Ch. 1101..1110

Chapter 1101 Patiently Feeding His Wife

“No.” Benjamin continued to feed her, enjoying every moment of it.

“You should have some food too. I'll eat on my own.” Arissa tried to take the bowl, but Benjamin dodged and didn't let her grab it.

“I'll feed you.” He fed her another spoonful.

Arissa had no choice but to cooperate and eat.

When Shaun entered, he saw the couple having breakfast, and Benjamin was patiently feeding his wife oatmeal porridge. noveldrama

He smiled and leaned against the doorway with his hands tucked in the pockets of his white coat.

“The food smells so good!”

Hearing his teasing, Benjamin and Arissa turned to look at him at the same time. She greeted Shaun, “Have you had breakfast, Mr. Bailey?”

“He already ate,” Benjamin replied before Shaun could answer.

Shaun scratched his nose speechlessly, glanced at the unwelcoming Benjamin, and said to Arissa, “I had a light breakfast, but I'm hungry again now.”

“In that case, join us for breakfast,” she invited him enthusiastically.

“Won't that be a little inappropriate?” Shaun sneaked a look at Benjamin while smiling sheepishly.

“That's all right. Edwin prepared a lot of food for breakfast. We can't finish all of it anyway.” She gestured for Shaun to come over.

Benjamin glared at Shaun, who chose to feign ignorance. The latter walked over and picked up a piece of bread with a fork to eat.

“I won't have any oatmeal porridge; I'll just help myself to some pastries.” Shaun grinned at Arissa in delight. Arissa is the best. “Thank you, Arissa. This is delicious.” “No.” Benjomin continued to feed her, enjoying every moment of it.

“You should hove some food too. I'll eot on my own.” Arisso tried to toke the bowl, but Benjomin dodged ond didn't let her grob it.

“I'll feed you.” He fed her onother spoonful.

Arisso hod no choice but to cooperote ond eot.

When Shoun entered, he sow the couple hoving breokfost, ond Benjomin wos potiently feeding his wife ootmeol porridge.

He smiled ond leoned ogoinst the doorwoy with his honds tucked in the pockets of his white coot.

“The food smells so good!”

Heoring his teosing, Benjomin ond Arisso turned to look ot him ot the some time. She greeted Shoun, “Hove you hod breokfost, Mr. Boiley?”

“He olreody ote,” Benjomin replied before Shoun could onswer.

Shoun scrotched his nose speechlessly, glonced ot the unwelcoming Benjomin, ond soid to Arisso, “I hod o light breokfost, but I'm hungry ogoin now.”

“In thot cose, join us for breokfost,” she invited him enthusiosticolly.

“Won't thot be o little inoppropriote?” Shoun sneoked o look ot Benjomin while smiling sheepishly.

“Thot's oll right. Edwin prepored o lot of food for breokfost. We con't finish oll of it onywoy.” She gestured for Shoun to come over.

Benjomin glored ot Shoun, who chose to feign ignoronce. The lotter wolked over ond picked up o piece of breod with o fork to eot.

“I won't hove ony ootmeol porridge; I'll just help myself to some postries.” Shoun grinned ot Arisso in delight. Arisso is the best. “Thonk you, Arisso. This is delicious.”

“You can't shut your mouth even when it's filled with food.” Benjamin shot Shaun with a stern look.

Shaun flashed a flustered smile and swiftly zipped his mouth. He ate in silence but continued staring ahead of him, his eyes darting between Benjamin and Arissa.

Watching him feeding her with utter tenderness, he felt himself a victim of the couple's public display of affection.

“Benjamin, Old Mr. Graham will be discharged from the hospital soon. Do you want to pick him up in person?”

Taken aback, Arissa looked at Shaun, then at Benjamin. “Dad is getting discharged soon?”

Benjamin nodded. “He's been wanting to leave the hospital for a while now.” He turned around and instructed Shaun, “Just enquire about his willingness to leave, then let me know his decision. Let him be discharged after that. I won't pick him up to avoid letting him know we're here.” Dad wouldn't want Shaun to tell me about his wish to be discharged.

Shaun nodded. “Okay.”

“Go and ask my dad now,” Benjamin uttered indifferently, wanting Shaun to leave sooner.

“I haven't eaten enough yet!” Shaun hastily grabbed some more food, gulping them down so he wouldn't miss out.

Arissa smiled as she watched the two of them. Unlike the inhospitable Benjamin, she said, “Mr. Bailey, slow down.”

Benjamin's face darkened. The more friendly she treated Shaun, the more annoyed Benjamin felt.

“Don't mind him. Hurry up and have your oatmeal porridge.”

She glanced at Benjamin's displeased mien, finding his reaction amusing.

“You should eat quickly, too. It won't taste good once it gets cold.” Not minding having his breakfast, Benjamin continued to feed her.

Arissa had no choice but to pick up some food and deliver them to his mouth. “Eat up.”

Benjamin felt satisfied and began to eat with gusto.

Looking at the couple's sweet interaction, Shaun felt a heavy blow to his heart. He took some pastries and headed for the door.

