Ch. 701..710
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 701 Her Relationship With Lucian
“I think I have Dr. Jarvis’ contact too. If you can’t do it, I can,” Hector said faintly.
Jack looked utterly helpless when he heard those words because he knew Hector was threatening him. Rather than letting Roxanne and Jessica meet each other without my presence, I might as well just be there to keep Jessica in check.
In the end, Jack agreed to it. “All right. I’ll try to contact Ms. Jarvis. But I can’t promise she’ll agree to it.” With a wide smile on his face, Stephen said, “Thank you. Let me know when she gets back to you.” Jack nodded indifferently in response.
Stephen chatted with Hector for a little while and asked about the Damaris family’s recent situation before standing up to excuse himself.
The moment Stephen left the Demaris residence, a dejected look replaced the smile on his face.
That night, Jessica was hammered when a few men brought her home. Stephen was in utter shock when he saw that and thought his daughter had been taken advantage of.
To his surprise, those men told him they were the Farwell family’s men and that Lucian had ordered them to send her back.
Right away, Stephen knew his daughter had crossed someone she couldn’t afford to mess with.
Sure enough, the Hightower family’s business partners called to cancel their contracts the next few days. They also couldn’t find people to work with for their latest projects.
Seeing that the company was facing financial difficulties, Stephen had no choice but to contact Lucian. He apologized to Lucian, but he was told that there was someone else he had to apologize to.
Puzzled, Stephen went home and interrogated Jessica. That was when he found out about the person he owed an apology.
Yet, he couldn’t just look for the person right away, so he thought about asking Jack to act as the middleman.
He deliberately mentioned his dead father to sell Hector a sad story so that he could gain Hector’s support.
In the end, it worked, and he managed to set a meeting with Roxanne.
What’s her relationship with Lucian? Why is Lucian willing to do so much for her?
Meanwhile, upon finishing his work, Lucian thought about the three children at Roxanne’s house. She has to go home to make lunch for the kids, right?
At that thought, Lucian drove to Roxanne’s house.
In the mansion, the children had just finished a whole bucket of fried chicken.
Upon hearing the doorbell, the children thought Roxanne had returned, so they opened the door without checking the intercom.
When they saw the person standing before them, they were taken aback.
“Daddy!” Estella was the first to react. She ran toward Lucian and was about to reach out to hug his leg when he noticed how oily her hands were. Upon taking a closer look, he realized she was wearing a pair of disposable gloves that was covered in grease.
She instinctively grabbed her wrists and moved away from her.
That was the first time Estella had gotten rejected by Lucian. She widened her eyes in confusion.
Lucian furrowed his brows and sized up the children. The corners of their lips are oily. What did they eat?
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 702 Refrain From Eating That
“Hello, Mr. Farwell,” Archie and Benny greeted when they came to their senses. Lucian nodded slightly. “Is your mommy not back yet?”
The kids nodded obediently and glanced at each other guiltily. They had thought that it was Roxanne who had returned and almost screamed when they opened the door.
Fortunately, Estella had greeted Lucian first, saving them from embarrassing themselves. Lucian’s frown deepened when he saw their reactions. “What did you guys have for lunch, then?”
As he asked, he scanned the house and saw the bucket of fried chicken on the dining table. “We had drumsticks!” Estella was still reveling in the excitement of eating fast food for the first time and did not realize the look on Lucian’s face. “It was delicious!”
Lucian’s eyes darkened when he heard his daughter’s answer. He then lowered his head and looked at the three children. Not only were their faces covered in grease, but they were also all smiling in satisfaction.
Evidently, they were extremely happy with what they had for lunch. Lucian suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice, “Who sent them?”
Estella turned toward Archie and Benny. Although she knew Madilyn, she didn’t know how to introduce her to Lucian. Seeing that Estella was keeping mum, Lucian thought the children had ordered takeout on their own.
Right then, Benny piped up, “It was our godmother! Mommy told her to send us food.”
Lucian knitted his brows and gave it some thought. I think I know who their godmother is. Disdain flashed across Lucian’s eyes when he recalled the previous time he met Madilyn. That woman doesn’t look reliable.
Having learned that it wasn’t Roxanne’s idea to feed the children fast food, Lucian said in a gentler tone, “Don’t eat too much of this in the future.”
