Catalina quickly glanced at the kids. The three children rose to their feet and ran toward the entrance to open the door.
They saw Lucian opening the door to the passenger seat after getting out of the car. Roxanne alighted from the vehicle, and the couple shared a kiss.
When Roxanne turned around and saw the kids staring back at her from the entrance, she immediately halted in her tracks. Although that wasn’t the first time the kids saw them kissing, she was still slightly embarrassed.
She turned and glanced at Lucian reproachfully. Seeing that, Lucian smiled innocently and said, “I didn’t see them there…”
Usually, the kids would have waited for them inside. Neither of them expected the kids to come out of the house that evening.
“Why are you guys so eager to see us today?” Lucian knew Roxanne was embarrassed, so he quickly stepped forward and stood in front of her.
The kids were all feeling dejected and aggrieved. They had wanted to seek comfort from their parents. When they finally saw their parents, however, they couldn’t bear to make them worry. Both Estella and Benny didn’t know how to answer Lucian’s question, so they turned to look at Archie.
Archie steeled himself and said, “Daddy, why did you and Mommy come back so late? We’ve been waiting for so long!”
Lucian patted their heads and replied, “We’ve been busy the past couple of days. We’ll bring you guys out when we’re free.”
The kids couldn’t help but recall what had happened that afternoon. Although they weren’t in the mood, they pulled themselves together and hummed in acknowledgment.
Sensing something was wrong, Lucian frowned and asked, “What’s the matter? Don’t you guys want to go out and have fun? Are you guys feeling unwell?”
Roxanne noticed their strange behaviors as well, and she approached them caringly. Not knowing what to say in response, the kids exchanged glances with each other.
Catalina took a glance at the three children as he approached Lucian and explained, “Mrs. Farwell came this afternoon and took Ms. Estella, Mr. Benny, and Mr. Archie out to play. They must be exhausted from all the fun they had.”
Initially, the boys did not plan to talk about it. Since Catalina brought it up, they had no choice but to nod in agreement. The news left Roxanne totally flabbergasted.
Sonya took them out to play? She has never liked Archie and Benny. If she wanted anyone to have fun, it would have been Essie only! Why did she include the boys too? Moreover, the boys obviously don’t look happy.
Frowning, she wanted to pursue the matter further but hesitated. I’d put Lucian in a difficult spot if I continued to ask about Sonya. At that thought, Roxanne changed the topic. She tousled the kids’ hair and said, “If you’re feeling tired, go have your dinner now and go to bed early.”
She led the children to the dining table after washing their hands. She was so surprised to see a table spread with all the children’s favorite food.
Contrary to Roxanne’s bafflement, Lucian seemed unfazed. “Where did Grandma bring you guys this afternoon? Did you have fun?” He was more interested in the kids’ outing. The two boys exchanged glances when they heard the questions.
Benny pressed his lips and refused to give a reply. Archie, on the other hand, turned his head and was met with Lucian’s gaze. In the end, he replied, “Grandma took us to the amusement park and bought us ice cream. It was so yummy!”
Lucian looked at him in an attempt to determine if he was telling the truth. Archie plastered a smile on his face even though he felt aggrieved deep down.
He wanted to tell Lucian that Sonya had left them at the amusement park, but that would undoubtedly prompt his parents to confront his grandmother.
Considering how hard it was for the family to be together, Archie was reluctant to see the adults having a fallout over them. We feel blissful for as long as we get to stay with Daddy and Mommy, and we don’t care whether Grandma likes us.
“Just the amusement park?” Lucian asked further. Archie was dumbfounded for several seconds. He did not expect Lucian to follow up with another question. He nodded diffidently.
“What did you do there? You boys and Essie enjoy completely different rides. I bet it was hard for Grandma to look after all of you.” Lucian was so persistent. Immediately, Archie and Benny looked at each other again.
Archie had no clue how to answer Lucian because all they did was take a stroll through the maze at the very beginning, and then spent the rest of the time waiting for Estella. Lucian stared at the three of them and noticed all sorts of uncomfortable expressions on their faces.
“Um…” Archie steeled himself and turned his head, avoiding Lucian’s piercing gaze. “Grandma requested help from the staff to accompany Benny and me. We went to see the pirates and the dwarves, while Grandma brought Essie to see the princesses.”
Those were the characters they saw when walking around. The boys remembered the names, but they had no idea what the rides were all about. Luckily, Lucian did not ask for any details.
Truth be told, he could tell that the kids had lied. to him. Otherwise, the person who volunteered to speak would not have been Archie..
The boys had very distinctive characteristics. If they were happy, Benny would be the first one to tell him everything even before he had a chance to ask. The fact that Benny had been silent and had made Archie bite the bullet for the team, Lucian knew that Benny was hiding something.
The looks on the kids’ faces made Roxanne suspect something was amiss. However, she held herself back from investigating more, especially in Lucian’s presence.
After dinner, she intended to take the children outside, but Lucian had other plans. “I wonder how are things with Jonathan. How about you call him and find that out?”
Upon deliberation, Roxanne decided to prioritize the matter of the medicinal herb supplier and dialed Jonathan’s number.
I can still probe the little ones for more information during bedtime. With that, she headed to the study to make the phone call.
Jonathan was caught off guard when he received the call, thinking that Lucian wanted Roxanne to urge him to hasten the process. He started giving her a detailed explanation. At the end of the conversation, he asked about her relationship with Lucian, and they chatted for a long while.
Meanwhile, the children sensed that something was off and said in the sweetest voice, “Daddy, we’re heading to the garden to play.”
Afterward, they left quietly. Lucian furrowed his brows and stalked them from behind. When the trio turned their heads and realized that their father was following them, their faces sank at once. “Tell me what happened in the afternoon.”
Lucian stared at them solemnly. Archie and Benny hung their heads low, unwilling to speak. Estella was not aware of the full story, but since Lucian kept probing, she took the initiative to give him a summary.
“Grandma took us to the amusement park first, then she brought me to the mall. Archie and Benny came back by themselves.”
She knew it was very dangerous for her brothers to return home on their own and felt bad when she said it. Lucian’s expression changed when he heard that. He gazed at the boys and asked, “Was that all? Why didn’t Grandma bring you two along?”
The boys cast a glance at their sister and replied softly, “We didn’t want to join them, so we came home by ourselves.”
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.