Chapter 145: I Dislike Him For Leaving Us

Feeling famished, Benny's gaze snapped to Lucian the moment he mentioned food. He rattled off his order: "I'd like pork ribs, fried fish, drumsticks all our favorites!"

Lucian then turned to Archie, who was hesitant to respond. However, Benny's quick answer left Archie no choice but to nod silently.

After ordering the food based on the boys' preferences, an awkward silence settled over the table. Lucian wasn't sure what to say.

Once the dishes arrived, Lucian instructed the waiter to place them before the boys. Only then did Archie say, in a cordial but distant tone, "Thank you, Mr. Farwell."

"Don't mention it," Lucian replied, nodding. His tone felt awkward; he rarely interacted with them.

During dinner, he served them, though not with the same ease as Roxanne. Nevertheless, the boys devoured their food.

Finally, after a struggle to find a topic, Lucian asked, "Is everything to your liking?"

Benny rubbed his stomach thoughtfully before answering earnestly, "It's delicious, but not as good as Mommy's cooking."

Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Does your mommy cook often?"

"Mmm-hmm," Benny replied candidly. "She cooks when she's not busy. But when she's overwhelmed with work, she doesn't even have time to eat." A concerned expression crossed his face. He knew she probably hadn't eaten.

Estella's eyes widened with envy; she longed for Roxanne's cooking every day.

Unaware of their thoughts, Lucian remained curious about their daily lives. "Then how do you manage when your mommy is busy?"

The question instantly regretted. If Roxanne was busy, their father would naturally care for them. There was no way the three of them lived overseas alone.

The thought brought Roxanne to mind. Compared to six years ago, she seemed sterner, perhaps due to weight loss.

Unaware of Lucian's internal conflict, Benny answered naively, "When Mommy's busy, her professor or assistant babysits us. Sometimes, she even brings us to the research institute, where her colleagues adore us."

Lucian was jolted back to reality, baffled and slightly displeased. "What about your daddy? Why doesn't he take care of you?"

His words stunned the brothers.

Daddy? Our daddy is sitting right in front of us. He just doesn't know it.

Archie put down his cutlery, his brow furrowed, silencing Benny. He stared at Lucian and demanded, "What do you want to know?"

Slightly shocked, Lucian quickly recovered, pursed his lips, and said, "Nothing. I was just showing concern."

After a long stare, Archie finally spoke, his tone firm. "We've never seen our daddy since we were born. He's a villain for abandoning Mommy and us. Therefore, I dislike him!"

He glanced at Lucian once more before returning to his food.