Ch. 411..420

Chapter 411 Switching Cars

Soon, it was already the end of school, and the children still had not made any progress.

Propping his chin on his hand and sighing, Jasper suggested “I wonder how long we will take given that there is so much surveillance footage to go through. Should we get Daddy’s help? Since he knows so many people, I’m sure our progress would be faster with his help.”

Gavin looked at his brother and replied, “Well, his men might have already started investigating.”

Benjamin’s subordinates had indeed already started looking into the matter as well, but they were faced with the same problem as the kids.

They had also lost track of Danna at the same location.

Carrying their school bags, the five little ones headed to the school gate to wait for their parents to pick them up.

While walking, they overheard their classmates’ conversation. “My dad told me that he is coming to pick me up in his new car today. Your dad’s car is so old. Is he thinking of changing his car soon?”

“My dad’s car is still working, so why would he change it? Besides, I think my dad’s car is really cool!”

Changing cars?

Zachary’s eyes lit up when he heard that.

“Could that woman have switched cars?” he asked Gavin, realizing that criminals usually used more than one car while committing their acts. That was especially likely in Danna’s case, given that she had kidnapped Benjamin’s child.

Gavin was surprised at his brother’s theory, thinking that there was indeed such a possibility.

“It’s quite likely!”

Oliver and Jasper’s eyes widened as well. “Let’s go home quickly and re-investigate!”

The five little ones ran toward the school gate and saw Darius there.

They rushed toward the man at once and greeted happily, “Grandpa!”

“Hey!” Darius hugged his grandchildren while smiling from ear to ear.

“Grandpa, why are you here? Mommy promised that she would come and pick us up,” Jesse asked, remembering her conversation with Arissa that morning.

Darius brushed his finger against the girl’s nose lightly and replied, “Your mommy is busy right now. Aren’t you happy to see me?”

“Of course, I’m happy!” Jesse answered sweetly with a wide smile.

Darius beamed with delight when he heard that.

“Old Mr. Graham, shall we get the kids into the car first?” Edwin reminded.

“Let’s get into the car first! Come on!”

Darius led the kids into the car, feeling cheerful.

“Grandpa, did you see Mommy before you came here?”

Gavin was the last to get into the car after his younger siblings.

“I did, I came from your house at Yaleview. Both your mommy and daddy are not free.”

After the kids got into the car, Darius got in and sat at the back with Jesse on his lap.

“But Mommy promised that she would pick us up.” Jasper pouted, feeling upset.

Oliver snorted softly as well, saying, “Seems like Mommy just broke her promise again.”

Darius and Edwin both chuckled at the boys’ comments.

“Your mommy isn’t feeling well, that’s why she didn’t come. She didn’t do it on purpose,” Darius explained to the kids.

“What?”

The five children had worried expressions on their faces when they heard that.

“What happened to Mommy?” Zachary asked, staring at his grandfather.

“Her blood pressure was a bit low, but your Uncle Shaun had already given her an injection.”

Darius patted the children’s heads, comforting them.

“Mommy must be too worried about our brother, that’s why she fell sick!” Oliver frowned.

Gavin also had a crease between his brows as he urged the driver, “Please start driving. We need to get home as soon as possible!”

“Start driving,” Darius instructed.

Arissa failed to pick up the kids from school again. Not only had she missed the end of the school day, but she had also overslept.

When the five little ones got back, they kept completely silent upon noticing that their mother had an IV drip in her arm and was still sleeping.

As Gavin was worried, he still decided to ask Benjamin about Arissa’s condition even though he saw that the man was preoccupied with work.

“What’s wrong with Mommy?”

Benjamin looked up and fixed his gaze on his son before answering, “It’s just low blood pressure. She will be fine after getting the IV drip.”

His face taut with concern, Gavin continued asking, “Did you ask my mommy to work again?”

Although he was being reproached by his son, Benjamin was not angry at all.

“I didn’t. She went out to look for your younger brother.”

Gavin froze for a while before turning around and exchanging glances with his siblings.

“Let’s go.”

After saying that, Gavin led his brothers and sister out of the room.

Benjamin looked at his kids before looking toward Arissa. Seeing that her IV drip treatment was not yet completed, he returned to his work.

 

Chapter 412 Jesse Keeps A Lookout

The five little ones returned to their room and locked the door at once.

After putting down their bags, they started their computers and began their investigation at once.

Meanwhile, Darius was downstairs helping with dinner preparation.

One hour had gone by before he realized that he had not seen the kids for a while.

Hmm… Where are Gavin and the other kids? Could they be upstairs disturbing their mommy’s rest? I’ll head up and have a look.

When Darius headed upstairs, the five little ones were still in their room, concentrating intently on checking the surveillance footage.

“Guys, this car looks very suspicious!”

Oliver sensed something amiss with a car that he was tracking.

