Chapter 4 Do Not Come Back
The same thought popped up in Roxanne's mind. Is this little girl a mute?
Her sympathy for the little girl increased. In a gentle voice, she asked, "Can you give me your hand?"
With that, she stretched her hand outward.
Despite staring at her timidly, the little girl seemed to be less rigid after hearing her words.
Roxanne waited patiently for the little girl to accept her hand.
After a long hesitation, the little girl finally reached out to take Roxanne's hand cautiously.
Seeing that, Roxanne held her hand gently and helped her up. She didn't forget to check the little girl again for any injuries.
Because of her action, they got physically closer to each other.
The little girl felt soft and fluffy. She even smelled like milk.
Roxanne couldn't help but recall her daughter, who was a stillborn baby.
If she were to grow up well, she'd be around this little girl's age.
As that thought surfaced in her mind, Roxanne was overcome with heartache and regret.
As if sensing her emotions, the little girl stayed put and gazed at her quietly.
I know I shouldn't talk to strangers, but this lady is really pretty. Strangely, I feel the urge to get close to her.
At that moment, Madilyn remarked, "Oh, what an adorable young girl. She's as adorable as our boys!"
Roxanne nodded in agreement. "I believe she got lost. Let's send her to the police station and see if we can get in contact with her family."
Right after she said that, the young girl gave her a slight tug.
Roxanne looked down in confusion.
The little girl was shaking her head profusely, her eyes turning red. She seemed like she was about to dissolve into tears any minute.
Clearly, the little girl didn't want her to do that.
Seeing the girl's distraught expression really tugged at Roxanne's heartstrings.
She had no other choice, though. If she didn't send the little girl to the police station in time, she might be accused of kidnapping the latter.
Roxanne was in a dilemma.
"All right. We don't have to go to the police station." She squatted down and tried to negotiate with the little girl. "Do you have your parents' phone number? I can call them so they can come here to pick you up."
The little girl stopped shaking her head, but she slumped in dejection instead.
As she didn't respond, Roxanne assumed she didn't have her parents' number. She was about to send her to the police station when the little girl moved.
Roxanne watched as she pulled out a pencil and a post-it note. She then scribbled a phone number with the word "Daddy" behind it before handing the note to Roxanne.
After taking the note from her, Roxanne punched in the number belonging to the little girl's dad.
"Oh, she's indeed mute," Archie and Benny muttered under their breaths.
Roxanne stiffened and shot her sons a warning look. "Don't be rude to her."
The boys straightened their backs and gave the little girl guilty smiles.
Glancing at them, the little girl inched nearer to Roxanne instinctively and reached out to grab the corner of Roxanne's dress.
However, Roxanne didn't notice that as she was busy double-checking the phone number before making the call.
Back in the Farwell residence, Lucian strode into the mansion angrily. "Is Essie back?"
The butler came to welcome him. Wearing a worried expression, he said, "No. I didn't see Ms. Estella around."
After saying that, he realized the temperature surrounding his employer had dropped drastically.
Lucian's lips thinned as he furrowed his brows.
I've searched everywhere I could. Where could she be? Did something happen to her?
As that possibility occurred to him, a faint gleam of malice shone in his eyes. It appeared as if he wanted nothing more than to destroy the entire world.
Right then, a lady clad in thick makeup hurried into the mansion and asked anxiously, "Lucian, I heard Essie went missing? Is it true? Did you find her?"
The lady was none other than Aubree, the one whom Lucian wanted to marry previously.
Nevertheless, Lucian kept his authoritative aura before her. "She's still missing. Now that you're here, I'd like to know what you told Essie this afternoon. Why would she run away from home for no reason?"
Aubree seemed surprised to hear his question as she stared at him incredulously. "Lucian, what are you saying? Are you saying I did something to Essie?"
Seemingly hurt, she added, "I did nothing to her! Never mind if someone else misunderstands me. You've seen how I treated her dearly over the years! Even though Essie treated me coldly, I didn't mind and took good care of her. I never yelled at her. No way would I do something to make her run away from home!"
With her red-rimmed eyes and innocent expression, she was trying hard to convince Lucian that she had nothing to do with Estella's disappearance.
Deep down, she wanted nothing more than for the mute little girl to disappear forever.
Indeed, she was harsh to Estella that afternoon. She also told the little girl that she would give birth to more adorable children after she married Lucian.
By then, Lucian would no longer adore Estella.
As Estella couldn't talk, Aubree wasn't afraid that the former would complain about her behavior to Lucian.
