Ch. 151..160
Chapter 151 Takeaway
With regard to his meals, Gavin was just like his father. They were both picky eaters, and it was rare for Gavin to give a high review of any food.
Seeing Gavin’s expression, Edwin knew that the taste of the chicken pie must be divine. Unfortunately, Arissa had only made a few pieces of chicken pie. There was not enough made for him, so he could only stare in fascination at the food.
“Gav, is it good?”
Just by looking at his expression, Arissa knew that he loved it.
Gavin nodded and exclaimed, “Mommy, you’re a great cook! Everything you made tastes delicious!”
The corners of Arissa’s eyes crinkled as she beamed up at Gavin and ruffled his hair adoringly.
When she looked up, she saw Edwin staring unblinkingly at Gavin eating. He was almost drooling at the sight of the chicken pie.
Arissa chuckled and said, “Edwin, go ahead and try some.”
“It’s fine, Ms. York. You’re too kind… You can have it!” Edwin shook his head in embarrassment and declined her offer. It’s not proper for me to request food from my employer.
“Don’t worry, there’s another one left. You can have it!”
Arissa took the pie on her plate and handed it over to him.
“Ms. York, you can have it. I have already taken my breakfast!” Edwin was stunned and did not dare to move a muscle.
“I want to eat something else. Try this. Let me know how it tastes. If it’s good, I’ll make it again on another day.” Arissa handed it over to him once more.
Edwin sneaked a peek at Benjamin. Seeing that the latter was focused on his breakfast and not looking in their direction, he gathered his courage and approached Arissa. He took the food and said gratefully, “Thank you, Ms. York!”
“Thank Mr. Graham instead, I was able to cook this because of the ingredients that he bought!”
Arissa looked at Benjamin before sitting down.
Benjamin looked over at her and said, “My ingredients? In that case, why didn’t you take the initiative and invite me to eat?”
Arissa was stunned.
She did not dare to argue that Edwin had previously mentioned Benjamin’s preference for having a light breakfast. She hesitated to invite him, for the dishes she made were quite heavy.
Besides…
“This is your house. You can eat whatever you want. Why do you need my invitation? I’m not the owner here!” She pursed her lips in annoyance.
Benjamin lightly harrumphed. She has a way with words. I’ll give her that.
“You aren’t the owner, but you dare take away the food?” He could not help but joke.
Watching the two of them squabble, Edwin felt that the chicken pie in his hands was burning a hole through them, and a feeling of uneasiness filled his heart.
Gavin, however, was not affected by their squabble as he was happily devouring his chicken pie.
Arissa froze before retorting, “I’m just worried that Gavin will go hungry in school.”
She felt a little guilty at the lie that she made up.
In response, Benjamin simply stared intently at her.
Arissa’s heart raced. She felt that he was about to burn a hole through her with his stare. It seemed as if he could see through her with those dark eyes of his.
However, Benjamin said nothing more and continued with his breakfast. Seeing that Benjamin did not continue on the topic, she heaved a sigh of relief.
“If you don’t like it, I won’t take away the food next time.”
After all, she was not staying there that night. In the future, she could prepare an extra portion of food for Gavin at her place.
In her house, Arissa could do as much as she desired. She could even cook any dishes she wanted.
“That’s not necessary!” Benjamin replied.
Arissa was rendered speechless by him once more.
Does that mean he agrees to me packing the leftover food in the future?
Gavin sneaked a glance at Benjamin. The latter still had a stern look on his face.
Daddy is so egotistical. I bet he knows that Mommy is packing the food for my brothers, yet he still insists on asking her.
Benjamin ignored Gavin’s look and glanced at Arissa, who still seemed startled by his response.
“In the future, remember to pack more food. I don’t want Gavin to be on an empty stomach!”
Gavin and Arissa were astonished by the change in his stance. They could not believe their ears and stared at Benjamin with their mouths agape, not knowing what to say.
Edwin snickered before hurriedly resuming a face of seriousness.
“Okay,” Arissa replied.
She had prepared a hearty breakfast, and Gavin relished the food. He was over the moon, having breakfast that his mother had specially prepared for him.
Benjamin was also very full. He did not foresee that Arissa would have such a flair for cooking. Unknowingly, he had stuffed his stomach to the extent he felt a little bloated.
After breakfast, Arissa and Benjamin sent Gavin to school together. The three of them sat in the back of the car, looking very much like a family.
Benjamin sat aside looking at work documents. Nobody dared to raise their voices.
Arissa brought Gavin aside and spoke softly to him. Her voice was gentle and pleasant to the ears.
“Gav, Mommy will return to my house to stay tonight.”
“Mommy, you’re not going to stay with us anymore?”
Gavin was shocked, and his brows furrowed in worry.
Previously, Mommy was in danger. If she doesn’t stay with us now, won’t she be in more danger?
