Skip to content
Novel Catalog
Chapter 83
Roxanne exhaled a sigh of relief, grateful at how effortlessly the situation had unfolded. She had braced herself for a more difficult search for a suitable nanny, but to her surprise, Lysa had proven to be a promising candidate without much effort at all.
“Come by tomorrow morning,” Roxanne suggested after briefly discussing Lysa’s salary. “I’ll have the contract ready for you. You can sign it if everything looks good.”
Lysa nodded in agreement, and after exchanging farewells, she gathered her things and left, leaving the few of them alone in the living room once again.
Despite her relief over the nanny situation, Roxanne’s formality returned as she turned toward Lucian. “I’m sorry for the trouble you’ve gone to—bandaging my wound and finding a housekeeper. I owe you one.”
Lucian’s gaze darkened momentarily, a strange, almost unreadable glint flickering across his eyes before he suppressed it. He answered with a detached politeness, “Don’t mention it. Essie and I were the ones to trouble you in the first place. Consider these small favors a token of my gratitude.”
Estella, ever eager to show her support, nodded enthusiastically in agreement. She ran over to Roxanne, grabbing her wrist to examine the bandaged finger closely.
Roxanne smiled warmly as she gently stroked the little girl’s head. “It’s fine, sweetheart. It doesn’t hurt at all.”
Estella studied the bandage carefully, her small fingers brushing over it as if to confirm that Roxanne was telling the truth. When she was satisfied, she looked up and beamed a sweet, reassuring smile at the woman.
Roxanne’s heart melted at the child’s tenderness, and for a moment, she allowed herself to relax into the warmth of the interaction.
“It’s getting late,” Lucian remarked, clearing his throat. He glanced down at Estella with a softer expression. “Say goodbye to Ms. Jarvis and the boys, Essie.”
Though Estella looked as if she didn’t want to leave, she obeyed, waving at the boys with a gentle farewell, promising to see them again the next day.
The boys waved back, smiling. “Wait for us at kindergarten tomorrow!” they called.
Estella nodded eagerly, her excitement for tomorrow evident in her wide eyes.
Lucian, holding his daughter’s hand, turned to leave. He gave one last nod to Roxanne and the children before stepping out of the house.
It wasn’t until Lucian’s car had disappeared down the driveway that Roxanne finally felt herself fully relax.
The two boys, however, remained rooted to the spot, gazing at the empty road with reluctance, their eyes lingering on the place where Lucian’s car had just vanished.
Roxanne observed them closely and, with a gentle tone, spoke up. “Come on, boys. Let’s go inside,” she said softly. “You’ll see Essie tomorrow.”
After a long pause, the boys reluctantly turned and followed her into the house. Once inside, Roxanne paused and, with a solemn look, crouched down to face them.
“I need to tell you something important,” she said seriously.
The boys exchanged confused glances, sensing the gravity of her tone.
“If Essie’s father ever asks how old you are, you’re to tell him that you’re one year younger than her. Do you understand?”
The boys blinked, processing her request quickly, though they pretended not to understand at first. “Why?” Archie asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Roxanne hesitated, at a loss for a good explanation. She sighed softly, giving in to the necessity of her decision. “There’s no particular reason. Just trust me and do as I say, please?”
The boys exchanged another glance, this time a little more uncertain. After a beat, they nodded slowly, understanding the importance of her words without needing further explanation.
Archie, ever stoic, showed no outward reaction. Benny, on the other hand, looked confused, the wheels turning in his mind.
I know why Mommy wants us to say we’re younger than Essie, he thought. It’s so Daddy can’t figure out that we’re his children. But… what happened between Mommy and Daddy? He was kind to her, wasn’t he? Why doesn’t Mommy want him to know we’re his sons?
Benny’s innocent curiosity lingered, and the weight of his unasked questions seemed to hang in the air, unanswered.
