Chapter 887 – Her Sudden Departure: A Tale of Love and Redemption (Lucian & Roxanne)

When Lucian took Roxanne and headed directly to the kindergarten to pick the kids up, the kids were delighted to see that their father had recovered from the cold.

“Daddy, I have some pocket money. Let me treat you to dinner, okay? You just got sick, so you should eat something delicious.” Estella blinked, almost as if she had made up her mind.

“Where did you get your pocket money from? Didn’t Grandpa help you save up all your monetary gifts from the holidays?” Lucian asked curiously.

Roxanne, too, found it amusing. She felt that she had missed many moments of Estella growing up. Lifting the little girl into her arms, she asked, “Essie, did you save up a lot of monetary gifts?”

Estella bobbed her head smugly. “Yes, a lot of monetary gifts. There are many zeros. Grandpa kept them for me. But the pocket money I have now is the money that other kids gave me after I helped them make some cards.”

“Is there such a thing?” Lucian averted his gaze toward Archie and Benny for verification. The two boys nodded. Archie replied, “The cards Essie made are really nice. That’s why many other kids bought their own materials and asked her to help them make too. The remuneration for each card is twenty dollars. I was the one who decided on the amount. Essie made quite many cards and earned a few hundred from it.”

These kids are beginning to earn money at such a young age! Lucian and Roxanne exchanged looks, their eyes filled with love and affection.

“Mommy, Daddy, Essie is still making the card she intends to give to the two of you. She hasn’t finished yet, but I’m sure it’ll be beautiful. You two have to look forward to it.” Benny sure was a big blabbermouth who could not keep secrets to himself.

At that, Estella puffed her cheeks and. protested, “Benny, didn’t you promise me that you won’t ruin the surprise?”

Benny stuck out his tongue cheekily and made a face. Lucian’s and Roxanne’s curiosity grew at once. They were anticipating what the card would look like exactly. “All right. Essie shall treat us today! Essie sure is the best!”

Following Lucian’s words, the family headed to an authentic farm-to-table restaurant. That place served food that was affordable and also tasted delicious. The money Estella earned was enough for them to eat a sumptuous meal.

It was already nine at night when the family finished dinner and returned to the mansion. As they entered the courtyard contentedly, they saw Sonya’s car, which was long parked inside.

Before long, Sonya stepped out of the car with multiple bags in her hands. “Lucian, Roxanne, you guys are finally back,” she uttered.

Lucian knitted his brows. It was evident he was not very welcoming of his mother. Roxanne, on the contrary, seemed to have noticed that Sonya’s eyes were rather puffy. Did she cry?

Despite so, she could not bring herself to empathize with Sonya. After glancing at the latter, she grabbed Estella’s hand and prepared to head into the living room. At the sight of Sonya, Estella called out, “Grandma, what are you holding in your hand?”

Contrastingly, Archie’s and Benny’s gazes were full of fear. Instinctively, they hid behind Lucian. Lucian’s expression grew frostier when he witnessed the boys’ reactions. The man carried the boys up, and unbothered about what Sonya wanted to do, he strode past her and headed straight into the living room.

Bewilderment struck Sonya. Her lips twitched slightly, but she could not bring words out of her mouth. A myriad of emotions flooded her heart, which was made apparent by the conflicted expression on her face. She froze a long while before she forced a smile and turned to follow into the living room. The smile on her face was awfully bitter and gloomy.

“Lucian, Roxanne, these are some gifts I got for Archie and Benny. Winter is coming soon. Since the boys are growing up so quickly, it’s time they have some new clothes. Of course, there are also some figurines. I don’t know much about these things, so I’m unsure if they’ll like them?”

Sonya’s tone was soft and gentle. It was drastically different from her usual image. There was even a tinge of misery in her voice.

Seemingly not hearing those words, Lucian drank his tea and fixed his attention on his phone to deal with his work matters. On the other hand, upon learning that those gifts were for them, Archie and Benny looked at each other, then shifted their gazes toward Roxanne in unison.

They could not wrap their heads around the current situation. Grandma was very cold toward us previously. She even says that we aren’t Daddy’s children. But now she’s gifting us clothes and toys?

Estella’s curiosity was piqued as well. She strode over and asked, “Grandma, you only bought gifts for Archie and Benny? You didn’t get anything for me?”

Immense awkwardness filled Sonya as she only managed to garner a response from Estella. She smiled at the little girl and hastily explained, “I’ll get something for you another day; is that all right? I went to a boys’ clothing store today.”

Nodding, Estella popped another question. “Grandma, so are you willing to acknowledge Archie and Benny now? Did you realize that they are looking more and more like Daddy?”

In reality, a child’s words were the most innocent but, at the same time, the most truthful, Sonya had always been reluctant to accept the truth. Now that Estella had reminded her, she could not help but look closely at Archie and Benny.

Indeed, they’re becoming more like Lucian, especially their eyes. They’re almost like a replica of the younger Lucian. Sonya curled her lips into a smile and beckoned to the two boys. “Archie, Benny, come over and try on these clothes. See if they fit well.”

Hearing that, the two boys shook their heads in unison. “There’s no need. Mommy will buy them for us. Thank you!” There was no greeting in that straightforward rejection.

Tears began to cloud Sonya’s eyes. Nonetheless, she maintained her smile. “Yeah, your mommy takes good care of you two. I’m the one who isn’t qualified to be your grandmother. I’m at fault.”

Roxanne could not help but feel her heart soften when she heard what Sonya said. She turned to the two boys and nodded in approval. “Go on. Go and try the new clothes Grandma bought for you two. Remember to thank Grandma!”

The two boys were initially a little stumped but eventually agreed to it cheerily. Slightly taken aback by the situation as well, Lucian threw a glance at Roxanne. Roxanne, however, upon giving the boys the green light, carried Estella in her arms and headed upstairs to help the little girl wash up.

Sonya froze in shock for a good few seconds. A complicated look flashed across her eyes as she stared at Roxanne’s retreating back.

In truth, Roxanne’s stand was simple-it was undeniable the kids were the Farwell family’s grandchildren, and they would forever share a familial bond with Sonya. No matter what, she did not see a need to deliberately suppress that connection.

Hence, as long as Sonya was willing to get close to the kids, it did not matter to Roxanne, even if the former were to deny her as her daughter-in-law.

Snapping back to her senses, Sonya quickly took the clothes out of the bags and helped Archie and Benny put them on. As she did that, she kept asking the boys if they liked the clothing she bought for them. “Yes! We like it! Thank you, Grandma!”

“Of course we do! Grandma, these clothes probably cost a lot, don’t they? Thank you, Grandma!” When Sonya heard how the boys addressed her, her body trembled slightly. Recalling everything she had done, she felt a sense of regret intensify within her.

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