Roxanne was about to tell Lucian she could climb up when he hugged her tighter.

"Don't move," he said, his voice hoarse. "Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to climb up."

A strange emotion surged through Roxanne as she listened. She stayed still, allowing him to carry her from the hole.

She broke away from his embrace immediately after they escaped.

"Mrs.—Ms. Jarvis," Cayden said wistfully, "you are so kind to Ms. Estella."

He had been shocked to see Roxanne hugging Estella at the bottom of the pit. He was already surprised she'd ventured deep into the forest at night to search for Estella. Unexpectedly, she'd found Estella before them. If not for Roxanne, they wouldn't have known how long the search would take.

Roxanne smiled, pursing her lips. "This was my obligation."

Lucian gazed at her. "It's not your fault," he said.

Roxanne was momentarily dazed before understanding his words. Realizing he was comforting her, she didn't know how to react.

"Essie ran off in anger after arguing with Aubree," Lucian explained somberly. "I'm to blame. Essie is willful. I didn't stop Aubree in time or properly care for Essie." Roxanne felt less guilty. She pursed her lips and thanked him. "Thank you."

Lucian bent to pick up the torch. "I should thank you," he said seriously. "Thank you for finding Essie."

If Roxanne hadn't found Estella, they might never have discovered the pit. They'd walked in that direction only because they'd noticed the light from Roxanne's torch.

Roxanne glanced at Estella, resting in Cayden's arms. "I wonder how Essie is," she said. "She was down there so long. She must be terrified. She was crying uncontrollably." The memory of Estella's cries ached in Roxanne's heart.

Lucian was also downcast. "We can only check on her when we get back."

Holding Estella, Cayden said sympathetically, "Ms. Estella doesn't seem to have any serious external injuries. I'm just afraid that…"

Estella suffered from a psychological illness. Cayden feared this incident would traumatize her and worsen her condition.

Lucian and Roxanne understood. Their faces darkened.

The journey back was silent, a heavy atmosphere hanging in the air.

After arriving at the hotel, Lucian posted about finding Estella on their WhatsApp group before contacting his mother. He instructed Cayden to handle the checkout while he took Estella, Roxanne, Archie, and Benny back to the city and the hospital.

In the car, Archie and Benny eyed Estella worriedly. "Mommy, will Essie be okay?"

Roxanne patted their heads. "She'll be fine. Don't worry."

Archie and Benny looked up, their hearts aching. "Mommy, you're losing your voice."

She smiled, saying nothing. Roxanne didn't care about her voice; she'd found Estella.

In the passenger seat, Lucian gazed intently at Roxanne and Estella through the rearview mirror, his expression unreadable.

The car stopped outside the hospital. Cayden got out, took Estella from Roxanne, and hurried inside.