Ch. 1271..1280
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1271--Since Colby had been arrested, the research institute would end up without a leader at the helm if Roxanne were to leave.
Thus, she could only stay for the time being and seek out another trustworthy researcher. She told him about the subsequent project arrangements and had him take Colby’s place temporarily.
Worried, Lucian kept watch beside her.
By the time Roxanne was done giving her instructions, it was already evening, time for everyone to get off work.
Getting to her feet, she left with Lucian.
No sooner had they reached the entrance of the research institute than a Rolls-Royce suddenly screeched to a stop before them with great fanfare.
Roxanne found the car in front of her a tad familiar, but she couldn’t remember whose vehicle it was at that very moment.
Before she could figure out the answer, the driver’s door had already swung open. Jack alighted from the car with a concerned expression on his face.
“Mr. Damaris?”
At the sight of him, a myriad of emotions brewed within Roxanne.
Prior to Colby’s detention, she had little trust in Jack. Therefore, she hadn’t contacted him recently.
Seeing him right then, she felt both apologetic and surprised.
Beside her, Lucian expressionlessly inclined his head at Jack in greeting.
On the contrary, Jack grinned at the man amicably. “Thank you for intervening in this matter and clearing up my name, Mr. Farwell!”
When Lucian heard that, his expression darkened a shade.
Meanwhile, puzzlement inundated Roxanne. “You already know about it?”
How did he catch wind of it so fast? It’s only been half a day since Colby was taken into custody.
In response, Jack chortled. “Don’t forget that your research institute is pretty well-known in Horington. Furthermore, it has a collaboration with Damaris Group. After the arrest in the morning, news of it circulated in the afternoon.”
After saying that, he pinned a meaningful look on Lucian before adding, “Of course, someone in particular also played a pivotal role in that.”
Following his gaze, Roxanne looked at the man beside her. Surprise showed in her eyes.
He has been with me all this time, yet I have no inkling when he spread the news!
“Anyway, I’m really curious about one thing. How did you manage to catch him, Mr. Farwell?” Jack asked sincerely.
Ever since the day Roxanne was poisoned, he had harbored suspicions against Colby.
Alas, there was no substantial evidence. He wanted to seek Roxanne out for help, but Lucian stood in his way.
Lucian suspected him to a great extent, so there was no way the former would lend him a hand.
As such, he could only investigate by himself. Regretfully, he didn’t find any evidence even after delving into the incident for days.
In the face of Jack’s question, Lucian acted as though he didn’t hear it, saying nary a word.
At the side, Roxanne sensed that the atmosphere between them was somewhat tense, so she interjected with the narration of events that morning.
Jack quirked a brow after hearing about Lucian’s tactic. “I didn’t expect you to be so ingenious, Mr. Farwell. On top of that, it sounds as though it didn’t require much effort. I’m truly impressed!”
Despite the compliment, there wasn’t a hint of admiration in Jack’s eyes.
Discerning the implication behind his remark, Roxanne threw Lucian a look in exasperation.
Upon noticing that he had no intention of speaking, she had no choice but to apologize on his behalf. “Sorry for misunderstanding you previously. Please don’t take any offense, Mr. Damaris.”
Jack cast Lucian an unfathomable glance before turning his gaze back to her. “It’s only natural that you suspected me. After all, Dr. Galloway and I were the only ones around you back then. But I never expected you to stop contacting me for such a long time, Ms. Jarvis. I was exceedingly worried about your condition.”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1272--Following Jack’s words, even greater guilt swamped Roxanne.
“I’m sorry. I’ve been so busy investigating the incident that day that I forgot to contact you.”
Biting the bullet, she apologized to the man.
Fortunately, Jack didn’t continue pursuing the matter. He merely looked her up and down with a smile, seemingly to ascertain that she had recovered.
“I’ve recovered fully now. Sorry for worrying you these past few days, Mr. Damaris,” Roxanne murmured.
“I’m glad to hear that. I went to the hospital to visit you the night you passed out, but Mr. Farwell said I’d disrupt your rest and didn’t allow me in,” Jack commented in what appeared to be an offhanded manner.
Hearing that, Roxanne turned to the man beside her.
Lucian met her gaze calmly. “I told you about it. It was indeed late at that time. Mr. Damaris must have had the same concerns as me, for he didn’t insist on going in.”