The children weren’t pleased when they heard those words.
Estella tilted her head in confusion and asked, “But why? It’s really, really yummy.” She looked at Lucian aggrievedly. “Unlike me, Archie and Benny had it before. Why didn’t you ever let me try it, Daddy?”
Feeling a headache coming, Lucian pinched the space between his brows and replied, “It’s unhealthy.”
Besides, with their social status, they never needed to go out and buy food as such.
In fact, Estella had fried chicken before. It was just a healthier version prepared by their in-house chef.
Estella wasn’t satisfied with that answer. She blinked and wanted to tug at Lucian’s shirt sleeve to question further, but Lucian pushed her back the moment she approached him.
Estella felt even more aggrieved when he did that.
“Take off your gloves. They’re dirty,” Lucian said.
Only then did Estella realize what was going on. She slowly took off her pair of gloves, then returned to stand before Lucian once again after Archie and Benny brought her away to wash her hands.
This time, Lucian didn’t stop her from approaching him.
Estella tugged at Lucian’s shirt sleeve and uttered in a piping voice, “Why is it that Archie and Benny are allowed to—”
Hearing that she was asking about the fried chicken again, Lucian interrupted expressionlessly, “They’ll have to refrain from eating that from now on.”
Archie’s and Benny’s faces fell. Daddy is good in any way, but he abandoned us in the past, and now, he’s even stopping us from eating fried chicken…
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 703 On A Date
Just as the children were about to bargain their way out, they heard someone’s footsteps coming from the entrance.
They held their tongues and turned toward the door, only to see Roxanne holding a bouquet of flowers in her hands, looking puzzled.
“Mommy!” Archie and Benny dashed toward her in excitement, seeing that she had returned.
Roxanne, however, was looking at the man in her living room with a frown on her face. Lucian? What is he doing here?
She glanced at the flowers in her hands and felt somewhat guilty.
Lucian had noticed the flowers as well, and a wave of annoyance washed over him once more. She’s rejected all my flowers before this. But now, she’s holding a bouquet someone has gifted her. It’s most probably from either Larry or Jack. What does she take me for?
“Mommy?” Getting no response from Roxanne, Benny tugged at the corner of Roxanne’s shirt. I need Mommy to convince Daddy to let us eat fried chicken in the future!
Only then did Roxanne regain her senses and glance at Benny. He looks anxious.
Roxanne suppressed the strange feeling in her heart and reached out to ruffle Benny’s hair. “What is it?”
“We had fried chicken for lunch,” Benny said in a piping voice.
Roxanne was slightly baffled when she heard that. Why is he telling me that? When we were abroad, I would always make lunch for them. But whenever I was busy, I would have no choice but to order takeouts for them. Those takeouts were mostly fast foods. They should be used to it by now.
Benny noticed her confusion, so he added, “Mr. Farwell said the food isn’t healthy, and we shouldn’t eat too much of it.”
Hearing that, Roxanne could roughly guess what was on his mind.
Just as she was about to console Benny, she remembered the fact that Estella was with the boys during lunch. Although Archie and Benny are used to it, Essie may not be. Lucian probably said that to Essie.
Roxanne caressed Benny’s head before raising her own to look in Lucian’s direction.
Lucian was still standing in the same place, while Estella was standing right beside him, looking aggrieved. At that moment, he was gripping her little hand. When Estella met Roxanne’s gaze, she greeted softly, “Ms. Jarvis…”
She had wanted to dash toward Roxanne along with Archie and Benny. However, Lucian had held onto her hand before she could do so, and she had no idea why.
Roxanne smiled at Estella before looking up to meet Lucian’s gaze. “Mr. Farwell.”
Lucian was exasperated when he looked at the flowers in her hands. Coldly, he said, “You’re an interesting woman, Ms. Jarvis. How could you go on a date when your children were here having fast food for lunch?”
Feeling guilty, Roxanne said, “I’m sorry. I forgot Roxanne was here, and I forgot to remind my friend about it. Archie and Benny are used to eating these when we were abroad. My friend might have—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Lucian interrupted, “Ms. Jarvis, you were busy dating. How could you have remembered anything?”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 704 Lilies
Roxanne’s expression froze when she heard Lucian mentioning her going on a date again. “You should’ve told me if you were busy, Ms. Jarvis. I would’ve come to bring Essie home,” Lucian added.