At once, Gavin, Zachary, Jasper, and Jesse inched over, staring at Oliver’s computer screen.

“Zoom in on the person’s face,” Zachary instructed at once, frowning deeply.

Oliver immediately did as told, but they were still unable to see the person’s face clearly.

“Continue tracking this car,” Zachary said before returning to his own computer to track down other cars.

Darius headed to Benjamin’s bedroom first. When he saw that Arissa was still asleep, he did not enter the room.

“Benjamin, is Issa not done with her IV drip treatment yet?”

When Benjamin heard his father’s voice, he looked up at the older man and replied, “Just a while more.”

“Is she feeling better?” Darius asked in concern.

“Yes,” Benjamin replied before continuing, “Dad, you should go back first. Don’t worry about her.”

Darius pressed his lips together and said, “I’m not going back yet. I’m having dinner here. Anyway, I’ll go take a look at my sweethearts now.”

After saying that, he left and headed toward the children’s room.

When he tried to open the door, he realized that the room was locked.

“Sweethearts, what are you guys doing inside the room?” Darius called out while knocking on their door.

Immediately, the five little ones widened their eyes and stopped whatever they were doing.

“It’s Grandpa!” the kids whispered to each other in unison.

The next moment, they minimized the windows on their computer desktops.

“Jesse, go and play with Grandpa. We need more time to investigate,” Zachary said to his sister as the girl was not proficient with working with computers.

Jesse pouted and replied, “But I want to investigate too!”

“You don’t know how to do it. So just leave it to us. We’ll let you know once we find something,” Jasper said, dragging Jesse toward the door.

“If you don’t go downstairs with Grandpa, we can’t do anything with him around. You’re in charge of distracting him.”

Jesse’s eyes lit up as she replied, “Don’t worry, Jasper. leave that to me!”

Immediately after, she ran to open the door.

Before Darius could take a clear look at the situation inside the room, Jesse had already slipped out through the door before shutting it behind her.

“Grandpa, I’m so hungry. Is there anything to eat?” Jesse said, blinking her eyes while hugging her grandfather’s leg.

Darius’ heart melted at once when he saw his adorable granddaughter. He bent down and picked the girl up before pinching her cheeks affectionately.

“Yes, there’s food downstairs. Come, I’ll bring you down to eat something. Let’s call your brothers along.”

Just when Darius was about to open the door, Jesse put her arms around his neck and gave him a peck on his cheek.

“Grandpa, they are busy studying now. I’ll bring them some food after I finish eating! Let’s go now, I’m famished!”

Darius was unable to resist the girl’s cuteness and replied, “Sure! We can go first then!”

With that, he carried his granddaughter downstairs to get food.

He watched as Jesse enjoyed the snacks, fruits, and milk, beaming with affection.

“Slow down. There’s still a lot more.”

“I want to finish eating quickly so that I can bring some for my brothers.”

Darius could never get tired of hearing Jesse’s sweet voice.

“Just stay here. I’ll bring some food for them instead,” he said gently while stroking her head.

 

 

Chapter 413 It Is Fine For Boys To Be Hungry

“It’s fine, Grandpa. I want to bring the food to them myself.”

Jesse pouted, insisting on making the delivery herself.

Darius was amused by her stubbornness and replied, “All right then, you can do it yourself. I won’t go upstairs. Jesse, eat slower.”

“What if they’re hungry?” Jesse blinked her eyes and asked while stuffing food into her mouth.

Darius laughed and replied, “It’s okay if they are left hungry for a while. They are boys, after all!”

Jesse giggled when she heard that.

“Sweetheart, are your brothers doing their homework? Have you completed yours?” Darius asked curiously while fixing his gaze on the little girl.

“Ummm… They are studying something else that I didn’t understand, so I came down first.”

Bits of food came out of Jesse’s mouth as she spoke.

Darius wiped the corners of her mouth and said, “What is it that you don’t understand? I can teach you if you’d like.”

He lifted Jesse onto his lap and started feeding her.

“Grandpa, you don’t have to feed me. I can eat it myself. If Mommy sees it, she’ll scold me,” Jesse said, glancing at her grandfather.

She looked extremely adorable with her clear, bright eyes.

Darius laughed out loud when he heard that. Even the butler and the other servants could not help but chuckle at the girl’s words.

“Ms. Jesse is so sensible!”

“Shh!”

Darius gestured for them to keep quiet before looking toward the second floor and said, “Don’t let Benjamin hear you!”

Jesse glanced at him and said, “Grandpa, my brothers are learning computer skills. It’s not fun at all!”

Darius turned his attention back to his granddaughter. As he was not good at using the computer as well, he said in a gentle tone, “Well, if it’s not fun, we can learn something else instead. What does my dear granddaughter want to learn? Sweetheart, if there’s anything you are interested in, I can do it with you.”

