It was past eight in the evening when Roxanne arrived home. When she entered, she saw the three children sitting on the couch, tuning to the financial news channel. Lucian was sitting cross-legged beside them. The four of them were focused on the television. “You’re back?” Lucian was the first to get up when he heard the sound at the door. “There’s food on the table. I just heated it. You should change and come down for dinner.” Only then did the three children shift their focus and run toward her with round bellies. “Mommy, the food that Daddy ordered is delicious!” Roxanne looked amused when she saw how full they were from eating before she shifted her gaze to the CEO before her who seemed to be asking for credit. “What did you—” “I didn’t want to make you worry. You should know I can take good care of them.” Roxanne was taken aback. She looked at how serious Lucian was and felt her heart skip a beat. “I know. That’s why I asked you to look after them.” The three children stared at their parents and slowly backed away in understanding to minimize their presence. Roxanne noticed the change in the atmosphere and quickly regained her composure. She lowered her head and walked past Lucian. Lucian did not stop her either. Roxanne was tired after having dinner. She suggested Lucian take the children home with him. “It’s getting late. You should bring them to the manor.” Hearing that, the three children stared at them in confusion. Roxanne patiently explained to Archie and Benny, “I’m quite busy these days, and I’m afraid I won’t be able to take good care of you. How about the two of you stay at Essie’s place for some time?” “No! We want to be with you, Mommy!” Archie was the first to reject the idea. Determination was written all over his face. “We want to protect you!” Roxanne was moved when she heard that. She smiled and reached over to ruffle his hair. “I have bodyguards by my side. Plus, I’m an adult. I can take care of myself. I’ll be distracted and worried if the three of you are here. You don’t want me to be exhausted either, right?” With how she worded it, the children had no choice but to agree despite their unwillingness. Lucian helped the three children get into the car before he turned to look at Roxanne. “Will you be fine on your own?” Roxanne smiled. “Don’t I still have the bodyguards you a*signed for me? Plus, Aubree won’t appear for the next few days. I don’t think it’ll be dangerous.” “There are a lot of guest rooms at the manor,” Lucian hinted. Naturally, Roxanne could understand what he meant. However, she still had some concerns, so she shook her head and replied, “It’s fine. It’s closer to the research institute from here.” After saying that, she abruptly changed the topic, afraid Lucian might try to persuade her again. “It’s getting late. The children still need to go to kindergarten tomorrow. You should hurry and bring them home.” Lucian knew it was impossible to persuade her, so he kept quiet. After all, the children would be going home with him. He would find other ways to make her agree. With that thought in mind, he reminded her to rest early before getting into the car. “Bye, Mommy.” The children wound down the window and said goodbye to Roxanne reluctantly. Roxanne smiled and waved goodbye as she watched them leave. After driving for a while, Lucian looked at the three children through the rearview mirror and asked, “Do you want Mommy to come with us?” The children’s eyes lit up, and they nodded fervently. “I want that too, but that’ll have to depend on your performance.” Lucian raised his eyebrows in satisfaction. The three children stayed at the Farwell residence for the next few days. Lucian used that as an excuse to video call Roxanne every night. He would report to her about how the children were doing and also expressed his concern for her health. The children were obedient every time they appeared on the screen. It was already the weekend. It had been four whole days since the children had last met Roxanne, and they were throwing tantrums about wanting to see her. Lucian had an idea. It was noon. Catalina was about to prepare lunch when she saw Lucian and the children preparing to go out. She said, “Mr. Farwell, are you going out to meet Mrs. Farwell? Why don’t you wait for me to finish preparing lunch so you can bring some for her? Isn’t she busy these days? Please remind her not to overwork herself.” Before Lucian could speak, the children had already run toward the kitchen. “Ms. Catalina, we’ll help you!” With that, they each took a stool and stood beside Catalina. A smile appeared on Catalina’s lips when she saw the three adorable children. “Okay. I’ll teach you.” The four of them started to prepare lunch in the kitchen. Lucian watched them for a while and felt his heart skip a beat. He could not help but go to the kitchen and join in. “Mr. Farwell?” Catalina was filled with surprise when she saw Lucian walk into the kitchen. However, she quickly understood that he was doing it for