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Novel Catalog
Chapter 2
Roxanne hurried toward Professor Harvey Lambert’s office.
As she pushed the door open, she spotted her mischievous little rascals lounging on the office couch, legs swinging idly. The sight of her made them light up, their faces bright with excitement.
“Mommy, you’re finally done! We thought you’d be stuck in the lab forever!” Archie exclaimed, jumping off the couch and racing toward her.
“Mommy, you’ve worked so hard! Are you tired? Sit down, let me give you a massage,” Benny chimed in, his eyes full of concern as he tugged at her sleeve.
With a fond smile, Roxanne allowed them to guide her to the couch and take a seat. Their affection made her heart swell with warmth, and she found herself thinking that the trouble she was about to get into was worth it.
“Look at you two,” she teased with a soft laugh. “You weren’t so obedient when you were hacking into my computer earlier.”
Behind his desk, Harvey huffed in frustration. “It’s all your fault, Professor Lambert! You kept asking Mommy to work overtime! Look at her, she’s malnourished!” Archie fired back, his little hands on his hips, completely serious.
“That’s right!” Benny nodded vigorously. “Mommy’s just a normal human being. How can you expect her to work day and night?”
Roxanne rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress her smile. Harvey’s temper flared at their cheekiness, but he couldn’t help but laugh.
“You two are ridiculously overprotective! Everyone at the research institute works just as hard!” he shot back with a shake of his head. Then, he turned to Roxanne with a more serious expression. “How did your research go?”
Roxanne smiled confidently. “It went smoothly. I’ll send you the data later.” She paused, then added, “By the way, have you managed to restore your computer data?”
Harvey sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ve been trying for over an hour, but I still haven’t been able to recover anything.”
Roxanne chuckled softly, amused by his frustration. She patted Benny’s hand. “Benny, go restore Professor Lambert’s computer. Don’t be naughty now—what if he loses important data?”
Benny grinned proudly. “Don’t worry, Mommy. I’ve already backed everything up and set up various security measures. Nothing’s going to get lost!”
As if on cue, Benny trotted over to Harvey’s desk and began typing furiously on the keyboard, his little fingers moving with lightning speed. A few minutes later, the computer blinked, and everything was restored.
Harvey’s eyes widened in admiration. He couldn’t help but acknowledge the brilliance of his mentee’s children. At only six years old, Archie had already made remarkable strides in medicine, capable of distinguishing thousands of herbs and showing incredible talent in the field. Benny, on the other hand, had developed into a mini programming genius, already skilled at hacking and with a natural aptitude for numbers. Both of them were smart, cheeky, and utterly adorable.
“You two are something else,” Harvey muttered under his breath, unable to stay mad at them for long. Instead, he directed his frustration toward Roxanne. “I’ll admit, I can’t stay mad at them. But you, on the other hand…” He shot her a playful, resigned look.
Roxanne couldn’t help but laugh, but she quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, Professor Lambert. Don’t blame the kids for their mischief. I know they’re a handful.”
Harvey chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to yell at you. I actually have a favor to ask.” He leaned forward, his expression turning serious. “I’ve been planning to set up a research institute back home in Chanaea, one focused on traditional medicine. But I’m too busy here to manage it. After careful consideration, I’ve decided to send you back in my place.”
Roxanne froze at the unexpected request. The thought of returning to Chanaea made her heart skip a beat. She hadn’t thought about going back there, especially after leaving six years ago.
Back home, there was no family waiting for her—no one who cared. She had grown to love her life in Yartran. The sudden proposition left her unsure. “Professor Lambert, I—”
Before she could finish, Harvey interjected with a knowing look. “I know it’s not something you want, but please consider it. You’ve been my student for years. You know how vast and profound traditional medicine is. Here, you don’t have the resources to fully explore it. In Chanaea, you’ll have access to all the herbs you need. More importantly, many prestigious and hidden families in Chanaea possess ancient medical skills. I know you’ve been interested in that area of research. That’s why I’m suggesting you return. You’ve grown stronger over the years, and I believe you can face anything that comes your way.” He smiled kindly at her. “You can handle whatever happens. You’ve changed.”
Roxanne fell silent, pondering his words. He was right. Over the past six years, she had become a different person. The experiences she had gone through had toughened her. No matter what challenges lay ahead, she felt confident she could face them head-on. And as for Lucian… He was likely married to Aubree by now. Why should she fear returning to Chanaea?
Taking a deep breath, Roxanne nodded. “Alright, Professor. I’ll go back to Chanaea.”
Harvey’s face lit up with a grin. “I’m glad to hear that. Don’t worry, I’ll make arrangements. Linda will accompany you, and I’ll arrange a team to help you once you’re there.”
“Thank you, Professor Lambert,” Roxanne said, giving him a curt nod.
Meanwhile, Archie and Benny exchanged a knowing look. They could sense something exciting was coming—Mommy was finally going back to Chanaea!
In fact, the two boys had been longing to return for ages. After all, their father was there. They wanted to see him again, and, more importantly, they were eager to teach him a lesson for abandoning his family all those years ago.
Two days later, Roxanne and the boys landed at the international airport in Horington, Chanaea. It had been six years since Roxanne had last set foot in her homeland.
As they disembarked, Benny tugged at the corner of Roxanne’s skirt, his face scrunching up with urgency. “Mommy, I need to pee!”
Roxanne and Archie both chuckled at Benny’s frantic expression. “Alright, let’s go,” Roxanne said, reaching out to ruffle his hair.
Benny flinched and immediately yelped, “Stop it, Mommy! I’m going to pee my pants!”
Laughing, Roxanne led him to the nearest restroom, with Archie following closely behind. She waited outside with their luggage and sent a quick text to Professor Lambert to let him know they had arrived.
Just as she was finishing the message, a familiar voice rang out from the crowd.
“Idiots! How could so many of you fail to keep an eye on a little girl? What good are you if you can’t even complete such a simple task?”
The voice was deep, melodious, and undeniably familiar. Despite the six years that had passed, Roxanne’s hands froze as she heard it. She looked up and instantly spotted the tall figure a distance away.
Lucian Farwell.
Her heart clenched painfully at the sight of him. She hadn’t expected to run into him today, of all days.
For a moment, all the old feelings she had buried resurfaced. But she quickly squashed them, her expression hardening. She had finally learned to remain calm in front of him. No more rushing emotions.
Just as she steeled herself, Archie and Benny emerged from the restroom, cheerful as ever. “Mommy, we’re done!” they announced.
Roxanne snapped out of her daze, a jolt of panic rising within her. She couldn’t let him see the boys. The resemblance was too striking. If he recognized them, it would all be over.
Flustered, she quickly urged, “You’re done? Great, let’s go. Don’t want your godmother waiting, right?”
Without another word, she hurried away, dragging the luggage with her, eager to put distance between them.
Lucian, still on his phone call, heard a voice he knew all too well and turned instinctively. His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of a familiar figure.
Roxanne Jarvis?
Was it really her? She was back?
He rushed forward, but by the time he reached the spot where she had been, she had already disappeared into the crowd.
Lucian’s expression darkened, his fists clenching at his sides. She left the country so decisively. She even abandoned the child…
But now, she was back. And something told him this time, it wasn’t just a passing visit.