“I like skateboarding, Grandpa!” Jesse exclaimed.

Darius was stunned for a moment, thinking that it was an activity for boys. However, upon noticing his granddaughter’s enthusiasm, he smiled in agreement.

“All right. Let’s go skateboarding together after you finish your food then.”

“Grandpa, you know how to skateboard?” Jesse asked sweetly, cocking her head and blinking her big eyes.

“Haha! I don’t, but I can watch you do it.”

Darius was smiling widely with the little girl in his arms.

“Sweetheart, can you skateboard?”

“Yeah! And I’m really good at it. Even my brothers are no match for me!” Jesse replied proudly, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

“You’re amazing, Sweetheart!” Darius praised the girl before continuing, “You have to show me your skills later, okay?”

“Sure!” Jesse nodded vehemently.

Not forgetting her brothers, she said, “Grandpa, I’ll deliver some food to my brothers first. After that, I’ll come down and play with you again!”

“All right!” Darius replied with a smile, feeling happy at how sensible his granddaughter was.

He put Jesse aside and let her continue eating on her own while he prepared some food for his four grandsons.

Jesse quickly finished her food and brought some upstairs for her brothers.

Just when she reached the door, she saw Benjamin walking out of his room and froze instantly.

“Hello, Mr. Graham,” Jesse greeted sweetly.

Benjamin arched his brows slightly and walked over.

Jesse blinked, feeling slightly nervous.

Benjamin could tell at once that she was feeling uneasy and that made him feel slightly exasperated. He wondered why she was always behaving in that manner when she saw him.

“Are you hungry?” Benjamin stopped in front of Jesse and stroked her head.

“I’ve already eaten. These are for my brothers,” Jesse replied obediently.

Benjamin frowned as he replied, “Did they ask you to get some food for them?”

They’re the elder brothers, and yet they’re bossing their younger sister around?

“Yes…” Jesse replied before quickly shaking her head.

“I mean, I volunteered to get food for them. Mr. Graham, would you like to have some?”

She glanced at Benjamin, hoping that he would leave soon.

“No, I’m fine.”

Noticing that the little girl was carrying the tray with much effort, Benjamin took it over.

Jesse was momentarily stunned when he did that and quickly snatched it back.

“Mr. Graham, I can carry it myself. You should get back to your work.”

Benjamin cocked his brows and his eyes glinted with mirth.

Why does she seem so nervous?

 

Chapter 414 You Have A Nice Smile

Benjamin squatted down and looked at Jesse tenderly. “Are you afraid of me?”

Jesse pursed her lips, her luscious eyelashes glistening as she blinked.

It made her look even more adorable than she already was.

Benjamin could not resist patting her head lovingly. He had always had a soft spot for little girls.

“No,” Jesse answered softly but firmly as she lowered her head.

It made Benjamin chuckle.

When Jesse saw his reaction, her eyes widened in surprise.

“What’s the matter?” Benjamin asked tenderly.

Jesse blinked her eyes and said gently, “Mr. Graham, you have a nice smile.”

“Thank you,” Benjamin said with a chuckle after getting over his initial surprise.

Feeling emboldened by his friendly demeanor, Jesse looked straight at him with her big, round eyes and said, “Mr. Graham, you look a lot like my brothers.”

Still chuckling, Benjamin said, “Sweetheart, don’t you think you look like me too?”

“My brothers say I look more like Mommy,” Jesse answered with a pout.

Benjamin looked at her more closely and realized that out of the five children, she did indeed resemble Arissa the most.

In spite of that, she still seemed to have his eyes, nose, and mouth.

“You do look more like your mommy,” Benjamin declared with an approving nod.

With her eyes twinkling as she smiled, Jesse saw the food she was holding in her hands and remembered what she was supposed to do. “Mr. Graham, is there anything else you’d like to ask me? If not, I’ll be getting on my way. I need to deliver these to my brothers.”

She remembered that her grandfather was still waiting for her downstairs.

“I’m all done. You can go ahead.” Benjamin stood up and helped her to open the door.

“Guys, I brought food for all of you!” Jesse shouted quickly into the room when she saw Benjamin open the door.

The four boys in the room immediately stopped what they were doing.

Opening the door fully, Benjamin’s eyes swept across the room and saw each of the four boys seated in front of a computer. “What are you doing?”

Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper turned to look at him and answered in unison, “We’re not doing anything!”

From the defensiveness in their tone, Benjamin doubted they were telling the truth. He cast a glance at Jesse who was standing beside him.

Stealing a quick glance at him, Jesse dashed into the room, waving the food in her hands. “Guys, Grandpa got me to send these to you. Hurry and eat.”

“Thanks, Jesse.” Jasper gave his sister a hug and a kiss before reaching out for the food.

“Mr. Graham, would you like some?” he asked, looking straight at Benjamin.