Chapter 152 An Exchange
“No. I’ll pass.”
Arissa was worried, for she had not seen the other children since the previous day.
Benjamin turned to her. “Though those people have been caught, that doesn’t mean you’re safe. Aren’t you afraid of endangering your children?”
Benjamin’s voice was stern at the last sentence. Until then, the stubborn woman still refused to tell him the truth, and Benjamin could not help wondering if she was planning to hide the truth from him forever.
Arissa was less worried about Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper. However, she was extremely concerned about Jesse as the little girl was the most clingy one among all of Arissa’s children.
After a few days, the girl would lose it.
Noticing the woman was struggling to come to a decision, Benjamin suggested, “If you’re worried about your children, you can fetch them over. Otherwise, I’ll have to compensate you for work injury if anything bad happens to you.”
Arissa’s mouth quivered before she uttered, “Don’t worry, Mr. Graham. Even if anything happens to me, it’s none of the company’s business.”
“Are you sure your family members are fine with that?”
Benjamin stared at her firmly. Though he seemed expressionless, he was utterly serious.
Arissa was stunned. Is he implying that the children will seek compensation from him? That’s rather amusing.
She cleared her throat and remained firm in her decision. “No thanks. I’m afraid my children will disturb you.”
It’s better not to let them meet for now. I’ll just have to part with them for a few days. It’s no big deal.
Benjamin’s face darkened upon hearing that.
Arissa was clueless about how she irritated the man, and she swallowed upon noticing the man’s icy-cold aura.
She was about to voice her intention of not staying at Benjamin’s place when she saw how dark his face was. Hence, she ended up choking back her words.
Upon reaching the school, Arissa was about to exit the car when Benjamin stopped her.
“Stay in the car.”
With that said, Benjamin carried Gavin and alighted from the vehicle without waiting for a response.
“I…”
Arissa wanted to tag along with the hope of meeting her four children.
However, Benjamin shot her a glare. “Stay!”
He took Gavin’s bag and the meal that Arissa had packed.
“Bye, Mommy!”
“Bye, Sweetheart!”
Arissa smiled and waved at the boy.
After helping Gavin put on his bag, Benjamin walked him to the school entrance with a lunchbox in hand.
“Daddy, don’t get angry at Mommy!” Gavin tugged at his father’s pants as he pleaded.
Benjamin stared at his son. When he handed the lunchbox over, the latter held it tightly in his arms.
“Exchange with Zachary tonight.”
Gavin stared at Benjamin with his eyes shot wide, keeping his guard up.
“What are you up to, Daddy?”
“Daddy has never met him before, so I want to see him!”
Benjamin patted his son’s head gently.
After staring at the man for a moment, Gavin finally nodded and agreed, “All right. I’ll talk to him about it, but I can’t promise he’ll agree!”
If it was Oliver, he would agree without haste. Zachary, on the other hand, was tougher to convince.
Benjamin raised his eyebrows and pondered to himself. He won’t disagree, for his mother is right here.
“Okay, go on in.”
Gavin nodded. “Goodbye, Daddy!”
Honestly, he was pretty excited, for Benjamin rarely sent him to school. Moreover, his mother was tagging along too.
After waving at the car, he entered the school.
Benjamin watched the boy for a moment before returning to the car.
“Mr. Graham, why didn’t you let me exit the car earlier?” Arissa was bewildered by the man.
Benjamin merely cast a quick glance at her before telling the driver, “Head to the office.”
His actions rendered Arissa speechless.
When she gazed out of the car’s window, she was hoping to see the few familiar figures. However, they were nowhere to be found, and Arissa could not help but feel let down. At the same time, she was slightly relieved Benjamin did not encounter them.
After shifting her attention away from the window, her heart skipped a beat as she noticed a pair of dull eyes staring sharply at her.
“It’s inappropriate for you to send him to the school right now.”
Arissa nodded in understanding. “I’ll be careful next time.”
After staring at her for a moment, Benjamin averted his gaze and looked straight ahead.
Arissa glanced at the man before shifting her gaze toward the window once more.
Suddenly, a man’s voice rang out.
Chapter 153 He Likes Her
“Don’t you have anything else to say?”
Hearing that, Arissa turned to face Benjamin. Although he was sitting down, he was still radiating a regal and dominating aura.
Arissa pursed her lips. Indeed, there was something that she wanted to ask.
“Umm… About the people from last night?”
“I’ve taken care of them.”
Benjamin frowned while fixing his gaze at her.
Noticing that the man seemed unhappy, she merely brushed it off with a simple reply. “Okay.”
After that, the atmosphere in the car became tense.
The driver looked in the rearview mirror but retracted his gaze immediately upon noticing something was off.
Meanwhile, Danna arrogantly made her way toward the Rogers residence but was stopped by the security guard at the entrance.
Her eyes immediately darkened. “Are you f*cking blind? Don’t you know who I am?”
