She clung to his sleeve and wailed, “No! I want to go back!” “No,” Lucian rejected her pleas coldly.
Realizing Estella was about to burst into tears, Lucian forced himself to soften his tone as he cajoled her, “Essie, don’t throw a tantrum. I’ve made up my mind about this. I won’t change it easily.”
Estella said piteously with teary eyes, “I want to talk to Ms. Jarvis, Archie, and Benny…”
Lucian could not bear to see his precious daughter crying, so he stroked her head and comforted her, “How about another day when. I’m not busy?”
“Really?” Estella grabbed his sleeves and probed. If Daddy is willing to give Ms. Jarvis a phone call, does that mean there are chances for them to reconcile?
Lucian nodded without a change in expression. “Yes.” Essie would have come to accept Aubree by the time I finish my work. She won’t bother me to make the phone call by then.
Unaware of Lucian’s thoughts, Estella broke into a smile as she thought her father would eventually call Roxanne.
Afraid that Estella would mention Roxanne again, Lucian patted her head and said, “All right, get some rest. I have work to do.”
Estella nodded obediently as she watched. Lucian get up to leave. Meanwhile, Aubree was driving to the Pearson residence with delight.
As soon as she walked through the door, Gina called out to her. “What took you so long? Did Lucian ask you to stay for a meal?”
Gina knew that Aubree went to pick up Estella from school. At that moment, Aubree was in a great mood.
Upon hearing Gina’s question, she was suddenly reminded of something and sat down beside her mother with a smile, holding the latter’s arm.
Feeling puzzled, Gina asked, “What did you guys talk about to make you so happy?”
Aubree grinned and replied, “When are you free? Lucian wants to treat you to a meal.” “What?” A joyous smile formed on Gina’s face. instantly.
They had waited for this moment for years. They had invited Lucian for a meal dozens of times throughout the years, but the latter turned down their offer each time.
Therefore, they could not believe that Lucian would take the initiative to meet them this time.
Aubree smiled proudly, extremely pleased with herself. “Lucian was the one who proposed it. I was taken aback too.”
Astonishment flooded Gina once again. “What’s wrong with Lucian these days? Why the sudden change?”
As soon as she finished the sentence, she remembered something and pursued, “How’s your relationship with Estella now?”
Upon hearing Estella’s name, Aubree felt her head hurt.
“We were fine this morning, and even Lucian thought we were getting along quite well. However, when we got home from kindergarten…”
Gina’s heart sank at once. “What went wrong?”
Aubree told her what had happened in the car. Panic seized Gina when she learned that Aubree had made Estella upset again.
“Lucian must have believed that Estella has accepted you, which is why he’s treating us to a meal. This can’t go on. You have to fix your relationship with Estella.”
Aubree was also filled with frustration. The smile on her face faded away slowly when she heard her mother’s words. “I’m also thinking of a way.”
Frowning, Gina looked at Aubree and suggested, “Since Lucian has invited us for a meal, I don’t think he will oppose it if you want to stay at the Farwell residence.”
Aubree’s eyes lit up when she heard Gina’s suggestion.
I almost forgot about that! If I can stay in the manor, I can spend more time with Estella. By then, I won’t have to worry about not having the opportunity to strengthen our ties.
With that in mind, Aubree came up with an idea. “Also…” Gina’s voice sounded again. “What happened between Lucian and Roxanne?”
Lucian’s persistence toward Roxanne was. evident to all of them. Therefore, they were curious about his sudden. change of mind.
Hearing her mother mention Roxanne, Aubree was a little irritated. “Is she even worth mentioning?”
Since Lucian had decided to meet Aubree’s parents officially, that meant they were only a step away from getting married.
From her perspective, regretting this decision would not be one of Lucian’s options. However, that was not enough to soothe Gina’s worries.
“In any case, Roxanne is still Estella’s biological mother. What if Lucian regrets it? There is nothing we can do if he chooses to go back on his word.”
Aubree’s heart sank when she heard that. I’ve come this far, and I won’t allow Lucian to regret it again!
However, her concern did not go unnoticed. Gina said faintly, “If you don’t want Lucian to go back on his words, you must figure out what happened between them. If there is a misunderstanding between them, we will prevent them from clearing it up.”
An icy glint flashed across Aubree’s eyes. “Got it. Gina looked at her daughter as mixed feelings surged within her heart. “I hope you won’t blame me for dampening your spirits. We’ve waited for six years, and we’re not going to wait any longer.”
Aubree smiled. “I should be thanking you for reminding me.”
The two chatted about Lucian for a while before Aubree returned to her room. After being blackmailed by Cory the last time, Cory left Aubree another new contact number that Lucian would not find out.
Deep down, Aubree still had her reservations. However, her mother’s reminder left her no choice but to risk it and give it a shot.
She gritted her teeth and tried making the call. The person on the other end answered almost immediately. “Ms. Pearson, can I help you?” Cory’s lazy voice sounded over the phone.
Aubree couldn’t help hesitating. This man ripped me off! Is it wise to work with him again? However, he is the only person who can escape Lucian’s investigation….
Cory was starting to get impatient on the other end of the line. “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up. It’s late, and we private detectives have to get some sleep too.”
“Wait!” Aubree hastily stopped him from hanging up. “I need to talk to you.”
Cory arched a brow. “Oh? What else do you have to say? I did not owe you anything in your previous commission. If you have another request, you will have to pay extra.”
Cory was apparently trying to rip Aubree off again. Aubree clenched her fists tightly. “I’ve given you ten million! What you did previously isn’t even worth that much!”
As soon as she finished saying that, she heard Cory sneering. “I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. The ten million you gave me is for my service fee and the price of buying the photos I’ve taken. Or do you think those photos are worthless?”
Aubree gritted her teeth. “How much more do you want?”
Without any hesitation, Cory named his price. “Ten million.” Another ten million! Aubree flew into a rage. “Don’t cross the line. We are in the same boat, remember?”
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.