Ch. 191..200
Chapter 191 Not On Good Terms
“I don’t even want to know how your daughter got the child. Right now, one thing’s for certain. She hasn’t been kind to my grandson, so stop begging for my mercy! Let the law deal with her!” Darius snapped.
“Mr. Graham, Danna didn’t mistreat Gavin. Gavin’s just naughty, that’s all. She had to punish him a little-”
“A little? Have you read the news at all? What else has your daughter done behind everyone’s back? Who knows? What a devil! I don’t care how naughty my grandson has been. That doesn’t give you the right to punish him like that! Get lost!”
Darius’ eyes widened as he yelled. He got so angry that his body trembled violently.
Edwin immediately rushed over to the old man and offered some soothing words.
“Mr. Graham, Danna has learned her lesson, so please free her. We can have a nice talk about everything else…”
Zayden decided to let go of his pride and pleaded some more. He was not willing to see his daughter suffer.
“Hmm! I don’t give a f*ck what you know. Why hadn’t you two talked things over with me when your daughter impersonated my grandson’s mother? Do you seriously think an apology is enough?” Darius retorted.
Zayden replied shamelessly, “I truly have no idea that she has done something so foolish. I’m telling you, Gavin is really her son! There’s no way he isn’t Danna’s child. Please don’t listen to such nonsense!”
Darius waved his hand, urging the two to leave. “Edwin, get them out of here. I don’t want to see their faces ever again!”
By mistreating Gavin, the Adams family had disrespected the Graham family, and had no right to ask for favors.
“It’s best you leave, Mr. Adams!”
Edwin had no intention of treating them respectfully after reading the news.
At the same time, he was heartbroken. He never thought Danna would be so cruel to Gavin.
That was unforgivable.
Gavin was the apple of everyone’s eyes. They pampered him so much, except Danna.
It was no wonder Gavin was such a quiet kid. There were times he would shut himself off. It was likely all Danna’s doing.
It became clear that Darius would not give in. Zayden and Vivian eventually left.
Bang!
Darius vented his anger by slamming his cane against the back of the couch. It broke upon impact.
“Calm down, Old Mr. Graham! It’s not worth jeopardizing your health because of what they did!”
Edwin rushed over and comforted Darius again.
He poured the old man a glass of water.
Darius’ expression turned somber as he instructed Edwin, “Inform everyone that we’re no longer on good terms with the Adams family!”
“Understood!” Edwin nodded, and went on his way.
Darius sat on the couch. His lips were tightly pursed, and his presence was an imposing one.
By the time Benjamin returned, it was already midnight.
He frowned when he saw Darius in the living room, still wide awake.
“Dad, why aren’t you asleep yet?”
Darius merely glanced at him for a moment before looking straight ahead.
Benjamin walked over and took a seat across him.
“You should go to bed now. It’s already twelve!”
Suppressing his anger, Darius questioned his son, “Why didn’t you tell me about this? It’s gotten out of hand. Have you found Gavin?”
Darius might be mad, but he was more concerned about Gavin’s whereabouts.
That was why he insisted on waiting for Benjamin.
Benjamin shot his father a glance before pouring another glass of water and placed it in front of the old man.
“I didn’t tell you because I’ve been busy. No, I haven’t found him yet.”
Seeing Benjamin so calm, Darius only got more furious.
“Well, keep looking! I don’t care how much you spend, but you must get him back! The longer he stays out, the more danger he’ll be exposed to! Why did you come back anyway?”
Chapter 192 Bounty For The Birth Mother
“Weren’t you the one who told me to come home?” Benjamin said as he scrutinized his father.
Anger surged within Darius as he stared back at his son.
“I didn’t know you were that obedient. Get out there and look for my precious grandson! You’re dead meat if anything happens to him! Do you shun him because he’s not Danna’s biological son? I’m telling you, if you don’t love him, I’ll take him in and treat him like my own!”
After Darius told him off, Benjamin pinched his temple. He felt a headache coming.
“He’s with his biological mother!”
“What did you just say?”
Darius was confused by the sudden revelation.
My grandson was abducted by traffickers, wasn’t he? What do you mean he’s with his biological mother right now?
“Are you saying that Gavin is safe? If so, where is he? Why didn’t you bring him home? He’s going to be in a state of shock.”
Benjamin stared at his father. He knew Darius would not be able to go to sleep without an answer.
“He’s safe, but I’m not quite sure where he is. I’m still looking for them!”
His words carried a hint of resignation and helplessness. It was not that he refused to bring them home. He simply could not find them.
Darius furrowed his eyebrows tightly. He found Benjamin’s statement questionable.
“Don’t tell me that you lied to me about him being with his biological mother just because you couldn’t find him.”
