Jack accepted the cup of coffee from Roxanne and said politely, “Thanks.” Roxanne sat down beside him on the couch and stared at him solemnly. “What should I do now?”A major incident had erupted at Herbscape Group. Yet, Jack dropped by early in the morning to look for her. It meant that he needed her help.However, Jack responded with another question, “Do you have a suspect in mind?”Roxanne was stunned by his question.In fact, she had a suspect in mind, but she did not know how to approach the subject.Subconsciously, she refused to believe that Lucian would do such a thing.“Mr. Lacroix of Herbscape Group told me that he suspects Farwell Group is behind the incident.” Jack fabricated Dean’s words expressionlessly. “It’s because Herbscape Group broke off the contract at the last minute, and as such, Farwell Group decided to take revenge on them.”Roxanne frowned and kept quiet.Dean’s suspicions were the same as hers.Jack glanced at her and continued, “In my opinion, that might
Jack didn’t mind. Instead, he flashed a meaningful grin. “Don’t thank me first. I’m giving you these presents because I have a favor to ask.” Hearing that, the kids immediately put up their guard.Roxanne was similarly baffled. This is only his second time meeting the children. What favor does he have to ask from them?Just as she was wondering, she noticed Jack looking at her, causing her to be startled.The next second, he looked at the kids again and said, “I need to borrow your mommy for a while. Is that all right?”The kids exchanged glances, having already expected that to happen. We knew it. He’s here to take Mommy away again. If Daddy knows about this, I wonder how long Mommy and Daddy’s next fight will last before they reconcile.At that thought, the kids shook their heads without hesitation and uttered matter-of-factly, “Mommy promised to bring us out to have fun today. Adults shouldn’t lie to children!”Hearing that, Jack shot Roxanne a surprised look.Roxanne was instantl
“Mommy…” Benny’s voice trembled slightly as he attempted to conceal his fear. “Do I have to go for the surgery?” Roxanne nodded fervently. “Your acute appendicitis will only worsen if you don’t, and you’ll be in even more pain. I’m worried about you.”Benny hesitated for several seconds and gradually removed his hand from his stomach. “Mommy, I’m feeling much better. I’m perfectly fine now. Let’s not go for the surgery, please?”Roxanne shook her head at once.Archie and Benny eyed one another. Their eyes were full of fear and regret.Archie tugged at the hem of Roxanne’s shirt gingerly and said obediently, “Mommy, we’re both sorry for lying to you just now. I was the one who asked Benny to pretend to be sick. Please don’t bring him for surgery.”Benny got down from the bed and stood before Roxanne guiltily as well.Roxanne looked down at Archie and Benny and sighed internally before ruffling their hair. “Have you learned from your mistake?”They hurriedly nodded.Roxanne crouched do
Estella’s mood turned sullen when Catalina didn’t respond. A few minutes later, Catalina gave in and explained, “Mr. Farewell is very busy these days. He ordered me to make sure that you stay at home obediently. If you want to go anywhere, you’ll have to ask him when he’s back.”The thought of her father had Estella turn her head to the side in frustration.Catalina let out a sigh and called Lucian.Lucian was having a meeting at the office when his phone vibrated. Seeing Catalina’s name flashing across the screen, he hesitated briefly before leaving the room to take the call. “What is it?”Catalina shot a glance at the still-upset Estella before speaking into the phone. “Ms. Estella has been sulking since morning, Mr. Farwell, and she didn’t even touch her breakfast.”When Estella heard Catalina talking to her father on the phone, she slowly turned around and stared at the phone.She wanted to talk to her father too.Noticing Estella’s intention, Catalina pa*sed her the phone.Lucia
Lucian felt helpless upon seeing how unperturbed Estella was by what he said. Ever since the little girl got close to Roxanne, she had been practicing double standards and treating her better than him.What Roxanne did last night was too much, but Essie still decided to forgive her. Yet, Essie is mad at me for not paying attention to all the good things she said about that woman. She isn’t even listening to me anymore.Had Lucian not learned that Roxanne was Estella’s biological mother, he might have had difficulty accepting the double standards.After a short while, Lucian suppressed his grievance and comforted the little girl, “Didn’t you say you have something to tell me? I’m all ears now.”Estella lifted her head and glanced at him.Lucian’s eyes darkened, and his heart sank when he saw the expression on her face.He thought she did not give him any response because she was upset.However, when she lifted her head, he realized her cheeks were stained with tears.“Bad Daddy…” Este
While Roxanne was in two minds over whether or not to hurry to the Farwell residence, Jack strode out with a document in his hand and called out, “Ms. Jarvis.” She had no choice but to suppress the worry in her heart and quickly walked toward him. “What’s this?”“You didn’t come in after some time, so I thought I’d bring out the document you needed to go through. You can take a look and sign it if there are no issues.”Hearing that, she murmured her a*sent and checked the document carefully. A moment later, she looked up at Jack and nodded. “Everything looks fine.”“Excellent,” he said with a smile. “You look a little upset. Did something happen?”Recalling the sound of Estella’s cries, Roxanne fell into a slight daze.Jack was puzzled when he saw that she did not respond after a long time. “Ms. Jarvis?”Roxanne jolted to her senses and shot him an apologetic smile. “These are the medicinal herbs we need. Is there anything else you need my help with?”Jack shook his head.Seeing that