Hearing his tone, Estella knew he was pissed. “Daddy!” she said anxiously. Lucian’s eyes darkened. He looked down at Estella, and only then did he realize how cold he had sounded. I got angry when I saw those flowers. But Roxanne may not think I have the right to be angry.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t come back earlier to accompany you, Essie.” Roxanne ignored Lucian and cast Estella an apologetic look.
Estella quickly shook her head when she heard Roxanne apologizing to her. “It’s all right, Ms. Jarvis. You’re back now. Besides, those fried chickens were delicious! I love them!”
With that, Estella shot her father a discontented look. Forget that he forbade me from eating delicious food. Now, he even got angry at Ms. Jarvis! I’m not happy with that!
Lucian merely frowned and kept mum. He was afraid that he would lose his temper if he were to talk again.
Roxanne knew Estella didn’t want her to put too much blame on herself. She smiled appreciatively and said, “I’ll make you something yummy tonight, okay?”
Ms. Jarvis is making me dinner! Estella’s eyes lit up, and she nodded excitedly. “Okay!”
After that, Roxanne walked into the living room.
Only when she walked past Archie and Benny did they notice the bouquet in her hands. They instinctively turned toward Lucian.
As they expected, Lucian’s expression was as black as thunder.
Although they weren’t pleased when Lucian told them to stop eating fried chicken, they chose to side with him because his effort to pursue Roxanne could be jeopardized.
“Mommy!” Archie cautiously tugged at the hem of Roxanne’s clothes.
Roxanne looked down at him in confusion.
Archie glanced at Lucian before pulling Roxanne into the kitchen. He whispered next to her ear, “Did Mr. Damaris give you those flowers?”
Roxanne was stunned for a few seconds because she didn’t expect Archie to ask about the flowers. Is he asking this because he thinks I’m going to let Jack become their father?
Holding that thought, Roxanne smiled and explained, “It is from Mr. Damaris, but it’s not what you think it is. I did him a favor, so he gave me these flowers to express his gratitude.”
Archie and Benny weren’t convinced. Who gives others flowers to express their gratitude?
Noticing the puzzlement on their faces, Roxanne said patiently, “These are lilies. Go on and find out what these flowers symbolize, all right? If you guys want to thank someone in the future, you can give them lilies.”
Archie and Benny shared a look and nodded dubiously.
“All right, I’m gonna go tidy things up in the living room. You guys keep Essie company.” Roxanne smiled and ruffled the boys’ hair.
Archie and Benny nodded obediently.
They went out of the kitchen and brought Estella to the room, and the first thing they did was find out what the flowers symbolized.
When they found out that lilies were given to express gratitude, they heaved a sigh of relief.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 705 Cannot Make Decisions On Her Behalf
After cleaning up the coffee table, Roxanne got up to go and throw away some trash when she found Lucian standing in the doorway, blocking her path. “Could you please let me through, Mr. Farwell?”
Lucian frowned when he heard her voice and turned sideways to let her pass. He watched her walk away and could not stop his gaze from flicking toward the flowers she had temporarily left on the couch. His eyes flashed with anger.
After returning from throwing the trash, she heard him ask in a low voice, “Didn’t you say you were going to treat me the same as the others?”
Roxanne halted her footsteps at those words and raised her gaze to meet his with a quizzical expression. Furrowing his brows, Lucian asked, “Why did you send back all the flowers I sent you previously, yet bring home the flowers other people give you?”
Before Roxanne could respond, she heard him press further. “So who are the flowers from? Larry? Or is it Jack?”
“They’re…” She started to answer his question without even thinking about it. The next moment, however, she noticed his awful attitude and stopped herself abruptly.
Lucian thought she was about to respond, but to his surprise, she fell silent after beginning her sentence.
After waiting for a while and still not getting an answer from her, Lucian looked even more displeased.
All Roxanne wanted was to ignore the man in front of her. She continued walking further into the house, but he grabbed her wrist.
“Why aren’t you answering?” Lucian gazed at her darkly, his suspicions about her relationship with Larry and Jack deepening.
Roxanne stopped walking and glanced back at him. She was also feeling frustrated and furious, and her gaze was cold.
