Ch. 31..40
Chapter 31 A Fool To Not Be Interested In Her
Upon hearing his words, Edwin relented as he patted Jasper’s head.
“In that case, just wait for a little while. I’ll make some more food for you.”
“Thanks, Mr. Whitley!” Jasper grinned.
Having been melted by Jasper’s cute smile, Edwin hurried into the kitchen to prepare more food for the little one.
As he sat at the table waiting for more food to be served, Jasper took some pictures and sent them to Zachary.
The food here is so delicious! The best part about staying here is I get to have all the tasty food!”
Zachary could not think of anything to reply to his brother.
Meanwhile, Danna arrived at the lobby after leaving Benjamin’s office. Just when she was about to leave, Danna turned around and asked the receptionist, “Is there a Ms. York in the company?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Just tell me the truth. Is there someone by that name working in the office?”
Danna narrowed her eyes as she glared at the receptionist.
The receptionist, who had received quite a lot of favors from Danna, was startled by her sharp glare.
She tried to recall for a while before replying, “I think Mr. Frank sent a woman off this morning. If I’m not mistaken, her name was Ms. York. Was that the person you were referring to, Ms. Adams? That woman came over for a job interview yesterday too. Just give me some time to check.”
The receptionist flipped through the visitor logbook. “Her name is Arissa York!”
Danna’s face turned pale.
That b*tch again! Why won’t she go away?
“Ms. Adams?” The receptionist felt afraid upon seeing Danna’s pale face.
Donna cast another glare at her before leaving with her bag.
How dare you try to lay your hands on Benjamin, Arissa York? You’ll pay for this! I need to get rid of that woman.
Once she got in the car, she made a phone call immediately. Her eyes were filled with malice and anger.
“I’m sending you a photo later. Just get rid of her for me!”
When Arissa finally came home, she was still in a state of shock. Nevertheless, the kids rushed forward and hugged her as soon as they saw her return.
“How did your interview go, Mommy?”
“Did you get the job, Mommy?”
“Mommy! Why did you come home so early? Did they decide not to hire you?”
“Tell us, Mommy! Did you get the job?”
Their soft and cute voices made Arissa feel incredibly happy and content.
She bent down and hugged them while planting a kiss on each of their cheeks. “Mommy got the job!”
“Wow, that’s awesome!”
Jesse cheered happily. “You don’t have to hunt for another job anymore, Mommy!”
Arissa pulled Jesse into her arms and showered the child with kisses.
Her sons were also grinning happily at the good news.
“I knew Mommy’s the best! If he doesn’t value Mommy’s talent, that Benjamin Graham is definitely blind and dumb!” Oliver chuckled.
Looking at the kids in front of her, Arissa thought they were practically mini-versions of Benjamin. Her heart raced at the thought of him.
Was it him back then?
“Congratulations, Mommy!” Gavin smiled brightly as he congratulated Arissa.
Arissa ruffled their hairs as she felt elated.
“Mommy, how much will he pay you?” Zachary asked curiously.
Zachary swore to get back at Benjamin if he didn’t hire Arissa for the job.
Arissa led them over to the couch and said, “The amount is what we’ve negotiated previously. Once I’ve become a full-time employee a month later, they’re going to increase my pay as well.”
Graham Group was famously known for having incredible and extensive perks and salaries in the industry. That was also the reason everyone wanted to join the company.
Zachary was happy upon hearing Arissa’s answer. He decided to cut Benjamin some slack for the time being.
“Go get ready now, my sweethearts! I’m going to bring you guys to the school to apply for admission!”
“Is it necessary to be this anxious about school, Mommy?” Zachary asked as he exchanged glances with Gavin and Oliver.
They only wanted to stay at home and not attend kindergarten at all.
“I’m going to work tomorrow. I don’t have time to take care of you guys. It doesn’t feel safe to leave you guys home unattended.”
“We’ll take good care of ourselves, Mommy!”
Jesse leaned on Arissa’s lap and acted coquettishly toward her.
“I don’t want to go to school, Mommy!”
Chapter 32 Checking Up On Her
Arissa smiled and pinched Jesse’s nose lovingly.
“There are a lot of little kids your age in school. I’m sure it’ll be fun. You should go to school with your brothers. I’ll pick you up after school, okay? That way, I don’t have to worry much, and you guys won’t miss me all day long, right? I’ll be worried sick if no one takes care of you at home.”
Jesse pouted as she turned to look at her brothers. The young child knew she could not persuade her mother at all.
Finally, Zachary spoke up. “Could we just postpone the plan for a few days? We’re still jet-lagged!”
Arissa looked at the energetic and rowdy kids in front of her.
“What difference does it make? I know you’re all mature and sensible kids, but you have to go to school someday!”
She could not comprehend why her children were so reluctant to attend school.
“The kids in school are a bunch of whiny babies!” Oliver said with a tone of disdain.
