Ch. 111..120
Chapter 111 Gavin Tricks Daddy
Gavin and Benjamin went downstairs and got into the car.
The little one stared out the window and seemed unwilling to leave.
Benjamin noticed the look on his face and asked, “You don’t want to go home?”
Hearing that, Gavin turned to him and chuckled.
“I like spending time with Mommy!”
Benjamin couldn’t help but snort. It has only been a few days since they met each other, but Gavin is already obsessed with Arissa.
Gavin glimpsed at Benjamin and whispered, “Daddy, did you ask your men to redo the DNA test?”
My instincts tell me that I’m Arissa’s son!
“You haven’t seen the results yet, but you are already calling her your mommy. Why are you so sure?” Benjamin asked as he stared at Gavin.
Gavin blinked innocently and pouted. “I have a gut feeling that she is definitely my mommy!”
“Tell me the truth,” Benjamin ordered coldly.
Upon hearing that, Gavin glanced at him and met his dark gaze. His heart trembled slightly.
Is it possible that Daddy already knows about my other siblings?
Benjamin saw that Gavin’s lips were tightly pursed and knew that he was holding back, so he grabbed his arm and asked, “Has your hand always been like this?”
Gavin stared at his smooth arm and suddenly came back to his senses.
Crap, I forgot about the fake mole!
“Haha!”
He chuckled awkwardly and carefully peeped at Benjamin.
“Daddy, when did you find out?”
“What do you think?” Benjamin asked as he stared right into his eyes.
Afraid, Gavin hurriedly searched his thoughts and soon recalled that Benjamin came to meet him at the school.
He probably found out during that encounter. It’s my fault for forgetting to put on the fake mole.
“What’s the name of the child you switched places with?”
It was obvious that Benjamin was getting impatient.
“His name is Jasper York.”
Jasper York?
A glint appeared in his eyes. The hacker’s name is Zachary York…
“What about Zachary York?”
Surprised, Gavin’s eyes widened. “Daddy, you’ve heard of Zachary?”
After hearing that, Benjamin’s heart started racing. I have four children?
“Who else have you met at her house?”
Gavin blinked, glimpsed at Benjamin, then shook his head. “Nobody else!”
He didn’t want to expose Oliver and Jesse, because he wanted Benjamin to figure it out himself.
“Wasn’t there a little girl as well?”
Benjamin narrowed his eyes. It seems that girl is my daughter.
His heart raced at the thought of the adorable girl.
Gavin looked at him and said, “That wasn’t a girl.”
“Daddy, the person you saw was Zachary. He likes to wear dresses!” Gavin tried to fool him.
Hearing that, Benjamin frowned. One of my sons has a weird fetish?
“Were they in the room?”
Gavin met Benjamin’s interrogating gaze and shook his head.
“Nope! They went to Mommy’s friend’s house to play.”
“Gavin,” Benjamin said, lowering his voice, “since when did you learn to lie?”
Gavin immediately lowered his head and whispered, “Daddy, do you finally believe that Arissa is my mommy?”
Benjamin glanced at him and handed him a report. “Look at it yourself!”
Then, he ordered the driver to start the engine.
Before they left, Benjamin took a quick glance at the apartment.
Meanwhile, Gavin realized that he was holding a DNA report, and his eyes lit up with excitement. He carefully read the report line by line.
“Just skip to the conclusion,” Benjamin reminded.
Gavin obediently looked at the last line and yelled in excitement, “I knew it! Mommy and I are blood-related!”
The corners of Benjamin’s lips curled into a slight grin, and he rubbed Gavin’s head gently.
Gavin looked up joyfully and asked, “Daddy, why didn’t you tell Mommy?”
Hearing that, Benjamin snorted. “I was in a bad mood!”
Gavin was speechless.
He blinked in confusion, glanced at his arrogant father, and snickered.
“Are you mad that Mommy forced you out of the house?”
Benjamin paused and knitted his brow.
Can he read minds?
“Haha! Mommy is just worried that you will discover my brothers.”
Gavin was thrilled. He held the report tightly in his arms, moved over to Benjamin’s side, and hugged his arm.
Chapter 112 Keep It A Secret
“Daddy, let’s bring Mommy and my brothers home!”
Hearing that, Benjamin’s gaze flickered. That woman seems to have her guard up against me. She knows that the children are mine, but she continues to hide them from me. Hmph! Besides that, she has a mouth full of lies. That wicked woman.
“Daddy, don’t you want to meet the others?”
“Didn’t you notice that your mommy is very wary of me?” Benjamin sneered.