Sensing that Darius was about to blow up, Benjamin quickly explained, “I’m serious. His birth mother took him away! He’s perfectly safe!”
Darius froze. Didn’t the news reports say Gavin was abducted by traffickers?
He frowned while Benjamin remained calm. “You mean the lady mentioned on the news isn’t a trafficker, but Gavin’s birth mother?”
“Who told you she’s a trafficker?”
Benjamin’s face fell. He disliked the derogatory term used to describe Arissa.
“The news said that she kidnapped my precious grandson. What is she if not a trafficker?”
Darius snapped angrily at Benjamin, “Since she’s the birth mother, then why did you put up a bounty for their return? Are you out of your mind?”
Benjamin gave his father the side-eye.
“If I hadn’t done that, do you think I’d be able to locate them? They’re deliberately hiding from me!”
Darius glared back at him. “Well, why are they hiding from you? Why did she take Gavin away?”
Benjamin would like some answers too.
He had been taking care of Gavin since he was a baby. Yet, the boy switched sides and was currently hiding from him.
Where could she possibly hide with five kids in tow? Could this woman have devised a plan from the very beginning to steal Gavin from me? That explains why she approached me back then.
At that thought, rage flared up within him.
“Just go to bed, Dad. I promise you, I’ll get your precious grandson home, safe and sound. Don’t worry.”
With that, Benjamin got up and walked out.
“Where are you going? We’re not done here!”
Darius was fuming mad. It was bad enough that Benjamin only told him half of the story before he hung up on Darius. This rascal is showing way too much defiance toward me. Is he already beyond my control now that he’s all grown up?
Nevertheless, Darius had known Benjamin was a tough nut to crack ever since he was a child.
“What else is there to say?”
Benjamin turned around to look at his father.
Darius’s mouth twitched.
Benjamin’s words infuriated him even more.
“Danna mistreated my grandson. How do you plan to deal with her?”
While Darius treated Danna quite well, he loved Gavin even more. If he had to pick a side, he would of course choose Gavin, not the outsider.
“We will go through the legal process.”
With that, Benjamin turned around and left.
After that, Darius beckoned Edwin over.
“Did you find anything?”
Edwin nodded.
“Just tell me already!” Darius demanded.
“Don’t get too worked up, Old Mr. Graham. You have to mind your health.”
“Cut the crap and spill it! I’m as healthy as a horse!” Darius bellowed as he slammed his walking cane on the floor.
“The reason Mr. Graham ordered his men to capture Danna was because she had ordered someone else to abduct Gavin. Gavin was not the only victim. Several children were abducted as well.”
Darius’s cheeks twitched out of utter rage. “This woman is vile and vicious! What is she planning to do with my grandson?”
Unfortunately, Edwin did not have any information regarding Danna’s true intentions.
“I want updates on this. I want to know what else she’s done. Get someone to monitor the Adams family. Report to me as soon when new information arises. They won’t get away with it so easily!”
Darius was extremely furious about the whole situation.
Chapter 193 Leaving Daddy For Mommy
“Yes! You should get some rest, Old Mr. Graham,” Edwin stated before he left to carry out Darius’ instructions.
Darius waved his hand, telling Edwin to leave right away. The old man sat for a moment longer before retiring to his room upstairs.
Once Benjamin left the house, he called Ethen again.
“Any updates?”
“Not yet,” Ethen replied. He hope he did not sound too stressed.
Benjamin hung up soon after. Then, he returned to the Graham residence.
The house was dead silent.
He headed upstairs and into Gavin’s room.
As he sat there, Benjamin held up Gavin’s favorite toy robot. His eyebrows furrowed tightly as he examined the toy.
This rascal left me. He chose his mother, not me.
Benjamin pursed his lips.
He was extremely jealous of Arissa.
Despite having only met a few times, Gavin had already taken Arissa’s side, not his.
Nevertheless, Benjamin’s heart softened at the thought of his other children.
He took out his phone and dialed Arissa’s number. As expected, he could not reach her at all.
She really knows how to take precautions. I can’t even get a hold of her location.
He assumed Arissa would have removed the SIM card from her phone, but he sent her a text message anyway.
Not only that, but he also tried texting her via WhatsApp.
Then, Benjamin checked her social media accounts for any posts she might have made in the past three days. Unfortunately, there had been no updates from her.
No wonder she blocked my account. Is she afraid I might find out about the children? I wonder if she’s safe and sound with the kids.
Meanwhile, the person on Benjamin’s mind was actually sleeping peacefully with the children.
The next day, Arissa awoke to the chirping of birds.
The sun was shining brightly outside. As she looked at the five children sleeping soundly on the bed, her heart was filled with joy and content.
