Ch. 571..580

Chapter 571 No Hugging

Seeing as he wouldn’t be able to help out, Benjamin turned around and went back to his sons instead. To his chagrin, the five kids too, locked their bathroom door from the inside.

What’s the meaning of this? Why are they all guarding against me like I’m some sort of criminal?

He thought to himself with a frown.

Arissa soon finished bathing her daughter and was helping her get dressed.

“Mommy, do you think Mr. Graham is still mad at us?”

Arissa gave her a little pinch on the cheek.

“Are you afraid of him being mad?”

Jesse looked her in the eye as she whispered, “He looks really scary when he’s mad. It’s like his entire face just turns all dark and gloomy! Even my brothers don’t look that scary when they’re mad!”

Arissa chuckled. “That’s just how your daddy is like, Sweetheart. He rarely smiles since he’s been uptight for too long. It’s only natural for someone who’s always strict and stern to look scarier when they’re angry. Even so, he really loves you all. I’m sure you’ve felt his love, right?”

Even Arissa herself would get scared of Benjamin whenever he was angry, so she could see why the kids would fear him too.

She affectionately ran her hands through Jesse’s hair as she combed her hair into a cool-looking hairstyle, all while chuckling at how boyish she looked.

Jesse tilted her head as she said, “Mr. Graham loves my brothers.”

Arissa froze upon hearing that. Hmm? Is she still upset that Benjamin was cold to her before?

“That’s because he didn’t know you were his child at the time. Now that he knows, he’s been showering you with love and affection too, hasn’t he?”

Jesse nodded after giving it some thought. “Mr. Graham is indeed treating me a lot better now, but he sometimes looks at me really weird! It’s almost like I did something wrong again!”

Children were particularly sensitive toward such things, so Jesse could definitely feel it if someone didn’t like her.

Arissa let out a chuckle as she knew exactly why Benjamin had behaved that way.

“That’s because he still thinks you’re a boy, so he expects you to act like your brothers. For example, he believes boys shouldn’t be liking the color pink. That’s why he gave you strange looks when he found out you like pink,” she explained.

The look of sadness in Jesse’s eyes had disappeared after she heard that. “Oh… How long do we have to keep this secret from him, Mommy? What if Mr. Graham thinks I’m weird?”

Arissa gave her an affectionate tap on the nose as she said, “He won’t. He probably just won’t like it very much, that’s all. We’ll tell him when I feel like it, okay? Now, go on and play with your brothers! I’m going to take a shower!”

“Okay!” Jesse nodded and ran off.

Arissa waited till she had left her line of sight before returning to the bathroom.

Since her brothers weren’t in the bedroom, Jesse decided to go look for them in the bathroom outside. However, she had only taken a few steps down the corridor when she saw Benjamin working in the living room.

Still feeling a little afraid of him, Jesse tried to sneak past him on her tiptoes.

Of course, Benjamin noticed her creeping figure through the corner of his eye.

He furrowed his brows when he looked up and saw her cautiously trying to sneak past him, but quickly eased his frown when he realized it would scare the kids.

“Jesse!” he called out to her in a gentle voice.

Jesse jumped in shock upon hearing that. She then glanced at him nervously as she asked, “Am I disturbing you, Mr. Graham?”

“Nope!” Benjamin replied with a smile while motioning at her to come over.

Unsure of what to do, Jesse simply stood rooted to the spot and stared blankly at him.

“Come here, let me give you a hug!” Benjamin tried to coax her again.

What? Daddy wants to hug me?

Jesse’s eyes went wide at the thought of that, and her face burned bright red on the spot. “No! No hugging!”

While Benjamin was still stunned by her response, Jesse ran off to the bathroom and hammered on the door.

“Gavin! Zachary! Oliver! Jasper! Come out now!”

The five boys had finished showering and were getting dressed at the time. Upon hearing her call out to them, they quickly made a dash for the bathroom door.

Gavin, being the first one to come rushing out, asked, “What happened?”

Tim, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper then came out one after another with their clothes all in a mess.

 

Chapter 572 They Want To Sleep With Her

All five of the boys surrounded her and asked anxiously, “What’s wrong, Jesse?”

Jesse shot Benjamin a glance, prompting Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper to glare fiercely at him.

Even Tim was staring at Benjamin with a curious look on his face.

“Did you do something to scare Jesse?” Gavin asked.

Benjamin let out a helpless sigh as he looked at all six of his kids. He noticed that Tim was the only one not hostile toward him. If anything, Tim looked like he was confused instead.

“It’s not my fault he’s such a scaredy-cat!” Benjamin snapped back at him.