“You two enjoy your meal. I'll go inform Old Mr. Graham about his discharge.”

Benjamin ignored him, continuing to feed his wife porridge. After Arissa finished one bowl, he filled another.

“Eat more. This is good for your body.”

“If I have too much porridge, I can't eat anything else!” She wanted to try other dishes, as Edwin's cooking was excellent.

He handed her some other food. “In that case, drink this oatmeal porridge and help yourself to the other edibles at the same time.”

Delighted, Arissa opened her mouth and gobbled down the food.

“Edwin's cooking is improving.” She grinned, enjoying every bite of the breakfast.

 

Chapter 1102 Discharged

Shaun, carrying out his task, went to Darius' ward downstairs. The butler had already packed the luggage.

“Old Mr. Graham, you're being discharged today. Do you want to inform Benjamin about this?”

Darius glowered at him. “If you tell him, I'll hold you responsible!”

Stifling a laugh, Shaun nodded vigorously. “I promise I won't say a thing.”

He cleared his throat. As a doctor, he still needed to remind Darius of a few things. “Old Mr. Graham, you must rest well when you return. Don't let your emotions fluctuate too much, and don't lose your temper. Do you understand?”

“I got it. You've said that many times already.” Darius waved his hand impatiently, signaling the butler to leave.

William held Darius' luggage in one hand and supported Darius with the other as they walked toward the door. noveldrama

“Old Mr. Graham, let me take you home.”

Shaun stepped forward to help, but Darius glanced at him. “Get back to your work. You don't have to send me.”

“I'll accompany you downstairs, then,” Shaun chirped.

Darius went to Mary's ward to inform her. “Ms. Connor, I'm being discharged now. You take good care of yourself here.”

“Have you recovered?” she asked concernedly.

Darius' condition wasn't severe, and he had recovered after staying in the hospital for a few days.

“Yes. I can't get used to staying here, so I'd rather go home. We'll come to visit you when we're free.”

“All right. You should go home early, then.” Mary wanted to see Darius off, but the latter stopped her.

“You don't need to send me off. Return to your room and get some rest.” Darius waved his hand.

Shaun accompanied them to the entrance of the inpatient building, where a car was already waiting. It was Ethen who had come to pick up Darius.

“Why are you here?” Darius looked at Ethen, then shifted his attention to Shaun.

Shaun immediately figured out what Darius was thinking. “Old Mr. Graham, I can guarantee Benjamin has no idea about your discharge. We won't tell him, so don't worry.”

Darius snorted.

Ethen walked over to help Darius into the car, reassuring the latter, “Old Mr. Graham, I promise I won't

tell Mr. Graham about this.”

“Why didn't you go on the business trip with him?” Darius found that slightly peculiar.

Ethen smiled, having already prepared an explanation. “Something happened at the company. Mr. Graham told me to return earlier to handle it, so I came back first.”

Darius gazed at them and didn't notice anything off. “Let's go back, then.”

Ethen and Shaun exchanged glances before Ethen drove Darius back to the old manor.

Shaun watched the car drive away before turning around to enter the building and heading upstairs to report to Benjamin.

“Old Mr. Graham has gone back. You can rest easy now.”

Benjamin shot a quick look at Shaun while continuing to feed Arissa her medication.

Staring at them, Arissa sensed something. “You allowed Dad to be discharged?”

Benjamin met her gaze and nodded. “Yes.”

“How could you do that? So what if Dad knows I'm hospitalized? How could you disregard his health—”

“Arissa, Old Mr. Graham has recovered. Otherwise, as a doctor, I wouldn't have allowed him to go back,” Shaun hurriedly clarified that matter to her to save Benjamin from a lecture.

“I wouldn't let Dad leave the hospital either if he was still ill. Besides, he's been wanting to go home for a while now,” Benjamin, feeling quite wronged, also explained to her tenderly.

Arissa knitted her brows, unable to shake off the feeling that Darius had been discharged early because she was hospitalized there. “Make sure to send someone to take good care of Dad.”

Benjamin nodded. “I'll arrange everything.”

He immediately made the phone call in front of her, instructing the bodyguards to secure the old manor and forbid anyone from disturbing Darius.

Only then did Arissa feel relieved.

“If there's nothing else, I'll get back to work,” Shaun excused himself and swiftly left.

Benjamin glanced at the tactful fellow before turning around to tuck Arissa in. “Rest well. I have a meeting to attend now.”

 

Chapter 1103 Finally Discharged

Arissa stayed at the hospital for another six days before Benjamin agreed to get her discharged.

After knowing that their mother would be discharged, the six children went to the hospital to pick her up early in the morning.

“Mommy! We're here to pick you up!”

The six children stood beside Arissa's bed. She had just woken.

Arissa was happy to see them. However, when she realized it was not the weekend, her grin drooped to a frown. “Don't you have school today?”

The children smiled awkwardly. “Mommy, it's fine if we don't go to school for one day. We've already told our teacher we'll take the day off since we're bringing you home!” noveldrama

Seeing how excited they were, Arissa could not bear to scold them. Instead, she pinched their cheeks.

