Lucianâs room number was only a digit different from Roxanneâs room number.Aubree tried hard to convince herself that it was only coincidental that the two were staying on the floor.However, she couldnât accept that they were staying next door to each other now that she saw it with her own eyes.Now, Aubree could no longer persuade herself that this was a coincidence.Back in her room, Roxanneâs expression looked grim as she spaced out on the bed.Roxanne never imagined she would encounter Lucian here. Moreover, she never expected Aubree to come after him.It was beyond Roxanneâs imagination how things would turn out if the three met.A faint scowl appeared on Roxanneâs face. Wasting no time, she stood up and started to pack her luggage.She decided that she would avoid any trouble which she couldnât bear the consequences.After all, she had nothing left to do in Bellridge. Thus, it didnât matter when she left.Halfway through packing, she heard a knock on the door.Roxanne stood up
Roxanne must have left in a rush because of Aubreeâs unannounced arrival.âThis is my room. Of course Iâm here. As for you, what are you doing here?â Lucianâs expression turned icy.Aubree looked away with guilt. âOh, itâs nothing. I have some work to do here in Bellridge, and Mrs. Farwell told me youâre here for a business trip. So Iâm here to see you.ââDoes Pearson Group have a project here in Bellridge? Why didnât I know that?â Lucian showed no mercy and exposed her.In recent years, Farwell Group had been acting as the middleman for many projects for Pearson Group. Hence, it was natural for Lucian to know of their businesses.Aubreeâs expression changed, and she clenched her fists. She steeled herself and said, âWe only started negotiating recently. Itâs not a done deal yet. I came here to give it a try.âAubree was afraid Lucian would continue digging into it, so she immediately changed the topic. âOh, right, why are you staying in this kind of hotel? Did your partner book this
Why did you leave in a hurry? I didnât hear you mentioning going back to Horington when we had breakfast.â Lucianâs voice rang from the side, histone unfathomable.Scowling, Roxanne turned over and answered him coldly with another question, âMr.Farwell, Iâm also curious why would you leave your fiancĂŠe behind in Bell ridge and go back to Horington by yourself?ââ At the mention of his fiancĂŠe, Lucianâs gaze darkened.She pretended that she hadnât noticed the change in his expression as she continued, âMr.Farwell, youâre going to get married soon.You should spend more time with your fiancĂŠe at this critical juncture.âWhen Lucian was about to reply to her, the woman next to him took out a small blanketand covered herself with it up to her face.She then turned her back to him and lay down.Through the blanket, her muffled voice sounded.âIâm tired.I need to rest.Mr.Farwell, please be quiet.â With that, she closed her eyes, and Lucian could only see the back of her head.In the end,
Roxanne frowned, but she didnât urge him to move aside.When almost of the people got off the plane, Lucian rose to his feet placidly.The two then got off the plane one after the other.Meanwhile, Larry and Cayden were already waiting for them outside.While they were on the plane just now, Larry saw Lucian sitting next to Roxanne, but the plane had takenoff, so he couldnât do anything about it.Upon seeing Lucian, Larry merely greeted the former out of courtesy, then turned to look at Roxanne.âYou donât have a car.Iâll send you back.â Roxanne replied with a smile, âThanks, Larry.âAs she spoke, she completely ignored the man beside her and strode over to Larryâs side.Seeing the woman, who had been giving him the cold shoulder, smile at another man, Lucian was naturally displeased and extended hishand to grab her wrist.The smile on Roxanneâs face gradually faded as she turned around to face Lucian.âMr. Farwell, what else do you want?â Lucian gazed into her eyes, but he couldnât
âLarry, donât simply make assumptions without evidence.â Roxanne averted her eyes apprehensively.âNo matter what kind of feelings he has for me, we are just friendly strangers now.Thereâs nothing more than that.Besides, he is about to get engaged to Aubree.â Ever since she met Lucian again, she had several guesses about how Lucian felt about her, but she had never thought of the possibility of him liking her.Besides, she also had a feeling that it was not a romantic interest.After all, she could still how much Lucian liked Aubree six years ago.This is not the way Lucian behaves when he has feelings for the person.Upon seeing her denying the claim, Larry knitted his brows slightly and keep his silence.The car rolled to a stop at Roxanneâs doorstep.Thinking about the little ones at home, Roxanne reluctantly gathered her thoughts, beamed at Larry, and said, âThanks for the trouble.â He nodded and saw her out of the car.He then said in a deep voice, âPlease consider what I have
Estella had lived with them for a period of time.She had seen a variety of figurines in their rooms, so she knew how much they would like the gift.Yet it seemed to take them forever to receive the gift.She nudged them and urged, âYou like these, donât you?â They tried putting up a stern face to deny her statement, but looking at the figurines, they just couldnât say it out loud.Eventually, they relented and said, âItâs too expensive.Mommy wonât let us take it.â Estella didnât expect them to reject her.They also brought up their mother.She pouted, lowered her eyes and stood pitifully before them, looking as if she would start crying at any moment.Seeing that, they exchanged a look and said hastily, âSince it is from Essie, we will take it.Please help us thank Uncle Lucian.â Only then did Estella start to smile again.Roxanne continued her work at the research institute the second day after she returned from Bellridge.When she was away for the past two days, she asked Colby to
