Lucian was taken aback by the two little boys' angry reaction and furrowed his brows. They outright reprimanded him, yet he felt sorry for Archie and Benny, even overwhelmed by a pang of guilt.
Roxanne, carrying Estella, was dumbfounded by her sons' words. She, too, felt a sharp pang of pain. Thank God they didn't know the man before them was their biological father; they might have been even more upset.
After a moment of silence, Lucian looked away apologetically. "I'm sorry, but I don't see you two as bad guys. I just think it's inappropriate for your mother to be in contact with her ex-husband. Your father might be upset if he finds out."
Roxanne and the boys froze.
Archie and Benny exchanged glances. "Oh, right! Daddy doesn't know about him yet!"
Benny blurted out, "It's okay! We don't have a daddy!"
Roxanne was nonplussed by her sons' remarks. She tried to stop Benny, but it was too late. She could only anxiously await Lucian's response.
His eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What do you mean you don't have a daddy? Where is he?"
Benny explained, "Daddy didn't want us anymore. He abandoned Mommy, and he didn't like us. We grew up with Mommy, so we've never seen our father."
Lucian frowned, gazing into Roxanne's eyes, his expression complex. So, this woman had raised these two children alone? He couldn't imagine the hardship. And she had such an impressive rรฉsumรฉ from her time abroad. How had she juggled work and children? How could that man abandon them?
Roxanne saw his emotional turmoil and anticipated his next words. Before he could speak, she closed her eyes briefly, concealing her emotions, and said nonchalantly, "Alright, Estella's stopped crying, so it's time for you to go home. I need to get to work."
She released Estella, gently stroking her head. "Go home with your daddy. You can visit Archie and Benny again soon."
Pleased, the tearful Estella smiled and nodded, returning to her father.
Lucian's eyes darkened momentarily. He decided not to press further, seeing Roxanne didn't want to continue the conversation. As Estella walked toward him, he quietly rubbed her head and softened his voice. "Say goodbye to Ms. Jarvis."
Estella waved goodbye. Roxanne and the boys waved back.
Lucian nodded to Roxanne. "We're going now."
Before Roxanne could respond, Lucian took Estella's hand, turned, and left.