Meeting his eyes, Benjamin decided to suppress his curiosity and simply answered, “No, thank you. You guys go ahead.”

Then, he turned and started walking away.

The five children exchanged glances with each other.

“Guys, Grandpa is still waiting for me. So I’ll be heading downstairs now,” the quick-witted Jesse said before dashing out of the room to see if Benjamin had left.

Benjamin had not gone far. He looked at Jesse as she ran toward him.

“Mr. Graham, I’m going downstairs to play. Would you like to join me?” Jesse said in an attempt to divert his attention away from the boys.

“You go ahead. I need to check in on your mommy,” Benjamin said before turning to walk back to his room.

Jesse wanted to see her mother too, but after a moment of consideration, she decided to return to her brothers instead.

She ran to their room and closed the door behind her as she whispered, “Guys, have you found anything?”

“Not yet. Go guard the door for us,” Zachary instructed her.

“But Grandpa is waiting for me to go downstairs and play,” Jesse replied apologetically.

“You go ahead and play downstairs then. We’ll lock the door,” Gavin said while patting Jesse’s head. This would prevent Daddy from barging in.

Nodding her head, Jesse said softly, “I’ll go out and make sure Mr. Graham is nowhere near the room. Be careful, you guys.”

After making sure that the coast was clear, she poked her head back into the room again and said, “He’s not here anymore.”

With that, she ran downstairs to play.

Jasper quickly stood up and locked the door before the four of them continued with their investigation.

 

Chapter 415 Their Brother Has Died

Upon returning to his bedroom, Benjamin saw that the IV drip had depleted, so he instructed Shaun to remove the needle from Arissa’s arm.

“Why hasn’t she woken up?” Benjamin asked. He was getting worried as Arissa seemed to have been sleeping for a long time.

Shaun saw his deeply-furrowed brow and laughed. “It’s probably due to the IV drip. Just let Mrs. Graham sleep for a little bit more.”

Benjamin cast a doubtful glance at the doctor.

He then tucked Arissa’s arm under the blanket before walking to the sofa to continue with his work.

Shaun smiled as he watched Benjamin and saw how devoted he was to her.

“You can leave once you’re done packing,” Benjamin said in a low voice without lifting his head.

Shaun slung his medical box over his shoulder and said while rubbing his nose, “I think I hear the boys coming home earlier. I’ll go play with them.”

Benjamin’s eyes glinted as he thought about how mysteriously the kids had been behaving earlier. Instead of keeping vigil at their mother’s bedside, they’re hiding in their room. What on earth are they up to?

Shaun returned to his room to put down his medical box before going downstairs to look for the children.

However, he only found Jesse skateboarding by herself.

Fascinated by how skillful she was on the skateboard, Shaun forgot about looking for the four boys.

Meanwhile, Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper continued to stay holed up in the room trying to trace Danna’s whereabouts from the surveillance footage.

About half an hour later, they finally tracked her down.

They watched as Danna’s car drove all the way to an abandoned building, and then to her other apartment.

After a few hours, Danna could be seen holding a child in her arms as she got into her car hurriedly before rushing to the hospital.

“She’s headed for the hospital. Quick, cut to the hospital’s surveillance cameras!” Zachary was confident and composed as he worked together with his brothers as a team.

Gavin’s brows were deeply knitted. Am I the child in Danna’s arms, or is that my missing brother?

About an hour later, Danna emerged from the hospital with the child.

She had a dark expression on her face, and there was scorn in her eyes as she looked at the child. It was as if she was looking at something disgusting.

They continued to follow her movements for the next few hours.

Danna could be seen leaving the hospital in her car and had deliberately driven to a sparsely-populated suburb.

She parked her car, carried the child, and started walking.

The four boys watched with deep frowns on their faces. “What is she doing?”

Danna walked out of the perimeters of the surveillance cameras but appeared again in less than a minute. However, she was no longer carrying the child in her arms.

The boys felt a foreboding that something sinister had happened.

“Did she abandon our brother?” Jasper asked as he watched Danna drive away, his heart aching with worry.

“Search for any other surveillance cameras nearby!” Even Zachary was beginning to feel an uneasiness in his heart.

“What an evil woman!” Gavin spat as he quickly searched for alternative cameras around the area.

After much effort, the boys finally found a small road that led from where Danna was.

Pulling the camera into focus, they saw that she had thrown the child into a dumpster.

Their hearts ached for the child who had been treated like a piece of garbage.

“How ruthless!” Oliver’s eyes were brimming with tears.

Gavin felt a lump in his throat as he stared at the dumpster, wondering if the child was dead or alive.

Why did Danna abandon my brother? She had taken him to the hospital at first, so why did she decide not to keep him after that? Could my brother be… Unable to think of any good outcome, Gavin felt his heart throbbing with pain.

