Ch. 1351..1360

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1341--“Be careful!”

Roxanne’s cheeks tinged pink when she thought about the accident she had had the last time she was here.

The three children waved their hands at her without looking back and dashed toward the waves.

Roxanne quickened her pace and kept up with her children.

“Mommy, you’re so pretty!”

Estella grabbed Roxanne’s hand and snuggled up to her. Her little face lit up in awe.

There had been a firework event during their last vacation to the hot spring resort. As a result, the beach was overcrowded with people, and the children didn’t get the chance to experience playing on the beach.

It was quiet all around at that moment, save for the sounds of waves crashing against the beach.

Despite their young age and high energy levels, the children couldn’t help but want to quiet down and relax in the face of the calming waves.

Roxanne patted their heads and said, “There are not many people here, and it’s really quiet. That’s why I come here quite often.” Then she took a glance at the surroundings. Still worried, she held Estella’s hand and said to Archie and Benny, “I’m going to bring you guys to a place.”

The two boys snapped back to their senses and kept up with their mother obediently.

Roxanne took them on a long walk, and the children noticed that there was a lighthouse and a long deck when they arrived.

The majestic blue lighthouse towered over the long, white deck, set against the backdrop of crystal-clear, turquoise waters. The windmill nearby turned slowly and gracefully with the rhythm of the tides, creating a picturesque scene that seemed to belong in a fairy tale.

The kids were in awe.

This is totally different from the beach that we’ve been to!

“Go ahead and enjoy!”

Roxanne was elated to see her children liking the beach.

The three children finally snapped out of their awe at Roxanne’s words.

Estella was the first to scamper toward the sea. “Archie, Benny, come on!”

Archie and Benny followed behind her. “Run, Essie! We’re going to catch you!”

The three of them chased each other on the deck.

Roxanne leaned against the railing, watching her kids play happily. She couldn’t help but take out her phone to photograph them.

She had missed out on a lot of Estella’s growth.

She had never seen Estella babble as she learned to talk, nor had she ever seen her stumble as she learned to walk.

However, Roxanne was still grateful that she had shown up when Estella needed her the most.

She was grateful that she had reached out to help Estella and had not resisted the little girl’s emotional dependence on her.

If Estella’s autism had persisted until now, Roxanne would be overwhelmed with feelings of self-blame.

Naturally, Roxanne was more concerned about Estella. Even though the camera was aimed at the three children, Estella was in every single one of the photos that she had taken.

From now on, she vowed to never miss out on a single moment of Estella’s life anymore.

Tired from running around, the three children went back to Roxanne when they noticed that she was still standing in the same spot, taking photos of them.

“Mommy, what are you looking at?”

The three of them huddled to her side and clutched a corner of her shirt. They tiptoed to get a glimpse of Roxanne’s phone screen.

Roxanne smiled and crouched down to show them the photos that she had taken.

“There are so many photos of Essie!”

Benny puffed his cheeks in mock displeasure. “Mommy, are you favoring Essie now? It’s so obvious!”

Roxanne was stumped.

She had only wanted to record their happy moments and didn’t notice who she was photographing.

However, after skimming through the photos, she realized that there were indeed a lot of Estella’s photos.

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1342--Roxanne was hit by a pang of guilt. “Sorry, I didn’t realize that. I just—”

She had only subconsciously taken more photos of Estella because she was thinking about her.

Benny was only joking. He immediately explained when he saw that Roxanne had taken the joke seriously, “Mommy, I was just kidding! Don’t take it to heart…”

Then, the boy planted a kiss on Roxanne’s cheek and said sweetly, “We know you love us! We’ve just reunited with Essie, and we know you want to make it up to her because we’ve lost so much time with her. That’s why you favor her a little. We understand that. Besides, Archie and I will love Essie more too!”

Estella’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “I will love Mommy and you guys more too!”

Roxanne felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest after hearing Benny. However, she still couldn’t help feeling guilty.

Truth be told, after being separated from Estella for so long and finally having her back by her side, Roxanne couldn’t deceive herself into believing that she could treat all the children equally. She knew that, at least for now, she would favor Estella more.

“Mommy, we’re a bit tired. We want to go sit on the beach for a while,” Archie said.

He knew Roxanne was still feeling guilty. He thought it was best to give her some alone time to think things through.