That was to say, he had already told Roxanne about the matter.
Jack’s expression changed drastically.
Considering his personality, I thought he wouldn’t tell her that I’d been over to visit her. Unexpectedly, he’d informed her about it. Moreover… her reaction isn’t what I’d anticipated.
He studied Roxanne’s expression, but there was nothing else other than contrition toward him.
There wasn’t a hint of censure toward Lucian.
At that, he retracted his gaze in slight chagrin, only to collide with Lucian’s scrutinizing look.
As their eyes held, the tension between them grew by leaps and bounds.
Perceptively sensing something off with the atmosphere between them, Roxanne furtively tugged at the hem of Lucian’s shirt, signaling for him to put his hostility away.
When all was said and done, Jack didn’t do anything wrong. They were the ones who misunderstood him in the first place.
“I was discharged from the hospital the next morning, and Mr. Farwell told me about it. Thank you for giving me first-aid treatment at the research institute, Mr. Damaris. Otherwise, I might not have recovered so quickly. I apologize for not contacting you timely after being discharged.”
She gazed at the man in front of her with all the sincerity in the world while putting in a good word for Lucian surreptitiously, hoping that the tension between them would ease.
Regretfully, neither of them seemed to appreciate it.
Lucian snorted disdainfully.
Jack, on the other hand, glanced at Lucian before shifting his gaze to Roxanne with helplessness written all over his face. “It looks like Mr. Farwell still has some misunderstanding toward me.”
Roxanne’s brows knitted together imperceptibly, and she threw a look at the man beside her, wishing that he would say something.
After all, Jack was a crucial collaboration partner at the current stage. Hence, she would inevitably have to face him on a daily basis in the near future.
If she were to really get together with Lucian, the man would need to try accepting this collaboration partner of hers.
She didn’t want her work to be affected again because of his jealousy after they had made their relationship official.
Sensing her gaze on him, Lucian merely spared Jack an indifferent look.
At his attitude, a pounding headache assailed Roxanne.
Oh God, I can already foresee their interaction in the future!
“I came over to inquire about Dr. Galloway’s matter and ascertain your recovery. Now that things have been made clear, I won’t tarry any further. I’ve still got something to handle at Damaris Group, so I’ll be leaving first.”
Subsequently, Jack excused himself.
Jolted out of her thoughts, Roxanne nodded smilingly. “See you, Mr. Damaris. I can continue doing research in two days. I’ll contact you then.”
Jack acquiesced noncommittally before speeding away.
Roxanne watched as his car disappeared from her line of sight before turning to the man beside her with exasperation etched across her features.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1273--Mild disgruntlement stained Lucian’s face. “Why did he come?”
“The experiment Dr. Galloway tampered with was under Damaris Group’s project. Naturally, Mr. Damaris needed to come over and check on the situation,” Roxanne explained patiently.
Right after saying that, she frowned and chided, “Your attitude was horrible. Not only did you misunderstand him for such a long time previously, but you were even hostile with him earlier. Shouldn’t you have apologized to him?”
Lucian’s expression darkened frightfully, but in her presence, he still kept a leash on his temper. “That’s impossible.”
Jack must have some other motive to have come over. It was certainly not as simple as checking on the situation. It’d be more apt to say that he came to provoke me!
Roxanne was entirely oblivious to the silent battle that had ensued between the two men’s gazes earlier. Consequently, she found his resolute refusal pretty unreasonable.
“Where exactly did your hostility toward Mr. Damaris come from? Back at the hospital, it was because you suspected him of being the culprit who tampered with the experiment. But now, it has been proven that the matter had nothing to do with him. In fact, he was also a victim. Why do you still have such prejudice toward him now?”
When she had finished saying that, something abruptly occurred to her, and she added, “Even if you were rivals with him in the past, it has all ended now. That aside, you won. Why—”
Without waiting for her to complete her sentence, Lucian interrupted with a frown, “It has nothing to do with that matter.”
Words eluded Roxanne, and she was wholly perplexed.
She racked her brain relentlessly, but there seemed to be only one possible answer.
Could it be that… he’s still jealous?
At that thought, she eyed the grim-faced man beside her in disbelief.
