Roxanne hurried to Harvey’s office.
After pushing the door open, she spotted the little rascals inside. They were sitting on the couch in the office and swinging their legs nonchalantly.The boys lit up at the sight of Roxanne. Scrambling off the couch, they ran toward her excitedly. “Mommy, you’re finally done! I thought you’d be staying in the laboratory forever!”
“Mommy, you’ve worked hard! Are you tired? Sit down. I’ll give you a ma*sage.”
They led Roxanne to the couch so she could take a seat.
As Roxanne took in their concern, she suddenly felt it was worth it to get yelled at.
“Look at how obedient you are. You weren’t like this when you hacked into my computer earlier!” Harvey huffed angrily behind his desk.
Archie declared, “It was all your fault, Professor Lambert! You kept asking Mommy to work overtime. Look, she’s getting malnourished!”
“That’s right! Mommy’s an ordinary human being. How could you ask her to work day and night?” Benny chimed in as he kneaded Roxanne’s shoulder.
His temper spiking, Harvey gave a bark of laughter and responded, “You’re too overprotective of her! Everyone in the research institute does the same!”
With that said, he shook his head and turned to Roxanne. “How did your research go?”
Roxanne shot him a grin. “It went smoothly. I’ll send the data to you later.”
She paused before asking, “Have you restored the data in your computer?”
Harvey ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “It has been an hour, but I still can’t restore anything.”
Amused, Roxanne patted Benny’s hand. “Benny, go restore Professor Lambert’s computer. Don’t be naughty. What if he loses some important data?”
Benny immediately replied, “That won’t happen. I prepare a backup and various security levels every time. He won’t lose a thing!’
As he said that, he trotted over to Harvey and restored the latter’s computer.
The little boy’s fingers typed on the keyboard furiously and produced lines of codes.
A few minutes later, the computer screen blinked and returned to normal.
Harvey took one look at his computer in admiration. He had to admit his mentee’s sons were geniuses.
At a young age, Archie was already a medical genius. He was capable of differentiating thousands of herbs and showcased his talent in medicine. He also had a sharp eye for investments.
Benny, on the other hand, was interested in programming. He was now a little hacker who was very sensitive to numbers. Like his brother, he also did great in investments.
Besides, both of them were adorable, mature, and cheeky.
Thus, he couldn’t bring himself to yell at them whenever they kicked up a fuss. Instead, he could only vent his frustrations on Roxanne.
Roxanne immediately offered an apology. “I’m sorry, Professor Lambert. Please don’t blame the kids for their naughty acts.”
Please don’t yell at me, too. I can’t always be their scapegoat, can I?
Harvey chuckled at her reaction. “Don’t worry. I didn’t summon you here to yell at you. I have a task for you. Listen, I’ve been planning on setting up a research institute back in the country. It will be focusing on traditional medicine. However, I’m still busy here and can’t leave for now. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to send you back!”
Roxanne had no idea he would say that. She froze and hesitated.
Go back home?
She never thought of going back to that place again after leaving six years ago.
After all, she didn’t have a family or someone she cared about back there.
Besides, she had grown to love Yartran.
Her first reaction was to reject the offer. “Professor Lambert, I—”
Harvey interjected, “Roxanne, I know you don’t want to head back, but I hope you’ll consider my suggestion. You’ve been my student for years, so I believe you know how wide and profound traditional medicine is. There aren’t enough herbs here for you to research. In Chanaea, you’ll have all the herbs you want. You can use and research them freely. Most importantly, many hidden and prestigious families are in possession of ancient medical skills in Chanaea. I remember you’re interested in that, right? That was why I made the suggestion for you to return to Chanaea. You have a bright future ahead of you. Besides, you’re different now. No matter what happens, or who you run into, I believe you can handle everything calmly, right?”
At his words, Roxanne fell silent.
He’s right. I’ve changed into a completely different person now. I can face all obstacles without fear. Besides, it has been six years. Perhaps that man is already married to his first crush. Why am I afraid?
With that thought in mind, Roxanne took a deep breath and nodded solemnly. “All right, then. Professor Lambert, I’ll listen to you and return to Chanaea.”
Harvey beamed. “I’m glad you made up your mind quickly. Don’t worry. I’ll ask Linda to come with you. I’ll also arrange a team to help you out there.”
