As for Benny, he continued to persuade his brother, “Essie may still feel uncomfortable when she wakes up. I’m sure she’ll feel better if she sees us. On top of that, we can also let her know Mommy is worried about her!”
Having heard that, Archie was slightly swayed. After some time, he finally came to a decision.
Soon, the boys furtively opened the mansion door and ran straight to the roadside. After hailing a cab, they headed to the Farwell residence.
Naturally, the cab driver was shocked to see two children getting into his car. After hesitating for a moment, he voiced, “Hello, kids. Where are your parents?”
“We’re going to our daddy’s house! Mommy has given us some cash for the fare,” Archie replied in an adorable voice.
The driver heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that. He then started the car and drove toward the boys’ destination.
They’re indeed a pair of silver-spooned kids. This is already a luxurious residential area, but they’re heading toward a more pricey neighborhood. Nevertheless, the little ones are sure pitiable. Their parents are already living separately when they’re at such a young age.
Anyhow, Archie and Benny knew nothing about what the driver was thinking. They were excited and looking forward to seeing their father and Estella.
Concurrently, Estella was sleeping in her bedroom at the Farwell residence.
When she was woken by the ringtones that rang out a moment ago, she opened her eyes in a daze.
“It hurts…”
Estella could not help but moan in pain as she felt excruciating pain around the eye area.
Her voice drew Lucian’s attention, and he immediately strode into the room.
He furrowed his brows worriedly as he wasn’t sure when exactly Estella had woken up.
Earlier, James had left the manor in a hurry. He had to attend to some urgent matters after sending them back.
Before leaving, James had repeatedly reminded Lucian to pay attention to Estella’s emotions. He said that Estella might still be emotionally unstable when she woke up.
As the little girl squinted her eyes, she noticed that the person standing at the door was her father. With a woeful expression, she stretched out her hand to him.
Lucian hurried forward and scooped her up in his arms. “Are you okay? Do you feel uncomfortable?”
Estella touched her eyes gently and uttered softly, “Eyes. They hurt.”
Frowning, Lucian looked at her eyes only to notice that she had swelling around that area.
As the little girl had cried miserably earlier, it made her eyes swell up.
In actuality, this happened to Estella quite frequently, even before she met Roxanne.
As an autistic child, Estella did not know how to express and manage her emotions. She would always lock herself in the bedroom and cry her eyes out whenever she felt uneasy.
As a result, her eyes would always get swollen the next day.
As such, Lucian had already gotten used to treating her swollen eyes.
After checking her eyes, he carried her down the stairs and applied a cold compress to her eye area.
“Mr. Farwell. Ms. Estella,” Catalina greeted them politely.
Noticing that Estella’s eyes were red and swollen, Catalina could not help but express her concern worriedly. “Gosh, that’s severe swelling!”
Estella, who was being held in Lucian’s embrace, was grasping the latter’s shirt tightly with her tiny hands.
Since she had cried herself to sleep, she still felt upset after she woke up.
Having heard what Catalina said, the little girl wanted to respond to the former. However, when she opened her mouth, a burp got out, and tears started to well up in her eyes again.
Catalina quickly comforted her by saying, “It’s okay. Have a good rest, Ms. Estella. I’ll massage your eyes for you.”
Estella nodded aggrievedly and leaned against Lucian’s chest. The look in Lucian’s eyes was pitch-dark when he took a glance at Estella.
After a while, Estella finally regained her senses. When she did, she recalled what had happened before she fell asleep.
“Daddy, where’s Ms. Jarvis?” Estella tugged at Lucian’s shirt. Before I fell asleep, Mr. Lann had told me Ms. Jarvis would come back to see me in a short while.
Lucian didn’t expect Estella to suddenly mention Roxanne. His gaze turned grim right away, and he didn’t know how to answer Estella’s question. If Essie knows Roxanne isn’t here because I didn’t allow her to come, she’s going to become agitated. However, I can’t lie to Essie.
“Is Ms. Jarvis not here yet?” Estella threw Catalina an innocent glance.
Thinking about Roxanne’s previous two visits, Catalina subconsciously glanced at Lucian.
At that moment, Lucian was expressionless.
Seeing that, Catalina hesitated for a while before shaking her head. “I think Ms. Jarvis is still busy. Wait a while longer, okay, Ms. Estella?”
Upon hearing that, Estella lowered her gaze in disappointment. I thought I would see Ms. Jarvis the moment I woke up.
“Daddy.” Again, Estella tugged at Lucian’s shirt sheepishly.
Lucian lowered his head and met Estella’s gaze.
With an innocent expression, Estella asked, “Daddy, could you call Ms. Jarvis? Could you get her to come earlier?”
Lucian’s gaze darkened as soon as he heard those words. After that, he kept mum.
“I want to see Ms. Jarvis,” Estella uttered aggrievedly.
Lucian patted her head in response and said, “I know.”
Estella noticed how Lucian had ignored her previous question, so she knew Lucian could still be angry at Roxanne. In an anxious tone, she asked, “Are you still angry at Ms. Jarvis, Daddy? Don’t be angry anymore, okay? I’d be very sad…”
While she was talking, she sniffled aggrievedly.
Estella really thought Lucian was still angry about what had happened the day before.
Lucian merely frowned and remained quiet until he saw that Estella was about to cry. Remembering James’ advice, he answered in a deep voice, “I’m not angry anymore.”
Estella wasn’t convinced. “Why is your expression so grim, then?”
“That’s because I’m worried about you.” Lucian forced a smile.
Estella didn’t dwell too much on it. In fact, she even started consoling Lucian by saying, “Don’t be scared, Daddy. I’m fine.”
After that, she mumbled, “I just want to see Ms. Jarvis, Archie, and Benny. Daddy, could you send me to Ms. Jarvis’? If she’s still at work, it’s fine. I can wait for her there.”
Estella knew she would feel better if she could wait at Roxanne’s house, for she would be able to see the latter after working hours.
“Do you like Ms. Jarvis that much?” Lucian couldn’t help but ask.
Estella nodded earnestly. “As much as I like you, Daddy.”
Lucian frowned, and his gaze darkened. “Why?”
Estella found that question hard to answer. While furrowing her brows, she tried her best to come up with an answer. In the end, she gave up and shook her head. “I don’t know.”
All she knew was that Roxanne was kind to her. Besides, Ms. Jarvis’ smell makes me feel safe.
Estella lowered her gaze discreetly and burrowed into Lucian’s embrace. Ms. Jarvis smells so much better than Daddy!
Lucian scoffed at the irony of the situation. Essie only likes Roxanne so much because of the bond between a mother and a child.
Little did he know, Roxanne was feeling the same about Estella. He thought that Roxanne had chosen her job over Estella.
“Daddy, don’t feel remorseful, okay?” Estella remembered the phone call that made her cry. In a sheepish and cute tone, she added, “I only want Ms. Jarvis to be my mommy.”
Upon hearing those words, Lucian was reminded of the phone call, and he went silent for a few seconds after Estella repeated the question.
Annoyed, Lucian wanted to refute Estella’s words. However, he quickly recalled James’ advice. In the end, Lucian took a few seconds to calm himself down.
Once he had suppressed his anger, Lucian replied vaguely, “I won’t marry someone you don’t like. Besides, I’m not planning on getting married anytime soon.”
“I only like Ms. Jarvis!” Estella’s eyes lit up.
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.