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Novel Catalog
Chapter 73
Lucian had waited all evening, but no calls from Roxanne came through. Suppressing his frustration, he decided to pick up Estella from kindergarten, hoping that he might find out what was going on once he was there.
When he arrived at the kindergarten, most of the children had already left. His eyes immediately found Estella in the corner. She stood there with her head lowered, clutching her schoolbag tightly in both hands, looking utterly dejected.
Lucian frowned slightly and approached her, reaching out to pat her head. “Why are you upset? Is it because I’m late? I’m sorry, I—”
Before he could finish, Estella pursed her lips and snorted, walking past him without a word. Lucian’s hand froze mid-air, and his voice trailed off as he watched her walk towards the car.
He stood still for a moment, then turned his gaze to scan the remaining children. Still, there was no sign of the twins.
“Mr. Farwell…” One of the teachers, noticing his distracted demeanor, hesitated before approaching him.
Lucian’s expression turned cold as he met her eyes. “Where are the twins? Have they been expelled?”
The teacher lowered her head guiltily. “Not yet. I was going to tell them this morning, but Ms. Jarvis called, saying the boys weren’t feeling well, so I never had the chance to—”
“Okay,” Lucian interrupted curtly, turning away without waiting for her to finish. He made his way to the car.
Inside, Estella had curled up, hugging her schoolbag to her chest. Her head rested on it, and she appeared lost in thought.
When Lucian climbed into the car, she shuffled over to the side, deliberately avoiding him, her head still lowered.
Lucian glanced at her before giving the driver the signal to start. He turned his attention back to Estella, concern flickering in his eyes. “Can you tell me why you’re angry today?”
Estella stiffened, refusing to look at him. She turned her head away as if trying to block him out completely.
Lucian’s heart sank as he recognized the signs. I’m the one who upset her again. He had a vague idea of why she was angry, but he had no intention of addressing it unless Roxanne reached out to him directly.
Though Estella clearly wanted him to acknowledge her feelings, Lucian chose to feign ignorance, staying silent during the ride.
When they arrived home, Estella shot him a red-eyed glare before storming to her room, slamming the door behind her with a force that reverberated through the house. From downstairs, Catalina watched the cold exchange and cast Lucian a concerned look.
“Mr. Farwell, what happened with Estella?” Catalina asked, her voice filled with worry.
Lucian furrowed his brow, his tone flat. “Let her be. She’ll calm down after a while.”
Catalina, though unconvinced, knew better than to press further. But as dinner time approached, Estella still hadn’t come downstairs. She glanced at Lucian, who sat at the table without touching his food, a deep frown etched on his face. Sighing inwardly, Catalina made her way upstairs to bring Estella down.
She knocked at the door but received no answer. Her worry grew with every passing second.
“Ms. Estella, please come down for dinner—” Catalina’s voice trailed off when a loud crash echoed from the room. Something had fallen to the floor, and it didn’t sound good.
Catalina’s heart skipped a beat. She turned to head downstairs to fetch Lucian, only to find him already standing behind her, a look of concern on his face.
“Mr. Farwell,” Catalina said urgently, her eyes filled with distress. “You know Estella’s temperament. She’s always been withdrawn and doesn’t know how to express herself. Please be patient with her. If you don’t communicate properly with her, how will things ever get better? Estella is different from other children. Aren’t you worried her condition might worsen?”
Her words were tinged with a palpable sense of fear. The sound of the crash had rattled her, and she could no longer hold back her worry.