Even Zachary’s face was frightfully pale.

Nevertheless, he tried to focus the camera to get a closer look. They only managed to make out the image of a child but could not see its features clearly.

They felt a surge of anger rising within them, but they were determined to continue with their investigation.

Regardless, no one noticed anything was amiss even when the dumpster was cleared the next day.

After all, if anything suspicious was found, someone would have no doubt call the police.

The four boys worked together on the leads and established that no report was lodged either with the police or from the rubbish collectors.

They felt that they had hit a dead end.

Could our brother have been thrown into the incinerator with the rest of the rubbish?

As they pondered that possibility, they began to choke up with emotions.

 

Chapter 416 Gavin Faints

“Should we tell Mommy about this?” Jasper asked while sniffling loudly.

“Mommy won’t be able to take it if she finds out!” Oliver replied in a trembling voice as he took his glasses off to wipe his tears.

Zachary bit down on his lip and said with a frown, “Let’s not tell Mommy just yet.”

Gavin was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth with his eyes all reddened.

It wasn’t until Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper noticed how quiet he had been that they turned around and realized something was off about him.

“Gavin?” Zachary gave his brother a little nudge as he called out to him.

The next thing they knew, Gavin collapsed to the floor and started convulsing on the spot.

“Gavin!”

“What’s wrong, Gavin?”

“Gavin, wake up!”

Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper were freaking out.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Zachary ran off to look for Benjamin.

“Mr. Graham! Help!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Benjamin stepped outside the moment he heard him screaming, only to see Zachary standing there with his eyes red and his face filled with fear.

“P-Please save Gavin, Mr. Graham…”

The look on Benjamin’s face changed instantly, and he rushed over to the kids’ room as quickly as possible.

“What happened to Gavin?”

“He…”

It was the first time Zachary had ever seen Gavin like this, so he was in too much shock to even speak.

Upon entering the room, Benjamin saw Gavin all tensed up as he continued to convulse on the floor.

“Shaun!” Benjamin yelled as he rushed to Gavin’s aid.

Oliver and Jasper, who were watching from the side in panic, quickly ran outside to call for Shaun as well.

“Help, Mr. Bailey!”

“Mr. Bailey!”

“Gavin needs help, Mr. Bailey!”

Shaun and Darius were playing with Jesse in the garden at the time.

Edwin happened to be passing by when he heard Benjamin and the kids yelling for help.

“What happened?” he asked as he came rushing over immediately.

“I don’t know why, but Gavin stopped moving all of a sudden!” Jasper sobbed uncontrollably.

Shocked by what he had just heard, Edwin quickly ran outside to summon Shaun.

Both Darius and Shaun went pale upon hearing that, and they went running into the house as quickly as their legs could carry them.

“What happened to Gavin?” Jesse began bawling when she saw everyone panicking.

“Don’t be afraid, Jesse. Gavin will be fine,” Darius comforted her as he carried her into the house.

In order to prevent Gavin from biting his own tongue by accident, Benjamin had to pry his mouth open and jam his finger between his teeth.

Shaun was surprised as well when he came upstairs and saw Gavin in that state.

“What happened?” he asked while preparing to rescue the boy.

“I have no idea!” Benjamin replied with a worried frown.

It pained Darius greatly to see Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper bawling their eyes out in fear like that.

“It’s fine, kids! Gavin will be all right!” he reassured them while putting Jesse down so he could help out.

In an attempt to comfort Gavin, Benjamin carried him in his arms and repeatedly whispered into his ear, “Relax, Gavin. Everything will be all right. Daddy’s here with you.”

It wasn’t until Shaun gave Gavin an injection that his body finally loosened up and relaxed.

“Is he going to be okay?” Benjamin asked anxiously.

“He’ll feel better after getting some sleep. How did this happen all of a sudden? Did he receive some kind of mental shock?” Shaun was utterly puzzled.

Gavin’s fists were still tightly clenched from the extreme anger he felt earlier.

Upon glancing at the kids, Benjamin noticed the fear in their eyes as they stared at him.

He then placed Gavin down on the bed and had Shaun continue examining his condition while he approached the kids.

“Don’t worry. Gavin will be fine,” Benjamin said gently with a sigh to comfort them when he saw them shivering in fear.

 

Chapter 417 No One Dared To Tell The Truth

The kids were plagued by guilt and fear of being scolded, so they felt a little better when they saw Benjamin comforting them instead of scolding them.

“Is Gavin really okay?” Zachary asked.

Benjamin cast a quick glance at Gavin, who was lying on the bed, before nodding at them. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. Mr. Bailey is an amazing doctor, after all.”

Shaun was nearly touched to tears when he heard Benjamin’s compliment, but he was so busy treating Gavin that he didn’t have time for such emotions.

Darius sat down beside Gavin and slowly loosened up his fingers that were tightly curled.