She looked up and yelled at the man beside her, “Benjamin, carry me to the restroom! I need to wash up!”

Benjamin glanced at the children before walking over to carry Arissa. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her.

Before he brought her to the restroom, he instructed the children, “Help your mommy pack her things!”

“Hehe! Okay!” The children quickly ran to gather Arissa's things. They chattered while packing her bags.

“Do we need to bring this home?”

“That's Mommy's! Of course, we need to bring it home!”

“What about this?”

“Do we need to take this cup?”

Arissa turned to look at the children. It had only been a few seconds, but the bed was already filled with items.

“Don't make a mess! I'll do it myself later!”

“Don't worry, Mommy. We promise to arrange your things nicely!” Zachary promised.

Arissa grinned and nodded. Benjamin carried her into the restroom, and she quickly washed up.

When Benjamin and Arissa came out, the children had finished packing. Benjamin checked through the bags and noticed everything had been packed neatly.

He was surprised by the children's ability to complete such a tedious chore.

The children rushed into the restroom and grabbed Arissa's face wash, toothbrush and other essentials before packing them into a bag.

“Mommy, we're done packing your things!” Gavin smiled as he reported to Arissa.

“Thank you, my sweethearts!” Benjamin placed Arissa to sit on the edge of the bed. She turned to look at him and instructed, “Go and check if anything was left behind.”

“You should eat first.” Benjamin grabbed the breakfast he had brought, wanting to feed her.

“It's fine. You go and check quickly. I'll eat on our way home.” Arissa couldn't wait to leave.

She wore her shoes and told Benjamin and the children, “I'll go and see Grandaunt.”

“We'll go with you, Mommy!” The children quickly followed behind her.

In a flash, only Benjamin was left in the room.

His brows knitted into a frown as he grabbed a jacket and hurried after Arissa to place it on her shoulders. “Although you can be discharged, you should still pay attention to your health. I'll look for you later.”

Arissa nodded and smiled. “I got it. Be quick!”

She brought the children downstairs to visit Mary. Since she would be leaving today, she was unsure whether she could come and visit Mary the next day.

Mary was eating when they arrived. She smiled and waved enthusiastically.

“You lot are early. Have you had breakfast? Come and eat with me!”

“Grandaunt, we've already eaten. We're just here to visit you. We'll be leaving in a bit!” Arissa quickly said, afraid the children might expose her to Mary that she hadn't eaten yet.

“They still have to go to school, right? Since you're tight on time, you shouldn't have come to see me. I've been doing well recently. Even the doctors say I'm recovering fast!” Mary looked at them and coaxed.

Arissa sat down and accompanied Mary for some time before Benjamin arrived.

He greeted Mary and sat down beside Arissa. It had been a few days since Mary saw Benjamin. They inquired about each other's health before moving on to other topics.

After some time, they said their goodbyes. Benjamin then brought Arissa and the children home.

The atmosphere in the car was joyful as the six children crowded around Arissa and chatted non-stop. Despite the constant chattering, Arissa was happy.

 

Chapter 1104 Feels Much Better At Home

Arissa was relieved and happy when they arrived at the Graham residence.

“I'm finally home!”

Benjamin's lips curved upward into a smile when he saw the smile crinkling the corners of her eyes.

It had pained him to see Arissa feeling uncomfortable at the hospital. However, now that she was discharged, he could finally see her smile again.

Edwin led everyone to wait at the mansion's entrance to welcome Arissa home. All the housekeepers had been warned to keep quiet about Arissa's pregnancy. Everyone understood the order and was prepared to take good care of Arissa.

“Congratulations on getting discharged, Mrs. Graham! Welcome home!”

Arissa was shocked by everyone's enthusiastic cheers when she got out of the car. She flashed them a smile and said, “Thank you, everyone!”

“Mommy, let's get inside! You shouldn't stay outside for too long. You'll catch a cold!” Arissa grinned at the children's reminder.

“Let's go.” Benjamin tightened the jacket on her shoulders.

“Okay!” Arissa nodded and followed Benjamin.

Benjamin suddenly bent down and picked her up bridal-style. She was surprised and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck.

He laughed when he saw her glaring at him.

“I'll carry you!”

Arissa was so embarrassed when she noticed that everyone was laughing. She buried her face in his neck to hide the blush on her cheeks.

The children helped to carry her bags and trotted behind them, looking ever so cute.

Ethen and Bradley grabbed the bigger bags and headed inside. Everyone was happy to see Arissa at home.

Edwin asked the housekeepers to help out in the kitchen to prepare a feast for lunch.

Benjamin carried Arissa upstairs to their bedroom. The children, Ethen and Bradley followed behind them.

Ethen and Bradley left after placing the bags in the room.

Benjamin placed Arissa on the bed and helped her to sit in a more comfortable position before pulling the blanket over her legs.

Arissa looked around the room. It had been more than a week since she had been home. It feels much

better at home.

The children helped to unpack and hang her clothes.

Benjamin poured a glass of water and held it to her lips. “Have some water.”

“Okay.” Arissa reached for the glass, but Benjamin slapped her hand away.