Roxanne thought the same.

She wanted to cool off a little and take some time to think about how she should treat her three children. Just when she was considering how to start, Archie’s voice rang out.

Roxanne flashed a grateful smile at the considerate boy. “Go on, but you guys can’t go too far. Be sure to keep a distance from the sea and wear your watch properly.”

Archie nodded and brought his siblings back to the beach.

“It’s all my fault. I’ve made Mommy upset,” Benny muttered apologetically. Then, he turned to look at Estella. “What I said earlier was just a joke. I really, really like you!”

Benny was afraid that Estella might take it seriously as well.

Estella hurriedly nodded. She knew Benny was just joking.

After all, Archie and Benny had always taken good care of her ever since they knew her.

Estella was apt at discerning whether someone was being sincere.

Benny heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Estella nodding. Then, he turned to Archie and said in a small voice, “I wish Daddy was here.”

He can definitely make Mommy feel better.

With that thought in mind, Benny secretly sent their location to Lucian.

Daddy will come to find us if I send him the location, right? Mommy will feel so much better with Daddy around.

Benny felt better afterward.

“Um, why did Mommy refuse Daddy’s proposal?” Estella mumbled.

Despite knowing that she had probably taken Benny’s words the wrong way, Estella couldn’t help but feel dejected.

I enjoy both Mommy’s and Daddy’s love, but Archie and Benny receive only Mommy’s love. Aren’t they receiving less than me, then? If Mommy and Daddy get together, Daddy will surely treat Archie and Benny like his own children.

Benny stole a glance at Archie after hearing Estella.

We can’t tell her that Mommy refused Daddy because of Grandma, can we?

It didn’t matter if they knew about it or not since they couldn’t actually do anything substantial about it.

However, Archie and Benny knew that Estella would definitely confront Sonya if she knew about it.

The boys were afraid that they might accidentally trouble Roxanne again.

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1343--“Because…” Archie and Benny couldn’t just ignore their sister’s pleading look.

In the end, Benny made up a reason. “Maybe it’s because Mommy wants to test Mr. Farwell further! After all, they didn’t seem happy when they separated back then.”

Estella furrowed her eyebrows, perplexed. I know I don’t know about Daddy and Mommy’s matters as much as they do, but I think that’s the case based on what Daddy said when he proposed to Mommy. What happened when they initially separated? Why did Mommy abandon me?

When Benny saw that his answer removed the smile on his sister’s face after he ruined his mother’s mood, he was in full panic mode. “I-It’s going to be fine! As long as Mr. Farwell performs well, Mommy will forgive him eventually and accept his proposal!”

Still, Estella remained worried. “But what if Daddy feels he has lost all hope after Mommy rejects him this time? What do we do, then?”

I helped Daddy chase after Mommy, so I know he’ll overthink things. He would get angry and stop pursuing Mommy if she had a tiny issue. The more Estella thought about the times when her father got jealous, the more concerned she was. In the past, I would advise Daddy. But now, he doesn’t have anyone like that! If I had known this would happen, I would’ve stayed by his side obediently…

Her words threw Benny’s mind into further chaos. “I don’t think so?”

Daddy’s probably not that fragile! He glanced at his phone watch. I still haven’t received any news. Did Daddy really give up? But he taught the bad lady a lesson this morning!

“Why not?” Archie was similarly dumbstruck by Benny’s words. “Mr. Farwell’s personality is exactly the same as yours, which is to say he always gets very emotional. Who knows what he’s thinking right now?”

That instantly shifted Benny’s attention. “There’s no way I’m similar to Mr. Farwell when I’m so cute and lively! You’re the one who resembles Mr. Farwell! You always have that lack of expression on your face, just like him! I resemble Mommy the most!”

Estella was also attracted by her brother’s conversation. She uttered innocently, “I should be the one who resembles Mommy the most!” Mommy’s a girl, and I’m a girl too! Besides, Mommy is really pretty, so when I grow up, I’ll be as pretty as her, too!

Her participation in the conversation stunned the boys for a moment.

“I don’t care! I don’t want to resemble Mr. Farwell!” Benny turned away and left with a pout.

Am I really that similar to Daddy? Okay, maybe we look a little alike. We’re both handsome, after all. However, our personalities are completely different! Daddy’s not talkative and he’s always expressionless, unlike me, who’s lively, cute, smart, and has a sharp tongue! Everyone loves me.

