Roxanne gave a noncommittal nod and led the boys to greet their teacher. Just before leaving, her gaze fell subconsciously on Estella. Seeing the three boys preparing to leave, Estella anxiously stood, staring intently at them. Worried she might fall, the teacher quickly steadied her. After a brief hesitation, Roxanne, concerned, inquired, "Is she—"

The boys immediately answered, "Mommy, she's a student here too. She's in our class. Her parents haven't picked her up yet, so she's waiting with us."

Roxanne nodded, her heart softening slightly at the sight of Estella. However, she didn't intend to stay; Lucian or Aubree would be picking Estella up soon, and she wanted to avoid them both. Estella, however, visibly didn't want her to go. Not wanting to disappoint her, Roxanne smiled and stroked Estella's head. "Your parents will be here soon. I need to go, so you must obey the teacher and wait with her, all right?"

Just as Roxanne was about to leave, Estella grabbed her sleeve. Halted, Roxanne looked down to see Estella shaking her head, her eyes slightly reddened. Estella's distress weighed heavily on Roxanne, preventing her from leaving.

Seeing Estella's refusal to let Roxanne go, the teacher sighed and approached. "Estella has become very close to Archie and Benny. Because of her autism, few students play with her. But the brothers protected her from the first day, and she's become dependent on them. She's probably scared they're leaving."

Hearing this, Roxanne's discomfort intensified. The little girl was mute and autistic. No wonder the teacher had let the boys wait. Unfortunately, the prospect of encountering Lucian and Aubree made her hesitant to stay.

Despite the teacher's encouragement, Estella wouldn't let Roxanne go. After a while, the teacher said, "Ms. Jarvis, are you in a rush? If not, perhaps we could chat? I haven't had a chance to discuss Archie and Benny's progress with you since they started school."

Roxanne realized the teacher was using the boys' progress as a pretext to keep her with Estella. Estella, too, looked at her hopefully. Roxanne, about to refuse, couldn't bring herself to do so. She swallowed her words and nodded.

Estella's eyes glistened; she discreetly leaned against Roxanne, holding her sleeve. From a distance, it looked as if she were in Roxanne's arms. Sensing the movement, Roxanne neither stopped her nor acknowledged it. Instead, she discussed the boys' progress with the teacher, as if unaware.