Chapter 449

Steffan shot a cold glance at Xara before smoothly heading to the dining table. There, he casually flipped through the newspaper and sipped his coffee.

Leaning close to Esther’s ear, Xara muttered, “Esther, I swear I want to knock his head off.”

Esther was momentarily speechless.

“But never mind, I’m just venting,” Xara sighed, rubbing her face in frustration. “I’ve been up all night, and now I’ve decided to let it go. I suppose I’m willing to endure this mad dog’s antics again if it means saving Jacob.”

Esther was left speechless once more.

With her chin resting on her hand, Xara’s gaze fixed on Steffan in the distance. She whispered, “I hate to admit it, but this mad dog does have some looks. Technically, it’s not a total loss.” “Steffan might be able to hear you,” Esther cautioned.

Xara shrugged off the concern. “Let him hear. Without Jacob, I wouldn’t give him a second thought.”

As Jacob’s mother, she couldn’t simply watch him stumble into danger. She needed Jacob to continue living. Even if that meant confronting the man who had terrified her to the core.

“Thanks, Xara,” Esther appreciated Xara’s subtle gesture of sparing her from guilt by using canine-like names for Steffan.

“Formal much? We’re still pals, right?” Xara playfully teased. “Esther, think about it. Jacob adores Sunshine. What if we let Sunshine be Jacob’s future bride?”

“No way. I can’t decide on Sunshine’s marriage. I want her to experience genuine, beautiful love when the time is right.”

Xara sympathetically patted Esther’s shoulder. “Esther, your mindset is commendable, and I fully support your decision.”

After finishing his breakfast, Steffan and Xara headed to the church together. A shadow of worry crossed Esther’s porcelain face as she watched their figures disappear.

Jacob tried to comfort her, saying, “Sunshine will be fine.”

However, the waiting time felt interminable. Even while playing with Sunshine and Felix, Esther could not fully shake off her distractions.

Finally, after six long hours, Steffan and Xara returned. The toll of severe sleep deprivation was evident in Xara’s lifeless and exhausted demeanor as she walked.

“Esther, it’s done.” Xara threw herself onto Esther, held her tightly, and exclaimed, Sunshine’s guardianship has been transferred to our names.”

“What about Twinkle?”

Xara glanced at Steffan and gently replied, “Twinkle’s guardianship is with her piano teacher.”

Although Xara and Steffan were unable to obtain joint guardianship of Twinkle and Sunshine, Esther was satisfied.

Twinkle was learning piano from her piano teacher, and she was her only student. So, Esther thought that transferring guardianship to the piano teacher was the best outcome.

“So, can I take Sunshine back to my country now?” Esther asked.

Xara shook her head. “No, the legal procedures for changing Sunshine’s guardianship are not complete. You can return to your country for now. Once all the legal formalities concerning Sunshine are finalized, you can come and get her. Alternatively, I can arrange to send Sunshine back to your country.”

“Alright.”

With Sunshine’s situation resolved, Esther didn’t delay her departure. After entrusting Sunshine to Jacob’s family, she and Felix boarded the flight back home.

The arrival journey had been smooth on the Quill family’s private jet, sparing Esther and Felix the discomfort of a long flight. However, the return was on a commercial plane, even though in first-class, making Felix uneasy.

After the extended flight, the plane finally touched down at the airport.

Esther had shared her flight number with Jasper before boarding. She walked out of the VIP exit hand in hand with Felix and spotted Jasper with a bouquet of flowers in hand.