Chapter 127: Abandoning Mommy and Bullying Us

Roxanne nodded and led Lucian upstairs. Estella was already asleep, and the room was lit only by a night-light. Roxanne moved carefully to avoid waking her.

Lucian stood by the door, hands in his pockets, his gaze shifting between Estella and the room's decorations. The room was neat and tidy; the dolls Roxanne's children had brought added a warm, homely touch. The sight of the peaceful room dispelled Lucian's anger, replacing it with warmth.

After applying ointment to Estella, Roxanne checked to make sure she was still asleep before standing. "It's done," she said.

Their eyes met as she turned, and they held each other's gaze for a few seconds. Lucian finally nodded. "Thanks," he said.

Roxanne closed the door and walked him downstairs. After briefly summarizing Estella's condition, she noticed the late hour. "It's getting late. You should go home and rest. Don't worry; I'll take good care of Essie."

Lucian nodded and rose from the couch. "I've spoken to the kindergarten. If you don't mind what happened before, you can let Archie and Benny continue attending."

Roxanne readily agreed. "I will. I think Essie should go there too, to be with the other children. It might help her." She anxiously awaited his response, as his permission was needed.

Expecting at least a question, Roxanne was surprised by his silence. After a few seconds, he said, "Okay, do as you wish. No need to tell me."

As Estella's mother, Roxanne had the right to make such decisions. Huh? Is he trusting me too much? Or maybe it's because he loves Essie so much. He knows she likes me, so he's entrusting her to me. Roxanne nodded. "Okay."

Lucian said nothing more and left.

The next morning, Roxanne woke the children early and prepared them for kindergarten. As they were leaving the mansion, they saw Lucian at the door.

"Please let me help take the children to school. It's the least I can do after entrusting Essie to your care."

Roxanne, Archie, and Benny froze. The boys looked to Roxanne for her answer.

Roxanne glanced at Estella, who was clinging to her shirt. After a moment's hesitation, she accepted his offer.

The four of them got into the car, sitting as they had the night before. While Lucian drove, Archie stole conflicted glances at him. He felt he should hate Lucian for abandoning Roxanne and bullying them, but he couldn't bring himself to do so.

Roxanne was the only one who spoke to Estella during the drive. The others remained silent.

(The final promotional sentence has been removed as it's irrelevant to the text cleanup.)