Gavin pursed his lips and muttered, “Mommy is afraid that you’ll steal her children away from her. Furthermore, you still have unfinished business with that evil woman.”
“Since when do I have unfinished business with her?” Benjamin scoffed and said with an extremely cold expression.
Danna came to me with a child and told me that it was hers. However, Gavin’s biological mother is Arissa. I still don’t know the full truth. I must continue to investigate.
“Daddy, do you think Danna is behind Mommy’s kidnapping?”
Benjamin had the same doubts, but he didn’t have evidence, so he couldn’t confront her.
“Mommy loves me dearly, so she definitely didn’t abandon me. That evil woman must’ve kidnapped me and brought me to you to force you to marry her,” Gavin said with a deep frown.
He looked exactly like Benjamin.
“Did your mommy tell you that she didn’t abandon you?”
Benjamin looked into Gavin’s eyes as he waited for his answer.
Gavin took a glimpse at him and shook his head. “Mommy still doesn’t know that I know her true identity.”
Benjamin raised an eyebrow and asked, “She has no idea that the two of you switched places?”
Gavin grinned devilishly and shook his head. “Mommy is totally clueless!”
Upon hearing that, Benjamin felt much better. It turns out that I’m not the only one who was clueless.
He pinched Gavin’s cheek and asked, “You’ve known about your brothers since a long time ago. Why didn’t you tell me?”
This cheeky boy is really good at hiding secrets. No wonder I had a weird feeling that the boy who had been living in my house for the past few days was not Gavin. I was right. He switched places with another boy.
At that moment, Benjamin suddenly recalled Jasper’s tearful face, and he couldn’t help but smile.
“That’s because you still believed in that evil woman at that time. Furthermore, I didn’t know whether Mommy lost me by accident or abandoned me.”
Benjamin noticed Gavin’s sad expression, so he wrapped his hands around him and rubbed his head softly.
“But now you know?”
“Yes!” Gavin replied with a bright smile.
“Mommy came to our house to look for me. She had always been searching for me, so it showed that she loves me. That meant I was taken away.”
The corners of Gavin lips were curled upward.
That evil woman is not my mommy! My mommy is Arissa. She’s kind and gentle. I’m a child who is loved by my mommy.
After hearing that, Benjamin felt bad for him, and his gaze darkened.
Danna has brought him a lot of pain. She is wicked and cunning, and I was dumb enough to fall for her tricks. There was one point in time when I almost forgave her and marry her for the sake of Gavin’s healthy upbringing. Fortunately, I didn’t. Danna knows that I hate it when people try to fool me. Yet, she lied to me again and again.
“Your mommy treats you well,” Benjamin whispered softly.
It’s clear that Arissa loves her children deeply. The treatment that the other children receive is completely different from mine.
Benjamin felt annoyed by the thought.
Is she planning to keep the children a secret and hide them from me forever?
“Hehe! Mommy is really nice!” Gavin said proudly.
Looking at Gavin’s delightful smile, Benjamin couldn’t help but grin.
“Don’t tell anyone that I know about the other kids,” Benjamin reminded.
Gavin’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why, Daddy?”
Benjamin pinched his chubby cheeks playfully and replied, “No reason.”
Gavin furrowed his brows.
Chapter 113 Congratulations To You
“Daddy, do you dislike the others?”
Benjamin raised his eyebrows and said, “Of course not.”
They are all my children. Besides, I’ve met Jasper. He is adorable, but he’s a crybaby.
Gavin let out a sigh of relief.
“Is it because you hate Mommy?”
There was a glint in Benjamin’s eyes, but he calmly said, “I don’t hate her. It’s just that I don’t know her very well.”
“Mommy is a kind person. Daddy, can you stop being so mean to her? She’ll feel scared!”
When Benjamin heard Gavin speak on Arissa’s behalf, he scoffed.
“She doesn’t look scared at all.” Instead, she is even more bad-tempered than I am.
“She is scared of you. Didn’t you notice that she is afraid to speak up in front of you?”
The corner of Benjamin’s lips twitched. That’s because she felt guilty. When she saw that I was going to open the door, she glared at me and warned me to stay away. Hmph! I’ll get my revenge. How dare she take away my children?
“Okay,” he then replied softly.
Seeing that Benjamin had agreed to his request, Gavin smiled from ear to ear.
Benjamin also noticed Gavin’s beaming smile, and he felt delighted.
The pair were in a good mood after having a deep conversation.