“Why are you so pissed, Ms. Adams?”
Suddenly, a wicked-looking man with an ear-piercing walked toward her.
Danna shot a glare at him and snapped, “Justin Rogers, what’s going on? Am I not welcomed here?”
“Of course you are!” the man replied with a smile before kicking the security guard.
“Are you blind? She’s Ms. Adams! How dare you stop her?”
In response to his antics, Danna chuckled coldly. “Stop fooling around. Where’s Arissa?”
The previous night, Justin told her he had caught Arissa over their phone call. Hence, Danna had traveled all the way to the Rogers residence to teach the woman a lesson.
Justin smirked before wrapping his arm around Danna’s waist. The latter stared sharply at him and struggled but failed to free herself.
Seeing that, Justin tightened his grip and got closer to her. Then, he took a whiff of the air, breathing in her scent.
“You smell so nice!”
Danna shot him a deadly glare. “Let go!”
“Come on, Ms. Adams! Let’s not talk about other people now, shall we? I’m risking my life to help you, yet you’re not showing an ounce of concern over my well-being.”
Justin narrowed his eyes as Danna’s blood continued to boil.
However, he liked her for how mean and ruthless she was.
“Justin, you asked me to come here, yet you refuse to bring me to her. Have you failed?”
Honestly, Danna doubted that was the case and merely blurted it out to spite the man.
Not long after, Justin led her into the mansion.
“What’s with the rush? That’s impossible!”
Danna bumped her elbow against Justin’s waist, but the latter still held her firmly. Immediately after entering the mansion, Justin pushed Danna onto the wall and kissed her.
Though Danna was furious, her strength was no match for the man.
Justin continued caressing her. “Stop struggling. Did Benjamin even excite you? It has been so long since we…”
Danna’s rage was on the verge of boiling over, but she could not hold back her desire. Not long after, she returned Justin’s hug.
After a passionate session, Danna probed, “Where is she?”
She would not feel assured as long as Arissa was still alive.
Justin cast a glance at the seductive-looking woman and pushed her onto the bed once more before demanding, “One more time!”
Slap!
Danna slapped Justin across the face, obviously enraged.
“You assh*le! How dare you fool me?”
Justin lay on the bed, fully naked. The room still smelled of sweat. He pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, staring at Danna wickedly.
The woman’s face contorted in anger as she hurriedly grabbed her clothes and put them on.
“Why are you so angry? Weren’t you pretty happy just a second ago?” Justin retorted, his voice filled with mockery.
Danna turned her head, eyes looking bloodshot. “Shut up!”
“Hmph! So you’re abandoning me after taking advantage of me? Honestly, you could have rejected me earlier, but you didn’t. If you did, I wouldn’t touch you!”
Justin took out a cigarette as he watched the woman get dressed. He was still lying naked on the bed, having no intention of covering himself up.
Meanwhile, Danna was pissed beyond imagination.
Justin lied to her that he had caught Arissa, but that was obviously not the case.
Chapter 154 Desperate
“Justin! Since this is all that you’re capable of, we will definitely not be cooperating again in the foreseeable future!”
After scolding him in anger and disappointment, Danna proceeded to grab her handbag. She then spun around and was preparing to leave.
With a gloomy expression, Justin uttered, “Ms. Adams, I got exposed last night. I risked crossing Benjamin in order to help you. I wasn’t expecting any gratitude from you but to think that you’d hit me instead! Don’t you think that you’ve gone too far? I lost a lot of my people!”
“Oh, that’s because you’re incompetent! If you were actually capable, then why have you come to find me now?” Danna turned around and stared back at him, her expression growing much darker.
Justin swallowed his fear and stated, “I do have good news. Do you want to hear it?”
At this point, Danna refused to believe that he had any real good news to share.
“Benjamin went to the abandoned building last night.”
Suddenly, Danna’s expression changed. “How did he find out about that place?”
What could Benjamin have found?
Danna immediately felt her heart sink as she began to panic.
“Well, I’m not quite sure how exactly.” Justin was staring at her body with lustful eyes. “You should stay here with me for a while. Make me happy, and I’ll help you investigate it!”
“In your dreams!”
Danna grabbed the porcelain near the doorway and threw it at him. She then opened the door and proceeded to leave.
Justin caught the porcelain and fiddled with it in his hands. His face fell.
“What a bad temper you have! Would Benjamin even want someone this desperate?”
Though he wasn’t that loud, Danna heard him very clearly. Her expression twisted. I truly regret getting involved with Justin. What a scumbag!
“Ms. Adams, Benjamin doesn’t want you! I want you! You’re welcome to come here any time!” Justin shouted at the top of his lungs.
Danna’s face fell. She angrily rushed into her car and left the premises immediately.
The bodyguards beside the door briefly glared at her in disdain. How can a woman like that be Mr. Rogers’ type?
