Leaving The Country After Divorce

Chapter 61
After watching Lucian’s car depart, Roxanne brought Archie and Benny back to the mansion.
She squatted down and gave them a serious look. The two boys, too, looked at her as they knew their mother wanted to talk to them.
“Archie, Benny, listen carefully. Don’t ever tell anyone about our family again-especially the fact that you don’t have a daddy!” Roxanne felt her head throbbing when she recalled the incident earlier.
Thank God I managed to put a stop to their conversation. Given Lucian’s intelligence, the things the kids said would have aroused his suspicion.
Archie and Benny looked perplexed. “Why not? It’s a fact that we didn’t have a daddy!”
Roxanne’s head pounded even more intensely when she heard their reply.
I can’t be telling these boys the real reason, can I? How can I tell them I’m afraid their biological father will come looking for them?

After a short pause, Roxanne made up a story. “Because bad guys like kids who don’t have fathers. They know mothers are not strong enough to protect their children. What if they snatch you away?”
The two geniuses exchanged glances. They thought the explanation was lame but decided to play along. “Okay, Mommy.”
Roxanne sighed with relief. She got up, took her bag, and brought them to the research institute.
Meanwhile, after leaving Roxanne’s house, Estella was still sulking though she was not crying anymore. Throughout the drive back, she pouted and looked at the view outside the window as if Lucian was not around.
Feeling helpless, Lucian sighed and said in a deep voice, “Still mad at Daddy? I’m sorry, Essie. It’s all Daddy’s fault. I shouldn’t stop you from making friends, but you can’t simply run away from home all the time. Communicate with Daddy if you have a problem.”
Estella tilted her head to look at him. Instead of looking out the window again, she lowered her head and stared at her tiny feet.
Lucian sighed again. He reached out his hand and gently stroked her head. “Instead of writing, you should try to speak. Writing might not accurately convey your emotions and can sometimes cause misunderstanding.”
Estella shook her head and brushed his hand off. She hugged her notebook even more tightly and refused to put it aside.
Upon seeing his daughter’s reaction, Lucian frowned and fell silent.
All the years, everyone assumed Estella was a mute, and Lucian had never bothered to explain to the public.
The little girl was not mute. In fact, she had learned to speak much earlier than peers her age.
However, Estella was later diagnosed with autism, and she gradually stopped talking to anyone. That was why she preferred to write down her thoughts on paper.