Soon, Lucian stopped his car in front of James’ psychiatric clinic. As Lucian had made the call while he was on the way, James was already waiting at the door.After getting out of the car, Lucian walked over to the other side to carry Estella, who was still crying.Upon seeing his outstretched hands, she dodged to the side.“Let me do it,” James offered as he stepped forward.He reached out to Estella and said gently, “Essie, good girl. Let me carry you.”Estella shook her head and choked out, “I want Ms. Jarvis…”James couldn’t help but frown in confusion and glance at Lucian.Lucian had mentioned that Estella wouldn’t stop crying on the phone earlier, but he did not get the chance to explain what had happened in detail.Meeting James’ eyes, Lucian furrowed his brows and said, “Let’s talk inside.”James gave him a nod before turning around to coax the girl again. “Ms. Jarvis will be here soon. Come with me first and let’s wait for her inside, all right?”Estella stared at James dou
Estella pursed her lips and fell silent for a long moment before slowly shaking her head. I still like Daddy, but…“Daddy lied. Daddy is a bad person.”A smile finally broke out on James’ face. “You’re angry with your daddy, but your daddy is angry with Ms. Jarvis.”Estella immediately shook her head. “Daddy cannot be angry with Ms. Jarvis.”James was astonished.He knew Estella was exceedingly fond of Roxanne, but he did not realize it was to this extent.Lucian must be exasperated.Seeing that Estella was going to lose her cool again, James uttered hastily, “I’ll punish him for you. He knows he’s in the wrong too.”Estella calmed down, but she remained sullen. “I want Ms. Jarvis as my mommy. I don’t want anyone else!”James glanced at the door. He could only agree on Lucian’s behalf. “Okay. Only Ms. Jarvis.”Estella finally quieted down and lay on James’ shoulder, sniffling occasionally.James glanced at Estella and gently touched her eyes. “Do you feel awful?”Estella nodded betwe
Meanwhile, in the Farwell residence, Sonya felt nauseous upon seeing the photo being shared all over the internet. In the past, Aubree had told Sonya time and time again that she was in love with Lucian.It had only been a few days since the two families had called off the engagement. Sonya was surprised and disgusted when she saw that Aubree had already checked into a room with another man.Aubree even went as far as making love with him as if nothing has happened! She must have done so willingly! This time, someone took a photo and made it viral. Who knows whether or not she had been unfaithful during all those years of her engagement with Lucian? Her so-called “love” for Lucian was nothing but a lie!At the thought of herself being tricked by Aubree, Sonya could not help but feel humiliated.All of a sudden, the support Sonya had shown Aubree all those years seemed like a waste of time.If she had allowed someone like Aubree to be married into the Farwell family, people would have
“B*tch!” Meanwhile, in the mansion in the suburb, Aubree was reading the comments all over the internet. A crazed look was on her face as she shrieked, “B*stards! I will never, ever, let you guys get away with this!”I was wrong about that man! He said he knew me, so I thought he had nothing to do with Roxanne.But in hindsight, who else besides Roxanne would do something so wretched? Besides that b*tch, who else would benefit from me becoming a joke? Roxanne must be taking her revenge on me! It has to be her!Aubree wanted to kill Roxanne. Her gaze hardened with unparalleled hatred.Anger clouded Aubree’s mind as she grabbed her handbag and stormed toward the door. The only thing on her mind was take revenge against Roxanne.Just as she flung the door open, she was halted by her father.Samuel’s venomous glare burned into her skin. “Have you no shame? How dare you still think about going out at a time like this? Do you think it’s not embarra*sing enough?”With each word he spoke, Sa
“Fiancée?” Kai shot back a question with a meaningful look. “Which fiancée are you talking about? During your absence, a lot of things have happened in Mr. Farwell’s life!” Shawn’s heart sank slightly when he heard that. “What do you mean? Isn’t Aubree Pearson his fiancée?”Kai laughed out loud when he heard that. “That was eight hundred years ago! Back then, I noticed that Lucian had been treating Aubree with indifference. I found it strange that the Farwell and Pearson families have managed to hold on to the engagement for many years.”Shawn did not respond. Instead, he continued to listen to his friend’s rambling.“The Farwell family called off the engagement two years ago. Lucian even implied that Aubree has a poor character. It turns out that his ex-wife is back in the country with two children. Right now, the Pearson family is being made bankrupt by the Farwell family, and Lucian is getting it on with his ex-wife again!”Kai was very animated when he was gossiping. It was as if