After they arrived home, they washed up and got ready to sleep. Naturally, Gavin fell asleep first. As for Benjamin, he went to the study and ordered Ethen, “Find out everything Arissa did five years ago, including the people she talked to!”
“Mr. Graham, why are you suddenly investigating her?” Ethen asked in confusion.
“She is Gavin’s mom!” Benjamin replied bluntly.
Ethen was so shocked that he started to stutter, “R-Really? She’s…”
Benjamin frowned. “I asked Shaun to submit a DNA test. They are blood-related.”
“That’s great, Mr. Graham! Gavin must be excited!”
Ethen was happy for Gavin.
Benjamin hummed in response. Gavin is indeed excited.
“Ms. York has a daughter. Is she your child too?”
“Yes,” Benjamin replied. Then, he added, “But that’s a boy!”
A boy?
Ethen was confused. I’m positive that the child I saw was an adorable and lovable little girl.
“Congratulations on finding another child, Mr. Graham!”
With a proud smile, Benjamin said, “I didn’t just find one child, I found three!”
“What?” Ethen gasped in surprise. “Quadruplets?”
“Triplets!” Benjamin said with a slight grin. “Zachary is my child too!”
“Congratulations, Mr. Graham!”
He didn’t know what else he could say.
“Hurry up and do what I told you,” Benjamin commanded before hanging up the phone.
He was in a good mood.
I never thought that I fathered three children that night.
Thinking that it was very possible that Zachary had hacked his computer, he felt a surge of joy.
That boy is smart. He is indeed my son.
At the same moment, after Arissa had cooked up another meal for the four children, she started to clean up the house.
“Mommy, aren’t you going to join us?” Zachary asked.
Arissa shook her head and replied, “I have already eaten a lot just now. You can finish it up.”
Then, she returned to her bedroom and noticed the pile of clothes and underwear that were thrown onto the bed a while ago.
At that moment, Arissa remembered that Benjamin had seen the mess too, and she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed.
Oh my goodness! This is embarrassing! He is my boss! I can’t believe my boss saw my underwear…
Arissa covered her face.
Jeez. Why is Benjamin so rude? He didn’t even ask my permission and just opened the room doors as he pleased. Where is my privacy?
She hurriedly cleaned up the mess as she cursed Benjamin under her breath.
It will be awkward meeting him in the office tomorrow. I think it’s better if I don’t wear this set of underwear.
Chapter 114 She Finally Realized The Switch
After Arissa finished cleaning up the room, she went to the dining room and saw that the four children were almost done with their meal.
The three boys had finished their food. Jesse was the only one who was still eating.
“Go take a shower. I’ll wash the dishes,” Arissa said dotingly as she watched her three sons wash the dishes in the kitchen.
“Go have your shower, Mommy. We can clean up after ourselves. Besides, we just finished eating. It wouldn’t be good for us to head straight into the bath,” Zachary turned to her and said.
“He’s right, Mommy. We just ate. It would be bad for us to bathe right after a meal.”
“Mommy, go have your shower. Leave the dishes to us!”
Arissa looked at them and smiled. “Okay. I’ll go take a shower now.”
Then, she glanced at Jesse and urged, “Jesse, hurry up. Your brothers have already finished their meal.”
“Okay, Mommy!”
Jesse nodded.
Arissa noticed her oily lips, so she went over and wiped them off before she grabbed her clothes and stepped into the bathroom.
Just when she finished her shower, her phone rang.
“Mommy, your phone is ringing!”
Oliver ran over to fetch her phone.
When he saw that the caller was Bradley, he yelled, “Mommy, it’s Mr. Hinton!”
Arissa took the phone and ordered the children to go shower before she answered the call.
Bradley was at the car dealership looking at cars for Arissa.
After a few minutes of discussion, they made a decision on a car model and ended the call.
Later, Arissa went to the bathroom and saw that her three sons were still in the bathtub.
“Aren’t you going to wash your hair?” she asked as she walked over.
The three boys’ hair were wet, and they looked adorable.
Arissa pumped a handful of shampoo and started to gently wash their hair.
“Mommy, we can handle it ourselves!”
Zachary was blushing.
Seeing that, Jasper and Oliver’s faces turned slightly red too.
“Mommy, we can handle it ourselves. Please go out!”
“Mommy, we’ve already washed our hair yesterday!”
Arissa was amused by their embarrassed expressions, so she teased, “I haven’t given you all a bath in a long time. Can’t you let me wash your hair tonight?”
The three boys glanced at each other speechlessly.
We have always bathed on our own. Why is Mommy suddenly in the mood to give us a bath?
