Before they knew it, darkness took over the sky. After acting as a driver and mover for the day and giving Roxanne a gift, Lucian naturally stayed back for dinner.
Once they had their fill, he played with the children for a while before taking his leave. “It’s getting late, so I’ll be going home now. Essie-”
Before he could even finish, Essie declined, “I want to stay with Mommy!” Lucian threw her a glance before continuing, “I’ll leave Essie with you for the next two days. Tell me if you can’t manage, and I’ll come and pick the children up.”
Archie and Benny’s eyes lit up when they heard Lucian’s words. Given how smart they were, they caught the most important part of his sentence-he considered them his children.
Even though they couldn’t address him as “Daddy” yet, he had already seen them as his own. Both of them were ecstatic when the fact dawned upon them.
As for Estella, she was filled with delight upon receiving permission to stay with her mother. Stroking Estella’s face gently, Roxanne agreed with a smile. “She’ll be in good hands.”
Lucian flashed a smile. “I know.” Even if Roxanne didn’t do anything in particular, Estella would be happy just staying by her side. With that, Lucian drove back to the manor after leaving Roxanne’s home.
The moment he stepped in, he was greeted by the glum-looking Sonya sitting on the couch. “What are you doing here?”
With an equally solemn expression, Lucian took a seat in the armchair beside his mother. Sonya’s brows knitted at her son’s question. “Why can’t I drop by? What’s wrong with me wanting to visit my granddaughter?”
Lucian gave her the side-eye while maintaining his frosty expression. “Essie’s not here. She’s with her mom.” His voice made it sound like he and Roxanne were a married couple who happened to be separated by distance. The frown on Sonya’s face deepened.
“I was the one who painstakingly raised Essie, while that woman abandoned her after giving birth. She should be thanking me for allowing Essie to acknowledge her instead. Don’t you think it’s unfair to me to let Essie stay with her and allow her to enjoy the fruits of my labor?”
From Sonya’s perspective, Roxanne had no hand in bringing Estella up into a healthy and obedient girl. That woman wasn’t around when Essie needed her the most, so why is she acting all noble now?
Lucian furrowed his brows. “Roxanne is Essie’s birth mother. Besides, what happened back then was a misunderstanding. I’m sure you heard of it too. Roxanne had thought that Essie was dead.”
Sonya snorted in response. “Nobody knows if she’s telling the truth. Back then, she left without saying a word. I wouldn’t be surprised if she does anything terrible now.”
Upon hearing his mother’s words, there was al hint of disbelief as Lucian stared at her. Sonya changed her tact reluctantly, cognizant that she had upset her son.
“I was the one who raised Essie, so how can I not miss my granddaughter? By leaving her with Roxanne, what am I to do when I miss her?”
Lucian replied in annoyance, “After spending so much time with Essie throughout the years, what’s the big deal about not seeing her for a few days? Now that her condition has improved, she needs Roxanne by her side. Also, you not seeing her will allow her emotions to stabilize.”
