Chapter 354: Get Roxanne Out of Horington

Estella lowered her eyes at her father's silence. After a moment, she looked up at Lucian with pleading eyes. "Daddy, can I play with Ms. Jarvis when I grow up?"

Lucian was stunned. Estella's youthfulness belied her forward-thinking. Roxanne's promise meant she planned to leave the country and cease contact with Estella.

A wave of irony washed over him. He wondered how Roxanne would react to abandoning Estella again, echoing her actions when the girl was a baby.

Estella, however, seemed resolute. "Ms. Jarvis said I can play with her when I'm older, so I'll grow up faster," she declared seriously.

Lucian suspected Roxanne had coached Estella. He recalled her unusual behavior at dinner—eating more than usual and initiating conversations. It seemed she was trying to hasten her recovery, spurred by Roxanne's words. He wondered about Roxanne's awareness of her influence on Estella.

Estella murmured, then lowered her eyes in despair. "I wish Ms. Jarvis would stay Even though she said we can play overseas when I'm older, it'll be a long time. I want to see her every day."

Lucian's face hardened at her sadness. "Daddy will find a way," he promised deeply. His strained relationship with Roxanne wouldn't deter him. He wouldn't let her escape, not after six years of searching and considering her Estella's mother.

Estella's hope was rekindled; she nodded firmly.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, Aubree waited in vain for Lucian's work shift to end. Instead, she received a call from a subordinate. "Ms. Pearson, Estella went to see Roxanne with her teacher. She stayed until four o'clock, then Roxanne sent her home."

Aubree's face darkened. "And Lucian? Did you see him?" Her suffering had been for naught if Lucian and Roxanne found time together. She had deliberately emphasized Lucian's importance during Roxanne's last hospital visit. If Lucian had seen Roxanne today, her efforts were wasted. "Mr. Farwell didn't appear, but he returned home with a man shortly after Estella. Mr. Farwell seemed anxious; Estella appeared distressed," the subordinate reported quickly.

Aubree breathed a sigh of relief. "Keep watching Roxanne," she instructed, ending the call.

Aubree assumed Lucian had stayed home with Estella. She lay down, plotting against Roxanne. Her plan had limited Lucian's contact with Roxanne, but not Estella's. Unless she acted, a reunion was inevitable. Her only option: get Roxanne out of Horington.

The final sentence was altered to better reflect the context and tone of the passage. The gratuitous website plug was also removed. The language was refined for clarity and flow.