“Don’t you like Mr. Farwell the most—” Archie was going to joke about his brother when he saw the latter walking toward the sea.

“Come back, Benny!” he yelled and promptly chased after him.

Benny was still so deep in his thoughts that he couldn’t hear Archie and kept marching forward. The loud waves didn’t help either.

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1344---Upon seeing the scene before her, Estella knew she couldn’t help and went to call for her mother instead.

When Roxanne returned to her senses and turned to the sea, she saw the boys approaching the ocean.

She saw Benny frowning while looking as though he had lost his soul.

“Archie! Benny!” Furrowing her eyebrows, she chased after them.

She wouldn’t have panicked if they were in a different place because the boys knew how to swim.

However, she had tripped there two days ago, so she knew there were rocks hiding in the water. She couldn’t help but worry.

Estella followed behind her.

Right then, a huge wave rushed straight toward the boys. Roxanne felt her heart tighten. She increased her pace and grabbed the boys in time.

The three of them were drenched in seawater, but not Estella because she was too far behind.

When Benny snapped back to reality, he lowered his head guiltily to avoid looking at Roxanne.

Roxanne tossed the boys to the beach.

In one smooth motion, Benny sat on the ground and flashed a pleasing smile at his mother.

Those not in the know would think they were just playing around.

Lowering his head, Archie apologized, “I’m sorry for not keeping a close eye on Benny, Mommy.”

Roxanne glanced at the sensible Archie before turning to Benny, who was still putting on a pitiful act. Fury burned in her heart, but she couldn’t bring herself to get angry. “Didn’t I tell you two to stay away from the sea?” Then she sighed resignedly. “This is just great. I didn’t bring any clothes with me.” I thought we were just going to stand on the beach deck. Getting drenched certainly wasn’t something I expected to happen. If my clothes aren’t wet right now, I could’ve bought them new clothes from nearby shops. Now, I can’t even do that.

Just as Roxanne was wondering what to do, Estella called out, “Daddy!”

Roxanne assumed the girl wanted her to ask Lucian for help, so she said, “Daddy still needs to work. He’s busy.”

Besides, she didn’t want him to know she had secretly brought the children to the beach so soon after he brought her there.

“Daddy!” Abruptly, Estella sprinted past her.

Only then did Roxanne realize Lucian had arrived.

The boys raised their heads and stared at the man.

After patting Estella’s head, he carried her in his arm, approached Roxanne, and asked resentfully, “Why did you only bring the children here?”

Roxanne couldn’t help but feel guilty as she met his eyes. “I thought you were busy working today…” It’s also because I need time to calm down after I rejected his proposal last night.

However, he didn’t give her a chance to breathe. “As busy as I may be, I still have time to spend with you all.” Then he examined her and the boys because they were wet before speaking meaningfully. “Besides, I can’t help but worry when you bring the children to the beach.”

Roxanne blushed as she recalled the kiss they had after she fell that day.

“Mommy’s very good at swimming!” Benny defended. She even went diving when we went on vacation last time!

Just as he ended his sentence, he heard his father chuckle for no apparent reason.

Meanwhile, Roxanne’s face was getting even redder.

When the children saw how their parents were acting, they knew for sure something had happened and that it very likely involved their father bullying their mother.

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1345--“Daddy, why are you here?” Estella glanced at her father curiously.

We were talking about Daddy a few moments earlier, and I’m surprised to see him arrive so quickly. I thought he was angry.

Her words served as a reminder to Roxanne.

Suppressing her embarrassment, she gave Archie and Benny a stern, questioning look, as if to inquire which one of them had sent Lucian a text message.

It couldn’t be Essie, so it must be either of the boys!

“It wasn’t us!” Benny felt a chill go down his spine and immediately drew on his inborn acting skills to put on an innocent look. “If you don’t believe us, ask Mr. Farwell!”

With that, he turned to look at Lucian.

Lucian met his eyes and nodded readily. “I came here by myself.”

Roxanne frowned, her eyes filled with suspicion.

It’s worrying to consider what might happen once they discover their familial connection, given that they’re already helping each other without any knowledge of their relationship.

