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Novel Catalog
Chapter 80
Benny’s eyes brightened as he watched Lucian accept Archie’s gesture with a smile. Feeling encouraged by the warmth, Benny decided to take a risk of his own. He carefully placed a roast potato on Lucian’s plate and stared up at him, waiting for a reaction.
Lucian’s eyes widened at the unexpected kindness. He had expected the boys to cause trouble for him, not this. The thoughtful gesture caught him off guard, and he couldn’t help but smile, his gratitude genuine. “Thank you,” he said, regaining his composure. “Have some more potatoes yourself.”
Lucian returned the favor, carefully picking up a few extra potatoes and placing them on Benny’s plate, making sure to avoid the vegetables the boy had mentioned disliking earlier. Benny’s eyes widened with surprise.
“Thank you, Mr. Farwell! I will!” Benny said eagerly, his face lighting up. Daddy gave me food!
Meanwhile, Archie sat across from them, his expression darkening as he observed the interaction. Benny is such a fool, he thought, He can’t even see through Daddy’s obvious attempt to win him over. I won’t fall for that!
The rest of dinner passed with an odd undercurrent in the air. Once they were done eating, Roxanne stood up to clear the table. Lucian, though polite, silently helped her by gathering the silverware and returning it to the kitchen.
Once the task was completed, Lucian lingered, unsure of what to do next. He felt a strange discomfort, as if he should leave but didn’t want to appear rude after Roxanne had gone out of her way to host the meal. He hesitated, glancing at her.
Roxanne, noticing his discomfort, gave him a reassuring smile. “I can handle it from here,” she said. “Could you keep an eye on the children for me?”
Lucian nodded, his expression softening, and walked toward the living room.
Estella, along with the boys, was working on the final stages of a Lego project they had been assembling together. They had already built a large section, but now they were struggling with how to attach the pieces at the right height. Normally, Roxanne would have stepped in to help at this stage, but she was busy with the dishes, leaving the children to figure it out on their own.
After a moment of thought, Archie decided to grab a chair from the dining table to give the children the height they needed. Lucian, seeing their struggle, moved closer.
“Here, let me help,” he said, softening his expression as best he could. He reached out a hand to Archie, offering to assist with the task.
Archie hesitated for a moment, his eyes sizing Lucian up, before finally handing over the piece in his hands. Lucian followed Archie’s instructions carefully, snapping the piece into place with precision.
“Thank you,” Archie mumbled, clearly not used to showing gratitude.
Lucian nodded noncommittally, his gaze drifting to the children as they continued to work on their Lego creation. With one hand in his pocket, he stood by and occasionally offered a hand when necessary, but for the most part, he watched the children play, the noise of their laughter filling the room.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Roxanne was distracted. Her attention, rather than on the dishes she was meant to be cleaning, was stubbornly fixed on the scene unfolding in the living room. She was starting to regret letting Lucian stay after dinner.
Her unease deepened as she watched the boys interact with him. Last time, when they had confronted Lucian, they had revealed far too much. The fear gripped her chest as she thought about what might happen if they kept spending time together. What if the boys said something they shouldn’t?
If Lucian finds out that the boys are his…
Roxanne felt panic rising in her chest at the thought. The idea of Lucian discovering the truth about the boys filled her with dread. She couldn’t bear the thought of him taking them away from her. She wasn’t sure what she would do if that happened.
Her mind raced as she imagined a future without Archie and Benny, the overwhelming feeling of loss making her chest tighten. The very thought of it was almost unbearable.
Distracted by her growing anxiety, Roxanne’s grip on the bowl faltered. Before she could react, it slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor. The sharp sound of breaking glass echoed through the room, snapping her out of her thoughts.
She froze for a moment, her heart pounding as the shattering glass reflected her inner turmoil. The momentary noise seemed to amplify the weight of her thoughts, and she quickly crouched down to clean up the mess, her hands trembling as she fought to regain control over her racing emotions.