Oliver’s words amused Arissa. “You’re saying that you’re not a kid?”
She pinched his nose affectionately.
Oliver chuckled. “But I won’t cry and make a fuss like them!”
“All right. We’ll go to school, Mommy.” Seeing how worried Arissa was, Gavin was the first to agree to her wishes.
Zachary gave him the side-eye and bargained with Arissa hurriedly, “I don’t mind going to school, but can we skip kindergarten instead?”
Arissa looked at him, fully aware of his intentions.
“No, all of you are still too young for elementary school! You’ll have to attend kindergarten first!”
Zachary finally gave in, “Fine.”
Arissa smiled while she caressed their heads. “Get changed now, kids. We’re heading there soon.”
“Mommy, it’s almost time for them to get off work. Can’t we just go in the afternoon?” Zachary reminded her.
Arissa turned to look at the time. It was indeed almost noon.
She laughed and said, “You’re right. I almost forgot about that. We’ll go there in the afternoon, then.”
After using the bathroom, Arissa started to prepare lunch for them. All four of her children surrounded her and chattered away while she made lunch for them.
After eating, Arissa cleaned up the kitchen and sent the children to take a nap.
Just when she was about to call Bradley, the phone rang. It was from him.
“Have you found out about it, Bradley?”
“No, I couldn’t find much. Benjamin does have a son, but his identity is tightly guarded. He doesn’t have any personal photos leaked out either.”
Is that so?
Arissa frowned. What should I do if I can’t see him at all?
However, now that she was working in Graham Group, there would be plenty of chances to get close to Benjamin.
In that case, it was possible for her to try to obtain his DNA so that she could run a paternity test.
She only wanted to know if the child was hers.
I have to think of a way to do so.
“Okay. You can start checking on the other thing for now.”
Bradley agreed before he was reminded of something else. “Boss, someone’s been looking into your identity.”
“Do you know who it is?” Arissa frowned.
Could it be Benjamin or Danna?
“It’s the Rogers family!”
“The Rogers family?” Arissa was confused. She had never crossed paths nor interacted with them at all.
“Did you find out their name?”
“I couldn’t check who the exact person was, but the signal came from their side. My hunch is that they were hired to do the job,” Bradley explained.
After all, the Rogers family was notorious for their shady business in Dellmoor’s Durbaine. Almost all the nightclubs and entertainment establishments in the town were owned by them.
“Be careful, Boss,” Bradley reminded her.
“I got it. Let me know if you find anything!”
After she hung up the phone, Arissa sat by her bed, deep in thought. Who are the people that want to harm me? There is a good chance that Danna might be the one digging into my past. After all, she is the prime suspect for the woman back then.
Arissa thought for a while and decided to investigate Benjamin’s son’s real identity.
Gavin entered the room just as she was looking at Benjamin’s home address on her computer.
Chapter 33 Hacking The Surveillance Cameras
“Mommy!”
Arissa was shocked at his sudden appearance. She smiled at him and asked, “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”
“I can’t sleep, Mommy! Can I be with you for a while?”
As Gavin glanced at the screen, he saw Arissa searching for his home address.
He froze for a moment before asking her, “Mommy, why are you looking for Benjamin’s home address?”
She ruffled his hair and replied, “Something came up, and Mommy has to do some investigating for a bit.”
“What’s wrong?” Gavin looked at her.
Arissa did not know how to explain it to her son.
“I’ll tell you once I get to the bottom of this, okay?”
She caressed his tiny face.
“Okay. I won’t disturb you now.”
Gavin sat next to her while she busied herself with her computer. Mommy smells really nice.
Seeing how affectionate his son was with her, she smiled and allowed him to stay beside her.
After she found Benjamin’s home address, Arissa entered a software. Within a few minutes, she was able to tap into Benjamin’s home surveillance camera system.
Gavin was extremely impressed to see her incredible hacking skills.
Mommy seems to be a powerful and amazing person.
Carefully, Arissa monitored each surveillance point in the house, especially the dining area.
This was a place where everyone in the house would normally appear every day.
At that moment, the dining area was empty. Therefore, Arissa quickly scrolled backward to view the previous timeline.
Just as she saw a little child’s figure, a warning notification popped up on her screen. Hurriedly, Arissa exited the software, cutting off the tracking.
D*mn it. Had I been a second too late, my location would’ve been exposed! Benjamin’s too cunning. He’s really alert and cautious.
Little did she know Zachary had actually hacked into Benjamin’s computer last night. Hence, Benjamin was already in full vigilant mode when she hacked into the house’s surveillance cameras.
Meanwhile, at the CEO’s office in Graham Group, Benjamin was about to close in on the hacker’s IP address when it disappeared abruptly in a housing district nearby. He narrowed his eyes in frustration.
This person is quite persistent. How dare they infiltrate my house? What is their motive?