She had no choice but to lower her head and drink from the glass he held out. “Okay, that's enough. I don't want anymore.”

For a moment, Benjamin stared at the remaining water in the glass. He sighed and finished it before placing the glass on the bedside table.

He got up and went to help the children hang the clothes.

“Mr. Graham, these aren't dry! Help me dry them, please!” Jasper reminded Benjamin as he looked at the latter.

Benjamin hung the clothes on a few hangers and gave them to Jasper. The boy took them and went to hang them on the balcony.

After some time, everything was unpacked and arranged neatly in the room. noveldrama

“Go and drink some water.” Arissa watched with a gentle expression as the children moved about.

Benjamin went to pour six cups of water and called the children over.

The children happily ran over and drank the water.

“Mommy, we've finished helping you unpack! You don't need to do anything! Just rest!”

“Mommy, do you want some water?”

“It's fine. I already had some,” Arissa replied with a smile.

“Mommy!” After finishing their water, the children ran and stood beside Arissa's bed.

Benjamin frowned. “Go out and play. Don't disturb your mommy's rest.”

The children turned to look at him. They wanted to protest, but at the same time, they didn't want to disturb Arissa from resting.

Despite the pouts on their lips, they obediently left the room.

“Mommy, call us if you need anything!” Zachary reminded Arissa before he ran out of the room.

Arissa smiled as she watched the children leave the room. After they left, she turned to look at Benjamin. “You should rest too.”

Benjamin's lips curved into a smile as he stood by the bed. “I'm not tired.”

Arissa wasn't tired either. However, she had to lie down because she didn't want them to worry about her.

Benjamin left the room but soon returned with a laptop in hand.

He sat on the couch and opened the laptop, busying himself with work.

Arissa felt a warm sensation flood her heart when she saw that. “Why don't you work in the study? I'll be fine.”

 

Chapter 1105 Looking For Uncle Benjamin

Benjamin looked up and glanced at Arissa. “I'll stay here. Let me know if you need anything.”

Seeing that he was unwilling to go to the study, Arissa had no choice but to agree. She lay and rested for a while before getting out of bed.

“Where are you going?” Benjamin suddenly looked over and stared at her.

Arissa sat at the edge of the bed and glanced at him. “I'm going to take a walk.”

“You can't!” Benjamin said domineeringly, not allowing her to go.

Arissa was amused. She pouted and acted cute. “I feel fine. Why can't I go and take a walk? It's not like I'll be going out. I'll just be walking around the house. If I lie down any longer, I might become crippled.”

“Did you have to exaggerate it like that?” Benjamin asked as he made his way over.

Arissa stared at him. “What are you doing?”

Benjamin took her jacket and placed it around her shoulders. “Give me a few minutes. I'll accompany you after I'm done.”

Arissa did not want to distract him from his work.

“It's okay. You can go about with your work. I'll be fine on my own.”

Benjamin gently pinched her cheeks as he talked to her softly, “Be good and listen to me.”

Arissa gave up and sighed. “Fine. Go ahead with your work. I'll go to the restroom.”

She stood up and was about to head to the restroom when Benjamin wrapped his arms around her and picked her up.

The corners of Arissa's lips twitched. “Are you treating me like a kid who doesn't know how to walk?”

Benjamin stared into her eyes. “Is it not okay for me to carry you?”

A blush crept onto Arissa's cheeks. “It's not that. It's just that you're way too diligent about it!”

He won't even let me take one step by myself. It's not like I can't walk.

Benjamin looked at her adoringly and coaxed her gently, “You can walk however you like and wherever you want when you've fully recovered.”

Arissa's gaze locked onto Benjamin's handsome face. She felt her heart skip a beat. His words had touched her.

“You worry too much. Mr. Bailey said I'm recovering well.”

Benjamin hummed in response but was determined to carry her to the restroom. Arissa had no choice but to bear with her embarrassment. After all, she badly needed to relieve herself.

Benjamin waited for her to finish her business in the restroom before carrying her again and laying her back on the bed. noveldrama

“That's enough. You can continue with your work. I won't cause you any more trouble.”

Arissa felt guilty as she knew he was swamped with work.

Benjamin gently tapped her nose and said, “No matter what you do, you won't cause me any trouble. Caring for you is my number one priority.”

Arissa flashed him a sweet smile. “Okay!”

Benjamin's eyes darkened. He couldn't help himself as he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

All of a sudden, they heard a commotion coming from downstairs. It sounded like people were arguing.

His brows furrowed as a hint of anger flashed across his eyes.

“What's going on downstairs?” Arissa looked at Benjamin. She couldn't hear clearly what the people downstairs were arguing about.

“Stay here and rest. I'll go and see what's going on,” Benjamin instructed before he left the room, closing the door behind him.

The people arguing downstairs were Julian and Ethen. Ethen had blocked Julian from going upstairs, which resulted in their argument.

“What's going on?” Benjamin growled as he glared at Julian.

“Mr. Graham! I didn't allow him to head upstairs, so he's making a scene here!” Ethen explained as he approached Benjamin and stood beside the latter.

“Uncle Benjamin, I'm here to look for you!” Julian grunted. He was oblivious to how rude he was to cause a ruckus at someone else's home.