Arissa ignored the awkward atmosphere and quickly washed their hair.
She washed their hair one by one smoothly as if she was a machine.
After that was done, she washed their bodies.
When Arissa was wiping them dry, she suddenly noticed the bruise on Jasper’s arm, and she frowned.
Why does this bruise look so familiar? This looks like… the bruise on Gavin’s arm!
Jasper noticed the look on Arissa’s face, so he raised his arm and waved it in front of her.
“Mommy?”
Arissa instantly came back to her senses and asked, “Jasper, where did this bruise come from?”
Jasper blinked innocently and said, “I accidentally hit something!”
The corner of Arissa’s lips twitched, and she pinched his nose.
“Are you the boy that I met the other day?” she asked as she stared at the bruise.
This is definitely the same bruise I saw the last time. That means that the boy I met at Castlemore Manor was Jasper!
Jasper giggled and decided not to hide it from her anymore.
“Mommy, it took you such a long time to realize. Hahaha…”
Upon hearing that, Arissa exclaimed in surprise, “It really was you!”
Jasper burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Zachary and Oliver were both infected by his laughter and started snickering.
“Mommy, Gavin has been pretending to be Jasper since we came back here, and Jasper had been staying with Daddy,” Zachary explained.
Arissa was shocked.
She didn’t expect the two boys had switched places.
Furthermore, they had switched places since day one.
Yet, she was totally clueless.
No wonder I have a feeling that Jasper has been acting weird, and sometimes, Gavin reminds me of Jasper. It turns out that “Gavin” was Jasper and “Jasper” was Gavin all along.
Chapter 115 Mommy Is Really Dumb
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Arissa was furious, and she glared at the three children in anger.
They are really good at keeping secrets.
“Mommy, it’s your fault for not telling us we have other siblings!” Jasper countered innocently.
Arissa knocked his head lightly and said, “That’s because I wasn’t certain whether he was alive or…”
I wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead, and I didn’t want to break your hearts.
“Mommy, to be honest, we have also been keeping secrets from you. We know what happened. Danna is the one behind all of this, isn’t she?” Zachary asked.
They wanted to know more about the evil woman.
“It’s too dangerous for you to know so much!” Arissa exclaimed and reminded them.
“You should leave it all to the adults. If Danna finds out about you, all of you will be in great danger.”
“Mommy, we are not afraid!” Oliver patted his chest and said.
Arissa sighed and felt relieved.
The children are desperate to find out the truth of the whole incident.
She patted their heads and realized that their hair was still wet, and they were still naked.
Arissa hurriedly got them dressed and grabbed the hairdryer.
“You little brats made me doubt myself countless times over the past few days. I kept seeing glimpses of you in Gavin and glimpses of Gavin in you. From now on, you are forbidden from keeping secrets from me!”
The three boys snickered.
“Mommy, it’s your fault for not being smart enough to recognize us,” Jasper teased.
Arissa tapped his head and said, “Stop gloating! It’s a miracle that I haven’t lost my mind.”
How could I even imagine that the two of them switched places? They had just returned to the country. It would be too much of a coincidence.
Arissa recalled the time when she found Jasper back at the airport. He acted weird, and he stood stiffly when she hugged him.
However, she was so overwhelmed with the joy of finding him that she didn’t realize it.
“Who was the first who found out that Jasper and Gavin switched places?”
Zachary immediately pointed at Jasper and said, “Of course it was Jasper!”
Jasper didn’t even tell them that he had switched places.
“Zachary, weren’t you the first to find out?” Jasper asked with a smile.
“How is it possible? Of course, you and Gavin are the first two to know. I’m the third one who found out about it!” Zachary rebuked.
Oliver grinned and joined in. “I was the fourth!”
Just then, Jesse ran into the room and looked at them in confusion.
“Mommy, what are you talking about?”
Arissa looked at Jesse, who could never hide secrets. She patted her head and asked, “Jesse, did you know that Gavin and Jasper switched places?”
Upon hearing that, Jesse’s eyes widened in shock.
Then, she glanced at Arissa, then at Jasper, and scratched her head.
“Switched places?”
Based on the look of confusion on her face, Arissa knew that she was clueless too, and she instantly felt better.
At least I’m not the last person to find out.
“Mommy, Jesse had no idea. We knew that she would report it to you, so we didn’t tell her,” Zachary said with a devious smile.
Arissa knocked on his head again and said, “Go and dry your hair! Your head is filled with bad ideas!”
Zachary laughed in response.
Then, he led Jasper and Oliver to blow dry their hair.