“Ethen, I want you to investigate this housing district, including those who frequent or stay in this area!”
“Got it!”
After giving some thought, Arissa felt uneasy and quickly tapped into the surveillance cameras around their housing district.
Even before Ethen began his investigation, all surveillance footage with Arissa and the kids had already been deleted by her.
“Mommy, why did you hack into Benjamin’s house surveillance cameras? What are you looking for?”
Gavin was slightly excited when he noticed Arissa becoming emotional at the sight of Jasper’s appearance in the surveillance footage.
Was Mommy trying to look for me?
Arissa picked him up and placed her chin on Gavin’s back, slowly inhaling the warm and calm scent on him.
Her tense and nervous feelings dissipated almost immediately.
“Mommy heard that there’s a little boy who’s just about your age in Benjamin’s home. I got curious, so I wanted to see how he looks like!”
“Why?” Gavin’s voice quivered as he asked Arissa.
Just then, Zachary entered the room and looked at them. “Why are you both still awake!”
Arissa looked at Zachary and felt his stern behavior was very similar to Benjamin’s.
“I was preoccupied with something just now. Why are you still awake as well? Have Oliver and Jesse fallen asleep?”
“They’re already fast asleep. I couldn’t find Jasper, so I went looking for him. So he’s really here with you, Mommy!”
Zachary stared at Gavin, making the latter feel guilty. “I just wanted to take a nap with Mommy!”
Zachary was left speechless upon hearing his answer.
“Okay. You can sleep with Mommy.”
Arissa hugged Gavin and teased Zachary, “Do you want to sleep next to me too?”
Zachary exclaimed, “I’m scared that you might kick me when you’re asleep!”
Arissa was rendered speechless.
“Don’t bother about him. Let’s go take a nap, Jasper.”
Arissa climbed into her bed and held Gavin in her arms, gently inhaling her son’s comforting scent. She felt blissful and contented.
Even though Zachary rejected Arissa’s request to sleep together at first, eventually, he climbed onto the bed and lay next to Arissa.
She looked at him amusingly. “Aren’t you afraid of me kicking you in bed?”
Chapter 34 Jesse Is A Girl
“Shut up and go to sleep!”
Arissa was bemused when Zachary spoke with a firm tone of voice as he ordered Arissa to go to sleep.
She turned around to hug him and place a kiss on his cheek. “So you’re all grown up and eager to bark orders at your mother now, aren’t you?”
“Hehe! That tickles, Mommy!” Zachary squirmed as he tried to avoid Arissa’s tickling.
“All right, go to sleep!”
Arissa held both of them in her arms as she patted them gently to sleep.
Gavin inched closer and wrapped his arms around her, feeling the warmth emanating from his mother’s body.
Upon seeing Gavin’s antics, Zachary hugged Arissa while glancing at Gavin.
Her lips curled into a smile as she looked at their identical faces. She patted their heads and closed her eyes.
After an hour of sleep, Arissa woke up abruptly, as she felt Jesse lying on top of her.
“I want to sleep with Mommy too!” Jesse exclaimed. Arissa hugged the petite child and kissed her on the cheek.
Oliver came into the room as well.
“Are you still sleeping, Mommy? I want to sleep next to you too!”
“What time is it now?”
As she held Jesse in her arms, Arissa sat up and looked at the time.
“No more sleeping!”
Zachary and Gavin woke up.
She hugged Jesse and said to the boys, “Go freshen up and get dressed, sweethearts! We’re going to school soon!”
Clinging onto Arissa’s neck, Jesse planted kisses on her mother’s face. Soon, Arissa’s face was covered with saliva.
Even so, Arissa was delighted and turned to kiss Jesse’s soft cheeks.
She asked Jesse gently, “Do you want to wear a dress to school, Jesse?”
“Yeah!” Jesse clapped happily.
The three boys followed behind Arissa.
Gavin was perplexed. He looked at Zachary and Oliver in confusion.
Jesse’s a boy, isn’t he? Why is Mommy letting him wear a dress?
Zachary grinned mysteriously and whispered next to him, “Mommy has always wanted a daughter, so she would occasionally dress Jesse in girl’s outfits.”
“That’s right! Jesse looks really pretty in a dress!” Oliver chimed in.
Arissa turned around to look at the boys and smiled. “Stop muttering and come over here! You need to wash your faces!”
“Coming!” Zachary ran over to her.
Oliver followed suit. “I’m coming too!”
Gavin rushed toward her as well. “Me too, Mommy!”
Arissa beamed and put Jesse down before handing the kids their toothbrushes.
“We can handle it ourselves, Mommy!”
Zachary grabbed the toothpaste and helped his siblings by squeezing toothpaste on their toothbrushes before squeezing it on his own. Then, all of them started brushing their teeth.