She leaned over and kissed each of them on the cheeks. Quietly, she got out of bed and drew the curtains. She went to wash up and got dressed before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast for them.
Bradley was still asleep.
He had been out buying some necessities for them the night before. Thanks to him, they had everything they needed, including the children’s formula milk.
For breakfast, she decided to make oatmeal porridge.
Halfway through, Arissa spontaneously stepped out of the house to get some fresh air.
Their current hideout was sprawled with lush vegetation, with a farm and an orchard in the far distance. The breathtaking scene had the ability to calm the mind.
They seemed to have entered a paradise. Birds were singing in the background. They also got a magnificent view of nature.
Having warmed up, Arissa took a stroll in the garden. She gathered some fresh herbs and vegetables along the way before returning to the house.
Gavin had woken up. He was looking for Arissa.
“Good morning, Mommy!”
“Morning, Sweetheart! Why didn’t you sleep in longer?”
She walked over and patted Gavin’s head fondly as soon as he came down the stairs.
“I’ve slept enough, so I thought I’d come down to help you with the chores!” Gavin explained while he followed her around the kitchen.
“Okay! Let’s see what’s for breakfast.”
Arissa bent down and carried him with one hand. A blush of joy appeared on Gavin’s face as he wrapped his arms around his mother’s neck.
Arissa’s heart swelled with joy when she saw her son blushing madly. She then kissed him on the cheek.
“Have you gotten used to staying here with me?”
“Yes, Mommy! The air is so fresh and nice here!”
Gavin nodded happily and added, “As long as I’m with Mommy, I don’t care where we stay!”
Upon hearing that, Arissa kissed Gavin’s cheeks lovingly before she set him down. She got him some milk and went back to making breakfast.
Meanwhile, Gavin helped with the washing.
Arissa also made salad and scrambled eggs with the ingredients Bradley had bought for them. In no time, a simple and nutritious breakfast was ready to be served.
Zachary and the other children were woken up by the delicious smell of food coming from the kitchen.
They washed up, headed downstairs, and piled into the kitchen.
“There you are! I was about to get Gavin to wake you. Come over and have breakfast!”
Arissa served them the food she had made before going back to the kitchen to get the bowls and silverware.
“Mommy, I’ll go get Mr. Hinton!” Gavin said to Arissa.
“Sure,” Arissa replied as she set the bowls and silverware on the table.
“Let me help you, Mommy!”
Zachary hurried over to help her set the table.
“Sit down. The oatmeal porridge is piping hot. Do take caution when you eat it, okay?”
As she served them each a bowl of delicious oatmeal porridge, Arissa reminded the children to eat slowly.
Chapter 194 I Have A Sister
“Did you wake up really early today, Mommy? Breakfast is ready so soon,” Jasper said, looking at Arissa.
Gavin didn’t even wake us up just now. We could have helped Mommy with her chores too.
Jesse, who was sitting next to him, yawned a few times. Had she not been hungry, Jesse would have stayed in bed longer.
“I only woke up an hour earlier than you guys did.”
“What about that dummy, Gavin? Did he wake up around the same time as you did?” Oliver asked.
Arissa glared at Oliver and chided him, “Mind your language. He’s your eldest brother, you know.”
Oliver stuck his tongue out. “I haven’t gotten used to that yet!”
“Gavin’s the eldest, Zachary’s the second child, you’re the third child, and I’m the fourth. Lastly, we have Jesse as our baby sister!”
Jasper chuckled as he listed each child in order.
Zachary felt quite frustrated. I guess I’ll have to relinquish my position as the eldest child to Gavin now.
“What? I have a sister?” A loud gasp sounded from behind them.
Everyone turned to find Gavin looking surprised.
Stunned for a moment, Arissa chuckled. “Jesse’s a girl, Gavin.”
Gavin gasped again. He stood there with his mouth agape, staring at Jesse.
Jesse, however, grinned widely at Gavin.
“Hehe, you’re my eldest brother!”
Gavin was taken by surprise at the revelation. He rushed toward Jesse and said, “So, you’re my sister along?”
I thought you’re my brother…
“Yes! I am a girl!”
Jesse nodded fervently, showing her dimples.
She was rather adorable.
“That’s great news! I thought you were my little brother!”
Gavin was over the moon about the news.
Seeing how happy he was, Arissa smiled fondly. She did not know Gavin was unaware of Jesse’s real gender.
Zachary, Jasper, and Oliver’s mouths twitched when they noticed Gavin’s excitement.
They snickered.
“I didn’t think you would actually believed us when we told you Jesse’s our brother!” Jasper grinned.
Gavin stole a glance at Jasper, but he was not really mad or upset.
He caressed Jesse’s face and said, “I had a hunch that you’re my sister, but they tricked me into believing that you’re a boy wearing girls’ clothes!”
