Chapter 81
The three children exchanged glances before putting the Lego pieces down in an unspoken agreement
and running into the kitchen.
“What happened, Mommy?” Archie and Benny asked in concern.
Their voices roused Roxanne out of her trance. She felt even more uneasy at the sight of her sons
before her. Barely able to suppress her fears, she shook her head and mustered a smile. “It’s nothing,”
she said. “The bowl must have slipped out of my hand. Don’t come in. There are broken pieces
everywhere.”
With that, she squatted down as if nothing had happened to pick up the pieces, still distracted as she
did so.
Lucian’s eyes darkened from behind the three children as he studied the woman on her knees.
I could be imagining it, but this woman does seem to have a lot on her mind.
Roxanne lowered her head. The man’s intense gaze upon her disconcerted her further.
In a momentary lapse of vigilance, her fingers closed around a particularly sharp corner of a shard.
A tingling pain erupting from her fingertips snapped her back to her senses, and she gave an
involuntary gasp of pain.
“Mommy!”
“Ms. Jarvis!”
The children cried out anxiously as blood dripped from Roxanne’s finger.
V
Archie and Benny were about to dash into the kitchen when a tall figure suddenly stopped in front of
them.
A moment later, they watched Lucian squat beside their mother to hold her wrist in his large hand with
a cold expression on his face.
Archie and Benny froze in their tracks.
“What were you thinking?” he asked with irritation.
Roxanne stared blankly at the vast hand on hers. She was at a loss for words.
Lucian wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her to her feet in an instant.
Roxanne was already standing by the sink when she regained her senses.
Looking ill-tempered, Lucian turned on the faucet and dragged her wrist under the stream of water.
“Wait outside,” Lucian ordered, turning his attention to the three children by the door. “Do not come in.”
Though the children were worried about Roxanne, they nodded when they saw that she was in good
hands.
Upon being satisfied that the wound on the woman’s hand was clean enough, Lucian took out a clean
handkerchief from his pocket and wrapped it around her injured finger to stem the bleeding
“Thank you.” By that point, Roxanne had regained sufficient control of her faculties. She tried to jerk her
hand out of his while avoiding his gaze. “I can finish up on my own.”
The man frowned and tightened his grip.
Roxanne felt annoyed at his refusal to let go.
He has a child with another woman. Essie is watching us right now.
Distinctly aware of Estella’s eyes on them, Roxanne tried her best to distance herself from Lucian.
He has no cause to care for me to this extent. He only has hatred toward me, anyway.
Grimacing at the reminder, Roxanne gazed at him with plain refusal for his help.
Lucian pretended not to have noticed her resistance. “I’m going to dress your wound,” he announced
solemnly.
Without another word, he led her out by her hand.
Roxanne gritted her teeth in consternation. “Please don’t trouble yourself. It’s late enough as it is; you
should take Essie home. I can manage on my own.”
Lucian froze in his tracks at her words.
Roxanne noticed a vague dissatisfaction emanating out of him that disappeared without a trace by the
next second.
“How will you dress your wound when your right hand is the injured one?” Lucian suppressed his
annoyance and dragged her out without paying her protests any heed.
The three children followed them eagerly.
Roxanne did not struggle anymore under their concerned gazes. Instead, she resigned herself to her
fate.
This man is too domineering.
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