Arissa smiled as she watched the kids brush their teeth in an orderly manner. After that, she proceeded to brush her teeth as well.
All of them could not help but grin as they looked into the bathroom mirror and noticed they were doing the same action simultaneously.
After washing up, Arissa gave them their outfits before helping Jesse with her dress.
Not only that, she even tied Jesse’s short hair.
In her pastel pink dress and neat hair, Jesse looked like a beautiful angel.
“Jesse looks really pretty!”
Gavin was dumbfounded. After dressing up as a girl, Jesse looks lovelier than girls!
Even Arissa thought Jesse looked charming and lovely. Feeling contented, she kissed Jesse’s forehead affectionately.
“Our little Jesse looks super gorgeous!”
Jesse giggled happily and replied, “Mommy looks pretty too! And my brothers are super handsome as well!”
“You’re so sweet!”
Arissa pinched Jesse’s cheek playfully and said to them, “Mommy’s going to get changed. Wait for me, okay?”
“Take your time, Mommy. We’re not in a hurry right now,” Zachary replied with a smile.
Arissa glanced at him and teased, “Well, aren’t you smart? Trying to buy time so we’ll be late for admissions?”
Zachary giggled and pursed his lips almost immediately.
Arissa ruffled the boy’s hair and went to her room to get changed.
After putting on some makeup quickly, she tied her hair into a ponytail.
As Arissa donned her sunglasses, she grabbed her bag and prepared to leave with the children.
Chapter 35 Why Is Benjamin Here
The kids were shocked when they saw how elegant and stunning she looked.
“Wow! You’re so beautiful, Mommy!”
Oliver had a look of admiration on his face. I can just stare at Mommy’s pretty face all day long!
Gavin, too, was stunned by Arissa’s beauty. He could not tear his eyes away from her face.
“Mommy, your fiery red lipstick suits you really well! You look really dashing!” Zachary complimented with a proud look on his face.
“How can I be dashing, Zachary? The correct word should be beautiful.”
Arissa raised her eyebrows haughtily.
Meanwhile, Jesse went up to Arissa and hugged her leg. “As soon as you step outside, there will be plenty of men looking at you, Mommy!”
“Haha!”
However, the reason she had to doll herself up was not to attract male attention, but to appear domineering, as she would be enrolling the children in a prestigious school. If Arissa were to wear something shabby, she could not possibly command presence in front of the elites.
“Let’s go, children! We’re heading to the school now.”
The four children fetched her handbag, keys and high heels.
Finally, the family of five were dressed nicely, ready to head downstairs.
Just when they arrived downstairs, everyone was staring at them, admiring their exceptional appearance and style.
Nevertheless, Arissa was used to the ogles and stares from onlookers. She called to the kids hurriedly, “Stop wasting time! Hurry up!”
I’m walking faster than them in my heels! Why are they lagging so far behind me?
Zachary smiled and pulled his siblings quickly ahead.
“We’re doing it for your image, Mommy! If some handsome guy appears and shows interest in you, it’ll be better for us to keep a distance away from you.”
Arissa pinched Zachary’s nose playfully and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? Stop overthinking things!”
How could they possibly think of setting me up with someone else?
Gavin smiled at her. “This buffoon’s just joking with you, Mommy!”
Arissa was confused when she heard Gavin’s sudden name-calling toward Zachary.
“How could you insult your older brother? Did you guys fight?”
“No, we didn’t!” Gavin shook his head.
Upon seeing Zachary’s smug expression, Gavin pursed his lips.
“You should address me by my name!”
Gavin froze after Zachary tapped him on his head.
Who knows, maybe I was born earlier than all of them! It should be me who is the eldest child.
Gavin stared at Zachary.
After seeing them not arguing among themselves, Arissa stopped dwelling on the matter and instructed them to hurry up.
However, just as they were about to step out from the main gate, Arissa spotted Ethen nearby.
In a moment of panic, she turned around and pulled the four children aside to hide.
Oh, my gosh! Why is Ethen here?
Arissa stole a glance toward the entrance and saw the car window behind Ethen was slightly open. She could somehow see a figure sitting inside the car.
Benjamin? Why is he here? Did he come here on purpose, or was it just a coincidence? Have we been exposed?
Arissa’s mind went blank almost instantly. She was in a mess as she did not know how to deal with the situation.
“What’s wrong, Mommy?”
All four kids looked at her with a puzzled face.
It seemed as if they were hiding from crooks.
“Shh!”
Arissa peeked out to monitor the situation and added, “It’s my boss!”
Zachary, Oliver, and Gavin instantly knew she was talking about Benjamin.
Why is Daddy here? Is he looking for Mommy, or did he just happen to come here?
“Mommy, look! Is that Benjamin?”
As Jesse peered out, she saw Ethen instead and mistook him for Benjamin.
Hurriedly, Arissa pulled Jesse back and said in a hushed voice, “That’s not him!”