“I would say I’m pretty easy on the eyes. Getting to sleep with me isn’t that much of a loss for you.” He tucked a finger under her chin and lifted it so that she was looking right at him. “You truly are a delicacy. I hope you won’t forget me anytime soon.” As he spoke, his hand began to slide down Aubree’s neck, and he started to bend down until he was hovering right over her.She snapped back to her senses and pushed his hand away with a scowl on her face. “Get out! Don’t make me repeat myself!”The man chuckled amusedly at her angry look and actually began to walk out.Soon enough, Aubree was left alone in the hotel roomShe began to look around her, trying to recall what had happened last night.No matter how much she tried to make sense of her surroundings, she just couldn’t remember what happened.She had a*sumed that someone had been hired to a*sault her.However, that man didn’t look like someone who could be hired. In fact, he looked more like the one who would be doing the
Cory’s face was clouded over with disdain. “Obviously, I’m taking a picture of my lovely ex-boss. Aubree was the one who made me who I am today. How can I possibly forgive her so easily?” As he spoke, an ominous aura radiated from him as if he were a devil from hell. There was an imminent chill in the air that seemed to come from his sheer hatred toward Aubree.Frieda couldn’t help but shudder at his demeanor.“Have you gone insane? The Pearson family is already in ruins. How are you still not satisfied yet?”Cory snickered. “I won’t be satisfied until she truly gets what she deserves. Besides, she did this to herself!”He narrowed his eyes and began scrutinizing the people in front of him.“You don’t have to play pretend around me, Ms. Queen. Don’t you want to shut her up for good too? In fact, you’re probably still getting threatened by her, right?”Frieda’s eyelids quivered as she forced herself to look away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”She might have done her best t
Due to Benny’s injury, the three kids didn’t attend their cla*ses at the kindergarten for the time being. As a result, Ophelia didn’t have the chance to make her move.Aubree repeatedly received disappointing updates from Ophelia when she contacted the latter on multiple occasions.Exasperated, Aubree invited Ophelia out once more.“Aubree, there’s nothing I can do either. Who would’ve expected that b*tch to stop the other two kids from attending school after that little b*stard got hurt!” Ophelia uttered helplessly.She thought she could still target Archie and Estella while Benny recuperated at home due to his injury.To her surprise, she received news that all three children had applied for leave the following day.Aubree clenched her fists. Hatred filled her eyes as she spoke. “That b*tch!”The two women grimaced, stumped at the development.While vexed, Ophelia carefully observed the changes in Aubree’s countenance, fearing the latter might get sick and tired of her.After a lon
Because of Benny’s injury, Roxanne took a leave of absence for all three of her children and stayed at home to take care of Benny for the time being. Fortunately, the ointment she had developed was very effective, and when she applied it to Benny, his wound healed up rather quickly.In the past two days, Lucian would often come to visit the kids.While Roxanne was busy taking care of Benny, she was also worrying about the projects at the research institute.In the end, she found out that, except for the project with the Damaris family, all the other projects were progressing smoothly.Due to the previous incident, the project with the Damaris family had to be handled by Roxanne and Roxanne only. As such, the project was stalled the moment she left.Since she was preoccupied with taking care of Benny, it took Roxanne a few days to realize that she had forgotten to give Jack a heads-up on the situation.Just when she was about to make a call to Jack to apologize, the man himself called
Meanwhile, Ophelia stepped out of the kindergarten with a grim expression. Thank goodness I handled the matter fast enough! Who’d have thought Mr. Bauer would launch an investigation as soon as he returned? Gosh. I almost blew my cover! Then again, this must mean that little b*stard’s injury was pretty bad…With that thought in mind, Ophelia curled her lips into a smirk.That b*tch Roxanne has ruined my chances of a happy and comfortable life! She deserves this little payback from me. Ha!Naturally, Ophelia needed to inform Aubree about the incident, so she quickly got into her car and dialed the latter’s number.Fortunately, the call got through after just a few rings.“How did it go? Did you succeed?” Aubree asked urgently.Argh. Life has been incredibly tough on me lately. I need some good news to cheer me up!“I greased the shoes of that Benny boy, and he fell really hard!” Ophelia said with a smug chortle. “Mr. Bauer even made a big fuss out of it when he returned, so I’m sure t
Elias knitted his brows when he saw his wife acting in that way. “I don’t remember any conflicts between the two of you six years ago. Why are you so biased against her?” “Are you saying that I’m unreasonable?” Sonya snapped, turning around to glare at him.The resignation on Elias’ face deepened. “I’m only stating facts. Why are you taking this so personally?”“Then we’ll go to her place to check it out right now! We’ll see if the kid really is hurt! Didn’t she ask us to pick Essie up from her house? We’ll go right now!”Elias knew that she was only saying that because she was furious, so he just drove them back to the Farwell main residence.Sonya was even more irked when she realized where they were heading, and she kept grumbling on their way back.Elias pretended not to hear anything she said.He was already relenting much by accompanying her to pick Estella up from the kindergarten.As Farwell Group’s chairman, he simply could not do something ludicrous like kicking up a fuss i