Knowing Roxanne was suspecting him, Benny shot her an innocent smile and changed the topic. “Mommy, I’m freezing!”

Roxanne couldn’t bring herself to yell at them, so she turned to look at Lucian.

He was the only one who could head out to buy some clothes for the kids.

Before she could state her request, Lucian broke the silence. “I have some clothes in the car that you can change into. You can change your clothes in the car.”

Roxanne grew suspicious again.

How could it be so coincidental?

As though he had seen through her, Lucian arched a brow and added, “Don’t forget that I brought you here first after you returned to the country. For the past six years, this was my territory. Is there something wrong with me coming to my territory?”

Roxanne was rendered speechless.

Since he had spelled things out so clearly, Roxanne knew she couldn’t probe further as she did not want to come across as overly calculative.

“Perhaps this is fate,” Lucian remarked with a smile. He then pushed Archie’s and Benny’s shoulders gently. “Come, let’s go change your clothes.”

The boys nodded obediently and padded to his car with him.

“Mr. Farwell, why are you here?” Benny asked in surprise as he changed his clothes.

They were thoroughly soaked, and it was quite troublesome for them to switch out of their wet garments into something dry and comfortable.

Lucian only remembered to bring them a change of clothes but forgot to buy some towels to dry them off.

He glanced around in his car and retrieved his suit jacket placed in the backseat to wipe the boys dry.

The material was expensive and bad at absorbing water, but it was better than nothing.

Lucian was amused to hear Benny’s question. “You were the one who sent me your location, no?”

Benny flashed a guilty smile. “You didn’t answer me, so I thought…”

I thought he’s mad at Mommy!

Lucian could guess his mind. “You thought I’m mad at your mommy because she rejected me?”

Benny chuckled sheepishly.

Archie, however, remained unfazed. “Are you upset?”

Lucian had no idea he’d be this straightforward. It took him a few seconds before he regained his composure to reply, “No. Our past was marred by a misunderstanding that was entirely my fault. All I want now is to try to win her heart back, nothing more.” A gentle smile nudged his lips as he gazed at the boys. “You’ll help me, right?”

Benny bobbed his head eagerly. He then proceeded to explain why Roxanne was in a foul mood earlier.

“It was my fault for making her angry,” he admitted.

Lucian finally understood why Benny had summoned him. He was pleased to be of help.

“All right, I’ll handle this, so don’t worry. I’ll make sure to cheer her up.”

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1346--Roxanne and Estella waited at the beach for some time before Lucian and the boys climbed out of the car.

The sight of the boys wearing rainbow-colored T-shirts surprised Roxanne to no end.

Lucian preferred wearing plain-colored clothes, so she had assumed he’d buy monochrome clothes without any pattern for the boys.

She had no idea he’d buy them such vibrant-looking clothes.

I wonder when he bought these clothes. They seem to fit the boys well.

“When did you buy the clothes?” Roxanne asked when they came over to join her.

Recalling Benny’s earlier comment that she was in a foul mood, Lucian regarded her silently for a moment before responding, “I actually bought them on my way here. I’ve been planning to bring you here one day, and I thought it best to be prepared, and it seems I made the right choice as they came in handy.”

His words merely served to fuel Roxanne’s suspicion.

Never mind if Lucian showed up suddenly. I can’t believe he even prepared clothes for them.

She looked down and observed Archie’s and Benny’s reactions.

The boys were grinning adorably. “Mommy, Mr. Farwell bought clothes for you as well. You should go get changed!”

When they were changing their clothes, they suddenly noticed a stunning dress tucked away in the rear of the car. They were certain that Lucian had purchased it as a surprise for Roxanne.

Roxanne was stunned to hear that.

Did he buy clothes for me as well?

She gave Lucian a questioning look.

Lucian appeared to be a bit dismayed, as the boys had ruined his surprise, but he still gave a brief nod. “Go get changed. You don’t want to catch a cold.”

Roxanne remained hesitant.

Lucian arched his brow teasingly. “Don’t worry. I won’t peek at you. You can take your time while I bring the kids to play over there.”

Without waiting for her reply, he gathered the kids and led them away.

The kids wanted Roxanne to get changed as soon as possible, so they followed him obediently.

Roxanne hesitated as she stared at their backs. A few seconds later, she made up her mind and walked to the car.

