The Abandoned Wife (Lucian) novel Chapter 144

Chapter 144 Why Are You Picking Us Up
Staring at her phone, Roxanne hesitated briefly before putting it away and continuing with her research.
Since she needed more time for work, she was glad that Lucian was able to take the task off her hands.
Meanwhile, the three children were sitting on a bench at the kindergarten field with their bags behind their backs. Used to the fact that Roxanne would run late due to work, the boys sat upright and chatted with Pippa occasionally.
Sitting between the two brothers, Estella started out feeling anxious. However, after a while, she began to be slowly distracted until she cupped her chin with her hands and listened intently to their conversation.
Even when Lucian arrived, none of them noticed his presence.
When he saw the three of them sitting together, Lucian felt his heart warm up. Subconsciously, he quickened his pace and hurried up to them.
“Mr. Farwell,” Pippa greeted when she saw him.
Only then did the children look up and reacted with disappointment at the sight of him.
Faced with the drastic change in the children’s expressions, Lucian cocked a brow but didn’t comment. Instead, he informed Pippa, “I’m sorry, I was caught up with work. I’ll be picking Archie and Benny up, too.”
Well aware that the three children were always together the past few days, Pippa didn’t inquire any further. After handing them over to him, she took her leave and went home.
In spite of that, the children continued to sit on the bench without moving.
Lucian stared at them in amusement. “Do you still feel like sitting here for a while?”
Benny shook his head in reflex, for he didn’t want to continue staying there. The air was cold, while the bench was hard. Moreover, his bag was heavy, and he could already hear his stomach growling.
Archie looked at Lucian with a serious expression. “Where’s Mommy? Why are you the one picking us up?”
Estella, too, stared at her daddy and awaited his reply.
“She’s still busy at the research institute, and it would be too late by the time she’s done. I came over first to take all of you to dinner,” Lucian summarized. “Besides, I’m sure all of you are hungry. Come with me.”
Nevertheless, Archie remained hesitant.
As for Benny, he was famished and also excited that he finally had an opportunity to spend time with his father.
However, when he didn’t hear Archie’s response, he, too, fell silent and waited for his brother to express his thoughts.
When it came to Estella, she had no objections, for she was used to eating with Lucian. In spite of that, she remained seated when she didn’t see any movement from the boys.
Noticing the expectant look in Benny’s eyes, Archie paused for a moment before indicating his agreement by getting off the bench.
Behaving just like his lackeys, Benny and Estella followed suit.
Even though no words were exchanged, Lucian recognized their tacit agreement to have dinner with him.
After the four of them got into the car, Lucian drove, while the children sat in a uniform row behind.
“Since I don’t know what you like, I’ll just bring you to one of Estella’s favorite restaurants.” Lucian decided on the spot.
Benny answered without another thought. “I’m fine with that!”
Just as he spoke, he felt a tug from Archie and proceeded to keep his mouth shut sheepishly.
Without another word, Lucian drove them straight to the restaurant.
The high-end restaurant they were brought to had a historical look to it. Since Archie and Benny grew up overseas, they had never seen such a design before. Hence, they looked around curiously once they took their seats.
Lucian felt a warm sensation in his heart when he saw how their interest was piqued. “What would you like to eat?”