Chapter 771: I'm Sorry

Shortly after, Archie's arm also began to itch. Archie and Benny stared blankly at Roxanne, bewildered by what had happened.

A flicker of self-recrimination crossed Roxanne's eyes as she realized they were both infected. If only she had closed the door sooner; she could have noticed their entry and prevented them from approaching. Then, they wouldn't have become infected.

"It's so itchy, Mommy," Benny whined, his brow furrowed as he reached to scratch.

"Don't touch it!" Roxanne immediately commanded.

As she spoke, Lucian stepped forward, taking Archie and Benny's hands to stop them from scratching. He hadn't dared touch them earlier, fearing he was already infected. Now that they were also infected, that concern was alleviated.

Meanwhile, Estella, already experiencing the effects, refrained from scratching and looked at Archie and Benny apologetically. "I'm sorry. This is all my fault..."

Hearing this, Archie and Benny, despite the intense itching, comforted her. "We asked for it. It's not your fault."

Then, realizing Estella had endured this for an unknown time, they sobered, gritting their teeth. "Let go of us, Mr. Farwell," they told Lucian. "We won't scratch!"

"Since Essie can endure it, so can we! We need to be good role models for her!"

Lucian eyed them skeptically, only releasing his grip when convinced they weren't lying. Archie and Benny remained steadfast, avoiding the red spots on their bodies.

"Ms. Jarvis..." Estella whispered, unexpectedly.

Roxanne's heart leaped. She removed her hand from Estella's wrist and touched the girl's face. Earlier, the red spots hadn't reached her face. Now, her entire face was flushed red. With a single touch, Roxanne felt Estella's slight fever. Her heart sank.

"What's wrong?" Lucian asked, his brow furrowed, his expression darkening.

Shaking her head, Roxanne murmured, "I'm stepping out to make a call." She then instructed the children, "I'm going out for a while. Don't touch the red spots."

The children nodded obediently. Roxanne left the room.

Lucian, his brows drawn together, touched Estella's forehead, confirming her fever. He initially wanted to follow Roxanne to inquire about her condition, but realizing someone needed to stay with the children, he abandoned that plan.

At the door, Roxanne rolled up her sleeves, revealing red spots on her arm. Adults, she reasoned, had stronger resistance than children. That explained why Archie and Benny reacted immediately upon touching Estella, while she and Lucian were infected more slowly.

If her assessment was correct, Estella's symptoms indicated an allergic reaction to a bacterial infection. The symptoms would worsen over time. She and Lucian would likely be fine, but the children would suffer considerably. Worse, Estella was already experiencing secondary symptoms.

Thinking of the children, Roxanne didn't hesitate. She immediately called Colby. She expected to wait, given the late hour, but Colby answered almost instantly.