Benjamin's expression turned grim as he walked down the stairs. “Julian, how dare you barge into my home and kick up a fuss?”

Julian met Benjamin's angry eyes, feeling a chill run down his spine when he noticed the stern and vicious look in them.

His arrogance significantly subsided. “Uncle Benjamin, why did you steal our family's business? My father's already in jail, yet you still want to treat me like this. Don't you think you're going overboard? When are you going to let him out?”

Benjamin snickered. “Are you here to interrogate me?”

Julian's expression darkened. The current head of the Graham family was Benjamin, and he had been deliberately oppressing Julian's family. His father was sent to jail by Benjamin. Although Julian was angry, there was nothing he could do about it.

 

Chapter 1106 He Was Glaring At Us

“I wouldn't dare!” Julian yelled through clenched teeth, not daring to say anything that might anger Benjamin.

Benjamin looked Julian up and down angrily. He walked toward the couch and sat down before crossing his legs, exuding a domineering aura.

Benjamin did not ask Julian to take a seat, so the latter did not dare to sit. Instead, he stood before Benjamin. Even when Benjamin was seated, he still frightened Julian.

“You wouldn't dare?” Benjamin chuckled. “Just now, you tried to barge upstairs. How dare you do as you please on my territory?”

The anger in Benjamin's voice sent shivers down everyone's spine.

“I'm sorry for being reckless!” Julian lowered his head and apologized though it was not sincere.

Benjamin caught sight of the angry look on Julian's face. His lips curled into a smirk as he mocked, “What's wrong? You won't admit to your defeat?”

“Of course not!” Julian shuddered. He gulped and tried to remain calm, changing the topic to his main purpose of looking for Benjamin.

“Uncle Benjamin, please have mercy on my father! He's already sixty. He'll have a hard time in jail!”

Benjamin scoffed. “He's got to put up with it even if it's hard. He deserves whatever he's getting. He should've known the consequences of his actions when he sabotaged me!”

Julian was fuming when he heard those heartless words coming out of Benjamin's mouth. “Uncle Benjamin! Nothing happened to you anyway! You didn't even lose anything!”

After hearing Julian's shameless comments, Ethen wanted to send him a flying kick in the butt to teach him a lesson in Benjamin's place. “How shameless of you. Mr. Graham almost lost his life, yet you dare say he didn't lose anything? You people were the ones who committed a crime. Why are you acting so arrogant?”

Julian's expression darkened when he saw the grim expression on Benjamin's face. He lost his confidence when he met Benjamin's eyes which were filled with anger.

“It's not my father who did it! Someone framed him—”

“Tell that to the police. There's no use if you tell me about it. I'm not the police.” Benjamin mocked.

Seeing Benjamin's determination not to show mercy on his father, Julian gritted his teeth as anger bubbled within him.

“Forget it if you won't help with my father's issue. Instead, please spare my family business, Uncle Benjamin!”

Benjamin slowly looked up and stared at Julian. Hmph. He's pretty adamant about begging me to spare his family.

“Unfortunately, the winner takes it all. If you don't have the ability to operate your business, who should you blame if not yourself? Why does that have anything to do with me if no one is willing to collaborate with your company?”

Julian's expression changed as he balled his hands into tight fists. “Uncle Benjamin, will things please you when you watch our family suffer?”

Benjamin raised his eyebrows before shooting Julian a glare. “So what if I am?” noveldrama

Julian was fuming, but he could not do anything to go up against Benjamin.

“Get out. My wife is resting upstairs. If you're stubborn and want to continue to cause a stir here, don't blame me for taking action and forcefully kicking you out.”

Benjamin was asking Julian to leave. He wasn't even going to show him respect as he threatened the latter. He turned to look at Ethen and commanded, “Instruct the bodyguards at the entrance not to let these dogs enter in the future. Otherwise, whoever does it will receive grave punishment.”

“Yes, Mr. Graham!” Ethen replied and hurried to do as he was instructed.

He soon returned and stood before Julian. “Please leave, Mr. Julian,” he said as he glared at Julian.

Julian returned the glare. Aside from not getting what he wanted, he was humiliated by Benjamin. Just you wait. One day, I will make it big and return all the humiliation you've caused me tenfold. How dare you call me a dog!

Julian left with a scowl on his face.

At the entrance, he accidentally bumped into the children who came running from the garden. He shot them a glare before getting into his car and driving away.

The six children were momentarily stunned as they watched the car leave.

“Wasn't that the bad guy's son?” Zachary frowned and stared at the car.

Gavin nodded. “Yeah. That's mean Uncle Nick's son, Julian!”

Although that cousin of theirs was at the age where he could be their father, he was not friendly to them.

Gavin didn't like him.

“Was he glaring at us?” Jasper scratched his cheek as he was uncertain.

Oliver pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and said sternly, “I think he was.”

“Why was he at our house?” Tim bit his lip. He was a little afraid of Julian.

“Of course, he's here to look for Daddy. Let's go in and see what happened!” Gavin exclaimed before running into the house, his siblings quickly following behind.

