Lucian didn’t 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, “The food is ready. Mr. Farwell.” Lucian halted in his steps for a fleeting second. “Go on and eat. I’m not having dinner at home.”
Having said that, he left in huge strides without waiting for a response from her. Catalina stared at the man’s back, bewildered for a moment. In the next heartbeat, understanding dawned upon her..
Aha! Who else could induce such an expression on Mr. Farwell’s face? He must be on his way out to visit Ms. Jarvis once more. Thus, he’s also likely having dinner there!
Roxanne had just finished cooking dinner and led the three children to the dining table. They had all taken their seats when the doorbell outside rang.
Putting the fork in her hand down, she got up for a look. The instant she saw the person on the screen, she was momentarily stunned before she spun on her heel and went to open the door.
Lucian was waiting at the door, tenderness showing in his eyes at the sight of her. After the few days they spent at Miralaea, the man’s demeanor toward her had grown increasingly gentle.”
Despite being used to seeing him with such an expression, Roxanne still felt a sense of dissonance. After all, he had only ever been cold to the outside world.
“Why are you here? Didn’t we agree on you staying away for two days?” Corralling her thoughts, she regarded Lucian before her in mystification.
On the way back from Miralaea, Madilyn suggested that they avoid meeting each other for the next two days on the off chance that someone might spot them together. That was also Roxanne’s plan, but she didn’t expect Lucian to pay her a sudden visit.
The man at the door quirked a brow, his tone teasing. “Shouldn’t you allow me in first if your want to avoid being seen with me? If I continue standing here, and the media gets a snapshot of me…”
A flash of panic flittered across Roxanne’s eyes, and she hastily turned sideways to allow him in. Thereafter, she carefully peeked out. It wasn’t until after she had darted her eyes around and found nothing amiss that she closed the door. At the sight of her all tense and wary, Lucian assured in a deep voice, “Don’t worry. I had the bodyguards do a sweep of the area.”
Only then did Roxanne truly rest easy. The project was getting back on track these few days, so she really didn’t want a repeat of her experience a few days ago.
Lucian’s arrival appeared to thrill Archie, Benny, and Estella greatly. They didn’t even bother eating anymore but crowded over to him intimately. Deep within her, Roxanne still found it pretty. unbelievable.
She had always thought the man’s character would be off-putting to Archie and Benny, Unexpectedly, he was extraordinarily patient with them. In fact, the boys almost liked him as much as they did her.
As astonishment flooded her, she also couldn’t help feeling relieved. Since they like him so much, I don’t have to worry that they won’t be able to accept the reality when they learn about their identities in the future. Roxanne took a set of tableware for Lucian. “You haven’t had dinner, right? Let’s eat together.”
After her interactions with him the past few days, her attitude toward him had also done a one-eighty. She was no longer as awkward before him. Nodding, Lucian sat down across from her.
“Is something the matter that you came over at this hour?” Roxanne asked once more. Lucian glanced at the children around them before murmuring, “We’ll talk about that later. Let’s eat first.”
Clocking his expression, Roxanne bobbed her head in understanding. She didn’t press him for an answer anymore. The family of five was finally together again. That made the three children so happy that they were all smiles even as they ate.
After dinner, they knew their parents had something to discuss, so they tactfully went to the back garden to play.
