When Lucian took Roxanne and headed directly to the kindergarten to pick the kids up, the kids were delighted to see that their father had recovered from the cold.
“Daddy, I have some pocket money. Let me treat you to dinner, okay? You just got sick, so you should eat something delicious.” Estella blinked, almost as if she had made up her mind.
“Where did you get your pocket money from? Didn’t Grandpa help you save up all your monetary gifts from the holidays?” Lucian asked curiously.
Roxanne, too, found it amusing. She felt that she had missed many moments of Estella growing up. Lifting the little girl into her arms, she asked, “Essie, did you save up a lot of monetary gifts?”
Estella bobbed her head smugly. “Yes, a lot of monetary gifts. There are many zeros. Grandpa kept them for me. But the pocket money I have now is the money that other kids gave me after I helped them make some cards.”
“Is there such a thing?” Lucian averted his gaze toward Archie and Benny for verification. The two boys nodded. Archie replied, “The cards Essie made are really nice. That’s why many other kids bought their own materials and asked her to help them make too. The remuneration for each card is twenty dollars. I was the one who decided on the amount. Essie made quite many cards and earned a few hundred from it.”
These kids are beginning to earn money at such a young age! Lucian and Roxanne exchanged looks, their eyes filled with love and affection.
“Mommy, Daddy, Essie is still making the card she intends to give to the two of you. She hasn’t finished yet, but I’m sure it’ll be beautiful. You two have to look forward to it.” Benny sure was a big blabbermouth who could not keep secrets to himself.
At that, Estella puffed her cheeks and. protested, “Benny, didn’t you promise me that you won’t ruin the surprise?”
Benny stuck out his tongue cheekily and made a face. Lucian’s and Roxanne’s curiosity grew at once. They were anticipating what the card would look like exactly. “All right. Essie shall treat us today! Essie sure is the best!”
Following Lucian’s words, the family headed to an authentic farm-to-table restaurant. That place served food that was affordable and also tasted delicious. The money Estella earned was enough for them to eat a sumptuous meal.
It was already nine at night when the family finished dinner and returned to the mansion. As they entered the courtyard contentedly, they saw Sonya’s car, which was long parked inside.
Before long, Sonya stepped out of the car with multiple bags in her hands. “Lucian, Roxanne, you guys are finally back,” she uttered.
Lucian knitted his brows. It was evident he was not very welcoming of his mother. Roxanne, on the contrary, seemed to have noticed that Sonya’s eyes were rather puffy. Did she cry?
Despite so, she could not bring herself to empathize with Sonya. After glancing at the latter, she grabbed Estella’s hand and prepared to head into the living room. At the sight of Sonya, Estella called out, “Grandma, what are you holding in your hand?”
Contrastingly, Archie’s and Benny’s gazes were full of fear. Instinctively, they hid behind Lucian. Lucian’s expression grew frostier when he witnessed the boys’ reactions. The man carried the boys up, and unbothered about what Sonya wanted to do, he strode past her and headed straight into the living room.
Bewilderment struck Sonya. Her lips twitched slightly, but she could not bring words out of her mouth. A myriad of emotions flooded her heart, which was made apparent by the conflicted expression on her face. She froze a long while before she forced a smile and turned to follow into the living room. The smile on her face was awfully bitter and gloomy.
“Lucian, Roxanne, these are some gifts I got for Archie and Benny. Winter is coming soon. Since the boys are growing up so quickly, it’s time they have some new clothes. Of course, there are also some figurines. I don’t know much about these things, so I’m unsure if they’ll like them?”
Sonya’s tone was soft and gentle. It was drastically different from her usual image. There was even a tinge of misery in her voice.
