Chapter 257: Leaving the Country After Divorce
Roxanne planned to leave after dinner, but the three children stopped dead in their tracks as they exited the restaurant, captivated by the view. She followed their gaze.
The restaurant was situated in a botanical garden atop a mountain. Few man-made structures or artificial lights were present. The full moon provided the primary illumination. Filtered through the trees, the moonlight was soft and hazy, casting an attractive glow on the plants. Many adults strolled through the garden with their children.
Benny tugged at Roxanne's hand. "Let's walk through the garden too, Mommy!" he pleaded. Roxanne rarely had time for leisurely strolls. The lovely scenery was irresistible. She said to Lucian, "I'm taking the kids for a walk in the garden. Why don't you take Essie home, Mr. Farwell?" She tried to release Estella's hand, letting her go with Lucian, but the girl refused to let go. Roxanne had no choice but to bring her along.
They wandered to a deserted part of the garden. Benny, surveying the tall trees, exclaimed, "Mommy, let's play hide-and-seek!" Roxanne smiled and agreed. "All right, but don't run too far away. It's not safe." The children nodded obediently.
Roxanne intended to search with Estella, but the young girl seemed eager to hide. No one had ever played hide-and-seek with Estella before, and her eyes widened expectantly as the boys suggested the game. Roxanne reminded Archie and Benny to take care of Estella before closing her eyes and letting them hide.
"Are you ready? I'm going to look for you!" she called after giving them a few seconds. Her words were barely out when Estella's childish voice piped up from behind a tree, "Ready!"
Roxanne laughed. Although Estella had given away their hiding place, Roxanne pretended not to notice and feigned a thorough search.
Suddenly, a woman's voice rang out beside her. [The sentence about finding novels online is removed as it is irrelevant to the story.]
"You must be Archie's mother, yes?"
Roxanne looked up to see a lavishly dressed woman holding a young girl's hand. The woman smiled slyly. Sensing unkindness, Roxanne concealed her apprehension. "I am. And you are?"
The woman gave her a disdainful glare. "My identity doesn't matter. I'm here to remind you of something, Ms. Jarvis. I hope you don't take my advice lightly." Roxanne frowned.
The woman continued, "Essie has always been the apple of Mr. Farwell's eye. He only holds you in higher regard because of his daughter's friendship with you and your sons. This is an honor for your family." Her tone turned icy. "Ms. Jarvis, I hope you're mindful of your situation. Don't assume you have a chance with Mr. Farwell because of your children's friendship. He only interacts with you for his daughter's sake. Don't even think about trying to weasel your way into the Farwell family."
Roxanne's head pounded. She knew running into Lucian here would attract unpleasant comments, but she didn't expect it so soon.
"You must be mistaken" Roxanne began to explain, but the woman cut her off disgustedly.
"Mistaken? Everyone knows how much time you're spending with Mr. Farwell these days. Know your place, Ms. Jarvis! Mr. Farwell's fiancée is Ms. Pearson, and their relationship is stronger than ever. I hope you don't humiliate yourself in this hopeless scheme to win Mr.…" [The passage cuts off here.]