“Great. Thank you, Professor Lambert!” Roxanne gave a curt nod.
As they were conversing, Archie and Benny shared a look. They could sense each other’s excitement.
Mommy’s finally returning to Chanaea!
In fact, the two of them had been dying to head back for ages. After all, their father was back there. They wanted to see him in person. Of course, they also wanted to teach him a lesson for deserting his wife and children.
Two days later, Roxanne and the boys landed at the international airport in Horington.
Roxanne was finally back in Chanaea after six years.
After disembarking the plane, they walked out of the hallway. Just then, Benny squeezed his legs together and tugged at the corner of Roxanne’s skirt. “Mommy, I need to pee now.”
Roxanne and Archie giggled at the sight of his urgent expression. “Okay. Let’s go, then.”
She reached out to ruffled Benny’s hair.
At once, Benny trembled violently. “Stop it, Mommy. I’m going to pee my pants!”
With a chuckle, Roxanne led him to the restroom.
Archie then brought him into the restroom while Roxanne waited outside with their luggage. She didn’t forget to send her professor a text to inform him about their arrival.
Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out.
“Idiots! How could so many of you fail to keep an eye on a little girl? What use are you if you can’t even complete such a simple task?”
There was a hint of fury in the man’s melodious, deep, and rich voice. It was pleasing to the ears.
Roxanne’s hands, which were initially typing out a message on her phone, froze instantly.
Six years had pa*sed since she last heard this voice, but she still found it eerily familiar.
Looking up, Roxanne spotted the tall figure some distance away.
Standing not far off was a tall man. His black suit accentuated his long legs and added a touch of elegance to his figure. Even in the crowd, he was eye-catching.
Roxanne could see his perfect side profile from her line of sight.
His tall nose and sculpted features were the envy of many. In fact, he looked so handsome that other men paled in comparison to him.
Lucian Farwell!
Roxanne’s heart clenched at the sight of him.
She had no idea she’d run into him on the day of her arrival.
The feelings she had buried deep in her heart emerged temporarily, but she quickly put a lid on them.
Her gaze turned frosty.
She could finally appear calm before him.
Right then, the boys emerged from the restroom. “Mommy, we’re done!” they declared cheerfully.
Roxanne snapped out of her reverie and nearly had a heart attack.
The first thought that popped up in her mind was that she needed to leave right away. I can’t let Archie and Benny see him. They bear a resemblance to him. If they bump into each other, he’ll definitely realize something’s wrong!
Roxanne refused to get involved with him yet again.
Flustered, she urged, “You’re done? Come, let’s go. You don’t want your godmother to wait, do you?”
Without waiting for a reply, she dragged her luggage away.
Halfway through his phone call, Lucian heard a familiar voice and turned at his shoulder.
From the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar female figure.
Roxanne Jarvis? Is that her? She’s back?
Lucian ran after her immediately, but her figure had already disappeared into the crowd.
As his gaze turned dark, Lucian was about to explode with rage.
She left the country so resolutely and even abandoned the kid. There’s no way she’s back!