Lucian’s brows were scrunched together deeply, and he didn’t appear inclined to explain things.
“You think that Mr. Damaris has feelings for me?” Roxanne ventured.
Lucian met her gaze without answering that, but the look in his eyes affirmed her conjecture.
Unbidden, panic flooded Roxanne. “How could that be? Mr. Damaris and I are only collaboration partners. If he truly has designs on me—”
“Didn’t you fail to perceive Colby’s interest in you?” Lucian was displeased by her adamant defense of Jack.
Speaking of that, Roxanne couldn’t help feeling guilty.
Indeed, it’d never crossed my mind at first that Colby would have romantic feelings toward me. But Jack… Well, I can’t think of any reason he’d take a fancy to me.
Glimpsing her skepticism, Lucian elaborated solemnly, “He treated you to meals and even gave you flowers. Additionally, he tried to win Archie and Benny over.”
He methodically recounted everything Jack had done.
All that left Roxanne without a retort.
Indeed, Jack did all that. But then, they can be justified.
Still, she tried to convince herself otherwise.
Unfortunately, Lucian gave her no chance of doing so, continuing, “If I remember correctly, you accepted all the flowers he gave you.”
When his words drifted into Roxanne’s ears, she hadn’t yet dispelled all her doubts. A sense of guilt inexplicably rose within her.
Lucian didn’t stop there, his voice persisting. “Contrarily, you were exceedingly reluctant to accept the flowers I gave you. Was it because you didn’t like them?”
At his repeated questioning, Roxanne could only bite the bullet and nod in response, pretending that she disliked roses.
She relented because the man seemingly wanted to speak further, and she was afraid that he would give her flowers every day as before.
“Never mind if you don’t want to apologize to Mr. Damaris. There’s nothing between us, so don’t overthink things.”
Only then did Lucian cease talking about that subject.
Roxanne secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1274--Meanwhile, Aubree recuperated at the hospital for two whole days before the condition of her arm finally took a turn for the better.
Learning that her daughter had been injured, Gina rushed to the hospital early in the morning.
“What’s going on here? How’s your injury? Are you feeling better? And why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
At the sight of Aubree in a hospital gown, anguish marred Gina’s features.
Aubree shook her head woodenly, her voice hoarse. “I’m fine. My injury has already healed, so it wouldn’t do me any good to tell you.”
In the past two days, she had been helpless to do anything because of her injured arm. When she was awake, she spent most of the time in tears.
It was precisely for that reason that she didn’t want her parents to come over.
Only when Gina heard her voice did she notice that her daughter had seemingly been crying. On a closer look, she saw that Aubree’s face was horribly puffy.
In a flash, her heart sank. “What happened? Why did you cry so much? And who picked on you?”
At the mention of that, tears inexorably welled up in Aubree’s eyes once more.
Before her mother, the grievances within her surged to the forefront.
“Hey, what happened that you can’t tell me? Don’t bottle it up!”
Gina anxiously sat down beside the hospital bed.
At long last, Aubree snapped and threw herself into her mother’s arms, wailing, “Mom, Lucian… Lucian wants to call off our engagement!”
The instant Gina heard that, her expression froze. She gaped at her daughter in her arms. “What did you just say?”
In a choked voice, Aubree repeated her utterance.
It wasn’t until then that Gina believed her ears. Sheer shock deluged her.
Huh, Lucian wants to call off the engagement? That makes no sense! No matter how opposed he is to this marriage agreement, it still lasted for six whole years! Why would he cancel it at this juncture?
All of a sudden, a light bulb went off in her head. She stared down at Aubree. “Answer me honestly. How exactly did you get injured? Did you go and pick trouble with Roxanne again?”
Aubree merely sobbed without saying anything.
However, Gina had already gotten the answer. Her brows creased at once. “How foolish of you!”
Lucian had already permitted her to take care of Essie, and she was only a step away from being the mistress of the Farwell family! Why couldn’t she put up with that woman? She just had to go and pick trouble with her at this time!
“She’s a total b*tch! Lucian stayed at the hospital the whole night to take care of her. That aside, he even sent Essie over to her place again! If I hadn’t gone over to seek her out, he might have just married her behind our backs!”
Aubree’s voice brimmed with recrimination.
Following that revelation, another wave of shock crashed over Gina.