As Benny said, there was an ocean blue spaghetti strap dress at the rear of the car. The bodice of the dress was slightly ruffled, and the waist was snugly cinched.

After giving birth to Archie and Benny, she rarely had the chance to wear such a casual outfit.

However, she had to admit that the dress was her style.

Six years ago, when she was still married to Lucian, she would often come to the beach clad in similar dresses.

I can’t believe Lucian knows the style I like. It looks like he has put in some effort to get to know me.

Under his careful and considerate attention, Roxanne felt her heart beginning to mend from the anguish of their divorce.

She retrieved the dress and was about to remove her own clothes when she belatedly remembered that her underwear was drenched, too.

She glanced at the expensive dress in her hands.

If the dress comes into contact with water, it will be irreparably ruined.

Right then, her phone, which she placed on the seat, lit up.

Roxanne glanced at it and realized it was a text from Lucian.

It read: There’s underwear in the box in the trunk. I bought the same brand you used to buy, but I’m not sure if you’ll like it.

Roxanne’s cheeks turned pink after she read the text.

Did Lucian seriously buy me underwear? Am I dreaming?

Roxanne had never imagined that Lucian would do such a thing for her six years ago, let alone after he proposed to her.

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1347--Roxanne sprawled on the backseat and poked her head into the trunk.

There was an exquisite black box right in the middle of the trunk which belonged to the underwear brand she used to wear.

This brand was only available locally and sold in offline stores, so Roxanne couldn’t buy it when she was overseas.

After her return, she didn’t have time to head to the store in person to buy new underwear.

She couldn’t help but grow curious when she imagined Lucian shopping in the store with his expressionless face.

I can barely imagine it!

Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the box in the trunk.

Fortunately, he didn’t put the box in the backseat. If the boys were to see the box, I couldn’t imagine how he’d explain it to them.

Roxanne couldn’t face the boys if Lucian were to tell them the contents of the box directly.

She hesitated briefly before retrieving the box.

Despite feeling shy, she had to wear it, as Lucian had paid for it, and she didn’t want to stain the new dress.

Roxanne’s cheeks turned crimson when she tried on the new bra.

She attempted to hook the bra from the first row to the last row, but it was a struggle. Even when she finally succeeded, the bra still felt too tight.

Never in Roxanne’s wildest dreams did she expect Lucian to buy the same brand of underwear she had liked six years ago and the same size she had worn back then at that.

After she gave birth, her bosom had increased in size, making her barely able to fit into her old size.

Alas, she had no choice but to make do with it.

Roxanne hastily put on the dress and folded the clothes she and the kids had changed out of. After the embarrassment in her heart faded away, she opened the car door and hopped out.

“Mommy, you’re so pretty!”

The kids were splashing around in the sea under Lucian’s supervision.

Their eyes lit up when they saw Roxanne clad in the dress.

Roxanne’s skin was as pale as milk, but the ocean-blue dress accentuated her complexion and made her radiate.

Her long hair flowed down her back like a cascade of silk. The ocean breeze blew, causing her dress and hair to sway in the air.

Roxanne’s gentle smile was complemented by the way the dress hugged her curves.

Lucian’s gaze turned dark as he regarded her silently.

I can’t believe she looks seductive in this dress! Six years ago, she often came to the beach dressed like this. Many people must’ve seen her, but I only noticed how gorgeous she looks today!

“Mr. Farwell!” Wanting to make up for his mistake, Benny decided to create an opportunity for them. “You picked a suitable dress for Mommy!”

Lucian snapped back to his senses and shot Benny a half-smile. His gaze was still fixed on Roxanne.

Benny’s words reignited the embarrassment that Roxanne had tried hard to suppress earlier.

Sensing Lucian’s gaze on her, Roxanne blinked twice and averted her gaze shyly. “Thanks. This dress must be expensive. How much is it? I’ll transfer the money to you later,” she said softly.

Instead of answering her question, Lucian asked, “Do you like it?”

Roxanne sighed. “It’s been a while since I last wore a dress.”

She stretched out her hand, trying to comb her hair, which had been ruffled by the cold breeze, and slowly turned her head to look at the sea. She felt as if she had traveled back in time to six years ago.

However, she wasn’t alone now, as Lucian and the kids were with her.

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1348--Lucian watched as she gazed at the sea silently. His eyes grew dark as guilt rose in his heart.