 

Chapter 1107 I Cannot Help Myself

“Daddy!”

When Gavin saw Benjamin, he ran up to him with his siblings following behind.

The sight of the children covered in sweat elicited a frown from Benjamin.

“Come here. I'll wipe off your sweat for you.”

However, the children continued to stare at him, and it was Gavin who posed the question in the end.

“Daddy, what is Julian doing in our home?”

The expression on Benjamin's face eased when he met his son's gaze. He tousled the latter's hair as he replied, “He's here to beg for mercy.”

The six children heaved a sigh of relief upon realizing that he wasn't there to cause trouble.

Sweeping his gaze across their faces, Benjamin curled his lips slightly as he asked, “Are you worried about me?”

“Of course not!” Zachary harrumphed in denial despite how obvious his concern was.

With his eyes glistening in amusement, Benjamin wiped their sweat away for them.

“Drink some water. I'm going up to see your mommy.”

With that, he headed upstairs with the children looking on at his leaving silhouette.

When Ethen saw how cute the children looked together, he teased them for a while before leading them away to play.

Arissa was still awake as she waited for Benjamin to come back. At the sight of him, she hurriedly asked, “Who was it?”

Benjamin replied flatly, “Julian.”

Arissa briefly froze before she recalled who he was. “What is he doing here?”

“He wants me to let them go.” Benjamin settled down on the couch and continued his work.

When Arissa observed that he didn't seem bothered, she let out a sigh of relief.

It wasn't until it was close to lunchtime that Benjamin finished his work. After putting his documents away, he walked to her bedside.

“Let's head down.”

“Are you done with your work?” Arissa couldn't stand it any longer. She could barely sleep and was sick of surfing on her phone.

As the playing children's voices could be heard occasionally, she had long wanted to join them downstairs.

“Mmm-hmm.” Benjamin handed her a jacket before carrying her down.

With her hands wrapped around his neck, her face glowed as she asked, “Am I too heavy for you to carry?”

Benjamin lowered his eyes and gazed deeply into her. “Not at all.”

Arissa didn't believe him. I weigh at least a hundred pounds for goodness sake.

“I can still carry you even if you weigh two hundred pounds.” Benjamin's lips curled as if he could read her mind.

As she stared at him with her glistening eyes, Arissa teased, “Can you really carry me if I'm that heavy?”

“You can give it a try!” Benjamin responded with a mischievous smile.

The corners of Arissa's mouth twitched. “Why should I?”

I would look terrible if I were that fat. Besides, it would be really difficult to lose weight.

Chuckling softly, Benjamin pinched her at the waist. “Don't you know that I'm really strong?”

Arissa replied coyly, “I know you're strong. Carry me all you want!”

The mesmerizing look on her face caused Benjamin's eyes to glisten as he leaned in to kiss her.

Eyes widened, Arissa stared at Benjamin's handsome face until the latter's lips parted from hers.

“We're at the staircase...” she reprimanded softly.

Benjamin burst out in laughter. “I can't help myself. You're simply irresistible!”

Rendered speechless, Arissa could feel her cheeks burn as she buried her head in his arms.

When Benjamin arrived downstairs with Arissa in his arms, the children stopped playing and gathered around their parents.

“Mommy, there you are!”

“Mmm-hmm,” Arissa acknowledged the children as the sight of them brought a sparkle to her eyes.

“What are you playing?” noveldrama

“Hehe, Mommy, Mr. Frank is playing a game with us.” Jesse beamed in delight.

“Mommy, we were just playing hide and seek!” Tim was equally elated.

Arissa broke into a wide smile when she saw how much they were enjoying themselves. “In that case, you should continue playing, while I'll watch from the side.”

 

Chapter 1108 It Is Too Warm

“Mommy, aren't you going to play with us?” It was obvious from the sweat beading off Jasper's brow that he was having a blast. noveldrama

“I don't think so. You guys should carry on without me.” Zachary subsequently shot Jasper a glare. This game is too tiring for Mommy.

“Just go and play. Your mommy is unable to join in the game.” Now that Benjamin had the last say, the children briefly felt that it was a shame before giving Ethen's hand a tug.

Only when Ethen gave Arissa and Benjamin a look and saw no objection did he lead the six out to play.

After putting Arissa down on the couch, he covered her thighs with a blanket.

Arissa was nonplussed over the gesture. “I'm not cold.”

Why is he covering me with so many layers in this hot weather? Is he trying to kill me with the heat?

“Cover yourself or you'll catch a cold!” Benjamin tightened his grip on her.

Arissa was dumbstruck.

Sitting by her side on the couch, Benjamin fed her some snacks. “Are you hungry?”

Arissa flashed a smile at him before grabbing some with her own hand. “I'm all right.”

Benjamin then poured her a glass of water and placed it on the coffee table. “I'll go check if lunch is ready.”

“Mmm-hmm.” Arissa continued snacking while watching the children play.

When there was no sign of Bradley, she asked Ethen, “Ethen, where's Bradley? Has he left?”

“No, he's helping out in the kitchen,” Ethen answered.