What? He actually hasn’t given up on that woman?
In her arms, Aubree continued crying her heart out.
Ultimately, Gina couldn’t bear to lecture her. Patting her on the back, she coaxed, “Don’t cry anymore. As long as news of it hasn’t yet spread, there’s still hope.”
Upon hearing that, Aubree lifted her head with tears pouring down her face, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. “But… you didn’t see Lucian’s attitude. What else can I do?”
Gina gritted her teeth. “If all else fails, seek Mrs. Farwell out while they’re not together yet! If she were to learn about it, she’d undoubtedly stop them!”
At her suggestion, Aubree’s eyes flickered. In all honesty, she wasn’t willing to believe in Sonya anymore.
I’ve sought her out countless times, but in the end, Lucian still wants to break off our engagement!
“Even if she can’t change Lucian’s mind, she can help us get rid of Roxanne at the very least!” Gina added softly when she glimpsed her daughter’s hesitation.
A long while later, Aubree’s eyes glinted coldly, and her tears gradually ceased.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1275--On that very night, Aubree went to the Farwell main residence in her injured state.
Right then, Sonya had just finished dinner and was taking a stroll in the back garden. She was all smiles when she saw that Aubree had come to visit her. “You’re here, Aubree? What has been keeping you so busy these few days that you haven’t been over to keep me company?”
Aubree merely pursed her lips and lowered her head without answering the woman.
Seeing that, Sonya walked over to her in puzzlement. “What’s wrong? Did Lucian pick on you again?”
Aubree bobbed her head before shaking it in the next second, sniffling softly.
As soon as Sonya heard the sniffles, her heart sank. Taking Aubree’s arm, she led the younger woman into the living room and ordered the butler to serve coffee.
“Elias isn’t here tonight. What happened? Feel free to tell me everything!”
This time, Aubree lifted her head and glanced at the woman.
Earlier, it was dark outside, and she had been keeping her head hung low, so Sonya hadn’t seen her face.
Now that Aubree had raised her head, Sonya noticed that her face seemed slightly puffy, making it evident that she had been crying and badly at that.
“Why did you cry so much? Did Lucian bully you? Tell me, and I’ll seek justice for you!”
Sitting down beside her in distress, Sonya wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. Her voice brimmed with vexation as she continued, “This is too much! How could he bully you to such a degree when he’s going to marry you soon? Isn’t it only going to be worse after you’ve married into the family? Don’t worry. I’ll definitely help you lecture him!”
When the subject of marriage came up, grief swamped Aubree. The tears pouring down her face became genuine. “Mrs. Farwell… there’s no need to go to such trouble…”
Frowning, Sonya regarded her in mystification.
Aubree buried her head in the crook of Sonya’s neck, weeping so violently that she trembled all over. Even her voice shook. “Lucian has already… He has already called off our engagement! Just pretend that the entire matter never existed! Even if I can’t become your daughter-in-law, I’ll still take good care of you in the future!”
In a heartbeat, Sonya’s face went as black as thunder. “Don’t cry anymore! Tell me what exactly happened! How could he make an arbitrary decision when it’s such a major issue?”
The marriage agreement between the Farwell and Pearson families has persisted for many years. On top of that, I’ve repeatedly made my stance clear that Aubree is my approved daughter-in-law. How could he cancel the engagement without asking for my opinion? Does he really think that this matter is his business alone?
In a stammering voice, Aubree recounted the series of events that happened yesterday.
“I only wanted to go and pick Essie up, but Ms. Jarvis adamantly refused to let me do so. She even called me a shrew. Naturally, I lost my temper.”
At that point, she cautiously lifted her eyes and stole a peek at Sonya’s expression.
Only when she ascertained that the latter didn’t suspect anything that she continued, “A minor conflict broke out between us. Admittedly, I might have been a bit harsh in my speech, but she was the one who started insulting me first. Worse still, she hit me. Look, I still can’t exert strength on my arm even now.”
Sonya glanced at Aubree’s arm, her eyes blazing with fury.
She once injured her arm while saving me. The previous time, her arm was also hurt for the second time because of Roxanne! And now, the woman actually dared to make a move against her again! This isn’t just a matter of getting physical with Aubree. Instead, she’s also challenging me!