“Jesse, let’s go take a bath.”
With that, Arissa brought Jesse into the bathroom.
“Mommy, are you saying that Gavin and Jasper switched places?”
At that moment, Jesse finally started to understand what they were talking about.
“Yes!”
Arissa chuckled when she saw Jesse’s shocked expression. “Are you the only one who didn’t realize?”
Jesse blinked adorably and said, “I only wondered why Jasper suddenly treated me so well!”
Arissa was bemused. “Jesse, do you like Gavin?”
“Yes!” Jesse smiled so widely that Arissa could see her missing front teeth.
After hearing that, Arissa patted Jesse’s head and said, “Gavin likes you too!”
Chapter 116 How Dare She Ignore Me
“Hehe!” Jesse giggled happily. “Don’t worry, Mommy. All of us likes Gavin a lot. We already met him in school… Ah! I remember now! It was actually Gavin who was at our house, not Jasper. The two of them lied to me!”
Jesse frowned when she realized that.
She had been very puzzled when she saw Jasper carrying a schoolbag, but he had told her that it was actually Gavin’s.
What a liar!
Arissa smiled as she removed Jesse’s clothes and gave her a bath.
“Mommy, Gavin is calling!” Oliver shouted from outside the door.
“Answer it quickly,” Arissa urged as she turned to the door.
Oliver opened the door and put the phone on loudspeaker.
Gavin’s voice was heard from the other end of the phone.
“Mommy, Daddy and I have reached home,” Gavin’s adorable voice said.
Arissa smiled dotingly. “That’s good, Sweetheart. Take a shower and go to bed early. See you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow, Mommy. Good night.” Gavin was very happy.
Arissa’s lips curved into a smile. “Good night, Sweetheart.”
She waited for Gavin to hang up before putting the phone away.
“Mommy, why did Gavin call?” Oliver asked with a frown.
“He’s your older brother.” Arissa pinched Oliver’s cheek.
Oliver’s frown deepened. “Mommy, how do you know that he’s older?”
Arissa was amused. “The one who was taken away was definitely the one who was born earlier. I remember that he had already been taken away when I gave birth to all of you.”
As Arissa recalled the past, she blamed herself for being useless and getting set up.
Her child had been abducted, but she was too weak to get them back.
Oliver noticed that Arissa was caught up in her memories. “I understand now, Mommy. Go and give Jesse a bath.”
Arissa looked at him. “What did you understand?”
“Gavin is older than me!” Oliver giggled.
It would be nice to have an older brother.
Having another younger brother would just be another source of frustration.
Jasper caused trouble everywhere he went and would not listen to them, making them worry about him all the time.
Arissa smiled. She quickly finished Jesse’s bath and brought her four children to bed.
The four of them were ecstatic as they rarely got to sleep with her.
After playing for a while more, they finally went to sleep.
Benjamin was overwhelmed by emotions. He sat in the study for a long while before finally heading upstairs.
He went to Gavin’s room and saw that Gavin was asleep, nestled cutely under the blanket.
Benjamin sat on the edge of the bed and caressed Gavin’s face.
After a while, he tucked Gavin in properly and returned to his own bedroom.
Benjamin frowned. It’s been a while since we returned home. Why hasn’t she called to ask if we got home safely?
Then, he realized that Gavin could have already called her. Benjamin was frustrated. Should I give her a call?
Benjamin stood in the room with knitted brows. It looked as though he was troubled about a business deal worth billions.
It was just a phone call, but he struggled for a long time.
He finally made the decision to call her, but no one answered.
After confirming that he was dialing the correct number, he tried again.
Once again, no one answered the phone.
Benjamin’s face darkened. How dare this woman ignore my call?
Anger surged in his chest.
He could not help but send her a message: Call me once you see this!
He waited for half an hour, but Arissa did not return his call.
Benjamin’s aura grew colder. This woman actually ignored me? Why is she so nice to Gavin but so cold to me?
That night, Benjamin was so angry that he only fell asleep late at night.
Chapter 117 Jesse Refuses To Get Up
In the end, Benjamin only fell asleep after squeezing into Gavin’s bed.
Gavin rubbed his eyes in surprise when he woke up in the middle of the night and saw Benjamin beside him.
Why is Daddy sleeping here? Gavin was puzzled.
Thinking that he was dreaming, he reached out and poked Benjamin’s cheek.
Benjamin woke up the moment Gavin touched his cheek.
He opened his eyes and asked sleepily, “Why are you awake?’