Roxanne and grinned as she guided them to prepare lunch. The lunch preparation was chaotic, but the final product was considered acceptable with Catalina’s help. Catalina helped them pack the food. She then watched them leave with lunch boxes in their hands as she smiled from ear to ear. It was lunchtime when the four of them arrived at the research institute. The children stared at Lucian with wide eyes as he gave Roxanne a call. Not long after, Roxanne appeared at the entrance of the research institute and made her way toward them. “Why did you change cars?” Roxanne asked casually when she got in the car and noticed its spacious space. As soon as she said that, the children mysteriously took out a bag. Lucian pressed a button, and soon, a divider fell onto the seat in front of them. Roxanne was confused. “Tadah! Mommy, we prepared you lunch!” Benny struggled to put the bag on the divider. His eyes sparkled in anticipation as he stared at Roxanne. Roxanne was filled with surprise when she heard what Benny said. She could not help but turn to look at the person beside her. I’ve already seen how he washes dishes, but it’s hard to imagine him cooking in the kitchen. Lucian had been so clumsy when making a cake the last time, much less cook. Lucian sensed her gaze and turned to look out the window calmly. Roxanne thought it was funny, but she was also excited to know what food they had prepared. She reached over to open the bag and took out the lunchboxes one by one. Lucian turned around and looked at the opened lunchboxes. A glint of disgust flashed across his eyes. “Forget it. I should bring you all to a restaurant instead.” He had always thought he could achieve anything. However, when faced with the food in front of him, he had to admit that he had zero talent for cooking. With that, he got ready to start the car. However, a smile appeared on Roxanne’s lips. Surprise was written on her face as she said, “You guys made all these? You’re awesome!” Lucian stopped his actions and narrowed his eyes as he stared at her when he heard her say that. “You don’t need to force yourself. These dishes don’t look appetizing. You can try my cooking again when I’ve made improvements. It’s better if you don’t eat it. You’re tired these days. We should go and eat something good.” Roxanne glanced at the children. They instantly understood her intention and secretly glanced at the food Lucian had prepared. “It’s fine. I think you all did quite well. There’s a well-balanced amount of vegetables and meat, especially the chicken salad. I’ve been craving something crisp and refreshing for days!” With that, Roxanne picked up her fork to taste the chicken salad. She scrunched her eyebrows at the sourness. Lucian noticed her response and tasted the chicken salad himself. He immediately frowned and said, “I put too much vinegar.” As soon as he said that, he reached over again to start the engine. Roxanne quickly stopped him by grabbing his arm. “No, it’s fine. I’ve been wanting to eat something sour for the past few days. It tastes just right for me.” She then put on an act and asked the children, “Did you guys make this? My babies are so precious. You could even guess my cravings.” The children were amused by Roxanne and wanted to laugh but had to hold it in. “It was Daddy!” Roxanne pretended to be surprised as she looked at Lucian. Naturally, Lucian could tell that they were acting. Displeased, he said, “Didn’t I tell you not to force yourself? If it’s not good, then it’s not good.” Roxanne helplessly stopped her act and breathed, “Although it can’t be considered delicious, it’s not that bad either. Besides, it’s the thought that counts. The food will taste delicious no matter what. If I was the one who made all this food and sent it to you personally, would you not have eaten it?” Her words rendered him speechless. Roxanne placed a fork in his hand before putting some food on the children’s plates. “Mm! Benny, the food you made is too salty!” “Essie’s food is too spicy!” Benny and Estella ate a few mouthfuls of food and began complaining about each other. In the end, they came to a conclusion. “Archie’s food is the best! Daddy’s chicken salad too!” Lucian’s chicken salad had been chosen as one of the two foods that were edible. Roxanne’s lips curved upward into a smile as she watched the children arguing playfully. Lucian finally accepted the food on the table. When he heard what the children said, he placed some stir-fried potatoes on Roxanne’s plate. Archie had not eaten much of it, yet half of the stir-fried potatoes were gone. The children could not protest when they saw their father playing favoritism so openly. They had no choice but to silently eat the sour chicken salad. Roxanne thought it was funny to see Lucian bully the three children. “Just eat some of these today. I’ll do my best to improve my cooking next time,” Lucian said in a deep voice. Roxanne did not think today’s meal was a waste, but she still smiled and nodded when she