Chapter 260

By the time Lucian, Roxanne, and the children returned to their rooms, it was already nine o'clock at night. Archie and Benny were dripping with sweat from playing hide-and-seek.

Roxanne quickly ushered the boys into the bathroom to shower.

Their playful chatter drifted out from time to time. From where she sat on the bed, Estella stared at the bathroom door enviously.

"Ms. Jarvis always gave me a bath when I stayed at her house," she thought. "After Daddy brought me home, only Ms. Catalina gave me baths. Ms. Jarvis was so gentle, and her shampoo smelled so good!"

Meanwhile, Lucian stared at his daughter's expectant expression with conflicting emotions. Estella was far too dependent on Roxanne. Was it simply the powerful bond between a daughter and her mother? Amid his musings, Roxanne led the boys out of the bathroom. Their hair was still wet as they scuffled.

Roxanne grabbed a hairdryer. Suddenly, Lucian asked, "Roxanne, if it's not too much trouble, could you help Estella with her bath?"

Roxanne stiffened in surprise. Estella stared at her expectantly and pleaded, "Please, Ms. Jarvis!"

Lucian explained softly, "I'm a man, and it's not appropriate for me to bathe Estella. I hope you can do me this favor, Roxanne."

Roxanne's heart softened at Estella's expression, and she relented. Her gaze fell on her two sons and their dripping wet hair. "Give me a moment. Let me dry their hair." She switched on the hairdryer.

A large hand reached out and took the hairdryer from her. Roxanne looked up. Lucian had silently approached. "If you don't mind, Roxanne, I can help with that. Estella sweated a lot, and I'm worried she'll catch a cold if she doesn't bathe soon."

The boys fell silent when they realized Lucian was drying their hair. Benny looked at his fingers, avoiding his father's gaze. Archie sat stiffly, staring straight ahead.

Roxanne, relieved by their obedience, led Estella into the bathroom. Estella was thrilled to finally get her bath. Her antics reminded Roxanne of the baths she had given Estella during the girl's previous stay. She sighed, remembering why Lucian had taken Estella away—the unpleasant incident in the botanical garden. No matter how much Estella relied on her, the girl would eventually become Aubree's daughter. Roxanne couldn't allow Lucian to spend more time with her because of Estella.

After Estella's bath, Roxanne emerged to find Archie and Benny fiddling with a laptop, their hair dry. Leaving them to it, she blow-dried Estella's hair.

Lucian scrutinized Roxanne's somber expression. Evidently, she had no plans to talk to him. He frowned but didn't press her, standing quietly by the window. The atmosphere in the room grew tense.

Changes Made:

• Removed the unnecessary "Leaving The Country After Divorce" and repetitive chapter number.
• Corrected grammar and punctuation throughout.
• Replaced informal language ("alreadynine," "dripping in sweat") with more formal phrasing.
• Removed the extraneous website promotion.
• Improved sentence structure for clarity and flow.
• Corrected inconsistencies in character names (Ms. Jarvis vs. Roxanne).
• Removed unnecessary repetition and wordiness.
• Added quotation marks where needed for dialogue.
• Made the narrative more concise and engaging.

The revised passage is clearer, more grammatically correct, and reads more smoothly.