Arissa grunted in acknowledgment. No wonder I didn't see him.

The moment Benjamin stepped into the kitchen, Edwin greeted him respectfully, “Mr. Graham, are you hungry? Lunch will be ready in ten minutes.”

“Okay.” Benjamin nodded. “I'll give Issa something to snack on first.”

“Mr. Graham, the soup is ready. Why don't you give her some of that instead?” Bradley suggested.

Benjamin nodded in response. “Sure. Soup it is.”

The timing is perfect. Once she has finished her soup, she'll be able to have lunch.

Edwin handed Bradley a big bowl of soup and got him to serve it. “Mr. Graham, do you want to have some together with Mrs. Graham?”

“I'm fine, thank you.” Benjamin wasn't hungry. He was just worried that Arissa was.

Once they prepared a bowl for him, Benjamin brought it out to the living room.

“Here, have some soup!” Benjamin blew on the soup to cool it before sampling it himself. Only then did he feed it to her.

“Careful. It's hot.”

“I know.” Arissa took a sip to make sure it wouldn't burn her tongue before drinking it.

“It's delicious!” Her eyes lit up with a satisfied expression.

Benjamin stared at how she was enjoying herself. “Drink more then. Once you're done with this, I'll get you another bowl.”

Arissa smiled in amusement. “Do you want some?”

“You can have it first,” Benjamin continued feeding her.

When the children saw Arissa having something to eat, they ran over to her side.

“Mommy, is it time for lunch?”

“Mommy, what are you having? It smells good!”

The children were all drenched in sweat.

Arissa subsequently helped them dry their sweat with a towel. “Look at how sweaty all of you are! I'm having some soup, and lunch should be ready shortly.”

The children gleefully allowed her to wipe away their sweat.

“Mommy, can we drink some too?” Feeling greedy, Jesse stared intently at Arissa who nodded in response.

“Sure, you can get Mr. Whitley to serve you some.”

The soup is ready anyway.

“Hurray!” the children cheered before rushing to the kitchen for some soup.

Arissa beamed as she was heartened by the children's leaving silhouettes.

“Over here,” Benjamin called out before feeding Arissa more soup when she turned around.

After she drank the soup, the warm sensation in her stomach put her in a particularly good mood.

“The soup tastes pretty good. You should have some too!” She blocked Benjamin's hand so that he could try some.

After throwing her a glance, he finally took a sip.

“It's kind of sweet.”

Arissa let out a chuckle. “That's what makes it delicious. You can finish the meat inside, as I don't like them.”

Benjamin cocked a brow as he replied, “In that case, you should drink the soup first.”

 

Chapter 1109 He Said That I Was Useless

Soon, the children were carrying bowls of soup from the dining room into the living room.

“Watch yourselves!” Arissa reminded them.

When Ethen came out of the bathroom and saw what was going on, he hurried over and helped the children with the soup.

Unfortunately, he could only carry two. Hence, Arissa turned around and instructed Benjamin, “Go help them before they burn themselves!”

Benjamin gave her a look before putting down the bowl in his hand and doing as he was told.

In the end, only Gavin and Tim were carrying their own bowls of soup.

“Wait a moment and be careful not to scald yourself!” Benjamin reminded them before putting down the soups he was carrying.

“I'll be careful, Mr. Graham.” Together with Gavin, Tim carried his soup to the living room slowly.

Meanwhile, Ethen moved faster than Benjamin did. After putting down Jasper's and Oliver's soups, he swiftly returned to help the other two.

“Why aren't you eating in the dining room and coming here instead?” Benjamin swept his gaze across the children's faces.

The children stuck their tongues out innocently as they answered in unison, “We want to eat with Mommy!”

Just as they spoke, they fought amongst themselves to sit right next to Arissa.

Her heart melted at the scene, and she reached out her hands to hug them all. “Quick, drink your soups!”

“Okay!” Only then did the children sit around the coffee table to drink their soup.

Previously, Benjamin frowned upon eating outside the dining room. Now that the children were huddled together, not only did he not disapprove of the idea but also found the scene to be particularly heart- warming.

“Move aside!” Benjamin pulled Gavin up so that he could sit beside Arissa.

The fuming Gavin glared at him. “How can you do this, Daddy?”

Despite his son's complaint, Benjamin continued feeding Arissa as if he was oblivious to it.

Breaking into a smile, Arissa pulled Gavin into her arms. “Let me hug you.”

Leaning against Arissa's knees, Gavin gloated in Benjamin's direction. “Hehe!”

Benjamin gave him the side-eye and spoke in a serious tone. “If you drink your soup sitting that way, you'll spill it over Mommy and scald her!”

Blinking his eyes, Gavin quickly grasped the logic in Benjamin's words. Thus, he turned around and said to Arissa, “Mommy, I'll sit to the side or I might spill hot soup on you that way.”

“You won't” Arissa tightened her hug over him as she began to feed him soup. noveldrama

“I'll feed you, Sweetheart.”

Gavin eyes sparkled, and he opened his mouth in delight.

As for the other five children, they couldn't help feeling envious.