Gavin snorted defiantly. “Hmph! Of course it’s your fault! What, do you feel proud of yourself for making Jesse afraid of you?”

Benjamin’s eyelids twitched slightly. “I just wanted to give her a hug!”

Gavin paused and turned around to look at Jesse. “Daddy wanted to hug you?”

Jesse nodded at him in response, much to everyone’s relief.

Jasper gave her a light smack on the forehead. “And here I thought he was going to hit you!”

As Jesse held her head low in shame, Tim patted her on the forehead and said, “No hitting!”

Jesse flashed Tim a bright smile and said, “You’re such a nice brother, Tim!”

Jasper simply shot her a warning glare in response and kept quiet after that.

“What are you freaking out about, Jesse? It’s just a hug! Besides, this isn’t the first time Daddy has hugged you! Quit being such a drama queen!” Zachary teased her with a chuckle.

“Yeah! Daddy’s just trying to be nice to you, so why are you running from him?” Oliver chimed in as well.

Jesse simply stuck her tongue out in response while Zachary patted her on the head.

Jesse pointed at his clothes and said, “Zachary, you didn’t button up your clothes…”

“We got worried when we heard you screaming, so we came rushing out before we could get dressed!” Zachary mumbled as he and the other boys continued buttoning up their clothes.

“Is Mommy still showering?” Gavin asked.

“Yeah, she only started showering after she was done bathing me!”

“Come on, let’s go to her room!”

Jasper then grabbed Tim by the hand and ran off toward the bedroom.

“Hey, kids! Come here and drink your milk!” Benjamin called out to them.

The six of them stared at him for a bit before making their way over.

“Be careful, it’s hot!”

Benjamin said as he poured the milk from the jug into separate glasses.

Seeing as there was still some milk left in the jug, Gavin suggested, “You should pour Mommy a glass too!”

Benjamin shot him a glance as he replied, “I will when she comes out.”

Hmm… This kid sure knows how to care for his mommy these days…

Gavin handed Tim a glass of milk before getting one for himself.

“Tim, we’ll go to bed after we finish our milk!”

Tim nodded and started drinking his milk when he saw them all chugging theirs down.

Benjamin waited till they had finished their milk before bringing them to their bedroom.

Jesse tugged at Jasper’s sleeve and whispered, “Jasper, I want to sleep with Mommy!”

Jasper stole a glance at Benjamin before whispering into Gavin’s ear, “Hey, Gavin, how about we sleep with Mommy tonight?”

Noticing the look in his brother’s eyes, Gavin took the hint and nodded in agreement. “Sure, let’s head over to Mommy’s room!”

Not only will we get to spend time with Mommy, but it’ll also help Tim bond with her better!

Gavin then started leading the kids toward the master bedroom.

Naturally, Benjamin didn’t like that very much.

“You kids are sleeping in your own room!” he said with a frown.

“Tim and I haven’t really slept with Mommy before, so we want to spend a night with her!” Gavin protested.

Benjamin couldn’t bring himself to say no when he saw the yearning look in his eyes.

I’ve only slept with Gavin a few times when he was little. His fake mother Danna had always been putting up an act, so she never truly slept with him at all. As for Tim… Well, he has never slept with either of us…

With that thought in mind, Benjamin found himself giving in to their request.

“I’ve always been sleeping with Mommy before she moved in here, Mr. Graham! I want to sleep with Mommy!”

Jesse was very stubborn when it came to this sort of thing, so she mustered up the courage to ask Benjamin too.

 

 

Chapter 573 Up Your Game

“I’m not sleeping unless I get to sleep with Mommy!”

Jesse raised her adorable voice even more when she saw no response from Benjamin.

He let out a sigh and gave in at last. “Fine, we’ll all sleep together!”

The kids are still little, and this place is a new environment for them. I suppose having them all sleep together will make looking after them easier…

“Thank you, Mr. Graham!” Jesse said with a smile.

“Call me ‘Daddy!’“ Benjamin said.

Jesse’s face was all red as she covered her mouth and shook her head.

Benjamin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw how adorable she looked.

Being the more authoritative one of the brothers, Zachary spoke up. “You’ll have to up your game if you want us to call you ‘Daddy!’“

Benjamin smiled and patted him on the head. “In this case, do keep a close eye on my performance and let me know if I need any improvements!”

Zachary’s eyes went wide when he saw how easy-going Benjamin had become.

“For now, you need to stop following us and go take a shower! We can wait for Mommy on our own!” Gavin reminded him with a stern face.

“All right, you kids go wait for your mommy in bed. She takes rather long showers, so she won’t be done so soon. I’ll go take a shower myself now,” Benjamin instructed.