Not long after, Justin came outside.
He instructed them, “Keep an eye on Benjamin. Report to me if there is any news!”
“Yes, Mr. Rogers!”
When Benjamin’s car was almost at the company, Arissa tried to tell the driver to stop the vehicle.
“I’m getting out! Please stop the car!”
The driver looked at the man through the rear-view mirror. Seeing that Benjamin did not say anything, the driver did not dare to stop the car.
“But Ms. York, we haven’t arrived at the company yet!” the driver reminded Arissa.
“No, I’m getting out right here!”
Arissa did not want anyone to spread gossip. Even allowing rumors to circulate would still be very hurtful.
Benjamin’s eyes flickered as he glanced at Arissa. “But we haven’t reached the company yet. What are you doing?”
Arissa looked at him and explained, “I think that getting out right here is the better option!”
Benjamin’s frowned and he furrowed.
She gulped subconsciously, gathering the courage to speak further. “If people get the wrong idea about us, then it will surely have an impact on your reputation!”
“Hah!” Benjamin chuckled sarcastically. “Looks like you do care about your boss. Stop the car!”
The last three words were spoken with a tone of displeasure.
The driver, who wasn’t brave enough to protest against it, quickly pulled over and stopped the car.
“Thank you!” Arissa thanked the driver as she got out of the car. She then faced Benjamin. “Thank you, Mr. Graham…”
Before she could finish her sentence, the door to the car closed automatically, and the car sped away.
Arissa was rendered speechless.
She calmed herself down and began walking toward the company.
At the same time, she tried to call her son.
Upon receiving her call, Zachary immediately answered it.
Arissa could hear his voice coming through the phone call.
“Mommy!”
“Hey, Sweetheart. Where are you right now?”
Looking at the time, Arissa forced herself to walk faster.
“We just arrived at school!”
“Did you sleep well last night? Did you eat your breakfast?” Arissa asked out of concern.
Zachary replied, “Yeah, we all slept well. Well, except for Jesse because she was calling your name. Mr. Hinton bought breakfast for us this morning!”
“Okay. Did Mr. Hinton also take you guys to school?”
“Yes. Well, no. Mr. Hinton only took Jasper to school. I was following from behind with Oliver and Jessica!”
Arissa was surprised when she heard her son’s reply. She asked, “How come?”
Chapter 155 Caught By Four Children
“Mr. Hinton said it’s for our safety!”
Arissa was grateful for Bradley. It must be tough for him.
“Then you guys should also stay safe. Mommy might not be able to come back home until after a few days… So you guys better listen to Mr. Hinton and do as he says!” Arissa warned.
“Mommy, did something happen last night?”
“Not at all!”
After walking for a while, Arissa panted a little.
“Mommy, what are you doing right now? Why are you panting?” Zachary asked worriedly.
“It’s nothing! I’m just walking right now!” Arissa replied to Zachary.
“Oh! You should watch out for danger! Don’t go to places where there aren’t many people around! Also, call us if you’re in trouble!”
Arissa’s heart warmed when she heard Zachary advising her.
“All right! I understand, Sweetheart!”
Her other children also squeezed in to talk to her.
“Mommy, you don’t need to worry about us! We can take care of ourselves. You need to watch out for danger and stay safe!” Oliver instructed.
Mommy isn’t telling us anything about what happened. But we investigated last night and found out that Mommy was actually surrounded by bad people.
“Mommy, you should relax while you’re at Daddy’s place. We go to school every day. When we go home, we listen to Mr. Hinton and do as he says!” Jasper added to the conversation.
Jesse suggested, “Mommy, you have a self-defense tool. Use that to teach all the bad guys a lesson!”
Arissa was deeply touched.
“Okay. Don’t worry, kids. I can take care of myself!”
She chatted with her children until it was time to clock in for work. As soon as she hung up her phone, she entered the company building.
Meanwhile, near the school’s entrance, Oliver and Jasper were tying up the hands of two bodyguards.
“Talk! Who sent you here to spy on us?”
The two bodyguards looked at each other. Then, one of them turned to Zachary and answered, “Mr. Graham did!”
Zachary nodded as he expected that answer.
Jesse looked through the contents of the camera that she snatched just now.
She then handed it to Zachary. “Brother number two! They took a lot of photos of us!”
Jesse looked very angry and fierce.
The two bodyguards were stunned.
Earlier, they were only following and taking photos of one child. To their surprise, there were actually four of them.
Then, they followed them and arrived at the school. They were about to report back to Benjamin when they were discovered by the four children.
And they were even tied up by them, which was humiliating.
Zachary frowned upon hearing what Jesse had just said. “Since when did I become brother number two?”
Jesse smiled cutely with squinted eyes. “Gavin is the oldest, so shouldn’t that make you brother number two?”
Following that logic, Oliver was now brother number three, and Jasper was now brother number four.