In fact, his siblings lied to him that Arissa was the one who had always wanted a daughter, and that she would sometimes pretend Jesse is a girl by dressing her up in feminine clothes.
Arissa was amused. “It’s my fault for not telling you about it. I’ve completely forgotten.”
In the past, she was afraid that Jesse would be bullied just because she was a girl.
So, whenever they went out, Arissa would dress Jesse up in clothes to match her elder siblings. She had Jesse retain a boyish hairstyle so that it was easier to manage.
“I’m really happy, Mommy! I have a sister now!”
Gavin smiled goofily at Jesse. He was still amazed by the discovery.
After she was done serving oatmeal porridge to the children, Arissa said, “All right, eat up, Gavin. Jesse isn’t going anywhere, okay?”
Gavin kissed Jesse on the cheek before tucking into his meal.
“I thought you knew, Gavin!”
Jesse flashed a wide grin, revealing her missing front teeth.
Gavin smiled back. The two liked how everything turned out.
Arissa smiled as she looked at Gavin and Jesse. “Gavin, did you manage to wake Mr. Hinton up? Will he be joining us for breakfast?”
“Oh, I almost forgot. Mr. Hinton said he needed more sleep. He wants us to leave some food for him.”
Gavin told Arissa about Bradley’s request.
Arissa was happy to hear that. She knew Bradley could not possibly get up so early in the morning.
She set aside some of the food for Bradley. Then, she dined with her five children.
After a while, Zachary got bored and went to switch on the television. News reports about their abduction appeared on the screen.
The updated amount of their bounty came as a jaw-dropping surprise to them.
“Oh gosh! It went up to one hundred million!”
Oliver’s eyes lit up almost instantly. That’s a whole lot of money.
Arissa closed her mouth and said nonchalantly, “What’s all the fuss about? One hundred million won’t burn a hole in Benjamin’s pocket at all.”
“Mommy’s right. Daddy… I mean, Benjamin is filthy rich!” Gavin nodded.
Arissa looked at Gavin with a sad face. Benjamin is really hurting Gavin right now.
She could not help but sigh deeply.
“He keeps increasing the amount. With that hefty sum, it might not take long before we get caught,” Zachary said as he looked at Arissa.
She glanced at her son and replied, “Let’s not worry about that. Eat up!”
Chapter 195 The Kid From The Hill
Benjamin’s pulling out all the stops now. Looks like he’s determined to find us.
Suddenly, Arissa had a thought. Why don’t I just hand them over myself?
Danna might have been apprehended, but it would take some time to determine whether she would be put behind bars.
If Benjamin could somehow influence the court’s decision, Danna would face the consequences of her crimes.
After all, the children are me. Danna couldn’t take them away from me.
Now that the woman had been exposed, Arissa felt it was a smart deal to return Gavin to Benjamin.
The bounty was one thing. Whether they take it or not was another.
Nevertheless, Arissa began to form plans in her mind. She was certain that Benjamin would not be able to locate them easily.
After they were done with breakfast, Arissa took the children for a stroll.
The children noticed a clear stream up ahead and got excited. They rolled up their pants and went there to catch fishes, shrimps, and even snails.
“Be careful!”
Arissa sat by the riverbank and watched them play. Fortunately, the stream was fairly shallow. Aside from some slippery pebbles on the river bed, it was perfectly safe for the children to play in.
“Aren’t you coming down, Mommy?” Jasper shouted happily as he played with the snails he caught.
“I’ll come down when you’re tired!”
“Are you kidding? We won’t tire that easily!”
Jesse laughed aloud. “Mommy, I caught a shrimp! It’s so tiny!”
“Come down and play with us, Mommy!” Oliver called out to Arissa.
“Come help us catch some fish, Mommy! We haven’t gotten any luck with them!”
Zachary summoned his siblings to come over, but the fishes in the stream easily evaded capture.
“The water’s cool and refreshing, Mommy! Come take a dip!”
Unfortunately, Gavin stumbled and slipped as he waded through the stream. His clothes were soaking wet.
Seeing her children having fun, Arissa could not resist joining in. She removed her shoes and rolled up her pants before wading through the cold water to join them.
Eventually, all of them gave up fishing and started a water fight among themselves.
Not far away, a young boy spotted the family from his spot on a hill. He envied them.
“What are you looking at, Danny? We’ve got to go now. If we don’t leave soon, it’ll be too late for us to earn some money.”
An older boy called out to the young boy, who was unkempt and rather shabby. Carrying a basket on his back, he walked up the hill.
At the end of the narrow path was a mineshaft. They would dig for coal and sell them to make a living.