The six kids had always felt more relaxed without him around, so they were delighted when he agreed to leave them alone.

Upon seeing the kids happily climb into bed, Benjamin shook his head with a smile and went off to take a shower in the bathroom outside.

Arissa’s heart was instantly filled with joy when she came out of the shower and saw the kids lying in bed.

“You kids want to sleep with me tonight?”

“Yeah! Hurry up, Mommy! We’re getting sleepy here!” Jesse replied.

“Mr. Graham gave us permission to sleep with you tonight!” Jasper added.

“Mr. Graham was going to have us sleep in our room at first, but Jesse took care of the problem with her charm!” Oliver said.

Zachary chuckled. “Pfft! Jesse didn’t use her charm! She was just trying to sound fierce, that’s all! I bet Mr. Graham gave in to her cuteness instead!”

“We’re sleeping with Mommy regardless of whether Daddy allows it!” Gavin chimed in as well.

Tim snickered silently from the side.

“Now, now… Time for bed, kids! Have you all drank your milk?” Arissa asked with a smile.

“Yes, Mommy! Yours is outside!” Jasper replied.

“I’ll go get it for you, Ms. York!”

Tim then hopped off the bed and ran outside to fetch it.

Arissa had a huge smile on her face as she sat down beside the bed.

“We’ve already explained the situation to Tim, Mommy! He doesn’t blame you for what happened!” Oliver told her.

Arissa’s eyes lit up when she heard that. “Really?”

Jasper nodded profusely as he crawled over. “Yeah! Tim said it himself that he doesn’t blame you at all!”

Would be nice if Tim could call me “Mommy” too… Arissa thought to herself with a chuckle.

“Tim may not call you ‘Mommy,’ but I think he has already accepted you as his mommy!” Zachary comforted her.

“Just give him some more time, Mommy! I’m sure he’ll call you ‘Mommy’ soon!” Gavin added.

He too, used to think Arissa didn’t want him at first.

It wasn’t until after he found out the truth about what happened to her that he stopped blaming her.

Jesse was about to say something as well, but Arissa quickly stopped her with a shushing motion as she heard footsteps outside.

“Stop talking, kids! Hurry up and lie down!”

Gavin and Zachary exchanged glances before quickly lying down in their respective corners of the bed.

Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse too, snuggled up beside them.

“Take off your glasses, Oliver!” Arissa reminded him.

“Okay, Mommy!”

Oliver then sat up straight and placed his glasses on the nightstand.

Tim soon came into the room with a glass of milk in hand. Arissa swiftly made her way over and took the glass from him before leading him toward the bed.

“Come on, Sweetheart. It’s time for bed!”

 

Chapter 574 Tim Gives Her A Kiss

“Okay! You should get some sleep too after you finish your milk, Ms. York!” Tim replied while taking his shoes off beside the bed.

“I will!”

Arissa ruffled his hair affectionately. “Have you drank your milk?”

“Yeah, I have! I drank it together with Gavin and the others!” Tim said as he crawled over toward Gavin.

“Tim, would you like to sleep next to Mommy tonight?” Gavin asked softly.

Tim bit down on his lip as he felt a little shy about it.

Gavin then moved himself toward Oliver as he said, “You go sleep next to Mommy!”

The siblings even made sure to have Zachary sleep near the edge so that Jesse wouldn’t accidentally fall off the bed.

Arissa simply smiled as she sipped on her milk while watching their interactions from the side.

“Will Mommy be sleeping in the middle?”

“Yeah!”

Jasper let out a mischievous snicker as he placed his leg over Oliver’s tummy.

“Hey! Get your heavy legs off me!” Oliver protested and gave him a kick.

“I’ll sleep in the middle, so three of you will sleep on one side while the other three will sleep on the other!” Arissa said.

Oliver and Jasper glared at each other upon hearing that.

“You go!”

“No, you go!”

Oliver gave him a little shove. “You sleep on Zachary’s side!”

“Hmph! You’re always bullying me!” Jasper protested defiantly.

“You’ll be far away from Mommy if you choose to stay on this side!” Oliver reminded him.

Jasper paused as he thought about it and realized Oliver was right.

“Fine! I’ll go sleep on Zachary’s side!” Jasper then made his way over to the other side of the bed.

Having finished her milk, Arissa put the glass down and shut the bedroom door.

“Hurry up, Mommy!” they called out to her in unison.

“Okay!” Arissa responded as she climbed into bed and lay down with three kids on each side.

With Tim and Jesse closest to her, she gave them all a hug and a kiss on the forehead.

“Good night, Sweethearts!”

“Good night, Mommy!”

Gavin, Zachary, Jesse, Oliver, and Jasper all took turns kissing her on the cheek as well.