“We were scared witless when Gavin fainted all of a sudden, Mr. Graham!” Jasper sobbed.

Benjamin pulled him into his arms and wiped his tears dry before giving the other kids a hug.

“Don’t be scared. Everything will be all right.”

Zachary slowly calmed down when he saw that the adults were all present, especially with one of them being a doctor.

“Kids, did any of you say anything to Gavin before he fainted?” Benjamin asked.

Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper fell silent due to their guilty conscience.

“Did you guys say something you shouldn’t have?” Jesse asked while glaring at them.

Would it be too much if we tell Daddy that he won’t be able to find our missing brother anymore?

The three of them exchanged glances before Zachary, being the leader of the three, spoke up hesitantly. ”W-We were talking about where the evil woman took Gavin… Maybe it reminded him of some unpleasant memories, so he couldn’t stand it and fainted…”

As Zachary really did feel guilty, his act looked so convincing that Benjamin suspected nothing at all.

“Don’t worry. Gavin will be fine,” he said reassuringly while patting Zachary on the head.

“When will Gavin wake up?” Jesse asked with tears in her eyes.

“Gavin is asleep after receiving an injection, so he won’t be waking up so soon,” Benjamin comforted her before turning toward Shaun to ask, “Is Gavin all right?”

“He’s fine. Good thing it wasn’t anything serious. His body was tensed up due to extreme stress and emotions, that’s all,” Shaun explained.

Benjamin caressed Gavin’s cheek, feeling relieved that his jaw wasn’t tightly clenched anymore.

Meanwhile, Arissa woke up from her sleep all of a sudden.

Feeling an inexplicable sense of anxiety when she saw no one in the master bedroom, she quickly went out looking for her kids.

“Gavin! Zachary! Oliver! Where are you, my sweethearts?”

Arissa felt relieved when she found them inside the room. However, her relief was soon replaced by panic the moment she saw Gavin lying on the bed with Shaun, Benjamin, and Darius sitting beside him.

“What happened to Gavin?” Arissa asked worriedly as she rushed over to the bed.

“Gavin is fine. He just got a little stressed out, that’s all,” Benjamin replied with a frown when he saw that she didn’t have any shoes on.

Arissa frowned when she saw how pale Gavin’s face looked.

“Dr. Bailey, is Gavin really okay?”

“He’s fine, Mrs. Graham. Don’t worry. He’ll be all right when he wakes up,” Shaun reassured her.

Benjamin pulled her aside and said, “Go put some shoes on first. The floor is really cold.”

Arissa nodded. “What happened to Gavin? Why was he stressed out?”

“They say he was reminded of some unpleasant memories of the past,” Benjamin replied.

Still unconvinced, Arissa turned toward Zachary and asked, “Sweetheart, what happened to Gavin?”

“What Daddy said is true, Mommy.”

Naturally, Zachary didn’t dare to tell Arissa the truth.

Mommy has just woken up a while ago, so she probably can’t handle worrying about Gavin too much. I don’t think her heart will be able to take it if I tell her that our missing brother is most likely gone forever!

“Gavin is fine, so you should go put some shoes on,” Benjamin said as he helped her to her feet.

 

Chapter 418 Were You Home This Whole Time

Arissa ignored Benjamin and made her way over to the bed. “I’m staying here with Gavin!”

It pained her deeply to see her son lying there hooked up to an IV drip.

“You’ve only just woken up, so your body is still weak at the moment. How about you lie down in the same bed with him?” Benjamin advised her.

Realizing that everyone was looking at her worriedly, Arissa nodded and climbed into bed with Gavin.

“Get some rest, you two. Just let me know if anything happens,” Shaun instructed as he adjusted the drip rate of the IV drip before packing his kit and leaving the room.

Darius then brought the four kids outside so as to not disturb Arissa and Gavin.

“Come on, let’s go play downstairs.”

“Okay, Grandpa.”

Zachary glanced at Arissa to make sure she was feeling better before leaving with Darius.

Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse soon followed along.

Just like that, the room fell silent in an instant.

Noticing how Arissa was looking worriedly at Gavin, Benjamin poured her a glass of water.

“Here, have some water,” he said while handing her the glass.

“How long has Gavin been like this?” Arissa asked as she took the glass over from him.

“Just a moment ago. He has already been given an injection, so he’s fine now,” Benjamin replied.

Arissa nodded and downed the glass of water in one go.

“Do you want me to pour you another glass?” Benjamin asked.

Arissa shook her head. “No, one glass is enough.”

Noticing that Gavin still had a tight frown on his forehead, she reached out to loosen up his furrowed brows and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“Sweetheart, I’ll stay right by your side from now on, so no one will bully you ever again!” She then turned toward Benjamin and continued, “I’ll look after him, so you can carry on with whatever it is you were doing.”