However, she had no idea that Estella would end up running away from home.
This is great! It will be better if she can't return. That way, I won't have to see her again!
Chapter 5 You Are Back
Lucian glared at her silently for a few seconds.
Meanwhile, Aubree dug her nails into her palm to stop herself from revealing her real emotions.
"You'd better not be lying."
Lucian averted his gaze a while later and turned to Cayden. "Did the police get back to you?"
Cayden's voice was grim. "Not yet."
He glanced at Lucian carefully and asked, "Could someone has kidnapped Ms. Estella?" Concern was evident in his voice.
The girl was Lucian's darling daughter. She was well-adorned in the Farwell family and thus became the target of many of Lucian's rivals. Previously, she was nearly kidnapped.
Now, she was nowhere to be found, and even the police couldn't find her anywhere. Hence, Cayden couldn't help but think of the worst—someone had kidnapped her.
Lucian's gaze turned as dark as thunder. "Increase the manpower and expand the search area. I want to see her by the end of today!"
"Got it!" Cayden responded loudly.
He felt a chill go down his spine when he realized his employer was about to blow his top.
Lucian had just spun on his heels to leave when his phone rang.
Right now, he wasn't in the mood to talk on the phone. Pulling out his phone, he was about to reject the call when he realized it was from an unknown number.
Recalling Cayden's earlier words, Lucian scowled and answered the call.
A female voice rang out. "Hello."
Hearing that, Lucian narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
Why does this sound just like her voice?
The figure he spotted that afternoon at the airport flashed across his mind.
"Hello? Is anyone there?" Roxanne repeated dubiously after a while.
Lucian came back to his senses and replied curtly, "Yeah."
His answer was only one syllable, so it was too short for Roxanne to recognize his voice.
Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief after hearing his response. "Hello. I've run into a little girl who gave me your phone number. You must be her father, right? Are you free to pick her up now?"
Her voice rang in his ear clearly and resonated in his mind.
The more she spoke, the colder Lucian's gaze became.
When she stopped talking, Lucian's eyes were practically blocks of ice.
It's her! It has been years since we last met, but there's no way I'd have mistaken her for someone else! Roxanne Jarvis, you're finally back!
Gritting his teeth forcefully, Lucian lowered his voice deliberately and asked, "Where are you?"
"We're at Drunken Fairy. We'll wait here with her. Will you come to the restaurant to pick her up?" Roxanne answered at once.
"Yes. I'll head there right away."
With that said, Lucian cut the line and ordered, "Get the car. We're heading to Drunken Fairy."
Not knowing why his employer grew furious all of a sudden, Cayden replied in the affirmative hastily.
Roxanne stared at her phone as the screen dimmed. Strangely, she felt nervous for no reason.
The man's voice sounded hoarse. Why does it sound familiar?
As Roxanne couldn't figure out an answer, she stopped deliberating over the matter.
"Aren't you hungry?" Madilyn asked.
After all, they had been waiting outside for some time. She continued, "I'm starving. Let's head in for dinner. We can bring her out when her father arrives later."
Roxanne shot her a grin. "All right. Let's go in."
She squatted down again to the little girl's height to meet her gaze. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to bring you in for dinner? Your daddy should be on the way here. When he arrives, I'll bring you out. Will that do?" she asked.
The little girl stared at her for a few moments, seemingly reluctant.
"If you don't want to come in, I'll wait here with you," Roxanne added patiently.
Hearing that, Archie and Benny chimed in, "We'll wait with you too, Mommy!"
Madilyn slapped her forehead in exasperation. "Am I the only one starving here? Little girl, we're not bad people. No bad person will treat you to a meal in an expensive restaurant! You must be hungry, too. Come on in with us. There's no need to be stubborn."
Everyone's gazes fell on the young girl.
As Archie and Benny were also hungry, they stared at the little girl expectantly.
Biting her lip, the little girl came closer to Roxanne and reached out to tug at her sleeve. She then gave a careful nod.
"You don't have to force yourself," Roxanne told her gently, seeing through the girl's thoughts.
The little girl shook her head yet again.
Seeing that, Roxanne patted her head affectionately. She took the little girl's hand and led her into the restaurant.
Madilyn held the boys' hands and watched as the little girl trotted beside Roxanne obediently. She teased, "She was wary of us just a while ago, but she's gotten close to you now."
With a sigh, she lamented, "Indeed, good-looking people are always favored."