If they were to walk out of the entrance, Benjamin would definitely notice the children.
Arissa panicked. She had been caught off guard by his sudden appearance.
However, Ethen noticed Arissa from afar and recognized her almost immediately.
“That looks like Ms. York, Mr. Graham!”
Unfortunately for Arissa, Benjamin spotted her as well.
Arissa lives here?
“Did you miss out on any minor details?”
Ethen knew what Benjamin meant with his words. He explained, “Ms. York filled in a different home address in her application form. I’ve checked, and it’s definitely not here.”
Benjamin’s eyes flickered and ordered, “Bring her to me now!”
How dare she fake her home address?
“Yes, Mr. Graham!”
With that, Ethen hurried over and waved at Arissa. “Ms. York!”
Arissa grew frustrated as she saw Ethen walking toward her. She had no choice but to let the kids hide in a corner.
Chapter 36 I Do Not Have A Daddy
Flustered, Zachary quickly went into hiding in a corner with his siblings. However, Jesse tripped and fell on the way.
They wanted to help her up instinctively, but Ethen’s approaching footstep forced them back inside.
Seeing Jesse falling over, Arissa hurried to help her up while dusting off the dirt on her dress.
“Did you get hurt?”
“Nope!” Jesse replied nervously while stealing glances at Ethen.
Did I just ruin Mommy’s job, by any chance? What if her boss resents the fact that she has a child and fires her?
Arissa pinched her daughter’s little face.
“Hello there, Ms. York!”
“Oh, hello, Mr. Frank! What brings you here?” Arissa got up to her feet and greeted back casually. She acted as she had just seen him coming by.
“We just happened to pass by and see you here. Mr. Graham hopes to have a talk with you.”
Jesse batted her eyelashes while staring at Ethen. Phew! Luckily he is not Mommy’s boss.
Ethen noticed that the adorable little girl standing beside Arissa had such exquisite features that she looked like a pretty doll.
“Is this your daughter, Ms. York?” asked Ethen with a smile.
“Ah, yes! She’s my daughter,” Arissa replied. Ethen knows that I have a child. It does not harm to admit it.
“Hello, sir!” Jesse greeted with a smiley face. Her bright eyes and dimples resembled Arissa.
Instantly, Ethen was charmed by the little girl’s cuteness.
“Oh, what an adorable girl!” He could not help but reach out to ruffle her hair.
The sight made Arissa break into a smile. She noticed that Benjamin had opened the door and was about to get out of the car.
Thus, she left Jesse to Ethen and went to greet Benjamin.
“Hello, little girl. I’m Ethen. What’s your name?” Ethen kneeled and teased Jesse.
“I’m Jesse!” replied Jesse with a broad smile. As she grinned, she revealed the empty space in her mouth that her front teeth used to stay.
The sight was too much cuteness for Ethen to handle. Once again, he patted her head lovingly.
“Jesse, are you living with your Mommy here?”
“Yup!” Jesse nodded with sparkling eyes.
“Is your Daddy here with you too?” Ethen questioned heartlessly. The very next moment, he realized that he had asked an inappropriate question as Arissa was considered a single mom. He started casting guilty looks at Jesse as he knew his mistake.
However, Jesse did not seem to be troubled at his question at all. “I don’t have a Daddy.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it!” Feeling sorry, he patted her on the head.
Glancing at his guilty look, Jesse fumbled a candy from her pocket.
“This candy is for you, sir!”
Ethen was surprised as he did not expect her to be so kind to him.
“Thank you!”
“You are welcome!” Jesse beamed with her head tilted. “Mister, since you’ve taken my candy, you must promise me to take care of Mommy in the company and don’t let anyone bully her!”
Ethen was nonplussed. How touching that she is concerned about her mother at this young age!
“Don’t worry. Nobody will bully your Mommy in the company.”
“Thank you, sir!” She grinned.
Meanwhile, Arissa was staring at Benjamin, who was getting out of the car. As he stood straight, he gave out a dignifying aura and stole the crowd’s attention at once.
Arissa was so nervous she felt her heart racing as she met his gaze.
There is no need to be afraid of him. He could not have found out that he is the father of my child. Otherwise, he would have confronted me ages ago.
“What a coincidence, Mr. Graham! Are you here for some business?” Arissa approached and stopped a few steps away from him.
She was observing Benjamin’s charming features behind her sunglasses.
Benjamin was standing by the car door, wearing a demanding presence.
Sure enough, a born king like him was able to let anyone follow him willingly with merely a glance.
A hint of surprise flashed across his eyes as he saw her attire, which was much more casual compared to the blouse she wore on her interview.
Chapter 37 What Perfume Is That
Arissa’s heart skipped a beat as she felt his gaze scanning her from head to toe.
Benjamin lifted his chin, gesturing for her to get in the car.
