When Roxanne saw the girl's persistence, she agreed to play a game with the children. "I'm done!" Estella announced, having found a hiding spot. Even after several rounds with Archie and Benny, she still shouted loudly upon completing her hiding. Roxanne couldn't help but laugh.
Right after Estella shouted, Roxanne heard Archie and Benny's soft giggles from another corner. "I'm coming," she exclaimed, shaking her head, and walked toward them. The boys felt proud of their seemingly strategic hiding place, even planning to make it harder for Roxanne to find them. But as they crawled out, they bumped into her. Looking up, they saw her smug smile. "Mommy, please give us another chance," they mumbled. Roxanne's brows furrowed. "No. You guys have to find Estella with me." Having no other option, the boys tried to recall where Estella's voice had come from.
The girl, having learned from previous rounds, peeked out occasionally to check her surroundings. Seeing Roxanne and the boys approaching, she tried to escape, but it was too late; Archie and Benny had already spotted her. "Mommy, we found her!" they screamed excitedly, chasing after her. Roxanne hurried after them, worried Estella would fall. Seeing she was about to be caught, Estella sprinted toward the couch, pursued by Archie and Benny.
"Slow down!" Roxanne shouted. Archie and Benny slowed, but Estella didn't. She continued running, tripping over the couch leg and falling toward the coffee table. "Watch out!" Roxanne's heart clenched as she dashed forward, hoping to break Estella's fall.
Estella, horrified, realized she couldn't stop. Suddenly, a strong arm appeared, blocking the sharp edge of the coffee table just as Roxanne caught Estella's forehead. Despite this, Estella still bumped into the table. Though Lucian and Roxanne prevented the worst, the impact was painful. Estella was stunned for a moment before looking up.
Lucian's palm covered the table's edge, Roxanne's hand on his, supporting Estella's forehead. A frown creased Lucian's face. "Are you all right?" he asked anxiously. Moments before, he'd been working when he heard Roxanne's scream. Looking up, he saw Estella falling and swiftly intervened.
It took Estella a few seconds to recover. "I'm fine," she replied softly. Lucian sighed in relief. "Good. Get up, then." Hearing this, Archie and Benny hurried to help, relieving the pressure on Lucian and Roxanne's hands.