The boy, known as Danny, reluctantly looked away from the happy family by the stream and followed his companions.
Arissa was still in a daze as she watched the young boy disappear from view. For some reason, her heart skipped a beat.
“A boy was peeking at us just now, Mommy!”
Zachary was the first to spot the boy. He grew suspicious of him.
“Maybe he’s just curious about us!”
Arissa’s heart sank just thinking about that boy.
The kids living around here seem to have a tough life. Perhaps they have never experienced fun. They probably wished they could do what we did just now.
“I think we’re almost done for the day. Let’s go home now!” Arissa called out to the children.
“Mommy, how are we going to bring all these snails home? Should we go get a bucket?”
Jasper had both his pants and sleeves rolled up really high. It looked like he was wearing short pants and a tank top.
Arissa was amused by his outfit. “Why don’t you run along and get one?”
“But I’m tired, Mommy!” Jasper pouted.
“Come on, let’s just bring them home in our clothes. Save the hassle.”
The five children exchanged glances.
“We’re going to soil our clothes, Mommy!”
Jesse was hesitant to ruin her new clothes, as she had only worn them that day.
“You’ll have to change out of them when you get home anyway. They’ll be clean again after a wash. Hurry up, it’s getting really hot!” Arissa urged them.
Gavin was the first to follow Arissa’s instructions. He rolled up the hem of his shirt and filled it up as many snails as he could hold.
When the other children saw that, they followed suit and stuffed their clothes with the snails and wild shrimps they had just caught.
“What about the fishes, Mommy?”
Zachary turned around and looked at her.
Arissa smiled. She then plucked some reeds from the riverbank and used them to skewer the fishes.
“You’re amazing, Mommy!” Jesse grinned from ear to ear.
Chapter 196 Not A Trafficker
Gavin smiled and chirped, “You’re so smart, Mommy!”
Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper became speechless.
Arissa brought them back after they were done packing.
“Sweethearts, do you all want pasta or risotto?”
“Mommy, I want carbonara!” said Jesse immediately.
“Do you think you’re still in town?” Jasper gave Jesse a scolding.
Jesse let out a light snort.
Arissa remembered that there might be cheese.
“Let’s check whether there’s cheese in the house. I will make it if there is!”
“Yay! Awesome!” Jesse was exhilarated.
After they had returned, only then did Bradley awaken.
Seeing that they were dirty as if they had played outside for a long while, he fumed, “Why didn’t you guys wake me!”
Arissa chuckled and responded, “You’re the one who couldn’t get up this morning!”
Bradley snickered too.
Arissa put down the pasta. She asked the kids to put the snails into the basin before urging them to get changed.
“There are so many snails!”
Bradley started to feel hungry.
Snails in garlic butter is the best!
“Do you have any tweezers?” Arissa asked.
“I think there’s one in the car. I’ll go and get it later.”
Arissa went to change her clothes before coming back down.
The five kids had also changed, and Arissa asked them to clean the snails.
There was only one tweezer, so five of them took turns cleaning the snails.
Not long after, their clothes got dirty again.
Gavin felt uncomfortable as he loved to keep himself clean. His expression turned pouty.
There were internal organs in the snails. It was inevitable for their clothes to get dirty when cleaning them.
It even got on their faces occasionally.
“Ugh…” exclaimed Zachary as his face got dirty.
“Haha! Zachary’s face is funny.”
Jesse laughed at Zachary.
“Toothless girl!”
Jasper gave Jesse a nickname.
Jesse stared at him angrily. “I will call you toothless boy when you lose your teeth!”
Jesse pursed her lips and stopped laughing.
Arissa was bemused.
Bradley enjoyed some nuts while watching the kids’ interactions.
“Boss, should I go and get some groceries?”
He could only eat as there was nothing for him to do.
“You have bought a lot yesterday. It’s better to move around less,” reminded Arissa.
Bradley nodded, and he called his friend to get some information.
Nothing was going on in the town.
However, some people at the mine noticed them.
“Hey, I saw a woman with five kids when we were on the way here. Could it be that she’s a trafficker?”
Suddenly, everyone was excited.
“Wouldn’t we make a big profit if we notify someone?”
“It’s one hundred million! That’s a lot of money!”
“Really? Really?”
“I don’t know. I only saw a glimpse of them. Danny had seen them for much longer, right, Danny?”
Suddenly, Danny, who was the youngest in the group, was surrounded by everyone. “Tell us! Was there really a woman with five kids?”
“There definitely was. The woman must be a bad person!”
Looking at how excited they were, Danny answered indifferently, “She’s not a trafficker.”
What kind of trafficker plays with kids?
“She’s not?”
“How do you know?”
“Did you see her properly even when she was so far away? She might even be a local. Besides, the person on the television is in Dellmoor. How is it possible that she appears in a place like this?”