A cold look flashed past Jack’s eyes when he heard her reject him firmly, but he was quick to suppress it. “I’m serious about this, Roxanne. We need to date each other if we want to truly maximize our potential. Don’t you want to develop your career in the medical field?” Jack pleaded earnestly with an expectant look in his eyes.However, his ambitious confession only scared Roxanne even more. “I do want to develop my career, but not like this! You’ve had too much to drink, Mr. Damaris. Let’s end this conversation here.”Roxanne was about to get up and leave when Jack let out a wry chuckle. “I knew it… I knew you would reject me, Roxanne. I just didn’t think you’d do so without at least giving me a chance. Is being with me really that bad? I don’t even know how Lucian is better than me.”Roxanne closed her eyes and calmed herself down before replying coldly, “This has nothing to do with Lucian. I simply don’t have feelings for you. Still, I would like to thank you for not resorting t
Needless to say, Lucian instantly noticed the discontent and guilt laced in Roxanne’s voice. “Jack even said he’d issue bonuses to my staff in his name. I had already considered doing it myself, but he beat me to the announcement. After that, I was just too embarra*sed to turn him down… Will the staff think that Jack treats them better than I do? Then again, our research institute is only collaborating with Damaris Group…” the latter muttered.She hadn’t been able to shake off the nagging feeling that something was off, so she had no choice but to discuss it with Lucian.After hearing Roxanne’s worries, the man softened his gaze and comforted her, “You haven’t done anything wrong. He’s the one who has crossed the line. Your talent and pa*sion lie in the medical field, so there’s no need to worry about the management aspect. Feel free to come to me if you ever need any a*sistance. I’ll be your advisor.”“What should I do now, then?” Roxanne asked, knowing she could rely on Lucian.Nat
Roxanne was rather offended by his sudden body contact, and the smile on her face became dark. She lowered her eyes and stepped back, slowly moving away from his hand. Jack frowned for a moment when he felt her uneasiness. He quickly removed his hand and pretended nothing had happened.“The research institute played a huge part in successfully developing the new medication. How about this? Lunch is on me today, plus everyone will receive a cash reward from me this month!” Jack’s words made it sound like he was closely related to the research institute.Roxanne felt he was slightly crossing the line and wanted to decline him. But the employees were already cheering. Thus, she thought it would not be nice to spoil the atmosphere.“Mr. Damaris is so generous!”“Thank you, Mr. Damaris. We will definitely work harder from now onwards!”One by one, the research institute staff began to offer Jack words of flattery.Roxanne felt slightly annoyed as she watched their admiration for Jack.“We
Despite her attempt to tone down her tone, Roxanne’s voice remained cold and harsh when it came to matters related to Archie and Benny. Sonya was left speechless, her fork hanging mid-air as she paused to process what was said. Finally, she spoke up, “Well, I hope you’ll look after your sons and ensure they don’t address Elias however they want.”Benny looked at Roxanne before turning to Sonya and defending his mother without any hesitation. “But Grandpa is very happy when we address him as such. We can address you in another way since you don’t like us calling you Grandma.”Sonya turned red with anger at Benny’s remark, knowing he was right.The dinner table was suddenly heavy with tension.Roxanne was taken aback by Benny’s comment but acknowledged that he was right. After all, Elias and Sonya were their grandparents in reality.Instead of calling Benny out for ridiculing his grandmother, she gave Elias an apologetic look.Elias nodded rea*suringly, “Let’s calm down and enjoy our m
Lucian stopped in his tracks upon hearing Roxanne’s voice. He made a turn and walked toward the bed. His gaze turned dark as he regarded the groggy woman with her exposed shoulders.Roxanne mumbled blearily, “What’s wrong? You should go and shower so that you can rest soon.”Lucian’s breathing got heavier as he gazed at her innocent demeanor. However, he was trying his best to suppress his desire.If Roxanne was awake at this moment, she would definitely notice something was wrong and avoid such a situation deftly.Nonetheless, not only did she not notice anything then, but she was also looking up at him without much thought, revealing her bare neck.Not getting a reply from Lucian, Roxanne decided to snuggle back into her blanket.Suddenly, Lucian leaned down to plant a kiss on her face.Roxanne froze for a few seconds. Her drowsiness vanished instantly when she realized what he was doing.He was already on his way to the bathroom when she turned to look at him, leaving her hanging.
Lucian had never brought up the wedding plan to her. Roxanne was dumbfounded. She glanced at Lucian beside her, as she didn’t quite know how to react.Lucian suddenly grabbed her hand tightly.Roxanne froze for a second before she lowered her head and squeezed his hand.Sonya was already upset by her son’s words, so seeing the couple’s intertwined hands sent a wave of dizziness through her.“Essie, come over to me.”Since she couldn’t convince her son, she turned her attention to Estella. “I’ll bring you up to sleep.”Estella shook her head and grabbed the corner of Roxanne’s shirt. “I want to be with Mommy.”Sonya took a deep breath as she tried to suppress her anger. “Do you not want Grandma and Grandpa anymore?”Estella felt a little aggrieved upon hearing that. She observed Lucian’s and Roxanne’s expressions carefully before saying, “Can’t I have it all? Mommy, Daddy, Grandpa, and Grandma.”Everyone felt their hearts lurch when Estella’s childish voice rang out.Sonya’s extended