“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
“No longer related?” The sarcasm in Lucian’s eyes intensified. “This is all wishful thinking on your part.” Roxanne’s frown deepened. I’m stating the facts! Why is that wishful thinking? It was Lucian who used me all the while, and now he’s with Aubree. How are we related to each other now?As though reading her mind, Lucian said icily, “You may be right, but do you think Essie will give up on you when you treat her this well?”Roxanne was left speechless.Lucian concluded, “You are responsible for giving her false hope, which led to her committing that act, and you don’t even know that.”Hearing that, Roxanne couldn’t stop doubting herself.He’s right. I keep saying I want to sever ties with him, but when Essie cries, I can’t help but feel guilty and give in and shower my love on her. When she’s around, Lucian and I will inevitably have to interact. According to Lucian, Essie committed that act because of me…A while later, Roxanne finally found her voice. “If that’s the case, I’ll
“Why are you upset? Did I say something wrong?” Roxanne forced herself to stay calm and looked at him.She did want to break off ties with the Farwell family, but this wasn’t how she expected it to happen.If I do nothing to stop him from bringing Essie away, no one knows what he’ll tell her back home.Seeing that she didn’t seem to know her mistake, Lucian frowned angrily. “How are you wrong? Didn’t Essie make it clear? It was my fault.”With that, he turned to leave.Roxanne gritted her teeth.It was obvious he said that out of anger, so she couldn’t let him leave in this state.Lucian was already downstairs when Roxanne finally made up her mind. She quickened her steps and grabbed his sleeves.As she approached, Estella’s cries grew quieter.Lucian glanced at her hand gripping his sleeve with his dark and inscrutable gaze.I wonder what she will say.Roxanne’s instincts acted faster than her mind. She stopped him but could not find the words to make him stay.“If you have nothing
Upon hearing her father’s words, Estella pursed her lips tightly as she desperately held back her tears. I can’t cry! If Daddy and Ms. Jarvis have fallen out with each other, I will definitely not be able to see her anymore. It’s up to me alone to help them reconcile.In that instant, Estella remembered the boys’ advice to her—strive to grow stronger.Throughout the journey home, Estella did not shed a single tear.When Lucian carried her out of the car upon their arrival, he was surprised by the look on her face.Despite looking as if she would burst into tears any second, she was tenaciously holding them back.Lucian wondered what had caused such a big change in her.When he tried to hold her hand, expecting her to refuse, Estella obediently let him hold it.Filled with complicated emotions, Lucian led Estella back into the mansion.The moment they entered, they saw Sonya, whose face was contorted, seated on the couch.“If you had come back any later, I would’ve gone to pick Essie
Catalina didn’t close the door when she went down. Aubree saw Lucian standing in his study upon making her way up. “Lucian, I’m here.”Aubree entered after knocking on the door.Inside the study, Lucian had already heard her footsteps, but he only turned around upon hearing her voice.By then, Aubree had already put on a gentle smile on her face.Even though he had decided to accept her, Lucian still couldn’t help but feel that something wasn’t right every time he saw her. He remained silent for a long while.Aubree didn’t dare enter the study on her own accord. All she could do was repeat herself, “Is there something you want to see me for?”Jolted back to his senses, Lucian suppressed his inner thoughts as he replied in a deep voice, “Come in and have a seat.”Pursing her lips into a smile, Aubree walked in and settled down on the couch in the center of the room.Lucian sat down in an armchair with a conflicted look in his eyes. He could still feel the hesitance in his heart.In th
Estella shook her head repeatedly with a helpless expression. Just as she was at a loss about what to do, she heard Lucian’s firm footsteps approaching.Immediately, her eyes lit up. She darted past Aubree and sought refuge in Lucian, wrapping her small arms around his thigh.Lucian looked down at the child clinging to him and thought of Aubree’s apologetic words earlier.“It won’t take just one night for Essie to forgive you, so there’s no need for you to resort to such desperate measures,” he uttered while staring grimly at Aubree, who was still crouching on the floor.In response, Aubree pretended to smile bitterly. She said in dejection, “I’m sorry. I was impatient again. I’m just—”Before she could finish her words, Lucian cut her off, “It’s getting late. Come downstairs and have dinner with us.”Aubree paused and looked in Lucian’s direction in disbelief.By then, he was already heading downstairs hand in hand with Estella.For a while, Aubree stared at their figures from the b
Frieda did not dare to ask any more questions after that. The next morning, she invited a psychologist over.“He’s the best psychologist in our hospital. You can ask him anything.”The tall skinny man beside Frieda politely greeted Aubree, “Greetings, Ms. Pearson.”Aubree inclined her head. “Let’s talk upstairs.”With that, she led Frieda and the psychologist to the study on the second floor.Frieda followed her in confusion.She had thought that Aubree had something secretive and personal.However, the way Aubree was acting clearly meant that she did not mind Frieda listening in to her matter.“What’s going on exactly, Aubree?”Aubree did not answer her right away.Only after entering the study did Aubree turn around to ask the psychologist, “How do I interact with a child with autism? How can I make her like me faster?”Those words made Frieda realize what was going on. “Are you talking about Estella?”Aubree nodded in confirmation, but her gaze was still fixed on the psychologist.
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
When the two women arrived at the club, Jonathan had already sobered up a little. He tensed up when he saw Aubree entering the room with his sister.Jonathan vaguely recalled Lucian making a call in his drunken stupor earlier, but he thought Lucian had made a call of regret to Roxanne with the courage of his drunken state.Even if it was not a call to Roxanne, Lucian should have called Cayden instead.Alas, Lucian had called Aubree.So all that talk earlier was a waste of my breath! Lucian has really given up on Roxanne.“Lucian, how do you feel?”Aubree instantly went to Lucian’s side the moment she stepped into the room, and she began studying the man with concern.Lucian had drunk more than Jonathan, and by then, he was already out of his mind.His only reaction to Aubree’s voice was a small nod and a slight furrow of his brows.“Aubree, you should bring Lucian back first. Leave my brother to me,” Frieda suggested.Aubree agreed to it with no hesitance. Nonetheless, she had troubl
Just as those words went past Jonathan’s lips, Lucian tightened his grip on his gla*s. Six years ago…“You must have treated Dr. Jarvis far worse six years ago than how Dr. Jarvis is treating you now,” Jonathan went on. “Back then, I wondered about what she would feel about you focusing on work and Aubree only. I thought she would have left in no time, but to my surprise, she actually lived with you for so many years and even gave birth to your children.”At that moment, a thought seemed to have popped up in Jonathan’s head. “It looks like Dr. Jarvis was deeply in love with you back then. You say you’re a persevering man, but you’re giving up on her in mere months just because she’s a little more serious about her work. In contrast, Dr. Jarvis had stayed by your side for years.”Jonathan even felt bad for Roxanne when he thought about the things she had to go through during those years. Once he was done saying his piece, he clicked his tongue and shook his head.Lucian’s expression d