After dinner, Roxanne and Colby went separate ways, returning to their own homes.When Roxanne arrived home, Lysa had fetched the two kids back.They were playing with Legos on the carpet.Archive and Benny immediately surrounded Roxanne when they saw her enter.Roxanne patted their heads and asked concernedly, âHave you two taken your meals?âThey nodded obediently and blinked their eyes at her.âMommy, Ms.Ward said sheâs bringing us to plant trees this weekend.â Roxanne was slightly taken aback at the mention of that matter.She gazed downward and beamed at her children.âYes.I know that.â With that, she pretended to be nonchalant and entered the living room.Archie and Benny trailed behind their mother and followed her to the side of thecarpet.She crouched down and fiddled with the partially-built Lego pieces as a conflicted look spread across her face.She pondered the whole journey on her way back.In the end, she was left with the same conclusion.She might run into Lucian or
Estella lowered her head and muttered aggrievedly, âMs.JarvisâŚâShe yearned to meet with Roxanne.Hearing Estellaâs words, Lucianâs face darkened instantaneously.He had been too occupied lately, so he had not considered Roxanne would also participate in that activity.However, at the thought of how Roxanne was evading him, Lucian highly doubted she would personally bring Archie and Benny to join the event.He figured Roxanne might even disallow them to go altogether.The screen of his phone lighted up.Pippa sent a message in the WhatsApp group: No guardian has texted me in private thus far, so I assume everyone will be coming.This activity will enhance the bond between children and their parents.Iâll take this opportunity to wish everyone a great time in advance.The screen slowly dimmed afterward.Lucianâs resolution wavered.He patted Estellaâs head and croaked, âI got it.It was weekend soon. Roxanne brought the kids to the kindergarten early in the morning.That was the first
Lucian didnât expect his father to be in such a hurry to go and pick Estella up. After hanging up the phone, he glanced at the time. Seeing that it was still relatively early, he wanted to phone Roxanne to inform her about the situation. But on second thought, he snagged his jacket and went downstairs.Downstairs, Catalina had just prepared dinner. When she saw her employer coming down, she hollered, âThe food is ready, Mr. Farwell.âLucian halted in his steps for a fleeting second. âGo on and eat. Iâm not having dinner at home.âHaving said that, he left in huge strides without waiting for a response from her.Catalina stared at the manâs back, bewildered for a moment. In the next heartbeat, understanding dawned upon her.Aha! Who else could induce such an expression on Mr. Farwellâs face? He must be on his way out to visit Ms. Jarvis once more. Thus, heâs also likely having dinner there!Roxanne had just finished cooking dinner and led the three children to the dining table. They h
Elias frowned, and when he spoke, his voice was tinged with a hint of exasperation. âIâve long since told you to let Lucian make the decisions himself when it comes to his marriage. Everyone is free to live their own lives. Why must we meddle so much?âDisapproval was written all over Sonyaâs face. âHow could I possibly allow that? Is Lucianâs marriage his business alone? Never mind if he wants to marry some other woman, but why must it be that woman?âWhy must it be Roxanne? Worse still, she comes with two little bastards!Seeing that she was still dissatisfied with Roxanne, Elias patiently cajoled, âNo matter who he wants to be with, thatâs his business. He matured into an adult ages ago. We canât interfere in everything.âBut still, Sonya remained obstinate and griped, âIf he had finalized his marriage with Aubree earlier, all this wouldnât have happened.âAfter saying that, she shot the man beside her a chagrined look. âYouâre no better. Itâs because you allowed him free rein in
Roxanneâs life was soon back on the right track while Lucianâs was still in chaos. Lucian considered going to Roxanneâs place in the evening after handling all the accumulated work in Farwell Group. However, he received a phone call from his mother, who asked him to return home as soon as possible.Lucian furrowed his brows at his motherâs annoyed tone. Nevertheless, he still drove back to the manor.As soon as he stepped into the house, he was greeted by the sight of Sonya sitting on the couch.âWhy are you here?â he questioned with a frown.Sonya turned to look at him and said unhappily, âIf I hadnât come here, I wouldnât even know you were back!âHe had not mentioned to anyone about him going overseas with Roxanne.Sonya had come over every day to ask her son for an explanation but always ended up empty-handed.When she called him and mentioned Roxanne and the kids, he would always give a half-hearted response before hanging up.Hence, Sonya had nowhere to vent her anger.Since th