Both Oliver and Jasper, who were supposed to be the second and third respectively, grimaced upon hearing their sister.
Zachary deleted most of the photos taken by the camera. He only left the ones that were taken in the early morning.
Pausing for a moment, he glared at the two bodyguards. As he resembled Benjamin, the two bodyguards shook in terror.
“Did you guys report to Benjamin yet?”
The two bodyguards, desperate to save their own skins, did not dare to reply and instead went along with the children.
“Are you sure you didn’t report to him?” Zachary narrowed his eyes as he walked closer toward them.
“No, not yet, at least! We were just about to when you guys discovered us!” The other bodyguard replied. He had a serious expression on his face, indicating that he was telling the truth.
A dark look flashed across Zachary’s eyes. He pulled a dagger out of nowhere and wrapped his hand around it.
Danger was imminent.
The two bodyguards broke out in a cold sweat. Why does it feel like this kid is scarier than Gavin?
“Do you know what will happen if you don’t tell the truth?”
Zachary was very threatening. The two bodyguards were trapped by Oliver and Jasper, so they were unable to move.
It was not because they were too scared to move but because they were simply unable to break free.
They did not know what sort of dirty tricks the children had pulled off. They were absolutely astonished. They’re so young but also very powerful.
“We really haven’t reported anything to Mr. Graham!” the bodyguards adamantly responded.
Zachary suddenly laughed, sounding quite devilish.
Chapter 156 Why Did You Lie Just Now
Seeing the expression on the child’s face sent shivers down the two bodyguards’ spines.
They were absolutely terrified.
Zachary glanced at Oliver and Jasper. “Take out their phones and check them!”
“I’ll do it!”
Jesse stepped forward and pulled their phones out of their pockets.
The two bodyguards seemed unusually calm. This was because they used code names in all of their communication devices.
Ordinary people would never be able to discern who was who. Every single email would also be deleted immediately upon being sent. This was to prevent all the information from falling into the wrong hands.
“Zachary!” Jesse handed both phones to Zachary.
Zachary looked at his sister and said, “Go sit over there!”
“Okay!”
Jesse obediently walked over to the side and sat down next to their four bags.
Zachary began checking on the two bodyguards’ phones. Their chat history was full of code names and numbers.
Zachary didn’t bother with all of that. He simply read the call logs starting from last night when Benjamin asked the bodyguards to pick them up. All he had to do was read the information within the call logs.
He found one of the numbers matched Benjamin’s phone number. And it was dialed in the early morning, too.
Zachary glared at them. “So you guys did call Benjamin!”
Seeing the child’s intense gaze, the two bodyguards were extremely shocked.
“You were lying!” The child’s eyes were full of rage.
“I did give Mr. Graham a call in the early morning, but…”
Just then, Zachary’s phone started vibrating. It was Gavin who was calling.
Zachary glared at the two bodyguards before answering the phone.
“What is it?”
Gavin, who was on the other end of the call, raised his eyebrows as he heard the slightly unhappy voice.
“When are you guys heading into school? Mommy got you guys delicious takeout!”
Gavin was waiting for the four of them to arrive. However, the class was going to start soon. Since he had not seen them yet, he decided to give them a call.
“We’re outside the school’s entrance. There’s something I need to take care of!”
While speaking on the phone, Zachary was also checking on the text messages and the instant messaging software on the two phones. So far, he found nothing.
He was feeling doubtful. They didn’t send any of the photos?
“What is it?” Gavin’s nervous and worried voice asked.
Zachary explained, “Benjamin sent people to monitor us and take photos of us. We caught them, and now we’re dealing with them!”
Gavin was stunned. Then, he heard Zachary’s annoyed voice continue to say, “They had a phone call with Benjamin earlier in the morning. I think we’re all exposed now.”
“No, no! We only saw one of you in the early morning. Only one of you! We never expected that there were four of you…”
This one is very smart. It’s impossible to hide anything from him. We might have no choice but to confess.
Zachary glared at them. “Why did you guys lie just now?”
The two bodyguards remained silent.
Gavin tried to reassure him, “Calm down, Zachary! Daddy is smart. He’s noticed you already! Let’s switch identities today. He wants to see you!” I talked about this with Zachary and everyone before. For now, Daddy doesn’t know about Oliver and Jesse.
Zachary exclaimed, “I don’t want to switch!”
“Don’t you want to be with Mommy?” Gavin did not want to switch either, truth be told. I want to be with Mommy. I go to school in the morning and only get to see Mommy at night. If I switch identities with Zachary right now, then I’d have to wait until tomorrow night at the earliest to see Mommy again…
Thinking about it, Gavin didn’t feel like doing it anymore. But what Daddy wanted to say was meant for Zachary’s ears, not mine.
Zachary frowned. “We can talk about it later. Right now, I have to teach them a lesson!”