Unfortunately, it was clear that Arissa could only have one child sitting in her arms. Left without a choice, they resigned themselves to drinking their respective soups.

Benjamin had no choice but to allow her to pamper the children however she wanted. After he was done feeding her a bowl of soup, he went off to get a refill.

“Mr. Graham, let me get it for you.” Ethen came over to take the bowl from Benjamin's hands.

“If you're hungry, you should get a bowl for yourself too,” Benjamin suggested to Ethen, who nodded in response.

“Sure!”

Ethen scurried off to the kitchen to refill Arissa's bowl before going back again to get one for himself.

Inside the living room, the family of eight ate together in a heartwarming scene.

Meanwhile, the dejected Julian returned to an empty home.

“Mr. Graham, I'm surprised to see you back so early,” the butler remarked at the sight of him.

“Why can't I come back early?” Julian snapped at the butler.

“It's not that—” the butler tried to explain but decided to hold his tongue when he noticed Julian's gloomy expression.

At that moment, a sound was heard from the door. Crystal Mallory, Julian's mother, had returned home.

“Julian, have you seen Benjamin? What did he say?”

When Crystal came up to Julian and noticed the glum look on his face, the answer became obvious.

“Mom, don't mention that name in front of me. We're not family to him, and he even called me useless!” Julian railed.

His anger had yet to dissipate ever since he returned from the Graham residence.

 

Chapter 1110 Complaining To Darius

“What?” Crystal was stunned and infuriated at the same time. “Did Benjamin really say that?”

Julian subsequently related everything that happened at the Graham residence to Crystal.

“Benjamin has crossed the line! Is he bullying us just because we have no one to back us up?” Crystal's eyes glistened in rage.

At the end of the day, her previous son was still the eldest among the Graham family's grandchildren. Yet, he was humiliated by Benjamin that way.

“I'm going to see Darius!” With nowhere to vent her anger, Crystal felt that she had to tell Darius what happened.

“Mom, Grandpa is under Uncle Benjamin's control. There's no way we can find him, let alone see him,” Julian replied through his gritted teeth.

“I don't care. I must let Darius be the judge. How can Benjamin insult you that way?”

Crystal insisted on bringing her case to Darius, as she was unable to tolerate seeing her son being ridiculed.

“Even if you see Grandpa, he might not decide to side with us,” Julian commented sarcastically. Grandpa is biased.

“Regardless of his decision, we still need to see him!” With no time for a change of clothes, Crystal stormed out.

The sight of how protective his mother was struck a chord with Julian. Thus, he got to his feet and followed her out. “Mom, I'll go with you!”

“Come along then,” Crystal agreed with a nod. noveldrama

Upon arriving at the hospital, they learned that Darius had already been discharged, leaving them no choice but to head to Old Manor.

However, both mother and son were furious when the bodyguard barred them from entering the place.

“This is our home too. What gives you the right to stop us? If you don't let me in, I'll smash my head on the ground till you do.”

Glaring fiercely at the bodyguard, Crystal showed no fear in her attempt to barge in.

All of a sudden, William came over and instructed, “Let them in.”

Upon entering Old Manor, Crystal and Julian eased the scowl on their faces when they saw Darius drinking coffee in the living room.

“Dad!”

“Grandpa!”

Darius threw them both a glance. “Come and have a seat.”

Crystal and Julian took their seats and began to make small talk. “Have you had lunch, Dad?”

“I have.” Darius scrutinized both of them quickly. “What brings you here at this hour?”

“Grandpa, I would like to complain about Uncle Benjamin!” Julian declared in displeasure.

Crystal quickly gave her son a tug. Speaking in that tone will give Dad less reason to side with us.

“Mind your manners, Julian.”

The discreet gestures between mother and son didn't escape Darius' notice. Yet he chose to say nothing of it.

“Out with whatever you came here to say. It'll be time for my nap soon.”

Lowering herself in front of Darius, Crystal related how James was humiliated by Benjamin at the Graham residence.

The news briefly stunned Darius. Benjamin has returned from his business trip?

“You must have gotten on Benjamin's nerves. Otherwise, he wouldn't have flared his temper at you.” Darius gave Julian a look. The latter's character wasn't lost upon him.

“Grandpa, I just wanted to discuss something with him. I had no choice but to yell when his housekeepers prevented me from seeing him.”

Julian felt aggrieved. All these people have no respect for me.

“What did you want to discuss with him?” Darius flatly asked.

“Grandpa, Uncle Benjamin has caused Dad to end up in prison. He shows no mercy despite them being brothers. On top of that, our family business is being destroyed by him, causing us massive losses. We won't be able to survive at this rate.”

Darius gave Julian a stern look.

“Do you know why your father went to jail?”

The question caused Crystal and Julian to be dumbfounded.

“I'm glad you're aware of the reason, and here I was, assuming that you didn't. In that case, you can't blame Benjamin for his actions. Your father did him wrong first by attempting to murder him. The Graham family has no place for someone as treacherous as your father!”

Panic gripped Crystal and Julian upon hearing Darius' words. Is he planning to sever ties with our family?

“Dad, the matter hasn't concluded yet. You have to give Nick a chance!”