Refusing To Talk To Him Her rocky relationship with Byron left Rosalie increasingly troubled when it
came to facing Estie.
Every time Lucian and Nox mentioned the girl, she would try to change the topic.
Eventually, the perceptive boys sensed that their mother’s attitude toward the girl had changed. They
did not avoid her at school, but they became much more distant to her.
Estie had just learned how to speak, and she could only say a handful of words. In fact, she only
occasionally said a word or two when she was interested in the topic. Now that the boys stopped
initiating conversations with her, and as it had been a few days since she last saw Rosalie, Estie slowly
regressed and stopped talking altogether.
Only Byron noticed the changes in his daughter’s demeanor.
When he first brought her home, she would sometimes say a word or two. Recently, though, she
refused to speak again, no matter what.
Byron was worried about her condition, but the only person who could help her had clearly stated that
she wanted nothing to do with him.
Byron’s feelings toward that woman were complicated.
After he brought Estie home from school that day, Byron tried to get Estie to talk, using the methods
Lucas had taught him. “What’s the matter, Estie? Why have you been so down lately?”
He had been asking her that very question for days now, but she just would not say anything in
response.
He thought she would stay silent today as well, but suddenly he heard a soft little voice reply,
“Din see…” Estie pouted, looking utterly dejected.
Byron was confused. “What didn’t you see?”
Estie sulked. “Auntie.”
She solemnly counted with her hands and eventually held out four fingers. “Four days.”
It had been four days since she last saw the pretty auntie. Nanny Lisa had been the one to pick up the
boys for the past few days.
Nanny Lisa was nice to her too, but she still missed the pretty auntie…
Byron was shaken. He knew that Estie could not meet Rosalie because the latter was avoiding
However, he did not know how to explain the situation to Estie.
He had not met Rosalie since their argument at the bar either.
They had been behaving like the strangers that the woman claimed they were.
For some reason, Byron felt strangely annoyed at that,
After a while, he finally calmed down,
When he glanced at the little girl sulking next to him, he belatedly felt surprised.
Didn’t she just talk to him? Byron frowned abruptly in shock. “What did you just say, Estie? I didn’t hear
you. Tell Daddy again,” Byron said casually in an attempt to get her to speak again. Estie hung her
head, showing him nothing but the back of her head and her puffed-up cheeks. She pretended not to
hear him at all.
Byron rubbed her head patiently and tried again. “If Aunty hasn’t been picking up the boys from school,
who took them home?”
Estie finally looked at him when he mentioned her Aunty.
Byron’s heart tightened in his chest. He thought she would reply.
However, she just glanced at him and then shook her head wordlessly. She looked down again, clearly
refusing to talk to him.
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