Hearing her sobs, Lucian glanced in their direction. Roxanne comfortingly patted Estella's back, but the girl's sobs only grew louder. Tossing the blanket aside, Estella sat up and threw herself into Roxanne's arms, her hands gripping Roxanne's top tightly as she cried. Gradually, she opened her eyes and stared intently at Roxanne's face. Her sobs subsided once she confirmed Roxanne's presence. By then, her cheeks were crimson from fever and tears. Roxanne's heart ached; the little girl reminded her of her own sons.
"Hush, Essie. I'm right here. Don't cry," Roxanne soothed, tenderly wiping away the tears.
Estella sniffled, tears still trickling down, but she refused to release her grip on Roxanne's top. The sweat from her palms drenched and crumpled Roxanne's blouse, yet Roxanne remained silent, patiently comforting her. Soon, Estella fell asleep, though she continued to sniffle even in her sleep. Roxanne gently wrapped her in the blanket, leaving only her hands exposed, still clutching Roxanne's top.
An unfathomable glint flashed in Lucian's eyes as he watched their intimate exchange. He remained silent.
Catalina, still worried, approached to check on them. Pleased to see Estella sound asleep in Roxanne's arms, she said, "Indeed, Ms. Estella sleeps soundly with you. Previously, when she was sick, she was a difficult child. No one could calm her, not even Mr. Farwell."
Roxanne's eyes widened in disbelief. What about Aubree? She's Essie's mother. Couldn't she calm Essie down? And why hasn't she shown up now that Essie is sick? Where is she? Doesn't she care about her daughter?
She was about to ask when Lucian spoke, "She'll probably wake up again tonight. Why don't you bring her to the guest room? You'll get some rest there, too."
Catalina added, "Yes, it's late. You came here with Mr. Farwell after work; you must be exhausted. You should head upstairs and rest with Ms. Estella."
Roxanne swallowed her question, her gaze hesitantly drifting toward the second floor. Past events flooded her mind, bitterness filling her heart. She shook her head. "No, thank you. I'll just rest here briefly. Essie only just fell asleep, and I don't want to wake her."
Lucian and Catalina ceased their attempts to persuade her. Catalina chatted briefly with Roxanne before leaving them alone.
The living room fell silent. Roxanne remained wary after Lucian's earlier remark about Archie and Benny's age, gazing at the sleeping girl and avoiding his gaze. Lucian remained silent for a long time, allowing her to gradually relax.
Her day had been busy. She had spent the afternoon treating Alfred, leaving her feeling quite drained. Estella's warm body and steady breathing lulled Roxanne into drowsiness. Despite her efforts to stay awake, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
The final sentence, "Search the FindNovel.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality," is not part of the narrative and has been removed.