“Ms. Jarvis!”
The moment the door opened, Estella’s childish voice traveled into her ears.
Roxanne forced herself to look at the little girl first.
It was obvious that Estella had put effort into her appearance that day. Her long hair was tied up using a large white ribbon with a bow knot, though there was a strand of hair that got caught in the knot. She was also dressed in a white tutu skirt, which made her look like a little angel.
Estella looked up at Roxanne, grinning contently.
Meeting Estella’s gaze, Roxanne felt much better, as if she was relieved of all the stress she had been feeling.
Roxanne smiled back at Estella before looking up to meet Lucian’s gaze. He wore a black, custom-made suit, and his hair was styled with hair gel, revealing his handsome features.
When their eyes met, Lucian’s hostility seemed to have lessened. “Good morning.” Pursing her lips, Roxanne nodded in response. “Good morning. Why are you—”
Estella answered excitedly before Roxanne could finish her question, “I’m here with Daddy to pick all of you up!” As she spoke, she peered into the house curiously. “Where are Archie and Benny? Are they still in bed?”
Roxanne lowered her eyes and patted the girl’s head. She then looked up and gazed at the man in front of her before turning sideways hesitantly to let the pair in. “They’re already up and are getting ready upstairs. They should be coming down soon. Come on in, Essie. You can wait inside.”
Estella nodded and pulled Lucian into the mansion.
As they walked past Roxanne, Lucian cast her a mysterious glance.
Noting that, Roxanne frowned and narrowed her eyes without saying a word.
I said I’d bring the children there by myself. He even agreed to it. And now, he’s showing up at my door to pick us up? I can’t even refuse because he brought Estella along with him.
Two days ago, she was feeling hesitant when Lucian was willing to compromise for her. But, thinking back, she only regretted feeling that way.
He’s clearly still as domineering as always!
After ushering them to take a seat in the living room, she poured them each a glass of water out of politeness before returning to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the boys.
Not long after, Archie and Benny could be heard descending the stairs.
They greeted Lucian politely and ran off to play with Estella.
When Roxanne heard the children’s excited voices, she tried her best to forget about the other adult in the living room. Gradually, she felt more relaxed.
Soon, Roxanne had finished preparing breakfast.
Just as she was about to bring the food out for the boys, a large hand reached out from behind her and took the two plates away.
Roxanne froze.
She was so focused on forgetting Lucian’s existence that she did not expect him to watch her every move. In fact, he even came over to help her as soon as she finished cooking.
The moment she realized all that, she could not fool herself anymore, and all sorts of emotions started surging in her heart.
Seeing the food being placed on the dining table, the boys hurried over and took their seats without waiting for Roxanne to call out to them.
Estella, too, did not wait for Roxanne’s invitation. She simply made her way to the dining room as though she were in her own home, taking a seat beside the latter.
Roxanne looked confused when she saw Estella sitting down beside her. “Have you not had your breakfast, Essie?”
Estella nodded innocently. “Daddy says we’re going out to have breakfast together.”
Roxanne was taken aback by her words.
It was too late for Lucian to stop Estella from speaking by the time he realized she was going to sell him out. In the end, he could only frown and avoid Roxanne’s gaze, pretending as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, realization finally dawned on Roxanne. So, Lucian has planned out the schedule for today without informing me about it. No wonder he broke his promise and brought Estella here to pick us up. But it looks like I’ve accidentally ruined his plan.
For a moment, Roxanne did not know what to say to lighten the awkward atmosphere.
Oblivious to the awkwardness between the adults, Estella took a bite of Roxanne’s cooking and said happily, “Mm! Ms. Jarvis’ cooking is the best!”
Estella’s voice brought Roxanne back to reality. Roxanne felt strangely guilty as she glanced at Lucian, who was still standing at the corner. She hesitated for a while before saying softly, “Come and join us, Mr. Farwell. You haven’t had your breakfast, too, right?”
Lucian frowned, but he still took a seat beside the children. The truth was, he had planned out the schedule for the day. He did not expect Roxanne to go straight into the kitchen before he could inform her about it.
The atmosphere at the breakfast table was the same as usual. Roxanne and the children enjoyed themselves happily while Lucian sat quietly in his seat, looking extremely out of place.
When they finished their breakfast, it was still too early to go to the concert. Hence, Roxanne played with the children at home the entire morning.
Soon, noon arrived. Lucian suggested taking them out for lunch, to which Roxanne agreed, despite recalling the misunderstanding from that morning.
As they exited the house, Roxanne thought of driving herself—including the boys—to the lunch location. However, the moment she met Estella’s gaze, her heart softened, and she instructed the boys to enter Lucian’s car.
She took the passenger seat while the children happily sat in the back as they discussed the concert that was happening that night with great excitement.
As she listened to their discussion, she felt much more relaxed, and a smile appeared on her face.
Lucian’s gaze softened as well when he saw the smiles on Roxanne’s and the children’s faces.
The restaurant Lucian had made a reservation in was located on the busiest road in the city center, which was quite far from Roxanne’s house.
It took them some time to arrive near the mall and park the car.
By the time they arrived at the restaurant’s entrance, it was already the peak hour for lunch.
Thankfully, Lucian had made a reservation beforehand, so they did not have to waste time queueing up.
The waiter led all five of them to a table by the window.
In the meantime, someone was watching them with eyes wide open in the corner of the restaurant.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.