It was late when Lucian returned to the Farwell residence. Estella had fallen asleep hours ago. Lucian's heart ached; Roxanne hadn't mentioned Estella. He went upstairs to his daughter's room.

The little girl slept serenely, lying on her side, half her face covered by the blanket. Lucian's gaze softened. He patted her head, tucked her in, and started to leave.

Just as he reached the door, he heard a sound—Estella sobbing. He turned back to her bedside. Gently pulling away the blanket, he saw her brows furrowed, eyes closed, tears staining her eyelashes. He wondered what nightmare she was having.

Sorrow filled him. He raised his hand to wipe her tears, but she murmured in her sleep, "Ms. Jarvis... Don't go, Ms. Jarvis..."

Lucian frowned. For days, he'd left after coaxing her to sleep, only glancing to see if she'd kicked off her blanket. How many times had Estella experienced similar dreams, unbeknownst to him? She missed Roxanne so much, yet Roxanne remained unmoved, even knowing Estella's distress. The thought chilled him.

Estella seemed frightened by his presence, suddenly bawling. He carefully scooped her up, still wrapped in her blanket, and awkwardly patted her back. "It's alright, Essie. Daddy is here."

But Estella continued to cry. "No. Don't go. Boohoo..." Lucian's frown deepened. How could he not have heard her crying so loudly?

Just as he berated himself for his inattentiveness, Estella woke. She groggily hugged his neck, her tears soaking his clothes. He didn't mind. "Don't cry, Essie. Daddy is here. Tell me, what did you dream about?"

Still disoriented, she whimpered Roxanne, Archie, and Benny's names. She'd dreamt of their departure.

Lucian couldn't press her further. He held her close. After a while, she was fully awake. She pushed herself away, her tiny arms on his shoulder. He wiped her tears. "Did you dream of Ms. Jarvis?"

She nodded sadly. She'd dreamt of Roxanne, Archie, and Benny boarding a plane. She'd called to them, but they ignored her, and she'd tripped while chasing after them. The memory brought fresh tears.

"Be good. Ms. Jarvis hasn't left. I just saw her." Lucian fought back his dissatisfaction with Roxanne, tenderly comforting his daughter.

Estella leaned closer doubtfully, sniffing. Her face relaxed as she caught a whiff of Roxanne's scent on Lucian.

He asked, "Do you have this dream every night, Essie?"

She shook her head.