Chapter 817

Unbeknownst to the two adults, the children had gathered in a circle, watching Lucian. Since Archie and Benny accepted Lucian as their father, their affection for him grew daily. Seeing his seriousness, the children exchanged admiring glances, wondering if they would be as handsome and cool as their father when they grew up.

Archie and Benny then looked at Estella. They weren't sure if they were imagining it, but her profile strikingly resembled their mother.

For a while, the atmosphere was light and cheerful. Then, Roxanne's phone rang, breaking the silence. They all looked towards her.

Roxanne smiled apologetically at the children, but the caller ID caught her eye. "I wonder what Jack wants," she murmured. "I need to take this call," she told the children, glancing subconsciously at Lucian, who was still mixing batter, before heading to the living room.

The children watched Roxanne's departure warily, wondering who would call her on a weekend morning.

In the living room, Roxanne answered. "Mr. Damaris? What seems to be the matter?" The distance between rooms wasn't great, and Roxanne didn't lower her voice; everyone in the dining room heard her.

The children turned to Lucian, curious about his reaction. He stopped stirring, his brow furrowing slightly.

Jack's voice came from the phone. "Are you free today, Ms. Jarvis?"

Roxanne subconsciously looked towards the dining room. Realizing her thoughts, she frowned and asked, "Is it urgent? If so, I can make time."

"Actually, Grandpa hasn't seen you in a while. Regarding the previous issue, he wishes to apologize in person and visit your research institute. However, if you're busy, we can reschedule," Jack said calmly.

Hearing it was Hector, Roxanne readily agreed. "All right, then we'll meet at the institute shortly."

Jack hummed in agreement. After setting a time, they hung up.

Roxanne returned to the dining room. Looking apologetically at Estella, she said, "I'm sorry, Essie. I may need to go out for a short while."

Estella, having overheard the conversation, was still disappointed. A pout formed on her face. "Ms. Jarvis, aren't you going to eat the cake we made?" She'd worked hard all week so Roxanne could taste it.

Roxanne's heart sank at the little girl's disappointment, but she couldn't be late; Hector was waiting, too. She could only caress Estella's head apologetically. "I'll eat it when I get back, okay?"

Estella remained reluctant.

Archie and Benny, having met Jack before and knowing about Roxanne's previous outing with him, weren't pleased that he was taking up their mother's weekend.

"Mommy, the cake is halfway done. Why don't we finish baking first?" They surrounded Roxanne, their eyes pleading.