“They’re just doing their jobs. Go easy on them!” Gavin reminded him, though he did not try to stop him. If Zachary and everyone didn’t discover them, all four siblings would have been exposed.
“I won’t overdo it!” Zachary hung up the phone. The tip of his dagger was hovering over one of the bodyguard’s stomachs.
Chapter 157 Go And Send Them Away
The bodyguard kept looking at the shiny dagger. One small slip, and I’ll…
“Little one, we were only following orders! It’s nothing personal!”
The bodyguard’s body was tense as he did not dare to move an inch. One small slip from the boy’s hand and I’m done for.
Zachary gave them a sharp-edged glare which was very imposing. “I want to hear the truth. Or else…”
“I’ll talk! But can you put the dagger away first?”
The dagger was indiscriminate. The bodyguard sucked in his stomach as he asked him to put it away.
Zachary pulled the dagger away by one tiny bit, but he was still threatening him.
The other bodyguard had a panicked look on his face. He did not dare to say anything and risk offending Zachary while sympathizing with his companion. Luckily, I wasn’t the one who called Mr. Graham in the early morning.
“I only sent Mr. Graham a few photos of an adult bringing one of you outside! All the photos after that were never sent! Mr. Graham asked us to protect you guys from the shadows, that’s all!”
Zachary rolled his eyes as he tried to discern the truth from his words.
“I was the one who went outside with Mr. Hinton to buy our breakfast!” Oliver explained to Zachary, believing that the bodyguard was not lying.
Jasper tightened the restraints around the bodyguard’s wrists. “Lie to us again, and we’ll make things worse for you!”
The bodyguard’s body hunched over as he twitched in pain.
The people who were passing by assumed that they were playing with the children instead of being threatened by them.
“Did you say anything about how many of us there are?”
Zachary gestured at the both of them using his dagger.
They shook their heads. “We didn’t! Don’t worry. If you don’t want Mr. Graham to know, then we’ll keep this a secret! But now that Mr. Graham has seen one of you guys, can we take a few more pictures and report it?”
Zachary stared at them as they begged.
He had an imposing presence.
“Aren’t you guys afraid of being found out by Benjamin?”
The two of them exchanged glances miserably. They would never have accepted this commission if they knew that it would reach this point.
“We are! But we also want the best for you!”
These four children were basically their young masters. Since they saw just how incredible they were, they did not dare to offend them.
Otherwise, they would never live it down.
Zachary assumed that they would never dare to expose them, anyway. He instructed Oliver and Jasper to release them.
The two bodyguards were finally untied. They immediately rubbed their wrists as they were paralyzed with pain.
“You guys better not expose us! Or else, there will be consequences!” Zachary gave them a stern warning.
“Yes, little one!” The two bodyguards replied respectfully as if they were his lackeys.
“Everything will be all right as long as you keep this to yourselves!”
Zachary threw their phones back at them. After that, he told Jasper to grab his bag and walk toward the school’s entrance for the bodyguards to take photos. They sent the photos immediately after.
“You’re absolutely brilliant! If Benjamin decides to come at us, surely you’ll come and support us!”
Zachary lightly chuckled.
“Zachary, can we head inside now?”
Not only did Jesse carry her own bag, but she also held two other bags belonging to Oliver and Zachary.
Jesse held them in her arms tightly.
She hobbled toward Zachary.
The two bodyguards blushed upon seeing this. This one is very cute, the gentlest among them.
Zachary grabbed the two bags and threw Oliver’s bag over to him.
He carried his school bag on his back. As he turned around and was ready to bring them over, he noticed a car pulling over.
Zachary turned and looked at the two bodyguards suspiciously. He asked, “Is this your backup?”
The two bodyguards looked at it and immediately recognized that it was the car that was used to protect Gavin.
“Yes!”
“Then send them away!” Zachary ordered.
“Yes, sir!” the two bodyguards responded. They were about to go when they suddenly stopped. They beamed as they looked at the three children.
“What are you guys standing around for?”
Zachary frowned. Next time, I’ll have to wear a disguise when I head out. Otherwise, I’ll definitely be recognized.
Chapter 158 Not Being The Eldest
“Hey, what are your names? My name’s Scott, and this is Stanley,” Scott introduced themselves smilingly.
Zachary shrugged. “I don’t think you can tell the difference between us even after telling you! I’m Zachary. This is Oliver, the second oldest.
The one walking toward the school gate is the third child, Jasper, and this is Jesse, the fourth child.” Zachary still was not used to the ranking change.
“Zachary, you’re the second child. Oliver is the third, and Jasper is the fourth. I’m the fifth!” Jesse corrected. Then, she smilingly added, “Gavin is the oldest!”
Zachary flicked her forehead in retaliation. “Stop reminding me!” He scowled in frustration at the thought of not being the eldest anymore.
The two bodyguards smiled at them. “Your names are pretty catchy!”