“Daddy, why are you in my room?” Gavin asked after confirming that he was not dreaming.
“I’m accompanying you.” There was no change in Benjamin’s handsome face.
Gavin pursed his lips. He came to accompany me when I was already asleep?
Gavin turned around and got off the bed.
“Where are you going?” Benjamin’s brows furrowed.
“I need to pee.” Gavin glanced at him then headed to the bathroom.
Benjamin waited for Gavin to return before also making a trip to the bathroom. When he returned, Gavin was still awake.
“Daddy, are you having trouble sleeping?” Gavin asked sleepily.
Benjamin simply answered, “Go to sleep.”
Gavin glanced at Benjamin, yawned and adjusted the blanket before closing his eyes and falling asleep.
Benjamin laid down beside him and hugged him as he listened to his deep and regular breathing.
Gavin’s milky scent reminded him of her.
She had the same scent on her body.
Benjamin fell asleep unknowingly as he listened to Gavin’s even breathing.
The next day, Arissa woke up early.
She left some oatmeal porridge to simmer before going back to sleep.
At the Graham residence, Benjamin woke up naturally.
He washed up and went for a run.
When he returned, Gavin was already dressed and carrying his schoolbag, prepared to leave.
Benjamin frowned. “You’re going to school so early?”
“I promised Mommy that I would go to her place to have breakfast,” Gavin said with his head tilted back as he looked at Benjamin.
Benjamin’s eyes flashed as he said, “I’ll send you there.”
With that, Benjamin headed upstairs.
Gavin turned to look at Benjamin heading up the stairs. Does Daddy want to go to Mommy’s place with me?
Gavin giggled as he headed back into the house. He sat in the living room and waited for Benjamin.
In less than five minutes, Benjamin returned and dressed in a suit.
His hair was slicked back, making him look particularly handsome.
Every gesture gave off an air of nobility.
Gavin could not help but admire him.
“Gavin, let’s go,” Benjamin called out to Gavin.
Gavin smiled and went to him.
“Mr. Graham, aren’t you and Gavin having breakfast?” Edwin hurried over and asked when he saw that they were neatly dressed and about to leave.
“No, we’re not. We’ll have our breakfast somewhere else,” Benjamin answered and left with Gavin.
Edwin thought that Benjamin was bringing Gavin to have breakfast at a restaurant and smiled.
The amount of time they spent together had increased quite a fair bit recently.
Arissa had set an alarm. When the alarm rang, she immediately got up and went to the kitchen to check on the oatmeal porridge. Then, she started preparing more food for breakfast.
As the children were all growing, she did not make breakfast a simple affair. She prepared a large amount of food with balanced nutritional value.
Once breakfast was done, she woke the children up.
Jesse was not a morning person. Even after all of her brothers were up, she still refused to get up.
“Sweetheart, wake up.” Arissa patted Jesse’s butt gently.
“Mommy, I don’t want to go to school. I want to sleep!” Jesse whined, refusing to get up.
Chapter 118 I Do Not Want To Stay At Home Alone
“Don’t you have lots of fun at school? Are you going to stay at home alone while your brothers go to school?” Arissa coaxed Jesse exasperatedly.
“No. They don’t have to go to school too. We’ll stay at home and play!” Jesse shook her head as she answered, her eyes still closed.
Arissa sighed and patted Jesse’s head.
The three boys had already gotten up.
They realized that Jesse was not with them as they brushed their teeth together.
“Mommy, is Jesse awake?”
“No. She’s still asleep.” Arissa started brushing her teeth.
“I’ll wake her up.” Jasper ran to the room with his toothbrush in hand.
“Jesse, wake up. Everyone will be leaving soon and you’ll be the only one left at home. What if someone comes and takes you away?” Jasper said as he pulled at the blanket.
“No!” Jesse cried sleepily.
She just wanted to go back to sleep.
“Wake up! If you don’t get up now, I’ll tell the teacher!”
“Jasper, you’re so mean!” Jesse sniffled pitifully.
“Get up quickly. Mommy got up early to make delicious food for us. We’ll eat everything and not leave any for you!”
When Jesse heard that, she got up in a hurry, but her eyes were still drooping sleepily.
Arissa entered the room after brushing her teeth and smiled when she saw Jesse’s sleepy look.
She picked Jesse up and exited the room.
“Are you still sleepy?” Arissa pinched Jesse’s nose, as she laid on her shoulder.
“Mommy!” Her adorable voice would make anyone’s heart melt.
Arissa caressed Jesse’s hair, which looked like a bird’s nest.
