Chapter 3 The Little Mute

The man's melodious, deep, and rich voice showed a hint of fury. It was pleasing to the ears. Chandria's hands, initially typing out a message on her phone, froze instantly. Six years had passed since hearing this voice, but she still found it eerily familiar. Looking up, Chandria spotted the tall figure some distance away. Standing not far off was a tall man. His black suit accentuated his long legs and added a touch of elegance to his figure. Even in the crowd, he was eye-catching. Chandria could see his perfect side profile from her line of sight. His tall nose and sculpted features were the envy of many. He looked so handsome that other men paled in comparison to him. Lucian Farwell! Chandria's heart clenched at the sight of him. She had no idea she'd run into him on the day of her arrival. The feelings she had buried deep in her heart emerged temporarily, but she quickly put a lid on them. Her gaze turned frosty. She could finally appear calm before him. Right then, the boys emerged from the restroom. “Mommy, we're done!” they declared cheerfully. Chandria snapped out of her reverie and nearly had a heart attack. The first thought that popped into her mind was that she needed to leave immediately. ‘I can't let Blaze and Easton see him. They bear a resemblance to him. If they bump into each other, he'll definitely realize something's wrong!’ Chandria refused to get involved with him yet again. She scrambled to put on masks and hats for herself and her children, and tried to avoid detection by taking an elevator to an underground parking lot. Flustered, she urged, “You're done? Come, let's go. You don't want your godmother to wait, do you?” Without waiting for a reply, she dragged her luggage away. "Wait..." Lucian chased in the direction of Chandria. "Chandria Evans? Is that her? Is she back?" When Lucian was about to catch up, his assistant Cayden appeared, "Boss, the airport staff replied that they had found Essie in the surveillance." "Lead the way! As his gaze turned dark, Lucian looked back, but the woman had long since disappeared into the crowd. She left the country so resolutely and even abandoned the kid. There's no way she's back! Chandria's heart lurched to her throat and remained there as she hurried in the underground parking lot. She kept turning at her shoulder to confirm he didn't come after them. The kids found it strange that she kept turning her head to glance behind them. Chandria seemed anxious, so they knew it wasn't the time to ask questions. Without a word, they allowed her to drag them out obediently. “Chandria! Blaze! Easton!” A woman called from afar. The three of them lifted their heads and saw a lady dressed in a suit waving at them happily as she made their way to them. Chandria relaxed gradually at the sight of the woman. Flashing a smile, she said, “Francine, long time no see!” Francine Jones was her best friend back in university and worked as a doctor in her family's hospital. Shortly after, Francine stopped before them and flung her arms around Chandria. “You're finally back home. I've missed you so much!” Chandria chuckled and replied, “I've missed you, too.” They've been in touch over the years online but rarely got the chance to meet each other in real life. After hugging her, Francine squatted down and hugged the boys. “My babies, are you hungry?” Blaze and Easton giggled adorably before answering in unison, “Hungry! By the way, you're still as pretty as ever!” Francine beamed happily after hearing their praise. Chandria's guard was still up. She glanced at the airport gate and said calmly, “Let's go. I just saw Lucian at the airport.” Francine gave the boys a peck on their cheeks before getting to her feet. After placing the luggage in her car truck, she ushered them into her car and sped away. "Why are you avoiding him?" Francine asked in the car, looking at Chandria with confused. Francine was speeding away from the airport when she saw a little girl running out of a dark corner. She slammed on the brakes before her car could hit the little girl. In shock, she stared at the little girl who had collapsed. Chandria's heart was racing at the near accident, too. She turned to make sure her boys were fine before opening the door to get out. A young girl was around five years old, mere inches away from the car. She sat on the ground, clearly in a state of shock. Chandria felt her heart soften at the sight. She carefully approached the girl before asking, “Hey, are you hurt?” The young girl had a fair complexion and looked sweet with her hair braided. She had a tall nose, huge eyes, and delicate features. Dressed in a pink fluffy dress, she hugged an expensive doll in her arms. Hearing Chandria's voice, the little girl regained her composure and shook her head cravenly. She didn't forget to eye Chandria warily. Chandria's heart stirred as she observed the little girl silently. After confirming that the little girl was unharmed, she heaved a sigh of relief inwardly and reached out to help the little girl up. She had just stretched her hand out when the little girl cowered back in fear; her big eyes were full of fear. Chandria's hand paused midair. She smiled at the little girl, "Don't be afraid. I just want to help you up." Glancing around, she asked doubtfully, “Where are your parents? Why are you alone?” The little girl held the doll tightly in her arms and did not speak but shook her head at her. Chandria's brows snapped together, for she had no idea how to communicate with the girl. Francine and the boys soon got out of the car. Blaze and Easton shared a curious look when they noticed the little girl remaining silent. She looks cute. Why isn't she talking? Could she be a mute? At the thought that the little girl might be mute, Chandria was even more sympathetic and whispered: "Can you give me your hand?" With that, she stretched her hand outward. Despite staring at her timidly, the little girl seemed more relieved after hearing her words. Chandria waited patiently for the little girl to accept her hand. After a long hesitation, the little girl finally reached out to take Chandria's hand cautiously. Seeing that, Chandria held her hand gently and helped her up. She didn't forget to recheck the little girl for any injuries. "Chandria, I just saw Lucian coming our way..." Francine pointed it out to Chandria. "Let's take the child first." Chandria hurriedly carried the little girl to the car, and they sped away from here. AT THE SAME TIME, Lucian showed up where they had just parked. “Where is my daughter?” he asked his assistant, Cayden Lawson. Cayden checked the surveillance on his phone again. "Mr. Falwell, it looks like Estella has been taken into a car."