“How is it not possible? Traffickers are bad people. They will hide themselves after capturing the kids!”
“What do you know?”
The bunch of children started arguing.
Danny continued climbing the mountain. He still needed to earn money for his grandmother to get treated.
Chapter 197 I Will Explain To The Chief
If examined closely, the little guy’s dirty face actually looked delicate.
His pupils were black, and his gaze was filled with determination.
The young man who had shouted at him earlier caught up with him.
“Danny, let’s go and find the woman and the kids. They must still be nearby. If she’s really a trafficker, let’s inform the police to get the money!”
Danny knitted his brows. “Where should we look?”
Without knowing why, Danny hesitated.
They were laughing so happily. She looks like their mom. How could she be a trafficker?
Regardless, he wasn’t sure. What if she’s a bad person? Those kids will be in danger.
The young man scratched the back of his head, not knowing where to start looking. “Should we go now? We can secretly ask the kids whether they were kidnapped or not!”
“It will be dangerous. I still need to earn money!”
Danny didn’t want to do things that he was not confident in.
He would have no income today if he were to do it.
“Right. We will go after earning money!”
The children stopped thinking about catching the trafficker once they started their work.
They carried the heavy ores down the hill just to earn some money for a living.
Naturally, Arissa didn’t know that she was being targeted. She even made a homecooked meal with the kids.
The five little kids enjoyed their meal, especially the snails.
“Mommy, this is so good!”
“I like the cheesy one the most!”
“Mommy, you’re the best! Every dish is so tasty!”
“Mommy, I love you!”
“Mommy, I love you too!”
The myriad of compliments made Arissa feel satisfied.
She said with a smile, “Don’t talk while eating!”
The five kids shrugged as they returned a smile, turning to enjoy their meal.
Bradley noticed that someone was passing by outside.
He exchanged looks with Arissa.
Then, he went out to investigate.
Arissa went silent for a while, and the kids didn’t make any noises too.
Soon, Bradley was back.
“Who’s that?” asked Arissa.
“It was the village chief. He was asking about our situation.”
Arissa nodded. “Does he suspect us?”
“It seems that he did not. I told him that I was eating and invited him to come inside, but he didn’t want to intrude. Anyway, you didn’t register your name here, so he will not find out!”
Bradley was confident.
Arissa frowned and thought for a little while. We suddenly moved here. It’s fine if we stay for one or two days. However, we will surely attract attention if we live here longer.
“Bradley, invite the chief to our house tonight. After all, we have to live here for a while.”
“Wouldn’t we be discovered, then? He must have watched TV too!” Bradley was not fond of the idea.
Every media was broadcasting the news that Arissa had kidnapped children. No matter where they go, they would look suspicious with the five kids.
“Boss, should I bring them away for the time being? The five kids are too noticeable.”
“No, I want to stay with Mommy!”
The kids immediately protested.
Arissa didn’t want to be away from the kids too. “I will explain everything to the chief. We shall find another way out if that doesn’t work.”
She couldn’t avoid Benjamin forever.
Thinking back, she wondered why she decided to run away with the five kids.
I didn’t need to come all the way here.
“Should I talk to him later, then?” Bradley heeded.
Arissa nodded and said, “You can talk to him, or we can visit him!”
“Sure! Oh, you kids have finished the steak? I haven’t even started eating!”
“Haha! No, we have hidden it.”
The five kids were having fun.
Oliver took out the steak that he had hidden under the table.
Arissa was amused. They are so naughty.
Chapter 198 Getting Abandoned By Your Son
Arissa’s place was lively. On the other hand, the atmosphere in the Graham Group was depressing.
Nobody in the office dared to talk too loudly.
The tension came from the executives.
Out of everyone there, Ethen was the most miserable.
“Ethen!”
Ethen quickly ran into the room upon hearing Benjamin’s call.
“Mr. Graham! Do you need something from me?”
“Do you have any updates on Arissa?” Benjamin asked with a straight face.
“Uh… Not yet.”
Ethen glanced at him, then quickly lowered his head.
Ms. York, please bring the kids back soon.
“Add more manpower and lead them in the search!”
Benjamin frowned. He was worried that he might have made a commotion, causing unnecessary trouble for himself.
If his enemies targeted them, their safety would be in peril.
The Graham family had been in power for years, and it was inevitable for them to offend some people in the business world.
“Mr. Graham, if I go to search for them, then the work here…”
Ethen had no idea when he would find them. He reminded Benjamin that he had a lot of work to do here.
“Bring Jack back!”
Benjamin swept a glance at him.
Ethen nodded vigorously. Jack has wanted to return anyway.