heard what he said. It was almost time for Roxanne to return to the research institute after they finished lunch. Roxanne accompanied them a little longer, but in the end, she still had to return to continue her experiment. “I’m working overtime this afternoon. You guys should go back first.” She opened the door and got out of the car. Just as she closed the door, she heard the sound of the door opening and closing. She turned around and saw Lucian walking toward her. “What’s wrong?” she asked in confusion. Lucian frowned as he looked at her. “How long more will you be busy?” Roxanne had been working overtime continuously for more than half a month. Lucian was afraid she might exhaust herself. Roxanne knew he was worried about her. She smiled and comforted him, “There are some leads in the experiment now. It’ll be over soon. Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” Lucian’s expression darkened as he looked at her much slimmer figure. The thought of wanting to acquire Damaris Group’s pharmaceutical company arose once more in his mind. Roxanne noticed his expression darkening and a*sumed it was because he did not enjoy the lunch earlier, so helplessly, she continued to rea*sure him. “It made me very happy that you guys put a lot of effort into helping me prepare lunch. Thank you for that.” However, as soon as her words fell, Lucian put his arms around her waist and kissed her on the lips. His actions promptly took Roxanne aback, and she instinctively glanced at the car just in time to see the heads of the three children poking out of the window. “Mommy! We want a kiss too!” The children’s initial guilty expression changed after she noticed them, and they happily swung open the car door and got out. Roxanne glanced at the calm-looking man in front of her before focusing on the children’s expectant expressions. She crouched down and kissed each child individually, the shyness within her vanished because of them. The children also obediently encircled her neck with their arms and kissed her on the cheek. “Don’t forget to take good care of yourself, Mommy!” Roxanne a*sented with a smile. After getting up and bidding farewell to Lucian, she turned and entered the research institute. Although working overtime for two days did leave her feeling a little exhausted, seeing Lucian and the kids earlier had filled her with motivation once more. Roxanne soon began to continue the morning’s research. However, shortly after she had been working, her phone vibrated. She glanced at it and discovered that it was a call from Jack. Roxanne put her experiment on hold to take the call, a*suming he was calling for research-related matters. Jack’s voice rang out from the other end of the line. “My apologies, Ms. Jarvis. I’ve been caught up in other matters for the past two days. Are you very busy there?” She smiled understandingly at his words. “You need not apologize to me, Mr. Damaris. Given that your family owns such a sizable business, it’s understandable for you to be a little busy. I’m managing well with the research over here.” However, Jack still felt apologetic. “I happened to be free today, so if you don’t mind, I can come to the research institute to help you.” Roxanne hesitated when she heard that. “I’m sure you know that the Damaris family is knowledgeable in this aspect. I can spare you some detours and perhaps also offer some suggestions for improvement,” he added persuasively. She naturally hoped that she could develop a new drug with superior efficacy, so she had no reason to refuse after hearing what he said. “In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to come over, then.” Jack merely chuckled before ending the call. Unbeknownst to Roxanne, Jack had arrived at the research institute a scant step behind Lucian and the children, nearly at the same time. He had been waiting by the roadside for as long as she had been in Lucian’s car and had even witnessed their kiss at the end. Seeing how close their family was made his blood boil. Although Roxanne had not initiated the kiss, he could tell by the smile on her face that she had already accepted Lucian’s affections. I cannot accept that! Roxanne is my perfect partner. She must be mine! If I allow her to be together with Lucian, all my previous efforts will be in vain! Jack’s expression darkened with malice at that thought. After getting out of the car, he adjusted his expression before entering the research institute. Hence, he was once again sporting an apologetic look by the time he saw Roxanne. “You’ve lost weight. It looks like you’ve been too busy of late.” The latter took a quick moment to glance down at herself. Then, with a nonchalant smile, she led him to the entrance of another laboratory. “After what happened last time, I’ve redesigned the research facility and divided it into laboratories of varying sizes. I’m working in a compact one-person laboratory. If you don’t mind, yours will be next to mine. That’ll make it easier for us to communicate.”