“I’ve explained to you my relationship with them many a time. If you insist on misunderstanding the matter, there’s nothing I can do about that. Also, what you said earlier was something you came up with yourself. I never agreed to it.”
Lucian’s gaze grew even more sullen after he heard her reply. After a while, his lips curled with sarcasm as he remarked, “Indeed, I’ve deluded myself.”
Then he let go of her wrist.
Surprise flashed across Roxanne’s eyes.
It’s the first time he has let me off so easily…
For a moment, the atmosphere between the pair was thick with tension.
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going to prepare dinner.” Not wanting to linger around any longer, she withdrew her gaze first and headed toward the kitchen.
This time, Lucian did not stop her.
Roxanne was at the kitchen doorway when his voice rang out again. “There’s no need to prepare dinner for Essie. I’ll be taking her home when she comes downstairs.”
His gaze was so dark that it was utterly frightening.
The way I see it, Roxanne’s acceptance of flowers from another man is equivalent to her accepting that man’s pursuit of her. Naturally, I shouldn’t hang around and get underfoot. Taking care of Essie has probably even turned into a nuisance for her. Otherwise, why would she have left the three kids at home and let them eat takeaway?
Roxanne turned and cast a glance at him. “It’s something I promised her I’d do. As long as she doesn’t tell me otherwise, I’ll definitely make dinner for her. Even though you’re her father, you can’t make decisions on her behalf.”
With that, she spun around and went into the kitchen.
When Archie, Benny, and Estella headed downstairs, they saw Lucian standing in the living room expressionlessly.
The trio exchanged glances at the sight of that, picking up on the strange atmosphere in the living room.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the two adults must’ve gotten into an argument, and it was about those flowers.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 706 Secretly Took One Of Her Flowers
Downstairs, Lucian, too, noticed the children making their way down. They were about to say something when Lucian looked up at Estella and said impassively, “Come down, Essie. We should be heading home.”
Upon hearing that, the children were taken aback. Estella widened her eyes in confusion. “Daddy…”
I’ve already promised Ms. Jarvis I’d stay and have dinner tonight. What does Daddy mean by this? Even if he and Ms. Jarvis got into an argument, he shouldn’t take me home. After all, he told me he wanted me to help him woo her. If I leave as well, how will that get Ms. Jarvis to stop being mad?
Nonetheless, Lucian was unmoved. “Ms. Jarvis has other matters to attend to, and we don’t know whether there will be any other guests tonight. It’s better if we don’t get in her way.”
Having said that, he took two strides in the direction of the staircase and stretched out a hand toward Estella. Estella pursed her lips and hid behind the two older boys. “No! I want to have dinner with Ms. Jarvis!”
Archie and Benny quickly shielded Estella behind them. “Mr. Farwell, we don’t have any other guests tonight, so you and Essie can stay.”
Lucian furrowed his brows. Knowing that the boys were not his children, he had no choice but to soften his tone a few notches as he replied, “If you like Essie so much, you can play together at the kindergarten. But she has to go back with me now.”
Archie and Benny looked at each other anxiously, knowing that he was angry because Roxanne had brought home that bouquet. However, they did not know what to do. They had wanted to explain everything clearly to him. If they were to move aside then, he would surely take Essie and leave.
For a moment, the two of them were caught in a dilemma.
After some time, Archie suddenly stepped aside and ran down the stairs.
Naturally, Benny could not stop Lucian by himself. Hence, he could only watch as Lucian picked Estella up in his arms and turned to walk toward the front door.
Estella’s reluctance at being carried by Lucian was written all over her face. She stared fixedly in the direction of the kitchen, hoping Roxanne would come out and stop her father.
Alas, even as Lucian had almost carried her to the front door, there was still no sign of Roxanne.
Estella could not help feeling a little disappointed.
“Mr. Farwell!”
Suddenly, Lucian heard Archie’s voice ring out from behind him.
Estella was puzzled to see Archie holding a single lily in his hand.
Lucian frowned when he heard Archie calling him. He paused in his tracks and turned around. “What is it?”
Archie hurried toward them. He did not even pause to catch his breath, and his small face was flushed as he said, “If you let Essie stay for dinner, I’ll give you this lily.”