As her thoughts developed in that direction, her expression turned icy. “What audacity! Is Roxanne trying to walk all over me?”
After roaring that, she fixed a firm look on Aubree. “Don’t worry, for I’ll certainly seek justice for you!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1277--Sonya was promptly stunned by Lucian’s resolute demurral.
When she registered the meaning of his words, her fury blazed even hotter. “Your attitude is a blatant disregard of Aubree waiting for you for the past six years! Instead, you’re getting together with that woman who abandoned her husband and daughter! Have you ever considered Essie’s feelings? And have you ever given any thought to the Farwell family’s reputation? If news were to get out that the CEO of Farwell Group married a woman with two kids, how would others perceive the Farwell family? And if they were to learn that Roxanne is the mistress of the Farwell family who left without a word six years ago, what would they think of us?”
All the while, she shot daggers at her son.
I’ll never allow the Farwell family to have such a scandal!
When Lucian heard his mother insulting Roxanne, a flash of displeasure flitted across his eyes.
Yet, in consideration of the fact that the woman in front of him was his own mother, he kept his temper in check and merely retorted coldly, “I don’t care!”
Sonya was so livid that the veins at her temples throbbed. “How could you say that? You’re messing with the reputation of the Farwell family!”
At that accusation, Lucian quirked a brow.
So what if I am? I can afford to risk it. Even if the Farwell family were affected by this matter, I’ve got the confidence to fix everything! But then, there’s no need to tell her that. Judging from her worked-up state right now, she’ll probably keel over upon hearing that.
As he listened to his mother’s nagging, he chillingly swept a gaze over Aubree at the side.
I wonder what else this woman has said to her.
Seemingly noticing that he had glanced at Aubree, Sonya finally turned the subject back to the latter.
“Aubree merely went to pick Essie up out of the kindness of her heart. What did she do wrong? Her arm was injured in the past, yet Roxanne showed her no mercy!”
She was so incensed that she even wanted to rush forward and grab Aubree’s arm unceremoniously to show Lucian the latter’s injury.
Nonetheless, the last shred of her sanity remained, and she curbed that impulse. She continued questioning her son, demanding, “Have you forgotten how she got injured?”
By then, a trace of impatience colored Lucian’s voice. “I haven’t forgotten.”
Hearing that, Sonya wanted to carry on along those lines, but his subsequent remark stopped her short.
“However, I’m still investigating that matter. The reason for her injury still needs to be verified. She might not necessarily have sustained it from saving you.”
Lucian’s gaze fell on Aubree once again, his gaze scrutinizing.
Aubree sensed his eyes on her, and her heart abruptly clenched. She dug her nails into her palms hard to keep her tears flowing.
Meanwhile, Sonya gaped at her son incredulously. “How could it be fake when I witnessed it with my own eyes? Don’t ever say such a thing again!”
“Why can’t it be fake? Can you guarantee that every single word she says to you is true?” Lucian riposted impassively.
The moment his words rang out, both Sonya’s and Aubree’s expressions changed.
Sonya went silent for a few seconds, her gaze flickering for a fleeting second.
At the end of the day, she didn’t trust Aubree completely.
As such, she couldn’t answer her son in the affirmative.
In the end, she forcefully changed the subject. “If you insist on calling off the engagement with Aubree, give me a reason I can accept! Otherwise, I’ll never agree to it!”
As Aubree heard the wavering in her voice, she lifted her eyes and cast her gaze over, stunned. Tears stained her face, rendering her utterly pitiful.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1278--Lucian found it downright ironic that Sonya and Aubree both trusted yet doubted each other.
Since she wants a reason, I don’t mind giving her one.
“Aubree isn’t suitable to be Essie’s mother. I’ve already given her six years and allowed her to take care of Essie recently. However, Essie is still unwilling to accept her. In fact, Essie’s condition is showing signs of recurrence under her care. I won’t risk Essie’s well-being.”
Frowning deeply, Sonya dipped her head and directed her gaze at Aubree.
Indeed, she knew nothing about Estella’s condition.
Before that day, she thought that Aubree and Essie were already getting along smashingly well.
She had never expected the reality to be such.
Even then, she would never accept Roxanne, who had abandoned Estella back then.