Roxanne was moved by his words but remained hesitant. âPerhaps, but I lack enough knowledge of cancer to support the research on an anti-cancer medicine.â Over the past few years, she had been more focused on researching how to treat patients through acupuncture. She simply didnât know enough about medicinal herbs to be confident in developing an anti-cancer medicine.Sensing her worries, Jack said, âI wonât lie. Only a few medical books kept in the Damaris residence touch on this research. However, the reason the research in those books was halted was due to technical issues at the time. It was also these books that inspired me.âRoxanneâs eyes glinted upon hearing that. If I can take a look at those books, perhaps Iâll get some inspiration, too. Then again, those books are properties of the Damaris family. I donât know if heâs willing to lend them to an outsider.âThe books about traditional medicine I lent you in the past were a part of that collection. If youâre interested, I can
While the reportersâ photos depicted a woman standing at the helicopter door, Jack knew Lucian was behind it. He thought the matter had ended when the celebrity scandals dominated the public consciousness that afternoon. Thus, the next day, he planned to meet up with Roxanne by using the project as an excuse.To his surprise, her a*sistant told him she wasnât in the research institute.In fact, he received the same answer over the next few days.By then, no matter how stupid Jack was, he could still realize what was happening.He knew Roxanne had left with Lucian, so he wondered how long it would take them to return.To his surprise, it was a whole week, and that enraged him.Jack was still upset as he spoke. âEven though the development of our project was about to begin, the person in charge of the research institute was nowhere to be found. What do you think I should say about that, Ms. Jarvis?âWhen he brought up the project, Roxanne felt guilty and apologized further. âIâm really
In the end, Lucian called Jeffrey and requested a weekâs leave for the children.With that out of the way, the three adults took the three children on a trip to Miralaea.Just as Jeffrey hung up the phone, a gentle-looking teacher entered the room.âYouâre here, Ms. Smith,â he greeted. âYou understand the situation about the cla*s, yes? Mr. Farwellâs children are in it, and the a*sistant teacher is on leave. Iâm worried Ms. Ward wonât be able to manage the cla*s alone, so youâll be helping her out for now.âSmiling, Ophelia Smith nodded. âI understand, Mr. Bauer. You donât need to worry a thing.âJeffrey scrutinized her and thought she looked pretty gentle. âIâm leaving them in your hands, so donât mess things up.ââShould I greet them now?ââTheyâve just started their one-week leave. Once theyâve returned, Ms. Ward will introduce them to you.âWhen Ophelia heard that, the look in her eyes imperceptibly darkened for just a moment. âI see. If thereâs nothing else, Iâll take my leave no
We didnât see anything!â Madilyn smiled mischievously as she feigned ignorance.The children nodded along. âWe didnât either!âThen, Madilyn attempted to sneak away with the kids as though nothing had happened.Just as she turned around, Roxanne said, âCome over here. Letâs talk.âThus, Madilyn twirled around again and saw a resigned expression on her best friendâs face.Roxanne and Lucian, who was slightly displeased, proceeded to sit next to each other on the couch.Upon hearing their motherâs summon, the children rushed over to sit around her.Only Madilyn was left standing at the entrance of the room.Glancing at the family of five, she cleared her throat, stepped toward the single-seat couch, and plopped down.Frowning, Roxanne questioned, âYou said youâve devised a way to handle the fallout. What do you suggest we do?âIn response, Lucian shifted his line of sight to Madilyn, too.Madilyn could still sense the cold look in his eyes, so she did her best to ignore him and focus on
Meanwhile, Roxanne was still lost in a daze. âMadilyn, whatâŚâCocking a brow, Madilyn stepped aside to usher them in. âCome onboard. Iâm here to pick you up.âRoxanne was blown away by the words.Is she asking us to get in the helicopter and leave just like that? We might be able to escape this time, but what about when the reporters come for us again?When she saw Roxanne remaining motionless, the puzzled Madilyn urged her, âHurry up! What are you still hesitating for? Whatever concerns you have, weâll discuss it on board.âShe extended her hand while speaking.With the helicopter hovering right before her eyes, Roxanne realized that Madilynâs effort would go to waste if she didnât get on.Holding that thought, Roxanne took the latterâs hand. Given how close the helicopter was, all she needed to do was take a step forward to board it.After carrying Estella over, Roxanne turned around to do the same with the boys. Little did she expect them to be raring to go.Reciprocating their ent
It wasnât until Lucian heard Madilynâs words that he realized her point and stopped in his tracks.âThis whole incident might just blow over if you donât show up, but it will definitely worsen if you make an appearance. If that happens, they might even swarm Farwell Group along with Roxanneâs house!â Madilyn reminded him.She knew the mentality of those journalists all too well.Lucian clenched his fists so tightly that his veins were bulging from underneath his skin. âWhat should I do, then?â he asked while trying to suppress his anger.I wouldnât have acted so impulsively if I knew this would happen!Madilyn rolled her eyes at him in response. Why is he asking us for a solution when heâs the one who caused all this?âMr. Farwell, how about we send someone over to get Mrs. Farwell out of there?â Cayden suggested cautiously.âHow are you going to do that? There are so many journalists around!â Madilyn snapped at him.Cayden fell silent and flashed her an awkward look in response.âIf