“All right.”

Benjamin headed over to the master bedroom after a brief pause.

Has Benjamin been home the whole time?

Arissa wondered as she pulled the blanket over Gavin’s shoulders.

“Were you home this whole time?” she asked in surprise when Benjamin came back into the room later.

“Yes,” Benjamin replied while looking up at her.

Arissa felt touched upon hearing that. “Were you also the one who brought the kids home?”

She was feeling guilty as she had promised to pick them up from school but ended up going back on her word.

“My father was the one who picked them up from school,” Benjamin replied calmly.

Noticing the look of surprise on Arissa’s face, he added, “They know that you’re not feeling well, so they don’t blame you for not picking them up from school. They even made sure not to disturb you while you were sleeping.”

Arissa nodded in relief when she heard that, but felt worried when she saw how unwell Gavin looked.

Darius and Shaun tried to play with the kids downstairs, but none of them were in the mood to smile at all.

Eventually, Darius brought them into the kitchen and had them help prepare dinner.

Having something fun to do helped take their mind off the unpleasant situation, and their smiles slowly returned to their faces as they tried to make Gavin and Arissa the tastiest food possible.

Upon feeling something nuzzling against her chest an hour later, Arissa opened her eyes and saw that Gavin had woken up.

His face was still a little red as he snuggled his way into her embrace.

“Mommy!”

His adorable voice softened her heart up instantly.

Overjoyed, Arissa hugged him tightly as she exclaimed, “Sweetheart, you’re finally awake!”

Gavin nodded, but he was still in a daze and struggled to figure out how he fell asleep.

“Are you feeling any discomfort anywhere?”

“Nope!”

Gavin shook his head, only to frown when he recalled what he was doing before he passed out.

Arissa felt her heart ache when she saw how upset he looked.

“It’s all right, Mommy will protect you,” she said while hugging him tightly.

Gavin froze in confusion as he couldn’t understand why she would say that all of a sudden.

“I’m really fine, Mommy.”

He only fainted because he got too worked up, but Arissa insisted on checking him for injuries anyway.

 

Chapter 419 He Hates People Using Her Name

“I only fainted because I got a little too angry, Mommy!” Gavin exclaimed with his face red from embarrassment.

Arissa’s heart softened up a little upon hearing that. “Are you sure you’re not feeling unwell?”

Gavin nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure! How about you, Mommy? Are you feeling better yet?”

Arissa nodded as well. “I’m fine too. Do you want to carry on sleeping?”

Gavin shook his head. “I’m sorry for making you worry, Mommy.”

“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re all right,” Arissa said while gently running her fingers through his hair.

She then carried him into the bathroom, sat him down on the chair, and began wiping his face with a wet towel.

“Where are Zachary and the others, Mommy?” Gavin asked when he realized he hadn’t seen everyone else.

“They’re playing with your grandpa downstairs,” Arissa replied while washing her face.

“I’ll go find them then, Mommy,” Gavin said as he turned around and ran out of the room.

Arissa paused briefly in surprise, only to shake her head with a smile as she didn’t think much about it.

She saw Benjamin busily working on something when she came out of the bathroom, but she called out to him anyway, “I’ll be heading downstairs now, okay?”

Benjamin simply looked up at her and nodded before getting back to work.

Arissa then followed Gavin down the stairs, and everyone came rushing over the moment they saw him.

“Please don’t scare me like that ever again, Gavin! I don’t think my heart can take much more of this shock!” Shaun exclaimed as he gave Gavin a quick examination.

Gavin simply nodded at him in response.

“Are you all right?” Zachary asked worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine now. Looks like I really scared you guys, huh?” Gavin said apologetically.

“Yes, you did! You just stopped moving all of a sudden! Zachary was so scared that he started crying!” Jasper replied with a mischievous smile.

Zachary burned bright red from embarrassment upon hearing that. “You’re the one who started crying first!”

“Exactly! Jasper had snot all over his face!” Oliver chimed in as well.

Darius, Shaun, and Edwin had smiles on their faces when they saw the kids having fun again.

“Old Mr. Graham,” Arissa greeted as she made her way over.

“Are you feeling better? Go on and have a seat in the living room,” Darius said as he continued to cook in the kitchen with an apron on.

This was the first time she had seen him looking like this.

“I’m feeling much better now, Old Mr. Graham. Why don’t you go play with Gavin and the others instead? I’ll do the cooking.”

She couldn’t bring herself to let an elder do the cooking while she rested on the sidelines.

“No, that won’t be necessary. Edwin and I can handle this on our own. The kids were depressed because you and Gavin fell ill, so you should spend more time with them instead,” Darius said while waving at her.

Arissa shifted her gaze toward the kids in the living room upon hearing that.

All five of them quickly looked away when they noticed her staring at them.