Bewildered, she asked, “Is there something wrong, Mr. Graham?”
“We will talk about it in the car,” said Benjamin in a deep voice while staring straight at her.
His gaze was so sharp that even the sunglasses she was wearing failed to block his aggressive stare.
Arissa cast a glance at her daughter. Seeing that Ethen was looking after her, she bent down and hopped into the car.
Benjamin furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Ethen playing with a little girl. Nevertheless, he turned around and get into the car after her, not forgetting to close the door behind him.
As he got into the car, Arissa felt the pressure instantly in the air. It was her first time to be this close to Benjamin.
She gulped nervously as his scent enveloped her in the tight area. Her heartbeat was racing wildly which did not help to alleviate her stiffness.
As she stole glances at Benjamin, the latter was pursing his lips with a cold, impassive look. She quickly retracted her gaze.
It’s starting to get ambiguous in here.
After preparing herself, she decided to break the silence in the air. “Mr. Graham, is there anything wrong?”
Upon her call, Benjamin turned and stared at her. His gaze was so intense that he could have seen through her.
“Do you live here?”
Uh!
“Ah, yes!” Arissa confessed honestly. There’s no point lying to him as he had seen it.
“Your profile does not suggest that you live here.”
Arissa took a quick glance at him. She was not sure whether she was exposed. Hence, she decided to take the initiative.
“The address on my profile is the place where I used to live. I haven’t planned to move here before I return. Therefore, I used that address when I joined the company. Is this critical to my job, Mr. Graham? I think it’s merely a small matter. Please be straight to the point as I have other pressing matters to handle.”
The indifferent look Benjamin was wearing gave her chills. She felt stressed staying in the same space with him. He was unlike her four children, who were energetic and lively.
Thinking of her children, she could not help but size him up. She wondered whether she should pluck a bit of his hair and save it for later.
At last, Benjamin said, “Someone hacked into the surveillance camera system of my house. You shall be in charge of installing a new system for me.”
Arissa’s heart skipped a beat. As she blinked nervously, she was grateful she wore sunglasses that concealed her guilty look.
“Shall I go now?”
“You may go after you finish your work.”
“Sure!” She smiled.
Benjamin offered the opportunity to visit his house just when she was trying to sneak a chance to do so. Naturally, she would not refuse his request.
I’m sure to see his children when I visit his house.
“Good.”
“If so, I’m leaving.” Arissa proceeded to open the car door on her side. However, it would not budge.
“This way.” Seeing her awkward face, Benjamin gestured her to go down on his side. Besides, her side was facing the road. It was dangerous for her to get down from that side.
Arissa had no choice but to get down from his side.
A sweet scent caressed his nose tip as she passed by him. It was such a familiar scent to Benjamin that his eyes flickered at once.
Arissa did not notice his strange behavior and got out of the car smoothly.
She turned and inquired, “Mr. Graham, would you mind sending your home address to my phone?”
Benjamin stared coldly at her in response, which gave Arissa a shock. What’s wrong with his sudden change of attitude?
Instead of replying to her question, Benjamin asked, “What perfume do you wear?”
His query that came out of the blue had rendered Arissa speechless.
What’s the situation now?
Puzzled, she replied, “I’m not wearing any perfume.”
Her answer made Benjamin frown. It isn’t a perfume? Then, why is there the same flower scent on her that I picked up that night?
“Remember to do your job. Ethen will send you the address shortly.” Benjamin pinched his temples. That familiar scent seemed to linger around his nose tip, dazzling him.
What’s wrong with me? How can I think of that night…
“Sure!” Arissa closed the door and left.
Benjamin did not shift his gaze away from her as she left, with his eyebrows knitted tightly.
Chapter 38 Who Is That Little Girl
“So sorry to trouble you, Mr. Frank!” Arissa greeted Ethen with a smile.
“It’s nothing. Jesse is so adorable!” Ethen stroked Jesse’s head and nodded to Arissa before heading back to the car.
Seeing him leave, Arissa held Jesse in her arms and directed her in the opposing direction.
“Mommy, how is your boss? Is he handsome? Is he a nice person?” Jesse asked curiously.
“I haven’t spent enough time with him to know him well. However, he is a handsome guy indeed!”
“Is he an old man?” Jesse blinked her clear eyes naively.
Arissa broke into a smile at her childish question. She shook her head and answered, “Nope. He is just a bit older than me.”
Suddenly, she turned in the car’s direction. Sensing her gaze, Ethen nodded at her. The latter nodded back too.
Once Ethen got into the car, Benjamin’s voice rang behind him, “Who’s that little girl?”
“Oh, that’s Ms. York’s daughter!” Ethen turned around to reply. He realized Benjamin was staring outside with his gaze darkened, pondering to himself.
To be honest, Benjamin was quite surprised that Arissa had a child. Is she married?