Confusion spread across Lucian’s stern face. He did not know where Archie had gotten the flower, nor did he understand what the boy meant by those words.
Having guessed Lucian’s thoughts, Archie explained sweetly, “I took this flower from the bouquet Mommy brought back. She said that if I want to thank someone, I should give them lilies because lilies symbolize gratitude.”
Then, Archie added guiltily, “Don’t tell Mommy I secretly took one of her flowers, okay?”
Realization dawned on Lucian. So what Archie meant to say is that he’ll be very grateful if I don’t take Essie home.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 707 Let Us Play A Game
Archie held out the flower again hesitantly. “There are plenty of lilies in Mommy’s bouquet. That’s why I dared to take one of them.” Lucian’s brows furrowed as he finally understood what Archie meant.
Someone obviously sent those flowers that Roxanne brought back as a thank-you gift. I was the one who misunderstood the whole thing. No wonder she flew into such a rage!
Lucian’s expression relaxed drastically after he realized the truth of the situation. He swept his gaze over to Roxanne, who was busy in the kitchen, then turned back and took the lily Archie was holding. “I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions. Essie and I will stay for dinner.”
With that, he set Estella down. As soon as her feet touched the ground, Estella shot her father a glare before running off toward the kitchen to look for Roxanne.
In the living room, Lucian held the lily taken from Roxanne’s bouquet of flowers with a frown. He and the boys stared at each other for some time.
Archie and Benny could see Lucian’s frustration, and they snuck glances at each other with troubled looks in their eyes. Daddy and Mommy often argue, but it’s clear that Mommy is very angry this time. What can we do to help them make up?
Over in the kitchen, Estella clung to Roxanne’s leg. Roxanne, still fuming with anger, was perplexed when she saw Estella running into the kitchen, looking aggrieved. “What’s the matter, Essie? Did the brothers bully you?”
As she spoke, she cast a glance toward the door. That doesn’t make sense. The boys have always been fond of Essie, so why would they bully her? Apart from the boys, the only other possible culprit is Lucian.
The next second, Estella’s reply confirmed her suspicions. “It was Daddy! He’s a meanie!” Estella said huffily, complaining about her father to Roxanne.
Estella’s response did not surprise Roxanne. However, the latter was still curious about what caused Estella to become so angry. “How was he mean to you?”
Puffing out her cheeks, Estella recounted what had happened angrily. “Daddy wanted to take me home and wouldn’t let me have dinner with you!”
A look of surprise flashed across Roxanne’s eyes. Lucian did mention taking Essie home just now, but I already shot him down. I didn’t think he’d still go ahead with it. I wonder how she managed to run in here.
As the thought went through her mind, she subconsciously lifted her gaze, worried that Lucian would suddenly barge in. Once she looked up, however, she spotted Archie and Benny standing at the kitchen doorway.
“Mommy, let’s play a game together!” Benny said with a bright smile. His words threw Roxanne for a loop. Pursing his lips, Archie nodded solemnly. “Yes, let’s play a game!”
Seeing that the usually serious Archie was also suggesting they play a game together made Roxanne even more confused. And for some reason, his cheeks are so flushed.
Estella burrowed into Roxanne’s arms and turned to look at Archie and Benny curiously. They were so anxious when Daddy nearly took me home, and I’m still mad about it. Yet, they want to play a game now. How strange.
Just as Estella was wondering what was going on, Benny winked at her discreetly and signaled for her to look through the doorway at Lucian. Getting his hint, she reluctantly glanced at her father.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 708 Looks A Little Guilty
Through the kitchen door, one could see into the living room. Estella looked up and saw Lucian frowning. There was also a rare look of frustration on his face.
She puffed out her cheeks and fumed inwardly, Needless to say, he must have regretted getting mad at Ms. Jarvis and me. Hmph! It serves him right for getting angry at us before getting his facts straight!
Even so, after grumbling about it silently, Estella still remembered that she wanted Roxanne to become her mother. Helping Daddy also means helping myself.
With that thought in mind, she decided to set aside her prejudice and lend Lucian a helping hand. She tugged at the hem of Roxanne’s shirt gingerly and said in an adorable voice, “Ms. Jarvis, let’s play a game together…”
Estella’s acting skills were top-notch. She wore an aggrieved expression as she spoke, appearing as though she had yet to recover from how upset she felt when Lucian had wanted to take her home.