Thinking they were just embarrassed to admit it, Arissa simply smiled at them without thinking too much about it.

Unbeknownst to her, the kids were actually feeling guilty about keeping a secret from her.

“Why don’t you stop worrying and just go play with them, Mrs. Graham?” Shaun suggested as he joined Darius and Edwin in the kitchen.

“Shaun, you need to stop calling me ‘Mrs. Graham.’ Just address me by my name,” Arissa protested helplessly.

“Well, Benjamin doesn’t seem to mind, so why are you complaining? In fact, he hates it when I address you by your name,” Shaun replied with a chuckle.

As if they had just discovered a huge secret, the kids stared wide-eyed at them upon hearing that.

Arissa cleared her throat awkwardly and said in her most casual tone possible, “That’s his business then, not mine!”

Not wanting to argue with her any further, Shaun simply flashed her a smile and went back to work in the kitchen.

 

 

Chapter 420 Thank Daddy

The five children held Arissa’s hands and led her to the living room. “Let’s go there and play, Mommy!”

“Sure!” Arissa nodded and went with them.

After making her sit on the couch, the children started pouring her a glass of water, bringing her snacks, and offering her fruits.

Some of them even gave her shoulders a massage.

Arissa chuckled. “What are you guys doing?”

“You’d better eat something first, Mommy. We’re still hours away from dinner time. I don’t want you to feel dizzy,” Zachary advised.

“He’s right, Mommy. Please eat something. You don’t want us to be worried about you now, do you?” Oliver knitted his brows.

Arissa grinned and responded. “All right. I’ll eat something.”

“Here, Mommy. Drink some water first!” Gavin gave her a glass of water.

Arissa took a sip and placed the glass right next to Gavin’s mouth. “Here, Gavin. Drink some warm water too.”

Gavin smiled and took a few sips.

Zachary could not believe his eyes. Did Gavin just drink directly from Mommy’s glass? Isn’t he a clean freak?

Upon noticing how shocked Zachary looked, Arissa raised her brows and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Zachary giggled cheekily and replied, “Gavin just drank from Mommy’s glass even though he’s a clean freak!”

Arissa’s mouth twitched, and she gave his son’s forehead a light flick. “You find my mouth disgusting, huh?”

“Of course not, Mommy!” Zachary immediately grabbed the glass and gulped the rest of the water down.

Gavin grinned in delight. He had no problem sharing the same glass of water with Arissa.

Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse leaped forward and tugged on Arissa’s arms. “We want to drink it too, Mommy!”

A glint flashed across her eyes. She smirked and asked, “What do you want to drink? Milk?”

The three little ones giggled.

“We don’t want milk, Mommy. We’re going to have dinner soon, after all,” Jesse said in a sweet and soft voice.

Arissa could not help but pinch her little nose.

“I didn’t get to pick you guys up after school. Please forgive me, okay?” she apologized.

“It’s all right. We don’t blame you. You didn’t pick us up because you’re sick. We understand that,” Gavin said.

“Thanks, Sweetheart.” Arissa gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Zachary and the rest, too, ran up to her, hoping to get a kiss.

One by one, Arissa planted a kiss on their cheeks.

Benjamin was pleased to see how Arissa interacted with the children. The corners of his lips curled up into a smile.

After watching them from the corridor upstairs for a moment, he turned around and left.

Sensing someone was looking at her, Arissa lifted her head to look around, but she did not see anyone.

She froze for a moment before telling the children, “Kids, why don’t you bring some snacks to your Daddy too?”

The five children exchanged glances. None of them wanted to go up to see Benjamin.

While Gavin was still mad at Benjamin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper felt a pang of guilt. They were afraid that Benjamin might ask them what they were doing in the room earlier.

Jesse, too, dared not go upstairs since none of her brothers were willing to make the first move.

“Why don’t you go instead, Mommy?” Gavin took a glance at Arissa. “When you were taking a jab, he was there with you. I’m sure he’ll appreciate the snacks you bring for him.”

Upon hearing that, Arissa could not help but sigh. She leaned forward and gently pinched the boy’s cheek.

“Don’t you blame Daddy anymore, okay? When you were sick, your daddy was super worried about you. He even stayed in the room to keep you company.”

Zachary and the others could attest to that.

“Yeah. Mr. Graham was so worried about Gavin when he fainted,” Jesse said.

She then turned to Gavin and said, “Mr. Graham was very, very worried about you!”

Zachary nodded in agreement, and he went on to describe how Benjamin looked at that time.

A surge of warmth filled Gavin’s heart when he heard what Benjamin did for him.

Arissa stroked his head and said, “You should go and thank Daddy.”

Gavin glanced at her and ask in a low voice, “Can you come upstairs with me, Mommy?”

Arissa grinned. “I don’t feel like moving. So why don’t you go alone? Remember to bring some snacks for your daddy, okay?”