“Yeah, so make sure you get them right!” Oliver sneered at them mischievously.
“Yes, Oliver!” The bodyguards ran over to their colleagues to let the kids into the school.
As soon as the car had pulled aside, the three children immediately ran toward the school. Gavin and Jasper were already waiting for them at the entrance.
“Have you settled it?” Gavin asked Zachary.
Zachary nodded. “Yes. Warn your bodyguards, too, lest they tell Benjamin secretly!”
“It’s Daddy!” Gavin corrected Zachary, who then pouted sulkily.
“I’ll call them!” Gavin first called the bodyguards and urged them not to report the information to Benjamin before hanging up.
“So far, Daddy already knows about you and Jasper, but not Oliver and Jesse yet. He would be thrilled after finding out!” Gavin added.
The four of them exchanged looks. They were still curious about Benjamin, but they did not dare meet him without their mother’s permission.
“Oh yeah, Mommy brought us mushroom soup. Wanna have some now?”
Jesse smacked her lips. “Yes!”
“Oh, come on! The class is starting soon!” Jasper flicked her forehead.
She then pouted and rubbed her forehead. “We can go after eating!”
Then, the five of them ran off to somewhere quiet to enjoy the soup.
“Do you wanna go back to Yaleview tonight? Daddy asked me to switch with you.” Gavin watched them eat after preparing the food.
“Hmm… Yes and no!” Zachary wavered.
Gavin only glanced at him without pressing on further.
“If he isn’t, I can!” Oliver beamed as he had not been before.
However, Gavin and Zachary shook their heads in unison. “No, you can’t!”
“Why not?” Oliver fretted.
“You’ll definitely reveal your greed for money before Benjamin!” Zachary rolled his eyes.
Oliver snickered. “Well, since Daddy hasn’t met you before, I can pretend to be you!” Oliver knew that Benjamin had already found out about Zachary, anyhow.
“What if Daddy asks questions? He’s pretty sharp, you know!” Jasper knew from experience after spending a few days with Benjamin. He would have exposed himself if he were not careful.
“It was so difficult when I was pretending to be Gavin! Oh well, at least the food there was excellent.” He smacked his lips at the thought.
“Why don’t I go?” Jesse wanted to be with her mother, but she also longed to meet Benjamin.
“You’re out of the question!” Jasper flicked her forehead again.
Then, Gavin sympathetically rubbed her forehead when he saw her gloomy expression. “Jasper, stop it!”
Jasper narrowed his eyes at his older brother and murmured to himself, “Why is he so fond of her?”
Chapter 159 Danna Contacted Her
“Hehe. I’m fine, Gavin!” Jasper’s lips twitched when Jesse gaped at their eldest brother dreamily.
After their discussion, they finally decided that Gavin should return.
It was not that Zachary was unwilling to be with his mother and test waters with Benjamin. He just did not want to give Benjamin the satisfaction to meet him that soon. “The more Benjamin wishes to meet me, the more I won’t go!” He sniggered at his impish thought.
Then, they headed toward the classroom after their meal.
Meanwhile, Arissa was already busy as soon as she reached the company.
Her phone rang when she was about to get off work. Nevertheless, she hung up the moment she saw an unknown number.
To her surprise, it rang again.
She could only answer it. “Hello?”
“Arissa York!” An unfamiliar voice spoke with arrogance.
Startled for a while, Arissa then instinctively knew it was Danna.
“Are you Danna?” Her doubts slowly vanished.
On the other end, Danna was shocked as she was not expecting Arissa to recognize her so quickly.
Nevertheless, she did not mind it anymore as she was looking for Arissa, anyway.
“Let’s have lunch together. My treat!” Danna spoke frigidly.
Arissa chuckled. “Ms. Adams, I didn’t realize we’re that close to having meals together.”
She scoffed silently. I’m not gonna do whatever you say! Besides, I have nothing to say to you. Plus, I have a rough guess of what you’re up to.
“Don’t you want to know what happened before?” Danna asked.
Arissa clenched her fists. “What are you up to?”
Upon hearing Danna’s question, she was sure the woman had recognized her.
“Come to Sim Restaurant to find out. I’ll be waiting here!” Danna hung up and waited in silence. She was confident that Arissa would show up.
“Might as well meet up since she has already recognized me. Let’s see what she has up her sleeve.” Arissa packed her things while gritting her teeth and left.
“Ms. York!” Ethen bumped into Arissa, who was entering the elevator.
After realizing it was him, she pressed the button to prevent the door from closing.
“Yes, Mr. Frank?”
“Oh, Mr. Graham wants you to see him!”
“Now?” Frowning, Arissa complained silently.
“I’m a bit busy now. Can I go later?”
Sensing that she was about to go somewhere, he quickly asked, “Are you going on a date?”
Arissa was stunned. “I guess so! It’s at Sim Restaurant.”