“Aubree merely needs some time. Give her more time. She’ll be able to resolve it!” Sonya insisted stubbornly.
The impatience on Lucian’s face grew even more blatant. “If I were to allow her to continue interacting with Essie, Essie’s condition would only worsen.”
At that statement, a conflicted look entered Sonya’s eyes, and her voice was no longer as firm as before. “How would you know without trying? Is she not better than Roxanne, who abandoned Essie?”
Verily, Lucian wasn’t in the mood to argue with her further. “Indeed, she’s not.”
After saying that, he spun on his heel to leave. Before doing so, he stated, “I’ve already made up my mind regarding the engagement. No matter what you say, it’ll never change my decision. Next time, please disclose your reason for calling me over when you phone me. If it’s about this, don’t bother anymore.”
Never having expected him to leave like that, Sonya was enraged and tried stopping him. “Stop right there!”
Alas, Lucian’s footsteps didn’t falter in the slightest.
When Aubree saw that, her heart instantly lodged in her throat.
She knew that if she were to really allow the man to leave then, there would be no more salvaging their engagement.
Casting all caution to the wind, she shot to her feet and sprinted toward Lucian’s back. Then, she hugged him from behind.
“You can’t do this to me, Lucian! I’ve waited for you for six years! How much longer is left of my youth?”
Lucian lowered his eyes and glanced at her hands around his waist, repulsion brimming in his eyes. “I never asked you to wait. It was all wishful thinking on your part.”
In the past six years, I told her countless times that I’d like to break off the engagement, but she brushed me off with various excuses. Now that we’ve put up the act for so long, I no longer want to play along with her.
While he spoke, he mercilessly pried her fingers off him, one by one. He subsequently warned, “I’m furious because you sought Roxanne out and kicked up a fuss. If you don’t want to bear my wrath, it’s best that you don’t continue hounding her.”
Aubree exerted all the strength within her to resist him, but ultimately, she wasn’t his match. Pain shot through her fingers, and she was even callously shoved back.
At the sudden push, she lost her balance and stumbled a few steps before she fell onto the ground in a disheveled mess.
However, Lucian strode out without even sparing her a single glance.
“Lucian!” Aubree stared at his retreating back through red-rimmed eyes.
Turning a deaf ear to her, Lucian climbed into the car without a backward glance.
Aubree started wailing at the top of her lungs.
It was the first time Sonya had ever seen her in such a hysterical state. For a moment, she felt as though she was staring at a veritable stranger.
She hesitated for a long while before hesitantly dragging her feet over and helping Aubree up.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1279--As Lucian drove back to the Farwell residence, he was still in a foul mood.
Mom really trusts Aubree too much! It’s so bad that she belittled Roxanne in such a manner!
Even until he arrived back at the manor, his expression remained as black as thunder.
Roxanne’s message came in when he alighted from the car.
The moment he saw her name on the screen, his expression eased. He tapped on the notification and took a look at the message.
It read: The kids are clamoring to go to the amusement park to have fun. When are you free?
Through the words alone, Lucian could sense her reluctance when she sent that message.
She probably only sent it because the kids were pestering her, and she had no other choice.
Even so, his mood improved by leaps and bounds. He was even gripped by the urge to tease her.
Lifting his hand, he tapped the screen a few times and replied: Does this count as you asking me out?
Right then, Roxanne was surrounded by Archie, Benny, and Estella.
“Has Mr. Farwell said anything yet, Mommy?”
“Is Mr. Farwell going to the amusement park with us? We want to go with him!”
Archie and Benny gazed at her earnestly.
Estella, on the other hand, had climbed onto the couch. Clinging onto Roxanne’s shoulders, she fixed her eyes on the phone screen in curiosity.
Meanwhile, Roxanne wore a conflicted expression on her face.
Gah! I’ve got no idea what they were thinking to suddenly make a fuss about going to the amusement park. On top of that, they kept saying that they wanted to go with Lucian and bugged me to ask the man. Worse still, they refused to sleep before receiving an answer from him!
Left with no other recourse, she could only text Lucian.
That was the first time she took the initiative to do so after they parted ways on a sour note.
For a moment, she felt very much uneasy, and anxiety lingered within her.
They waited for an indeterminate time before her phone finally lit up with a reply from Lucian.
