At the sight of Estella throwing herself into Lucian's arms, Roxanne stopped awkwardly, restraining the two boys running behind her. "Daddy!" Unaware of Roxanne's change in mood, Estella tugged ecstatically at Lucian's sleeve. "Let's play hide-and-seek before going home!"
Lowering his head to gaze at Estella, Lucian then shifted his attention to Roxanne, his expression inscrutable. When she met his gaze, Roxanne felt a sudden pang of guilt. She had just reprimanded the brothers for running wildly with Estella; now, she seemed to be doing the same.
After an awkward silence, Lucian remarked in a deep voice, "It's getting late. I'll be taking Essie home now." He turned to Estella. "We have to go now, but we'll come back tomorrow." Despite puffing out her cheeks in protest, Estella, recognizing her fun-filled evening, hesitantly took her father's hand.
Reaching the mansion's door, Estella turned and waved at Roxanne with a reluctant expression. "Bye, Ms. Jarvis. Bye, Archie, Benny." Roxanne returned the farewell. "See you tomorrow."
Suddenly, Lucian looked down at Estella and surprised everyone. "Let's go. We'll play hide-and-seek again with Ms. Jarvis tomorrow." Estella's smile was so radiant her eyes disappeared. Roxanne blushed faintly at the sound of his voice.
After watching his car depart, Roxanne led the boys back into the mansion. The next evening, she went to the kindergarten as promised. At the entrance, she saw the three children standing before Pippa. Unable to hear their conversation, she only saw Estella's gleeful laughter. Upon her arrival, the children turned, their faces alight with joy.
The heartwarming sight warmed Roxanne's heart. She hurried to them. "Mommy!" "Ms. Jarvis!" The children called out in squeaky voices. After affectionately patting their heads, Roxanne turned to Estella. "Essie, is your daddy not here yet?" Estella nodded; Lucian usually arrived later.
Roxanne smiled. "In that case, would you like to come home with me first?" Estella readily agreed, even reaching for Roxanne's sleeve. Roxanne took Estella's hand, bid goodbye to Pippa, and herded the children into her car.
As the children settled obediently into the backseat, it felt like a return to the time when Estella lived with them, the only difference being her ease of interaction, adding a new dynamism to their relationship. Their excited chatter filled the car. Roxanne smiled gently as she watched them through the rearview mirror. As she reached for her phone to call Lucian, it rang—it was him.
Roxanne answered. "Are you picking up Archie and Benny today? I'm tied up. If you can, please bring Essie to your place." Lucian's deep voice filled her ear. Though his words aligned with her intentions, she felt an indescribable sensation.