if she was looking for someone.When Pippa led them into the school, they looked back and saw Roxanne still looking around.Although Archie and Benny said nothing, they knew Roxanne was looking for Lucian and Estella.Mommy must feel terrible after the fight with Daddy that day.At the thought of Roxanne’s sadness and disappointment, Archie and Benny’s moods were gloomy, too.“Archie, Benny, what’s wrong?”Seeing the listless look on the boys’ faces, Pippa walked over to comfort them, “Are you missing Estella?”At the mention of Estella, Archie and Benny’s faces immediately fell. I wonder how Essie is doing…“Don’t worry. Mr. Farwell will take good care
Frowning, Lucian fell silent for several seconds. Within several short seconds, the smile slid off Aubree’s face.Until Lucian’s voice sounded once more.“Judging by Essie’s demeanor this morning, the relationship between you seemed to have improved by a lot.”Aubree froze for several seconds at his words before she registered what he said.It was true that the child had been receptive toward her that morning.Aside from rejecting her touch, Estella had responded to almost everything she had said.It was a big improvement compared to before.“I was the one at fault back then,” Aubree replied with a laugh. “I wasn’t patient enough with Essie. Now that I’m a little more patient, Essie can sense it and responds accordingly.”“That’s good,” Lucian answered solemnly. “Enjoy each other’s company.”Smiling, Aubree a*sured him she would.Without discussing it any further, Lucian ended the call on the pretext of work.Though he had already decided to proceed with the engagement, he did not ha
Estella’s resolve wavered at the mention of Lucian. She had seen how drunk Lucian was the night before and surmised he must have drunk a lot.I wonder what Daddy was up to.Aubree delighted at the indecision in Estella’s eyes and continued, “If you don’t want to attend school, I can help put in a word or two when your daddy’s feeling better.”It was only then that Estella relented and allowed her entry into the room.Aubree got to her feet to let Estella get dressed while she picked out the clothes she would wear to school.Once the clothes were selected, she a*sisted Estella to brush her teeth.Estella gradually began to let her guard down.Aubree used to threaten her whenever they spent time together.Estella supposed Aubree wouldn’t try anything since she didn’t seem inclined to do so this time.Moreover, Aubree brought up Lucian in their conversation.Estella was docile and compliant to her demands as she did not want to trouble Lucian. Nonetheless, her expression was still sulle
Aubree spent the night in the same guest room she stayed in during her previous visit. As she entered the room, she could not help but recall what she had done last time.For a moment, I even thought of using the same method to teach that little b*tch another lesson to see if she dares to be disobedient again!However, it was only a fleeting thought because, ultimately, she was still afraid Lucian would find out about it.Now that she had hope, she would never be able to forgive herself if she lost it due to another mistake she made.As Aubree lay in bed, the scene from earlier in Lucian’s bedroom kept playing through her head.I was so close to becoming Mrs. Farwell! If only Cayden hadn’t appeared!Aubree stayed up all night, waiting for Cayden to come over and inform her that Lucian had woken up.She never expected to wait until the sun was high in the sky, and he still had not come over.The memory of Cayden’s attitude toward her the night before made Aubree grit her teeth. She go