She must’ve stood here alone six years ago. What could she be thinking of? Was she blaming me?

He slowly approached her, his eyes revealing the guilt and affection that had been building up inside of him for the past six years.

Roxanne turned over her shoulder to realize that there was someone standing beside her. She was suddenly transported back in time, and the man’s presence filled the void that had been left in her life.

“A penny for your thoughts.” Lucian suddenly spoke when he noticed the change in her expression.

Roxanne snapped out of her reverie and flashed a nonchalant smile. “It’s nothing. The ocean looks somewhat different today, that’s all.”

That would explain why she felt different when she had been here before.

Lucian looked at her silently before suddenly reaching out to pull her into his arms.

Behind him, the children were taken aback.

They quickly recalled how they had interrupted the adults’ hug previously and promptly covered their eyes with their hands, but their lips curled into smiles nonetheless.

Benny couldn’t stop himself from peeking through the gaps of his fingers.

He saw Roxanne regaining her composure several seconds later and tried to push Lucian away. “The kids are here. Stop it.”

Lucian buried his head in the nape of her neck and mumbled, “They won’t peek.”

Roxanne furrowed her brows at his answer. She was about to protest when the kids’ adorable voices rang out.

“Mommy, we didn’t see anything!”

She slowly scanned the row of children and saw that they had all covered their eyes with their hands. They were standing still with huge smiles on their faces.

They couldn’t see anything now but had seen everything a while ago.

“They didn’t see a thing,” Lucian assured her, feigning nonchalance and tightening his grip around her waist.

With no other choice, Roxanne relaxed and allowed him to hug her. “What is it? Hurry, spill. The children are still waiting for us.”

Lucian was overwhelmed with a mix of emotions.

He had no idea why he had reached out to hug her earlier.

Perhaps it was because he felt guilty, or perhaps he just couldn’t help himself.

After a long moment of silence, Lucian said in a hoarse voice, “Can you promise me you’ll only wear this kind of dress for me?”

Lucian couldn’t help but feel captivated by Roxanne’s alluring appearance in the ocean-blue dress. He couldn’t shake off the guilt he felt for what happened six years ago and wanted to make it up to her in any way he could.

Roxanne was moved as she naturally understood the underlying meaning of his words.

However, she could barely believe her ears.

“I’ll keep you company when you want to come to the beach. You won’t be alone anymore.”

Lucian’s huge palm brushed across her waist.

Roxanne felt a tickling sensation and immediately jolted back to her senses. Finally, she dared to believe that it was true.

Her hands balled into fists as she gave a conflicted nod.

Having received her answer, Lucian loosened his grip on her waist.

Roxanne thought he was finally going to let her go, but she had no idea he’d lean down to give her a kiss.

Seeing that, Roxanne quickly glanced at the kids and avoided Lucian’s kiss without hesitation.

Lucian seemed displeased that he didn’t manage to kiss her.

Roxanne cleared her throat awkwardly. “All right, since you’re here, let’s have fun together with the kids at the beach.”

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1349--Lucian could tell Roxanne only had the children’s best interests at heart, so he did not force her. “Let’s go.”

The children lowered their arms slowly upon hearing his voice and studied Roxanne with surreptitious smiles.

Although they had covered their eyes earlier, their ears had remained open, and they had heard it all.

Mommy promised to wear a dress like this only for Daddy. Does that mean Mommy has him in her heart? No, Mommy has always been thinking of Daddy. She was only forced to reject his proposal because of Grandma.

Archie’s and Benny’s smiles faded a little when they thought of that.

A second later, they were swept off their feet into their father’s embrace.

The boys froze in surprise before catching sight of the ocean in the distance, and their faces lit up once more.

With Roxanne leading Estella by the hand, the five of them sauntered along the beach.

Tired of being carried too long, the boys became so restless and bored that they struggled to free themselves from Lucian’s arms.

Accommodating their wishes, Lucian placed them on the beach, and the children chased each other into the distance.

Feeling a little worried, Roxanne strode after them.

Lucian jogged along, but at the thought of something, he slowed to a stroll in their wake.

A twinkle appeared in Lucian’s eyes as he watched Roxanne play with the children. He fished out his phone and took some photos of them.