Roxanne’s heart could not help softening at how pitiful Estella looked. After hesitating for several seconds, she finally raised her hand to pat the latter’s head and agreed to a game. “Okay.”
The three children looked at each other with joy in their eyes when they saw Roxanne acquiesce. After promising to play with them, Roxanne surveyed the ingredients she had prepped. It looks like everything is ready. All that’s left is to cook up the dishes later this evening.
She double-checked to make sure everything had been prepared, then stood up and followed the children out of the kitchen. As soon as she walked out, she saw Lucian, who was still standing in the living room.
He was standing next to the coffee table with slightly downcast eyes, staring in the direction of the couch.
Noticing movements from where the others were, he raised his head and looked toward them. When he met Roxanne’s eyes, something seemed to cross his mind, and his gaze flinched for a split second. Visibly frowning, he quickly shifted his focus back to the couch.
Roxanne could not help feeling stunned by his behavior. This guy was questioning me in a fury earlier, but as I look at him now, he looks a little guilty. Puzzled, she followed his line of sight and saw the bunch of lilies she had left on the couch.
I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but I can’t shake the feeling that someone seems to have tampered with the flowers. They look a little messy.
The children were waiting for Roxanne before starting the game, and when they saw that she was lost in thought, Archie and Benny called out impatiently, “Mommy!”
Hearing that, she jolted to her senses and shot the children an apologetic smile. “What are we playing?”
Archie, Benny, and Estella exchanged looks, the wheels in their minds spinning. After a while, they suggested, “Let’s play Red Light, Green Light.”
Roxanne had no idea what the trio had in mind. She thought they merely wanted to play a game out of boredom, so she readily agreed.
Benny ran up to Lucian and said innocently, “Mr. Farwell, why don’t you play together with us?”
Roxanne’s brows drew together slightly when she saw that. She was worried that Lucian was still angry and that it would startle Benny. To her surprise, Lucian merely frowned for a few seconds, then lifted his head and glanced toward her before agreeing to it in an indifferent manner. “Sure.”
The twinkle in the children’s eyes grew brighter after both the adults consented to play with them. Estella was the caller for the first round. She stood at the bottom of the staircase while the starting point for the other four was the front door of the mansion.
Since the distance between the two points was very near, Roxanne and Lucian had to take smaller steps to accommodate the children’s strides.
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 709 Red Light
The game began with Roxanne and Lucian in the middle and the boys on either side. “Green light… Red light!” Estella waited for them to take a few steps before suddenly spinning around.
Although the others stopped in their tracks at once, the two little ones lost their balance and swayed about for a little bit before steadying themselves.
Fortunately, all Estella wanted was for them to all play together. Hence, she did not take issue with it and quickly turned back. When the game resumed, Roxanne could not help wondering whether the boys’ excitement was causing them to veer toward the center.
She glanced at Archie, who was next to her, helplessly. However, all his attention was on Estella standing right in the center. It seemed as though he was straying in that direction solely because he was eager to tag Estella.
Seeing that, Roxanne sighed inwardly and moved toward the center to make room for him.
Meanwhile, Lucian, too, noticed the same thing with Benny. He seems to be behaving oddly, but I can’t quite put my finger on it. After all, if he’s so eager to win the game, it’ll make more sense for him to walk forward. Instead, he’s walking sideways like a crab and keeps running into me.
Although Lucian had no idea what Benny was up to, the former still subconsciously took a few steps toward the center to make way for the latter.
Just as Lucian and Roxanne were preoccupied with staying out of the boys’ way, Estella suddenly swung around and called out, “Red light!”
Archie happened to take a step at the same time Estella shouted. Losing his balance, he staggered a little.
Roxanne frowned, worried there would not be enough space for Archie to regain his balance. Not even bothering to think about whether she would get eliminated from the game, she carefully inched further toward the center to leave him more space.
However, she stepped on something as she shifted aside, catching her by surprise. Roxanne froze, then looked down immediately to see what it was.
As for Lucian, he had also gotten similarly tricked. He moved inward to let Benny pass, but right after steadying himself, he felt someone step on his foot.
When Lucian lowered his head, he saw Roxanne retracting her leg while looking somewhat embarrassed. With Archie taking up all the space on her other side, however, she had nowhere to lower that foot after doing so.