All three children’s eyes likewise lit up. They all crowded over to have a look at the message.
Without giving it much thought, Roxanne tapped on the chat interface.
The instant she saw Lucian’s reply, her face flushed bright red even as she frantically locked her phone screen.
The children were distinctly disappointed that they didn’t get to read their father’s answer.
“What did Mr. Farwell say, Mommy? Why can’t we have a look?” Benny couldn’t resist asking.
Roxanne guiltily flashed them all a smile. “It’s nothing…”
“Is Daddy going with us, then?” Estella pressed in a sweet voice.
Roxanne mulled over Lucian’s reply, the blush on her face intensifying. “He… Well, I’ll ask him again.”
After saying that, she turned away from the children and texted the man where they couldn’t see: The kids had me ask you that! Are you going or not?
At her reply, Lucian arched a brow and chuckled. He sent her a voice message. “If you’re asking me out, I naturally won’t decline.”
Seeing that it was a voice message, Roxanne felt the onset of a headache as she glanced at the children surrounding her.
A while later, she carefully converted it into text. Skimming her eyes over his reply, she nodded at the children. “He said okay.”
Immediately, all three children jumped for joy.
Forcibly feigning calmness, Roxanne ordered them upstairs to rest while she returned to her room helplessly.
She proceeded to stare at the voice message. In the end, she couldn’t help playing it.
With a tap from the tip of her finger, Lucian’s deep voice rang out in the room.
She merely listened to it once before she tossed her phone to the side, her face flaming.
I’ve already told him that it was the kids’ request! How could he be so shameless?
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1280--Soon, the weekend arrived. Roxanne was woken up by the sound of the kids knocking at her door.
The moment she opened the door, she saw the three little ones all dressed up and looking at her excitedly.
As Roxanne was still half asleep, she could not remember their plan for the day and was puzzled as to what was going on.
“Mommy, we are going to the amusement park today!” Benny reminded in his childish voice, noticing that his mother was in a daze.
Only then did Roxanne finally snap out of her trance. Feeling slightly frustrated with herself, she asked, “What time is it now?”
Benny looked at his smartwatch and answered, “It’s already seven in the morning. Mr. Farwell told us that he will be reaching soon!”
When Roxanne heard that, she looked down at her nightgown, and with a look of exasperation on her face, she instructed Archie and Benny, “I’m going to wash up now. Can the two of you prepare breakfast?”
The boys smiled at their mother and replied, “Mr. Farwell is taking us out for breakfast!”
Roxanne was speechless for a moment. Then, she hurried back to her room to get ready.
Perhaps it was because of what Lucian said the other day about this being a date, but Roxanne spent a long time putting on her makeup. Unfortunately, she was still not able to get her desired look.
In the end, she decided to go with a lightly made-up face before changing into a lace blouse and faded jeans, making sure that they were comfortable enough for her to move around in.
After she was ready, the woman headed downstairs and saw that Lucian had already arrived. He and the little ones were sitting on the couch together while discussing the day’s itinerary.
“Cream puffs! I want to eat cream puffs!” Benny’s eyes lit up.
Roxanne heard the boy exclaiming happily as she descended the stairs. My son is indeed a glutton…
Just then, Estella’s sweet voice sounded. “Ms. Jarvis!”
Following that, everyone turned to look at Roxanne.
The woman stiffened when she met their eyes and instinctively looked toward Lucian.
“Hey, gorgeous,” Lucian said, staring intently into Roxanne’s eyes.
When Roxanne heard the man’s compliment, a blush spread across her cheeks.
While sizing the man up curiously, she noticed that his hair was not styled in its usual slicked-back manner. There were a few loose strands of hair covering his forehead, giving him a more youthful look. Attire-wise, he was wearing a dark green windbreaker that looked casual yet elegant at the same time.
As Roxanne had never seen Lucian appearing so casual before, she got lost in her thoughts for a moment.
“How do I look today?”
Noticing that the woman was checking him out, Lucian stood up from the couch and walked toward her to give her a full view of his body.
Roxanne had almost reached the bottom of the stairs and was standing at eye level with Lucian.
The woman only realized what she had done when both of them locked eyes. She felt her cheeks burning and jerked back slightly before shifting her gaze away.