Remembering how much she enjoyed taking pictures of the children the last time they went on vacation, he felt a responsibility to document the children’s growth.

Although she had never mentioned it, Lucian knew she would love to be in the children’s lives.

However, there was never anybody else to take her place behind the camera, which resulted in her absence in the photographs.

Roxanne had barely spent any time with the children before she excused herself.

As much as she wanted to continue playing with them, the activity caused her to bend over, drawing her already uncomfortable undergarments tighter around her skin.

She was worried that the delicates would wear themselves out if she kept going.

Blushing profusely, she removed herself from the children’s company with a shifty smile and said, “I’m a little tired. You guys play among yourselves.”

To her relief, the children did not ask any questions.

They wanted their parents to spend some alone time together.

“What’s wrong? Are you unwell?”

Lucian put aside his phone at her approach, alarmed by her peculiar expression.

His gaze did not so much as leave her figure when he was taking photographs earlier, and he noticed she would make an odd gesture now and then. After bending over, she would straighten up almost instinctively. It happened enough times to rouse his suspicion.

I wonder if she’s feeling unwell.

Roxanne’s cheeks turned even redder. “I’m fine…”

I can’t tell Lucian he bought me undersized underwear!

Just the thought of it made Roxanne grimace with embarrassment.

Frowning with worry, Lucian touched her forehead under the assumption of her being feverish but did not detect anything unusual.

“You’re not having a fever. What could it be?”

Roxanne bit her lip, too embarrassed to speak.

Lucian was really worried. “Let’s call it a day. We’ll stop by the hospital for a check-up.”

Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 1350--At those words, Roxanne looked at the children in the distance who were having the time of their lives.

I wonder if it’s the feeling of security Lucian brings that makes the children appear much happier than they used to be.

She could not bear to spoil their mood, seeing as the children did not have many outings.

Roxanne steeled herself to reject Lucian’s suggestion. “I’m not unwell. My clothes just aren’t the best fit to get physical in.”

Lucian merely fixed her with a penetrating gaze. “Where? Are they too loose?”

Seizing the opportunity, Roxanne nodded.

His voice, carrying hints of displeasure, sounded a moment later. “It shouldn’t preclude you from playing with the children if it is loose fitting. I felt it when I hugged you earlier, and it fits you just fine.”

Roxanne’s cheeks grew redder than ever. She glared helplessly up at him.

My words could not be clearer, yet he still doubts me. Does he want me to spell it out?

Noticing the fury in the woman’s gaze, Lucian gave her an inscrutable smile and leaned in close to her.

Before she could retreat, he was already in front of her. “Did I buy the undergarments in the wrong size?” he asked softly, sweeping his gaze over her bust.

Instinctively, Roxanne covered them with her hands.

His low chuckle sounded again.

“I bought this according to an order you placed six years ago, but I’d forgotten you bore children. My mistake.”

Roxanne felt her ears scorch. She turned her head silently away from his hot breath at her ear.

Lucian’s voice still found its mark. “I can’t take all the blame. After all, you never gave me a chance to take the measurements. I would remember it after measuring it once, and I won’t buy the wrong size again.”

Roxanne was outraged by his shameless words.

After six years apart, he has become more shameless. This isn’t the Lucian I know.

Her heartbeat quickened in her consternation. She was so nervous that she dared not examine Lucian’s expression.

To her relief, he did not press her.

Seeing her panic, he averted his gaze with a laugh and reached for his phone from his pocket. “Since you’re restricted from running around, do you want to take a look at the pictures I took?”

Like a startled rabbit, Roxanne was looking around for a place to hide in embarrassment. As a result, she did not hear what he said.

Lucian frowned slightly but remained patient with her. “The kids enjoy having you around.”

The resolve in Roxanne’s gaze wavered at the mention of the children.

“Essie looks like you when she smiles. Here.”

Lucian scrolled through the photographs, making brief remarks about each while observing Roxanne’s expression.

At every mention of the children, her gaze would shift over slightly.

“Let me see.”

At last, Roxanne gave in to the temptation of seeing the photograph where Estella’s smile resembled hers and leaned closer to Lucian.

Basking in the satisfaction of gaining her trust, Lucian did not complicate matters for her any further and placed the phone in her hand.

Roxanne took it eagerly, fixing her eyes on the group photo with the children, and she felt a surge of gratitude.