Chapter 959: Spending the Night Outside

Estella looked up at Roxanne, her expression hopeful. Roxanne's gaze flickered; only after securing Lucian's promise did she quell her worry.

"Got it. I'll take good care of Essie for the next few days."

Lucian nodded curtly before departing. Roxanne watched his car disappear, then brought Archie, Benny, and Estella into the mansion. The three children were ravenous, their stomachs rumbling. Roxanne quickly prepared breakfast.

Afterward, she sent the children to play, then went to her study. She couldn't ignore the person who had exposed the children to the bacteria. Worse, Lucian had left Estella in her care. She needed to find the culprit swiftly to eliminate any further danger.

She knew not every research institute could produce that specific bacteria. In Horington, only a handful possessed the capability. She focused her investigation on those few institutes, contacting acquaintances to inquire about recent developments and the bacteria's use. She supplemented her calls with online research.

Her inquiries yielded consistent results: the bacteria hadn't left the institutes. Roxanne's gaze fell upon the remaining institutes—those she didn't have contacts within. Investigating them would require more effort.

As she pondered her approach, the doorbell rang. Disturbed, she went downstairs to answer.

Madilyn stood at the door, looking weary, though she quickly masked it upon seeing Roxanne and the children. She frowned, scrutinizing them.

"Aunt Madilyn!" Archie and Benny, overjoyed to see her, rushed to embrace her. Madilyn readily gathered them close, carefully checking them over before relaxing.

"Why are you here?" Roxanne asked, puzzled. Madilyn usually worked late; she should be sleeping.

Madilyn straightened. "Your call yesterday was abrupt, and you didn't come home all night. I was worried something had happened to you and the boys. I barely slept." She had checked on them after work yesterday, but they weren't home by nine o'clock. Unable to reach Roxanne by phone, and unsure where they'd gone, she'd been consumed by anxiety all night, catching only a few hours of sleep before coming to check.

Relieved to see they were unharmed, Roxanne apologized. "My phone died last night."

Madilyn sighed. "What matters is you're all okay." She eyed Roxanne skeptically. "Why did you spend the night outside? Wasn't it supposed to be a day trip?"