Roxanne was touched when she saw how kind Elias was to her but swiftly put her guard up in case she lost her composure. “Did you not get a good night’s sleep yesterday? You look pale?” Elias asked out of concern.
Roxanne stiffened as she recalled yesterday night’s events. “I’m still getting used to this place since I just returned. I didn’t manage to get a good night’s sleep yesterday, plus, work has been busy. I’ll be fine in the next two days.”
Elias nodded his head in acknowledgment. “Work is important, but your health matters too, Young Lady.” With that, he lowered his head and gave Estella, Benny, and Archie a look. “Come and eat. Stop playing.”
The kids obediently nodded their heads. “Okay, Grandpa!” Elias smiled in delight when he heard the kids calling him Grandpa. Even though Sonya was always complaining about Archie and Benny to him, he thought they were cute and likable.
Roxanne heaved a sigh of relief when she saw how fond Elias was of Archie and Benny. “Who said you can call him Grandpa?”
Sonya suddenly came down the stairs and glared at them petulantly. The faces of Roxanne, Archie, and Benny clouded over. Sonya wouldn’t even spare them a glance as she made her way down and toward Elias.
“You should set some boundaries no matter how fond you are of the kids. Grandpa Farwell. is still an option. But how could you allow them to call you Grandpa? Only Essie is entitled to that. We only have one granddaughter in the Farwell family, and that’s Essie.”
She made it clear that she was displeased with Elias condoning such behavior. However, Roxanne knew that she was actually reprimanding Archie and Benny for crossing the line. She clenched her fists when she saw how disappointed her two kids looked, and she wanted to object.
Nevertheless, she held back when she recalled the reason she had agreed to stay, and instead, she simply pulled Archie and Benny over to her side.
Elias, on the other hand, defended Archie and Benny, saying, “They’re still young. You’re being too hard on them. It’s just a form of address. They can call me whatever they want.”
Sonya stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean it’s just a form of address? You know very well what this means!”
Elias effectively ended the conversation as he sat down at the dining table, saying, “The food is getting cold. Come and eat.”
Sonya had to swallow her frustration as she sat down beside him with a scowl. When she noticed Roxanne, Archie, and Benny sitting across from her, she couldn’t help but mutter to herself, “Why are we treating them like family when they clearly aren’t? They’re just going to fight over our inheritance when they grow up.”
Sonya had lost her composure and was acting out during the meal, displaying her anger as if she was afraid no one knew she was upset.
Roxanne couldn’t help but speak up in response. “Rest assured, Mrs. Farwell, that the three of us won’t spend a single cent of the Farwells’ money while we’re here. If you don’t mind, I can transfer the money over to you right away.”
Sonya felt as if she was being ridiculed and responded, “Do we look like we care about such a meager amount of money?”
Roxanne met her gaze and said, “I know you’re not that petty, so just treat us like your guests while we’re here. I’m pretty sure this is not how you would normally treat your guests.”