“Mommy, Jasper said that he would not leave anything for me to eat!”
Arissa was nonplussed as she looked at Jesse, who still had her eyes closed.
Only food would make her get up so quickly.
“If you wash your face and brush your teeth now, I’ll let you eat more later.”
“But, Mommy, I want to sleep!” Jesse whined and hugged her neck.
Arissa turned her head and kissed Jesse’s face. “Jesse, if you continue to sleep, we’ll finish our breakfast and leave. Do you want to stay at home alone?”
Jesse shook her head and rubbed her eyes. “No, I don’t want to be alone!”
“Then go wash your face and brush your teeth. I’ll send all of you to school,” Arissa coaxed as she passed Jesse her toothbrush with some toothpaste already on it.
“Jesse, come and brush your teeth. Mommy still needs to wash her face and put on makeup,” Zachary said to Jesse with a frown.
“Mommy, I’ll brush my teeth myself,” Jesse said softly.
“Okay.” Arissa patted Jesse’s head and let her down.
“Jesse, why are you so lazy today? Mommy has been up for quite a while. We need to take more initiative,” Oliver nagged Jesse.
Jesse brushed her teeth sleepily and answered, “I know, Oliver. I slept late last night.”
Arissa urged her children to hurry up as she squeezed out some facial cleanser on her palm and washed her face.
Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper grabbed their own towels.
They stood on small stools and wet their towels to wipe their faces.
Once done, they obediently placed their towels back neatly.
Zachary took Jesse’s towel and helped her wipe her face after she finished brushing her teeth.
Oliver and Jasper waited for Jesse to be done before all of them went to change their clothes.
“Hurry up, Mommy!” Jesse became very energetic and urged Arissa.
“All right!” Arissa answered with a smile and sped up.
“Go and have your breakfast first, Sweethearts! I’ll be right over!”
Chapter 119 Is There A Man
The children were self-reliant. Getting a bowl of oatmeal porridge was nothing difficult for them.
A few minutes later, Arissa headed to the bedroom for a change of clothes and exited with her makeup done.
Just as she was heading to the dining area, the doorbell rang.
Arissa was surprised. Is Bradley here to pick me up already?
She walked over and opened the door.
She was very surprised by who she saw.
Benjamin stood there with Gavin in his arms. When he saw that she was about to close the door, he stepped forward and entered the house.
Arissa blinked. “Mr. Graham, you… Good morning.”
“Good morning, Mommy!” Gavin greeted happily.
Arissa smiled at him brightly.
Benjamin glanced at her then walked into the house with Gavin in his arms. “Gavin wanted to have breakfast here, so I brought him over.”
Arissa’s lips twitched as she looked at the man who treated her house like his own.
Her heart dropped when she thought of the four children.
She closed the door and quickly followed them.
“Daddy, you should change your shoes. They’re dirty,” Gavin reminded Benjamin.
Benjamin paused and glanced at Gavin, then turned around and happened to see Arissa’s flustered expression.
Arissa hurriedly suppressed the panic in her heart and smiled sheepishly. “It’s alright, Mr. Graham. No need to change your shoes.”
Benjamin shot her a glance but still went to the door to change his shoes.
His brows furrowed when he saw the men’s shoes on her shoe cabinet.
Benjamin did not wear the shoes but simply walked into the house in his socks.
Arissa hurriedly placed the shoes in front of him. “Mr. Graham, please wear these shoes. My house is a little dirty.”
Benjamin did not move, his gaze fixed solely on her. “Is there a man in your family?”
There was an inexplicable feeling of unhappiness in Benjamin’s heart.
Arissa looked at him and shook her head. “No, there isn’t. I just prepared it for when my friend comes over.”
“Friend?”
Benjamin’s brows furrowed. He knew that she was talking about a male friend.
His face darkened.
Arissa glanced at him and answered warily, “Yes, a friend like you, Mr. Graham. You have these shoes to change into even though you suddenly came over.”
“Am I not welcomed here?” Benjamin sneered and carried Gavin into the kitchen.
“Of course you are. You’re always welcomed here.” Arissa laughed awkwardly and followed closely behind.
The kitchen was empty. The four children had vanished.
Arissa’s nervousness dissipated immediately.
Benjamin’s eyebrows rose when he noticed that there were only two dishes. Is she having breakfast alone?
He glanced at her and said, “I haven’t eaten either. Go and prepare some more food.”
Benjamin placed Gavin onto a chair and sat down as well.
Arissa smiled at him half-heartedly and went to get them utensils.
“Thank you, Mommy,” Gavin thanked her.
