Chapter 1238

Roxanne's eyes welled with helplessness as she watched Lucian's departing figure. Meanwhile, the three children, playing happily outside, saw Lucian emerge, a scowl etching his face. Their smiles instantly vanished.

"Daddy…" Estella cautiously grasped his sleeve. "Did you argue with Ms. Jarvis again?" She dreaded another rift between her parents. Archie and Benny mirrored her concern.

Lucian, aware of his glowering expression, quickly composed himself, tousling their hair. "It's nothing. We just have differing opinions on work." His words, echoing Roxanne's frequent excuse, only deepened their suspicions.

Cognizant of their anxieties, Lucian reassured them, "I'll see you again tomorrow," a promise of his return. Only then did their worry ease as they bid him farewell.

Over the next few days, Lucian dined at Roxanne's house, ostensibly to visit Estella. Whenever Roxanne attempted to refuse, he claimed urgent investigative updates, leaving her no choice but to comply. During this time, Estella remained at home, entirely forgetting about the new kindergarten.

Pamela, still guilt-ridden over the bullying incident, hesitated to contact Lucian about Estella's absence. Instead, she contacted Aubree.

"Ms. Pearson, hasn't Essie been feeling well these last few days?"

Aubree was taken aback. "What? Why do you ask?" A flicker of hope ignited within her. If Estella were ill, she could use a visit as a pretext to approach Lucian.

Pamela, however, was uncertain. "She hasn't been to school recently, so I assumed she was sick. Isn't she?"

Aubree's face darkened. For days, she'd plotted to separate Roxanne and Lucian, but her attempts to contact him had been rebuffed. She hadn't known about Estella's absence. Lucian's previous actions—sending Estella to the new kindergarten—had seemed a declaration of his separation from Roxanne. Estella's absence now suggested a change of heart, filling Aubree with frustration.

Pamela, receiving no immediate response, cautiously called out, "Ms. Pearson?"

Aubree, regaining her composure, forcibly suppressed her anger, though a scowl remained. "Essie's been under the weather. I'm sorry I neglected to inform you."

Pamela didn't dwell on it. "Oh, that's a relief. I thought—" She chuckled awkwardly, correcting herself. "Well, she should take her time recovering at home. No rush to return to school."

Aubree, grunting in acknowledgement, abruptly ended the call, fearing a loss of control if the conversation continued. The image of Estella's tearful reunion with Roxanne lingered in her mind. Roxanne, she concluded, was the reason the child hadn't attended school.