In response, Roxanne grinned and held the little girl's hand tightly without responding to Madilyn's teasing words.
Chapter 6 The Daughter Of Lucian Farwell
The Drunken Fairy was one of the best private restaurants in Horington. Every dish served was exemplary, and the place only accepted the most high-profile clients. Reservations also had to be made at least one month in advance.
Madilyn had managed to book a table yesterday using her connections.
The restaurant's interior was exquisite; a screen separated every table, each room's entrance was made of wood, and the building didn't have a roof. When night fell, the chandelier above gave off a very antique and quintessential vibe, and one would feel as though they were dining under the moonlight.
The small group made their way into the building and seated themselves at a corner table.
It wasn't long until the waitstaff arrived with their food.
Worried that the little girl would feel uncomfortable, Roxanne gave her all her attention, feeding her and wiping her mouth at every opportunity.
Archie and Benny sat next to them. Seeing Estella indulge in the food melted their hearts, and they tried their best to peel as much shrimp as they could for her.
Estella never stopped chewing as she kept her focus on the growing pile of food before her.
"Did you hear what happened? The Farwell family's princess has gone missing! The family's scoured the entire city for her, but they still can't find her."
Suddenly, a voice could be heard coming from the table next to them.
The next person to speak sounded warier. "She couldn't have been kidnapped, could she? Whoever's done it sure has nerves of steel. Who would ever dare lay their hands on her? She's Lucian Farwell's precious little girl! They must be tired of living."
Roxanne's movements slowed down visibly at the mention of Lucian's name, and she began to space out.
The conversation resumed anyway. "Right? The little princess might be mute and has never said a single word, but she still gets to live the best life. How lucky of her!"
Mute?
A look of suspicion flashed in Roxanne's eyes as she stopped moving.
Lucian's precious little girl is mute?
This child I picked up hasn't spoken a word.
Judging from her behavior and clothes, she does look like someone from the Farwells.
And that man over the phone! His voice...
At the thought of this, Roxanne suppressed her astonishment as she turned to the child on her left.
Seemingly having noticed her gaze, the girl glanced up at her with eyes full of puzzlement.
As soon as their eyes met, Roxanne felt as though she had been struck by lightning.
"This kid... She can't be Lucian's daughter, could she?"
Madilyn put down her cutlery and stared at the child for a few seconds. "That'd be too much of a coincidence, wouldn't it?" she asked hopefully.
As Roxanne's best friend, she knew everything the former had gone through for the past six years.
This girl looks like she's around five or six, which means she's about Archie and Benny's age.
If she really were Lucian's daughter, that means he would've had a child with that first crush of his right after Roxanne divorced him.
That guy just couldn't wait, huh?
Roxanne really deserves someone better than him.
Not knowing what her friend was thinking, Roxanne recalled all the events that had ensued after she met this child. The more she thought about it, the more certain she was that the little girl seated next to her was Lucian's daughter.
"I'd say we've hit the jackpot this time," she remarked with a grimace.
Seeing how sure the woman looked, Madilyn felt her heart sink as she gazed at the confused-looking child. "What should we do, then? Lucian's probably on his way now!" she whispered.
Roxanne began to panic.
A brief moment later, she handed her phone to Madilyn. "Take my phone and act like it's yours. I'll get Archie and Benny out of here. We'll be waiting for you at the parking lot."
Madilyn nodded in understanding.
Still, seeing the little girl remain perplexed made Roxanne's heart ache. "I'll leave this little one to you."
She then turned to her own two children. "Let's go."
The two boys followed her obediently without question.
Upon walking past the little girl, Roxanne felt a soft tug on her sleeve.
Looking conflicted, she turned to the child, only to see the latter gripping onto her sleeve tightly, looking extremely flustered.
Seeing the girl's distraught expression really tugged at Roxanne's heartstrings.
Regardless of whatever had happened between her and Lucian, she knew this child was never to be blamed.
Eventually, she comforted the little one, "I have to go now. This lady here will take good care of you, so wait right here, okay? Your daddy will be here soon."
With that, she forced the child's grip off of her and strode out of the private room, never looking back.
At the same time, Madilyn hastily instructed the staff to take the three used sets of plates and cutlery away.
Not long after the waitstaff had done as told, the wooden door was pushed open.
A group of bodyguards dressed in black stood in two rows, making a path in between them.
Seeing that, Madilyn instinctively straightened her back and gazed at the entrance, trying her best to appear calm.
Then, she watched as a frosty-looking Lucian made his way into the room.