Chapter 1071

The children stood uneasily in line at the mention of "punishment." Roxanne solemnly swept her gaze across them, pausing before pointing at the wall. "All of you will stand there for fifteen minutes."

Though usually well-behaved, the boys had been punished before. They moved to a corner, facing the wall. Estella, however, moved exceptionally slowly.

Roxanne's eyebrows furrowed. Thinking Estella still believed herself innocent, she urged, "You'll need to stand there longer if you walk so slowly."

This prompted the girl to turn back to Roxanne. Roxanne felt a pang of doubt. Is the punishment too severe? Is that why she's looking at me?

Aggrievedly, Estella asked, "If I accept the punishment, will you still like me, Ms. Jarvis?"

The girl's question softened Roxanne's heart. "If you learn from your mistake and don't repeat it, I'll continue to like you, just as I always have."

Estella's eyes lit up. "Okay, Ms. Jarvis! I'll definitely behave myself!" She quickened her pace, joining the boys. "I'm sorry. It's my fault for getting us punished."

Archie and Benny shook their heads. "We're best friends, and best friends share joys and sorrows together!"

Roxanne wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. To those in the know, it was a punishment; to others, it might seem like an act of extraordinary camaraderie.

Gazing at Estella's back, Roxanne fell into deep thought. The punishment was carefully considered. While she doubted Lucian would find it excessive, she remained uncertain, lacking the authority to discipline his child. It was the best harmless solution she could devise. She still needed to explain the situation to him upon his arrival. Essie tended to go to extremes. Was it her nature, or a symptom of her autism? A psychologist's intervention might be necessary if it were the latter.

Fifteen minutes later, the children's punishment ended. Roxanne glanced at the time; it was almost noon, yet Lucian hadn't appeared. When is he going to pick up Essie?

The children shared her nervousness. Archie turned to Estella, his expression serious. "Since Mr. Farwell hasn't arrived, let's play hide-and-seek!"

Estella's earlier desire to play hadn't escaped his notice. Hearing his suggestion, she lowered her head apologetically. "I'm sorry for lying to you earlier, Archie. I just wanted to..." She had used the excuse to conceal her wrongdoing.

But Roxanne's lecture had clarified her mistake. Archie understood. Glancing at Roxanne, busy in the kitchen, he turned back to Benny and Estella. "We still need to keep Mr. Damaris away from Mommy, but we can't act rashly."

The other two nodded in agreement.