The two children waited for Roxanne. When she arrived home that night, they ran to her, their faces cautiously studying hers.

"What's the matter?" Roxanne asked, frowning in confusion.

Benny exchanged a glance with Archie before asking in his sweet voice, "Are you unhappy, Mommy?"

Roxanne felt confused. "What makes you say that?"

"You asked to change teams at school, but it didn't happen…" Benny replied nervously, his lips pursed.

Roxanne felt a little stressed, remembering the upcoming stage play. "I'm not upset, Benny. Now, be a good boy and get ready for dinner."

Still worried, the children waited until she'd removed her coat before sitting at the dining table. When Roxanne returned from washing her hands, she found a mountain of food on her plate. Archie and Benny continued piling food onto it, like diligent ants feeding their queen.

"All right, that's enough," she said with a chuckle, stepping forward to stop them. "I'm not angry. I just feel bad for Essie."

Seeing their unconvinced expressions, Roxanne offered a reassuring smile and pushed some food back. "I can't eat all this myself, you know?"

The children stopped, but still glanced at her worriedly. Roxanne hadn't only failed to change teams; Pippa had also refused to alter the play's plot. The children knew how much Roxanne wanted to avoid Lucian, and worried she'd only agreed to participate for their sake. They'd spent the entire day blaming themselves.

Oblivious to their anxieties, Roxanne enjoyed dinner with them. Afterward, she was about to take them for a walk when her phone rang. Benny quickly retrieved it, but his expression changed upon seeing the caller ID.

Roxanne was puzzled by his sudden shift in demeanor. Only when she saw Lucian's name did she understand. Why would Lucian be calling at this hour?

Hesitantly, she answered. "What is it, Mr. Farwell?"

Lucian's deep voice filled the line. "The stage play is next week. When do you plan to rehearse, Ms. Jarvis?"

Roxanne's heart sank. Oh, right, I forgot about rehearsals. This means more time with Lucian…

"This is our children's first stage play, Ms. Jarvis. I'm sure you want it to be smooth," Lucian pressed.

Roxanne couldn't deny this. "When would you like to rehearse, Mr. Farwell? You're much busier than I am, so I'll accommodate your schedule," she said after a pause.

"Tomorrow after school. At your place, if you don't mind," Lucian replied, adding, "It will be late, so I want to save you the rush home."

Since there's no escaping rehearsal, the location doesn't matter. Roxanne agreed.