Retracting his gaze, he asked, “Isn’t she single, according to her profile?”
“Ms. York is single indeed. I did not know that she has a child too until today,” Ethen answered innocently.
Benjamin squinted at his reply as resentment clouded on his face.
Why is her information all fake?
“Start the car.”
“Okay.” Ethen rubbed his nose.
“Send me her phone number.”
Ethen took out his phone hastily and read the number out to him.
Finally, he could not help but voice out his curiosity. “Mr. Graham, may I know what you chatted with her just now?”
Benjamin shot him a glare in return.
Ethen did not have the guts to pursue his question. Thus, he sat back in his seat and started the engine.
Benjamin swept one last glance at the entrance, intending to have a better look at the little girl’s features, but to no avail.
On the other hand, Arissa was relieved that they had finally left the place.
She called out to her children, “You may come out now, kids!”
Gavin, Zachary and Oliver showed themselves at once.
“Brothers!” Jesse beamed at the sight of them. “Mommy, I did not let that mister notice their presence just now!”
Arissa caressed her head lovingly. “Oh, what a good girl!”
Jesse grinned cheekily at her praise.
“Mommy, are they gone?” Zachary took a quick glance outside.
“Yes, they are gone.” Arissa nodded.
“Mommy, why are they looking for you?” Gavin stared at her seriously.
Arissa shook a bit at his question. She recalled Benjamin’s weird behavior just now.
“He invited me to his house to install a new surveillance camera system for him.”
Just did Benjamin realize who I am? If he did, is he trying to test me by inviting me to his house? What a scary person.
Oliver’s eyes lit at once. Just when he was about to voice out, Zachary managed to cover his mouth in the nick of time.
Arissa looked at them strangely. “What are you guys doing?”
“Nothing at all, Mommy!” Zachary smiled falsely. “I’m just playing with Oliver!”
Oliver cast annoyed looks at Zachary as he was about to lose his breath.
In return, Zachary shot him a nasty look, signaling him to shut up.
He only let go of Oliver once the latter nodded in reply.
“Argh! I was almost suffocated to death, Zachary!”
Gavin and Jesse were amused by their siblings.
Arissa smiled at their silly act and straightened their clothes. She then took them out to call a cab. “Alright, we need to go to school now!”
The four children followed her closely, attracting looks from the residents.
Even the security guard lost his thoughts while staring at the five of them, forgetting to give entry permits to the incoming cars. Annoyed horns rang in the air to pull the guard back to his senses.
Arissa looked around and went to school together with them by taxi.
They planned to walk themselves to school at first. However, Benjamin’s sudden arrival had wasted some of their time. Hence, they could only travel to school by car to be on time.
Chapter 39 Gavin From The Graham Family
Arissa received a message in the car. She took her phone out and realized it was a new number. The message wrote: The Graham residence. The number was not the one Ethen used to contact her. Could this be his other number? She replied: Roger that.
Benjamin, on the other hand, raised his eyebrows at her reply. He stared at the two words longingly. “Head back to Yaleview,” he ordered. Glancing at him through the rear-view mirror, Ethen reminded, “Mr. Graham, you have a must-attend meeting at half-past four later!” “Change the date!” Noticing the commanding tone in Benjamin’s voice, Ethen realized that there was no point arguing with him anymore.
He frowned and changed their direction at the junction, heading to Yaleview. Meanwhile, Arissa had arrived at the school with the four children. After registering at the entrance, the security guard led their way into the school while casting confused looks at the children. Why do I find them so familiar? Gavin noticed the gaze and shot him a piercing look. That intimidated the guard at once, causing him to shift his gaze away quickly.
“Does he know you?” Zachary asked in a soft voice.
“I am a student of here too.”
Zachary gaped in surprise and thought of Jasper instantly. “Is Jasper here too?”
“I don’t think so.” Gavin swept a look at Zachary. “It’s been some time since I last came to school.”
His answer left Zachary dumbfounded.
Wow! So Gavin is not a fan of school either!
Oliver craned his neck and overheard their conversation. “You hate going to school too?” His loud voice had invited their glares at once.
“Hmm? Who does not like school?” Arissa heard him and turned around to face them.
The trio reacted quickly by smiling at her. “Mommy, we love school!”
“Mommy, it’s so pretty here! I like this school’s environment.” Oliver grinned.
Arissa laughed and held Jesse’s hand.
Sure enough, the environment is beautiful here. After all, this is the best school in Dellmoor.
She had a good look around and was satisfied with the surroundings.
The four kids were looking around curiously too. They were amazed by the breathtaking green scenery of the school.
“Mommy, there are so many flowers around!” The colorful flowers caught Jesse’s eye.
Arissa was relieved that her children were fond of the place.
As they arrived at the principal’s office, Robert William, the principal, rose and greeted them warmly.