He cast a look at Benjamin. Benjamin threw him a cold gaze as he barked, “Go now!”
Ethen rubbed his nose awkwardly. “Mr. Graham, I still have to pass my work to Jack. Some time might be wasted if I do that. Wouldn’t it be better for him to search for them directly? After all, Ms. York didn’t meet Jack before. It will be much more convenient for him to look for them discreetly!”
Benjamin considered it for a while before answering, “Fine, go!”
Ethen immediately went out to make the arrangements.
In truth, he wanted to search for them since he would not need to stay under the pressure of Benjamin if he went.
However, Jack’s ability could not match up to his. He was worried that he might need to clean up his mess when he returned.
“Come back at once unless you want to throw away this opportunity!”
He made a hasty call to inform Jack.
At that moment, Kingsley and Shaun came to look for Benjamin.
“Boss, Gavin hasn’t been found yet?”
Kingsley wasn’t worried. He looked at the man busy with work with a smile on his face.
Benjamin shot him a glare. Is this guy gloating over the situation?
“Bring them back if you have nothing to do.”
Kingsley cleared his throat. “I don’t know their whereabouts too! I think that a man like you can’t take care of Gavin well. Why don’t you let him be with Arissa?”
Shaun gave him a nudge, reminding him not to offend the angry man in front of them.
He looked toward Benjamin and asked out of concern, “There’s no news yet?”
“No!” Benjamin retracted his gaze and continued working.
Kingsley and Shaun exchanged a glance.
Kingsley spoke again.
“Benjamin, have you thought about why Gavin doesn’t want you to find him?”
Both of them were shocked when they saw the missing person notice. They had asked Ethen about it before coming to Benjamin.
Gavin even threw away the necklace that he had always worn. It was evident that he didn’t want Benjamin to find him.
Benjamin must have done something that made Gavin mad.
Benjamin paused and tried to recall what he had done to Gavin.
Everything was normal when I sent Gavin to school. However, after that, he went away with Arissa.
The man’s face darkened.
Kingsley and Shaun were laughing on the inside when they witnessed his expression change.
“It doesn’t feel good to get abandoned by your son, right?” Kingsley couldn’t help but tease.
Benjamin gave him a frosty look. “Do you have a son?”
D*mn! Kingsley swore in his heart. Those words hurt! What’s so great about having a son anyway?
Shaun sympathized with him.
They had never expected what Benjamin would say next to hit them even harder.
Chapter 199 I Have Five Sons
Benjamin continued, “I have five sons!”
Kingsley and Shaun were in disbelief.
They exchanged looks, and they saw the doubt in each other’s eyes.
“You have five sons? Where did they come from?” Shaun stared at Benjamin in shock. “No, you only have Gavin. Where did the other sons come from? Could it be that you’re delusional, Benjamin?”
Kingsley was in disbelief.
This guy is not especially interested in women. On the surface, it would seem that he somewhat likes Danna. However, that does not seem like the case, as he would have married her if he did.
“Someone gave birth to them for me, of course!” answered Benjamin indifferently.
Both of them heard a tinge of pride in his tone.
Kingsley swallowed a lump in his throat, feeling curious.
“Besides Gavin, where are the other four?”
Did he adopt the other four sons? No. He just said that someone gave birth to them.
“They’re with Arissa!” Kingsley’s jaw dropped in astonishment at the answer.
“Quintuplets!” Benjamin added with a slight grin.
At this moment, Shaun’s mouth opened as wide as Kingsley’s.
“Quintuplets?” they asked in unison.
Benjamin frowned as he found them pesky.
“What else, then? One son per year?” Benjamin snorted.
Kingsley and Shaun only digested the information after a long time.
“Benjamin, are you kidding? Did you really have quintuplets?” Kingsley was astounded.
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
Benjamin passed them his phone. There was a photo with five of the kids in it.
Kingsley grabbed the phone quickly. Seeing the five similar cute faces on the screen, he felt his heart melt.
Wow…
Shaun’s face went blank when he saw the five kids.
“What the heck! They really are quintuplets!”
Since Shaun was a doctor, he examined it closer and confirmed that these five kids were not duplicates of Gavin through photo editing.
They are certainly five different kids.
One of them was wearing glasses, and the other one looked lovely.
There was even one that looked naughty when he smiled. Gavin could never do those expressions.
Gavin had the same cold face as Benjamin. He would ignore a person if there were no need to talk to them.
“How did you find out, Benjamin?”
Kingsley was extremely curious. At the same time, he envied Benjamin.
Just how lucky is this guy? He had quintuplets in one go? I’m so jealous. I wish I could take a few of them with me.
Kingsley would definitely feel even more disturbed if he knew that it was sextuplets instead of quintuplets.
