Estella waved for the boys to come over and join her as she interacted with the baby dolphin. When Archie and Benny came closer, the baby dolphin also inched nearer so they could touch its head.
Seeing that, Lucian and Roxanne shared a smile. The keeper was no longer worried. He directed the adult dolphins to go back to the pool and reunite with the other dolphins.
The plump man and his son were overlooked. Feeling embarrassed, he held his son’s hand and prepared to leave. However, his son was still staring at the baby dolphin in a hostile manner.
“Daddy, that’s just an animal. Why do so many people like it?” the boy spat angrily. The man inclined his head. Indeed, as the saying went, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
He grasped his son’s hand and began to lead him to the stairs so they could return to their seats. Suddenly, the boy released his hand and ran toward Estella. Once he arrived behind Estella, he gave the little girl a firm push.
Estella was completely taken off-guard. As a result, she tumbled unceremoniously into the pool. Beside her, Archie and Benny gaped in disbelief. Upon regaining their composure, they roared, “B*stard! You b*stard!”
They both leaped toward the overweight boy, sending him crashing to the unforgiving hard surface below. Lucian and Roxanne didn’t expect this to happen.
“Essie!” Roxanne screamed in fear. She leaped into the pool right after Estella landed in the water. Lucian came to his senses mere moments later. He saw his wife and daughter in the pool, and without a second thought, he jumped in after them.
This incident was even more unexpected than the baby dolphin’s near collision earlier. The audience erupted into gasps, and many got to their feet. “Hurry, save them! The pool is pretty deep, and the little girl must be in danger!”
“Keepers, save them!” “My goodness! What a vicious boy. How could he push someone into the pool?” Some people left their seats and ran down the stairs.
In the pool, Estella sputtered and coughed, swallowing two mouthfuls of water. She soon felt her mother’s arms around her. Roxanne couldn’t swim as her arms were around Estella. Even so, her mind was focused solely on keeping the little girl safe.
She was in desperate peril, rapidly sinking beneath the surface, but despite her own danger, she managed to lift Estella out of the water.
Estella inhaled deeply, only to be met with an immediate fit of coughing. Roxanne’s body continued sinking. She felt a burning sensation as the air in her lungs was rapidly exhausted. Her mind was starting to buzz when Lucian’s figure appeared beside her. He flung his arms around her and pulled her upward.
Finally, the keepers jumped into the pool and took Estella from Roxanne. “Ma’am, please release your hands. We’ll bring her to shore safely.”
The voice talking to her came from above the surface, and Roxanne couldn’t hear it clearly. However, she could feel Estella being lifted from her palms. Lucian was still tugging her upward, so she could finally swim after her hands were freed.
It felt to Roxanne as though an eternity had gone by, but in reality, only four seconds had elapsed before her head emerged from the depths of the water. As she gasped for air, she nervously glanced at the shore.
The sight of Estella being pulled ashore by many helpful visitors made her relax. Suddenly, she felt something moving behind her. Turning around, she glanced around anxiously.
“Where is Lucian? Where is he?” she demanded. Right then, Lucian’s handsome face emerged in front of her. He extended his arms and embraced her tightly, fearful that she would slip back beneath the water’s surface without the strength to resurface.
At the same time, he darted a look to the shore. When he saw that Estella had been saved, the anxiety in his heart faded away.
After getting ashore, Lucian and Roxanne hurried to Estella to check on her condition. Estella had sipped some water and gradually began to calm down. “Daddy, Mommy, I’m fine! When I fell into the pool, the baby dolphin also jumped in after me. I saw that. I’m sure it was trying to save me!”
Lucian and Roxanne could barely hide their surprise to hear that. She’s practically friends with that baby dolphin! Due to the urgency of the situation, they hadn’t seen that with their own eyes. They also knew they couldn’t rely on others to save their daughter.
“Did you choke and swallow the pool water?” Roxanne asked. Estella furrowed her brows before nodding. “I think I drank two mouthfuls of the water. I feel a bit uncomfortable. Will I have a tummy ache later?”
Roxanne gave her head a reassuring pat. “No, of course not. I’m a doctor, so trust me. You’ll just have to take a few pills to kill the bacteria, that’s all.”
Archie and Benny hung their heads, ready to be reprimanded for their actions. “Daddy, Mommy, we’re sorry for failing to protect Essie!”
Lucian got to his knees and hugged them. “No, that wasn’t your fault. It was a sudden situation, and you did a good job pinning that boy down. Had you not been able to do that, he would’ve pushed you both, too. If that were to happen, we wouldn’t be able to save you all.”
Roxanne felt bad for them and quickly comforted them, “That’s right. Archie, Benny, you did nothing wrong. Even if you jumped into the water, you wouldn’t be able to save Essie. Saving her is our responsibility as adults. We won’t blame you for this.”
The keepers and visitors gathered to inquire about their well-being. Lucian and Roxanne felt a surge of anger when they recalled who the culprit was.
“Where is the plump kid?” Roxanne demanded. It was the first time in her life that she had ever despised a child this much. Lucian’s expression was as dark as thunder. “What a ruthless boy! How could he put someone else’s life at stake?”
The overweight man and his son were currently surrounded by an angry crowd, who hurled insults and curses at them. As Lucian and Roxanne approached, the crowd parted.
Roxanne immediately discovered that the boy wasn’t repentant at all as there was a smug look in his gaze. Nevertheless, she also noticed that his nose was bleeding.
“Daddy, Mommy, Benny and I hit him,” Archie admitted. To his surprise, Lucian praised him. “Good job! Someone like him deserves to be punished. You did the right thing by hitting him. It’s fine.”
The overweight man had no idea his son would cause trouble for him. When he saw Roxanne and Lucian approaching him, he apologized readily. “It was completely my son’s fault, and I’m sorry for that. Please, let me make it up to you in any way I can. I’m willing to compensate you with any amount you deem necessary.”
Before he could add more, Lucian delivered a vicious kick to the man, sending him tumbling to the ground. “Compensate? Can you afford to compensate us?” Lucian’s gaze sent a chill down the man’s spine.
Roxanne’s face hardened as she gritted her teeth and spoke in a tone laced with frost. “Look how smug your son is. It’s a wonder how you were able to raise such a complete piece of trash.”
She couldn’t control her feelings as it was her first time seeing such an evil kid. If they weren’t in public, she would’ve given the boy two forceful slaps without hesitation.
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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