Arissa had informed him about their arrival before.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. William. I’m Arissa York!” Arissa took off her sunglasses and greeted him with a smile.
“Welcome, welcome!”
“I’m sure you have their profile earlier before. Feel free to test them anything if necessary!” Arissa tugged her children to the front of Robert.
“I’d gone through their profile. They are all outstanding students!” Robert smiled back at her and glanced at the four children.
As he saw the three identical faces, not to mention another little girl who looked alike too, he jolted a bit.
“This…”
“Good morning, Mr. William!” Flustered, Gavin voiced out at once. He took a step ahead with his back facing Arissa and quelled Robert with a look, indicating him to refrain from talking too much.
Naturally, Robert was shocked when he saw Gavin mouthing him to shut up.
Arissa noticed Robert’s bewildered look. She turned tense at once as she was worried that her children had frightened him.
“Mr. William, is there something wrong with them?”
Robert finally came back to his senses upon Arissa’s call. Seeing Gavin’s nervous look, he was confused and astounded at the same time.
I remember this little boy from the Graham family. After all, he gave me a deep impression as Mr. Graham took him here by person last time. Besides, there was no mistaking as he resembled Mr. Graham so much.
“Mr. William?” Arissa called uncertainly, afraid deep inside that he would refuse her children.
“Oh, so they are quadruplets?” Robert shifted his gaze back to her and concealed his bewilderment.
Chapter 40 Registering With The Children
“Yes, that’s right!” Arissa replied with a smile. There is one more, actually.
“They are adorable!” Robert praised.
“Greetings, Mr. William,” greeted Zachary and Oliver. Their adorable baby voice won the fondness of everyone at once, not to mention their politeness.
“Greetings, Mr. William!” Jesse followed them too. Her voice was even cuter than the rest.
“Oh, hello!” Robert was so fond of them he could not stop smiling.
“So, Mr. William, do they need to go through any tests?”
“No need, just fill in the registration form would do!” Robert realized something once he finished his words. However, Gavin’s piercing stare let him swallow back his confusion. Hence, he proceeded and handed the forms to Arissa.
“Thank you!” answered Arissa.
“You are welcome. It’s our honor to have your children as our students!” He grinned.
Arissa sensed an inexplicable strange feeling, but she did not address it and proceeded to fill in the forms.
“Mommy, shall we fill in the forms ourselves?” Zachary and Oliver followed her.
“I shall do it as there is some information you don’t know. Just wait obediently would do, you all!”
Honestly, there would not be any difficulties for the kids to fill in the forms. Arissa just wanted to experience the feeling of registering her children to school.
Jesse stood beside her to watch her mother fill in the forms.
Arissa smiled at her sight and started scribbling on the papers.
Meanwhile, Robert had begun giving candies to the other kids. “What’s your name?”
“Mr. William, I’m Zachary York!” Zachary introduced himself politely.
“Mr. William, I’m Oliver York!”
Robert appeared to be puzzled at their self-introductions. He turned his gaze at Gavin.
“Mr. William, I’m Jasper York!”
“Mr. William, I’m Jesse York!” Jesse ran toward Robert while beaming. Her chubby face and tiny ponytail were so adorable that she charmed him instantly.
“Here, Jesse, this candy is for you!” Robert was so fond of her he gave her a few more candies.
Jesse was delighted at his offer. “Thank you!”
“You are welcome!” Robert patted her head.
While he was trying to conceal his bewilderment, his eyes kept darting between the four of them.
Didn’t Mr. Graham have a child only? Why are there four around now? No, that Jasper is sure to be Gavin.
Robert tried to express his confusion by making eye contact with Gavin.
After making sure that Arissa was too busy to notice them, Gavin tugged Robert aside.
Noticing his intentions, Zachary took Jesse to Arissa’s side, afraid that she would rose suspicions at their act.
Oliver took a glance at Gavin and chose to follow Zachary.
Once he made sure that the air was clear, Gavin pulled out his phone and wrote in a text message: I’m not Gavin Graham now. My identity now is Jasper York. Please help us to keep it a secret.
Robert was amused at his message. His gaze was asking: Why?
Gavin typed: It’s a secret, and I will tell you later. My Mommy and Daddy are not aware of it. Please keep this secret to yourself!
His message was mind-blowing to Robert. So they are quintuplets instead of quadruplets?
He raised five fingers to Gavin to confirm his confusion.
Staring sternly at Robert, Gavin nodded.
Robert was completely nonplussed. Finally, he agreed by nodding his head.
Seeing that he was willing to cooperate, Gavin beamed at him and said, “Your candies are tasty!”
Robert stroked his head affectionately. “There are still some more here if you like it!”
“Hehe!” Gavin chuckled.
Arissa tugged her lips into a smile as she saw how her children were mixing well with the principal.
Jasper is such a sweetheart that he managed to get along with Mr. William in no time.