Benjamin took back his phone. As he gazed at the five children, his cold face slightly softened.
That was the only high-definition photo he could find from restoring the school’s surveillance cameras.
If he didn’t catch the two kidnappers, he wouldn’t even have known that Arissa had given birth to five children.
Benjamin exuded a dark, menacing aura upon thinking of what happened to her five years ago.
Kingsley and Shaun exchanged looks.
Yesterday, they found out from watching the news that Danna was caught because of Benjamin.
Naturally, they also knew about Danna bribing people to kidnap Gavin. However, they didn’t know that the other kids belonged to Benjamin too.
“What do you plan to do to Danna?”
Kingsley was infuriated.
Shaun was displeased too. He had never thought that Danna would do something so extreme.
Before Benjamin could answer, Ethen came in.
“Mr. Graham, Zayden is looking for you!”
“Ha! He still has the nerve to come here, huh? Chase him away!”
Kingsley told Ethen in rage. How brazen is the Adams family! They have mistreated Gavin and kidnapped him. They have gone too far!
“Boss, don’t show him any mercy!” Kingsley looked at Benjamin indignantly.
Chapter 200 As Long As Gavin Denies It
“I don’t think you should waste any time on him too. Why didn’t they think of the consequences when they took Gavin?”
Shaun knotted his brows, disgusted toward the Adams family.
Benjamin didn’t want to see him either. He said coldly, “Tell them to get a lawyer!”
“Yes!”
Ethen nodded, then went downstairs to chase Zayden away.
“What did Benjamin say? Is he going to see me?” Zayden had come on his own and immediately asked upon seeing Ethen.
“Please go home, Mr. Adams. Mr. Graham has asked you to look for a lawyer!” replied Ethen grimly.
Zayden’s expression changed. “Mr. Frank, please talk to Benjamin again. Danna can’t stand being in there any longer…”
“There’s no use. These are all Ms. Adams’ own doings! Please go. Don’t disrupt the operations in our office.”
Ethen turned and left after warning him.
Zayden didn’t leave. He stayed in the hall to wait for Benjamin.
My daughter is there because of Benjamin. If Benjamin doesn’t give in, there will be no other way.
Ethen didn’t bother with him.
Kingsley and Shaun stayed with Benjamin for a little while before leaving to help with the search.
Kingsley snorted disdainfully when he saw Zayden downstairs. He swaggered off without casting a second glance at him.
Zayden walked up to them shamelessly. “Shaun, are you here for Benjamin?”
Zayden addressed Shaun in a friendly way.
Shaun’s eyes flickered. He then plastered on a smile and said, “Oh, you’re here, Mr. Adams.”
Zayden showed him a smile in return.
“Shaun, how is Benjamin feeling now?”
“Not too good!”
Shaun looked at him and continued, “You’re here to see Benjamin? I would advise you to go back. He’s not in a good mood today!”
“Stop wasting time on him. We still have to look for Gavin.” Kingsley turned back to urge Shaun.
When Shaun was about to leave, Zayden held him off. “Shaun, Gavin hasn’t been found yet?”
Shaun looked at him and asked with a smile, “Do you have any clues?”
“I would have sent him back if I did,” Zayden replied awkwardly as he hadn’t tried to search for him.
“Haha. If Gavin were in your hands, he would be in danger. Bringing him back is not something you would do, right?” Kingsley mocked him without leaving him any pride.
Zayden’s expression changed. “Mr. Watts, don’t slander me. Gavin is also my grandson. What harm could we possibly do to him?”
“And your daughter is a ‘mom.’ Why did she kidnap him? To kill him?”
Kingsley was disgusted by how bold the Adams family was.
Zayden’s face darkened.
“Shaun, let’s go! We will make the Adams family pay for it if we can’t find Gavin!” Kingsley spouted and strode off.
Shaun ignored Zayden and left with Kingsley.
Zayden was infuriated. He couldn’t leave if Benjamin didn’t want to see him.
There’s no chance for Danna to get out if they can’t find Gavin.
Zayden gave it some thought and then ordered his people to search for Gavin.
Gavin and Danna have had many years of mother and son relationship. Even if they are no longer close to one other, Danna will be able to get out if he’s willing to say something nice. As long as he says that it’s not kidnapping, Danna will be fine.
The more he thought about it, the more he believed it would work.
He decided to leave at the end after waiting for Benjamin for hours.
Jack rushed back and eyed Zayden when he saw the latter leave.
Then, he quickly went up to report himself to Benjamin.
“Mr. Graham, I’m back!”
Jack was hauling his luggage when he arrived in a rush. His body was covered in sand, and his hair was yellow. It was not from dying his hair but from being covered in sand.
He was ordered by Benjamin to go mining.