Arissa ruffled his hair dotingly and said softly, “You’re welcome. I’ll go and prepare more food. Eat this first. Have some of these first, Mr. Graham.”
She quickly went to get them a bowl of oatmeal porridge each, then went to fry some eggs.
The four children had taken food with them when they went to hide.
Arissa would not need to worry about them going hungry then.
However, she struggled to think of a way to make the man, who had suddenly appeared in her kitchen, leave.
Then, she could send the children to school.
She accidentally burnt the eggs as she was deep in thought.
Benjamin raised his brows as he looked at the busy woman in the kitchen.
His expression darkened.
Gavin looked around and suddenly realized that the four other children were all hiding on the balcony.
He quickly looked away and looked at Benjamin, who only had eyes for Arissa.
Chapter 120 Thank You For The Hearty Meal
Gavin was amused.
“Daddy, don’t you think Mommy’s made a wonderful breakfast?”
A sharp look fleeted across Benjamin’s eyes as he met his son’s bright gaze.
With a faint nod, he answered, “It’s not bad.”
“What do you even mean by that?”
Arissa glowered at Benjamin, for she took pride in her culinary skills.
“I know it’s delicious! Could it be that you just can’t stomach peasant food, Mr. Graham?”
Benjamin studied her broodingly.
“Can you seriously call this fried egg delicious?” he quipped, glancing at the burnt egg on his plate.
For a moment, Arissa seemed stunned.
“I got lost in thought, so I wasn’t paying attention. This is a mishap. It doesn’t mean I don’t know how to fry an egg. You will know I speak the truth after tasting it!”
She picked up her fork and reached for a fried egg, which she offered to Benjamin. Then, she placed another two onto Gavin’s plate, leaving the burnt one for herself.
Benjamin glared at her, still frowning. “Why would you even want to eat the burnt one?”
Arissa looked at him before picking out the burnt part of the egg with her fork.
“It’s still edible.”
With that, she took a bite, enjoying her egg along with the oatmeal porridge she made.
“You can have mine, Mommy!”
Gavin offered Arissa one of the eggs on his plate.
“You can have it. I will get something else to eat.”
Arissa smiled at Gavin before putting more food onto his plate.
“Eat up, Sweetheart!”
When she sensed Benjamin gazing at her, she turned her head to meet his dark eyes. Her heart sank.
“You sure know how to put up an act,” Benjamin commented impassively.
Arissa, who quickly caught on to his implication, was momentarily stunned.
I’m not pretending to be Gavin’s mother. I am his mother.
“I’m only trying to cheer him up. Isn’t that the most important thing? Am I wrong, Mr. Graham?”
Benjamin’s eyes darkened when he gazed into her twinkling eyes.
“You have a silver tongue, Ms. York.”
Arissa pulled her lips into a thin line, putting an end to their conversation. Instead, she glanced at Gavin lovingly.
“Sweetheart, how is breakfast?”
I would have prepared more if I had known Gavin’s coming over. I worried that he wouldn’t like my cooking, since he’s used to delicacies.
In the end, Arissa was still slightly unnerved.
“It’s all right. Mommy, your cooking is amazing! I like it!”
Gavin relished his food.
Arissa was grateful that he wasn’t giving an empty compliment. He actually liked the food.
“Eat as much as you want, then. Watch out. Don’t burn yourself.”
Benjamin did not like the Arissa was paying so much attention to Gavin.
Narrowing his eyes, he swept a glance at her.
Arissa took note of the man’s penetrating gaze. Yet, she chose to ignore him. She ate her food in silence.
All the while, the four children observed what was happening in the dining room from their hiding place on the balcony.
None of them touched their oatmeal porridge, for they did not want to cause a commotion. They munched on other food instead.
Arissa wondered where they had gone off to. The doors to both bedrooms were wide open.
After checking on Benjamin, who was having his breakfast as he sat on the master’s seat, she stole a glance at her surroundings.
She didn’t find the children. Instead, she happened to meet Benjamin’s questioning gaze.
With a smile, she lowered her head and went back to eating.
Benjamin eventually looked away when he failed to notice anything amiss.
After breakfast, Arissa held Gavin in her arms for a while and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
“Sweetheart, have you had enough to eat?”
“Yes. Thank you for breakfast, Mommy. Both Daddy and I are full. I hope we’re not intruding.”
Gavin was quite mature and considerate for his age.
“Of course not!”
Arissa pinched his nose affectionately.
“I will gladly cook for you whenever you visit. You can always call me before you drop in.”