Ethen could not help pondering to himself. She must be seeing someone? Otherwise, why would she be in such a hurry?
“But Mr. Graham wants you to see him now!” Ethen said apologetically and silently decided. I guess I’d better help the poor Mr. Graham before she gets taken by someone else.
After a moment of hesitation, Arissa finally pressed the top floor button to see Benjamin.
Well, I guess I’ll have to make Danna wait. Arissa could not let Danna control her. She had been tricked five years ago, and she would never let her have the opportunity to do so again.
However, Arissa was a little puzzled at the sudden demand. I thought we had a rather unpleasant encounter this morning. But, it’s already lunchtime. Does Benjamin want to discuss work? Aren’t we supposed to discuss it during office hours instead?
Shortly afterward, she came to his office and knocked on the door.
“Come in!” Benjamin did not look up as if he was expecting someone.
Arissa skimmed at the man’s face a few times and stopped in front of his desk. “Yes, Mr. Graham?”
Benjamin looked up, peered at her, and then leaned back.
Her heart thumped at his piercing glance.
“Mr. Graham?” she asked quietly.
He glanced at the bag in her hand. “Heading out?”
“Yes, something came up.” Arissa was puzzled by the man’s intentions.
“What is it?”
Chapter 160 Praise From Benjamin
Benjamin got up and approached her. His unsmiling and solemn face could stress anyone out.
Arissa’s eyes flickered before she replied, “It’s personal!”
Benjamin cast a mocking gaze. “Is it a date? Looks like you’re not competent in your job at all!”
He was secretly irritated as he assumed Arissa might have gone out to meet a man.
Angered by Benjamin’s words, she glared at him and uttered, “I can go wherever I want after working hours!”
How can he call me an incompetent worker just because I go out for lunch? He is out of his mind!
Benjamin examined her face before returning to his seat. His fingers tapped the desk contemplatively.
Arissa furrowed her eyebrows peevishly. “Mr. Graham, if you have something to say, just say it.”
She wondered what Benjamin was up to.
“Give me a report on your work progress!” Benjamin ordered her grimly. For some reason, he did not want to make life easy for Arissa.
Arissa froze for a moment. She noticed the stern expression on Benjamin’s face.
Despite her annoyance, she was obligated to follow his instructions even though it was currently after hours. She was a well-paid employee, so she had no reason to ignore him.
Arissa put her bag down and quickly composed herself. Then, she relayed her work progress to Benjamin in an orderly manner.
Just like that, half an hour had passed before the briefing ended.
“That is all. What are you orders, Mr. Graham?” asked Arissa.
Benjamin looked up at the woman in front of him. He was impressed with her high efficiency and proper planning.
“Nice work!” Benjamin nodded.
Arissa was surprised to hear that. She did not think Benjamin would praise her. Pleased with her boss’s approval, she let out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Graham. It’s all part of my job, after all,” said Arissa.
Benjamin stared at her. He could feel her glowing with humility and confidence.
When Arissa was about to excuse herself, her stomach picked that moment to let out a loud growl that sounded throughout the quiet office.
Embarrassed, Arissa met Benjamin’s gaze. Her cheeks had turned completely red. Right then, she wanted so badly to dig a hole and hide from the shame.
Benjamin peered at her rosy cheeks. He was tempted to give them a pinch.
He gulped as his fingers twitched a little. “I’m hungry too. Let’s get some food, shall we?”
With that, he walked toward the lounge area.
Arissa snuck a glance at the man. She felt her heart skipped a beat. I’m going to dine with him again?
“Are you coming or not?” Benjamin turned around with a stern gaze when he realized Arissa was not behind him.
“Erm…” Arissa wanted to say something, but she eventually bit her tongue and went after him.
When she arrived, the food was already served. Arissa turned to look at Benjamin. It can’t be just a simple meal, can it?
Ignoring her dubious gaze, Benjamin removed the lids and sat down.
“Have a seat.”
Before her very eyes was a delectable feast. Arissa could not possibly reject his kindness.
“Don’t mind if I do!”
With that said, she sat down and helped herself to the food.
This is marvelous! I wonder where I can get the ingredients…
As Arissa relished the meal, Benjamin softened his gaze on her.
Yet, all of a sudden, he chided, “Don’t speak with your mouth full!”
His words stunned Arissa. Her lips twitched. She shot the stern man a look in frustration. Am I here for lunch or for one of your lectures?
“This is how I eat. If you don’t like it, I can leave,” she retorted.
Benjamin’s gaze darkened in an instant. He glared at Arissa. “You know, Gavin…”
“Wait, Gavin ordered these?” Arissa blurted before Benjamin could finish.
A hint of uneasiness flashed across Benjamin’s face, but he quickly regained his composure.
Arissa took note of the shift in his mood. She instantly brightened up.
“Thank you, Mr. Graham! I’ll enjoy the meal!”