Catalina subconsciously glanced at Aubree before informing, “Ms. Estella… went back to her room.”
The man furrowed his brows. What did Aubree do to Essie again?
“Since Mrs. Farwell has already left, should I…” Aubree intentionally shot a piteous look at Lucian, wanting to ask if she should stay or go.
Instead of looking at her, he relayed an order to Catalina. “Arrange a guest room for Ms. Pearson.”
Catalina was briefly shocked as she didn’t expect Lucian to allow Aubree to stay. Still, she complied with his order.
She was aware of Estella’s and Lucian’s attitudes toward Aubree, so she prepared a room that was furthest from their bedrooms for Aubree to stay in.
When Aubree heard that she could stay, joy leaped into her heart as she promised, “I promise to not cause any trouble!”
Lucian nodded coldly.
Earlier at the mansion’s entrance, his mother spent a long time convincing him to let Aubree stay.
She always managed to counter him with the right words, no matter what he said.
In the end, he had no choice but to agree.
However, he only agreed to let Aubree stay. That didn’t mean he was going to change his attitude toward her.
Soon, Catalina finished tidying the guest room and asked Aubree to go and take a look.
Instead of doing that, Aubree stared at Lucian. “My arm is injured. Can you help me carry my luggage?”
Frowning, Lucian grabbed her luggage indifferently and followed her upstairs.
Displeasure swiftly flashed past Aubree’s eyes when she saw the room Catalina had arranged for her. Why is it so far away from Lucian’s room?
“This guest room is easier to clean up, and it’s bigger. It’ll be much more convenient for you to stay here, Ms. Pearson,” Catalina explained with a grin.
With a forced smile, Aubree thanked her.
Seeing that Lucian was about to leave after he put the luggage down, she called out to him, “Lucian!”
He turned back to look at her.
“I tried to talk to Essie just now, but looks like she still dislikes me. Can I take Essie on a shopping trip to buy stuff for her tomorrow to make up for my past mistakes?” Her face was filled with remorse as she gazed at him cautiously.
Unfortunately for her, Lucian was unmoved. “That won’t be necessary. Essie doesn’t need anything for the moment. You should focus on taking care of yourself and return home soon.”
He then strode out of the room without giving her a chance to speak.
Aubree’s expression darkened as she stared at Lucian’s back. Even though he had agreed to let her stay in the manor, it was obvious he intended to ignore her presence.
Of course, she wasn’t going to allow that to happen. Meanwhile, after Lucian left the room, he strode to Estella’s bedroom before knocking on the door. “Open up, Essie.”
When Estella heard her father’s voice, she recalled what Aubree had said earlier. In response, she turned around in a huff, facing the door with her back.
After waiting for some time, Lucian still hadn’t gotten a response from her. She must be sulking again. What a headache. Both my mother and my daughter are just taking turns to give me a hard time tonight.
Lucian waited a little longer, and still, there was no response. So, he grabbed the key, unlocked the door, and entered the room.
When he entered the room, he saw his daughter sitting on the bed while hugging her knees, curling into a ball. From his angle, she looked so tiny.
The look in Lucian’s eyes softened when he saw Estella sulking. He spoke tenderly. “Grandma needed to talk to me just now, so I left you alone for a while. Tell me what happened, okay?”
The little girl shot her father a glare upon seeing that he had entered the room without gaining her approval.
Alas, she was too tiny and adorable to be intimidating, so the look in her eyes didn’t scare Lucian at all. It just came off as amusing to him.
Seeing the smile on Lucian’s face made Estella’s temper spike. “I hate you, Daddy!”
He raised his eyebrow slightly. “What did I do wrong?”
She pouted. “You said you’re going to pursue Ms. Jarvis!”
With an indifferent nod, he replied, “That’s what I’ve been doing.”
Estella’s rage quelled when she heard his response, but still, suspicions surfaced in her eyes. “But she said she’s going to be my mommy in the future.”
Of course, both of them knew who “she” was.
Lucian’s expression turned gloomy when he heard that.
Time and again, he told Aubree that there was no way love would blossom between them.
Yet, during the few short minutes when he wasn’t around, she actually had the audacity to say such things to his daughter.
Staring at her father, Estella waited for his answer.
“I’m not going to marry her,” Lucian promised in a deep voice. “I let her stay here because that’s what Grandma wants me to do. Don’t worry, I’ll send her away as soon as possible.”
Only when Estella heard that was she at ease. Pursing her lips, she nodded, though there was still a touch of aggrievement on her face.
He patted her head. “All right, let’s go downstairs and eat.”
Hesitation flashed past her face. “I don’t want to.”
I don’t want to eat with that obnoxious lady!
Lucian saw through her and comforted her. “If you don’t like her, you’re free to ignore her when I’m around. She won’t dare to do anything to you.”
As he spoke, suspicions filled his heart. After what Aubree did to Essie last time, I finally know that she has always been acting in front of me. Although, I’m still not sure what she did to Essie behind my back that caused Essie to hate her so much. Or was that usually how she treated Essie whenever they were alone in the past?
When his train of thought ended there, the atmosphere around him became thick with tension.
Estella was feeling pretty hungry, so after she heard her father’s words, she hesitated for a few seconds before following him downstairs.
Aubree was already waiting at the dining table downstairs. When she saw Lucian and Estella coming downstairs, she faced the girl apologetically. “I’m sorry, Essie. I think I said the wrong thing again earlier.”
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.
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