For a moment, all she could do was stand on one leg awkwardly. She gazed at Estella with a helpless expression, desperately wishing the latter would quickly turn back around.
If she doesn’t, I really don’t think I can keep standing like this. Estella seemed to have read her mind. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled and turned around slowly.
Roxanne was about to put her foot down when she heard Estella’s voice ring out again. “Green light… Red light!” Startled, Roxanne could not find anywhere to stand. Her body swayed on the spot before toppling forward.
Archie, Benny, and Estella watched the scene nervously. They were afraid she would really take a fall. At the same time, they were worried that Lucian would miss out on the opportunity.
As she was panicking, Roxanne reached out, wanting to grab something to steady herself. However, as soon as she reached out, she remembered they had deliberately chosen to play in an empty space. Hence, there was nothing for her to hold on to.
She was about to withdraw her hand when a large hand grabbed hers firmly. Immediately after that, she felt herself getting pulled into a pair of strong arms. When the children saw Lucian’s swift and natural reaction, they could not help exclaiming, “Wow!”
Leaving The Country After Divorce Chapter 710 Hugging Her
Roxanne could clearly hear the children’s voices. Unbidden, a strange feeling rose within her. However, it was soon engulfed by a wave of guilt.
Just half an hour ago, she had a falling out with the man beside her. And now, she lost her balance and fell into Lucian’s arms when they were merely playing a game with the children.
To anyone else, however, her actions might very well seem deliberate. Only she herself knew that it was truly an accident on her part. But if I were to clarify things now, I’d only make myself look all the more suspicious…
She rested in the man’s embrace stiffly, her emotions a jumbled mess. On the contrary, Estella was still immersed in the game. She emphatically ordered, “Everyone isn’t to move!”
Archie and Benny immediately answered in the affirmative. Upon receiving no response from the two adults, Estella stared at them with feigned sternness, her expression solemn.
“Got it.” Lucian’s deep voice sounded beside her ears. A flash of surprise flitted across Roxanne’s eyes. If I were to listen to Essie and remain still, I’d have to continue staying in his arms… Worse still, the kids’ gazes have been fixated on us ever since…
At that thought, a sense of aversion welled within her. She tried to break free from Lucian’s arms, but the arm encircling her tightened instead.
“Essie is still awaiting your reply,” Lucian reminded in a low voice beside her ear. Hearing that, Roxanne once again went stiff. She could almost sense Estella’s tangible gaze on her.
Although she couldn’t quite see the little girl’s countenance from her angle, she could imagine her pitiful expression. Ultimately, she relented and murmured, “Okay.”
Seeing that both the adults had agreed, all three children wore expressions of sheer delight. As Lucian hugged Roxanne, he dipped his eyes and stole a peek at the children’s expressions. Without fail, he clocked the fleeting glee on their faces.
Realizing their true motive in suggesting the game, he felt touched yet amused. Still, he obligingly held the woman in his arms without moving a muscle.
At the sight of her amenability, he couldn’t help chuckling lowly. Roxanne promptly went tense when she distinctly heard his laughter. She lifted her eyes and glanced at the man.
The smile on his face hadn’t faded completely. When their eyes met, there was still a hint of tenderness in his eyes. She was initially irked, but upon beholding his charming smile, she swiftly plunged into a trance.
This is the first time I’ve seen him smile like that…
The two of them gazed at each other for an indeterminate time before she abruptly snapped back to reality. In hindsight, she realized that Estella seemingly hadn’t turned around even after such a long time had passed.
Following that realization, her brows furrowed slightly. In a soft voice, she stated, “I’m a bit tired, so I’m not playing anymore.” After saying that, she broke free from Lucian’s embrace, whirled around, and went upstairs.
The children watched her leave and exchanged guilty glances, aware that they were seemingly too deliberate that Roxanne noticed something amiss.
Likewise, a frown marred Lucian’s countenance. Exasperation was written clear in his eyes. It looks like she’s still unwilling to forgive me.
Estella was the first to gather her wits. Lifting her hand to point at her father, she announced in a soft voice, “Daddy, you’re out!” Inclining his head nonchalantly, Lucian took a step back and extracted himself from between Archie and Benny.