Lucian, who was determined to hear Roxanne’s reply, did not budge and stood at the bottom of the stairs with a smile on his face.
Having no other choice, Roxanne lowered her eyes and said, “You haven’t changed much.”
To her, he was still as mesmerizing as he was six years ago.
Lucian’s eyes dimmed slightly when he heard her answer. In an ambiguous tone, he said, “My looks might not have changed, but I did change in other ways that you can’t see.”
After saying that, he held Roxanne’s hand in front of the kids.
Hearing the man’s words, Roxanne felt a surge of emotion in her heart, but before she could react, Lucian had already grabbed her hand.
Feeling conscious of the children’s presence, she instinctively tried to shake off Lucian’s hand, but his grip was so tight that it was impossible for her to do so.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1276--Immediately, Sonya whipped out her phone and gave Lucian a call.
At that very moment, Lucian had just left Roxanne’s house after dinner.
The instant he saw that it was a call from his mother, his heart sank. The tenderness on his face was all but gone, replaced by a layer of frost.
“Where are you right now? Make a trip back to the Farwell main residence this instant! I have something to say to you!”
As soon as the call was connected, Sonya’s voice blasted out before Lucian could even utter a single word.
His brows knitted together, and he glanced back at Roxanne’s house, which was brightly lit. It was as though he could still hear the sounds of her playing with Archie and Benny.
Snapping back to reality, he agreed somberly, “Got it. I’ll come over at once.”
In truth, he could more or less guess the purpose of his mother’s call.
Well, she must have learned about my decision to call off the engagement and wants to speak up for Aubree. This time, I’m not going to give in to her anymore. No matter what, I’ll stay firm and sever all ties with Aubree!
With that in mind, he drove off in the dark night and headed toward the Farwell main residence.
Meanwhile, Aubree watched tearfully as Sonya hung up the phone, a forlorn look on her face.
“You don’t have to do this, Mrs. Farwell. Lucian has already made up his mind, and I respect his decision. I only came over and sought you out because I was feeling too heartbroken and wanted to have a good cry. You don’t need to bother about me.”
At the sight of her sniveling, Sonya was both irate and anguished. “What are you saying? I’ve said that you’re the only person worthy to be the mistress of the Farwell family! When Lucian arrives, I’ll definitely teach him a lesson on your behalf!”
Aubree had her head lowered as she sniffled, a fleeting gleam of ruthlessness flashing across her eyes.
She was all too aware that her tactic was despicable beyond words.
However, she didn’t mind using the same method time and again as long as it was effective.
Lucian is mine, and no one can steal him away!
Almost a whole hour passed before there was movement at the gates of the mansion.
At the same time, all the consolation on Sonya’s face disappeared into thin air. Instead, rage contorted her features.
Aubree, on the other hand, sat at the side with her head hung low in guilt.
Soon, footsteps sounded at the door. On the heels of that, Lucian’s figure appeared in both their lines of sight.
“Where were you just now?”
The look in Sonya’s eyes was recriminatory.
Meeting her gaze, Lucian countered placidly, “Is there a need to ask when you already know the answer?”
Regardless of whether it was from the Farwell residence or Farwell Group, it wouldn’t have taken that long to get to the Farwell main residence.
As Lucian had expected, Aubree was there.
Therefore, he had no doubt that his mother had learned about his decision to break off the engagement and his relationship with Roxanne.
She merely called him over that day to use it as a pretext to kick up a fuss.
The stark contrast between his unfazed attitude and Aubree, who was sobbing at the side, spiked Sonya’s temper.
“What kind of attitude is this? How dare you cancel the engagement with the Pearson family behind your father and my backs to mess around with Roxanne? Who allowed you to do that?”
In her wrath, she slammed the cup in her hand on the coffee table, her ladylike temperament all but gone.
Aubree, who had her head hung low, jumped in fright. A few seconds passed before she snapped back to her senses and continued sobbing woefully.
Unfortunately for them, Lucian remained unmoved. “I’m the one who has a marriage agreement with the Pearson family. Why would I need both of your approvals to cancel it?”
After he had said that, something occurred to him, and he scowled at his mother. “Furthermore, Dad has never intervened in this matter. From the very beginning, it has been your doing alone! There’s no need to drag him into this anymore. Even if he were to return today, my stance would remain the same!”