Noticing that Tim hadn’t done so, Gavin urged him, “Go on, Tim! Give Mommy a kiss!”

Arissa looked at Tim with an expectant look in her eyes, but Tim simply blushed without doing anything.

“All right, go to sleep now!” Arissa brushed it off as she didn’t want to force him.

Tim could tell that she was a little disappointed, so he leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “Good night, Ms. York!”

Feeling overjoyed, Arissa replied with a smile, “Good night, Sweetheart!”

She then switched off the light and hugged her kids to sleep.

Benjamin received a phone call after coming out of the shower, so it was really late at night when he ended the call.

Arissa and all six of the kids had already fallen fast asleep by the time he entered the bedroom.

Not wanting to wake any of them, Benjamin stealthily crept toward the bed and lay down next to Gavin.

With only the moonlight illuminating the room, he leaned over to give them all a kiss on the forehead.

Of course, he made sure to give Arissa one as well.

“Leave me alone! Go to bed!” Arissa opened her eyes all of a sudden, only to close them again after saying that and went back to sleep.

Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she didn’t realize it was him.

Did she actually mistake me for one of her sons again?

He thought to himself as he closed the blinds with the remote control before going to sleep.

Benjamin was the first to wake up the next morning.

Seeing as Arissa and the kids were still asleep, he gently climbed out of bed, got changed, and left for his morning run.

Arissa broke into a sweet smile when she woke up later on and saw her kids all still sleeping soundly beside her.

She took a moment to get a good, long look at them before getting out of bed to wash up and make breakfast.

Suddenly, she thought of Benjamin and checked the living room to see if he was sleeping on the couch.

Where did Benjamin sleep last night?

She then decided to check the study, but didn’t see him in there either.

Did he end up sleeping in the kids’ room?

With that in mind, she opened the door to the kids’ bedroom, but still saw no sign of him.

“What are you looking for?”

A familiar voice came from behind Arissa all of a sudden, causing her to jump in shock.

Arissa then turned around and saw Benjamin standing there in sports attire. He had clearly just returned from his morning run.

 

 

Chapter 575 I Slept With You Last Night

“N-Nothing at all!” she replied awkwardly while patting herself on the chest.

D*mn, how is this guy able to move so quietly? I didn’t even hear him coming! He nearly gave me a heart attack!

Benjamin grinned when he saw her blushing.

“Were you looking for me?”

Arissa got a little flustered when she heard that, but cleared her throat and tried to sound normal as she asked, “Did you sleep in the kids’ room last night?”

Benjamin asked with a chuckle, “You don’t know where I slept last night?”

Of course I don’t! Duh! Why would I even be asking this if I knew? The only reason he caught me snooping around was because I wanted to find out! Arissa thought to herself.

Benjamin flashed her a devilish smile as he grabbed her arm and led her toward the living room.

Because the palm of his hand was burning hot, Arissa instinctively tried to curl her fingers.

The look in Benjamin’s eyes changed when he felt her finger scraping against his palm.

Sensing a hint of sexual tension in the air, Arissa stole a glance at him, only to meet his eyes the moment she did.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Benjamin’s lips curled into a faint grin as he pinned her against the wall of the corridor and savored her blushing face.

This is all it takes to get her as red as a tomato? Man, she sure is cute!

Arissa’s heart was racing like crazy as she pressed her back against the wall, but she tried to play it cool and asked, “Oh? What’s with this move? Did you learn this from some cheesy romance flick, Graham?”

With an eyebrow playfully arched, Benjamin leaned in close and breathed down her face. His breath felt really warm on her skin, and Arissa found herself getting even more flustered as a result.

“What, you like it when I pin you against a wall?”

Benjamin’s insanely handsome face coupled with his casual tone made him all the more charming.

Unable to handle his charm, Arissa looked the other way as she mumbled, “N-No, I don’t!”

“Hmph, how stubborn!”

Benjamin’s grin widened as he slowly traced a finger across her cheek.

He was pushing all of her buttons in the right way and sending ripples through her heart.

“I don’t like it when you blush!” he whispered into her ear with a seductive voice, causing her to blush even harder in response.

What? Blushing is a natural physical response! It’s not like I can control whether I blush or not! I tried to remain calm, but my face just turns red on its own!

Benjamin felt incredibly satisfied when he saw her response.

“What do you want?” Arissa asked angrily when she heard him laughing.

Benjamin responded by caressing her face affectionately as he said, “I slept with you last night!”

The next thing she knew, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek and returned to the room.

Arissa buried her bright red face in her palms as she thought to herself.

What a jerk! He did that on purpose, didn’t he? No, this won’t do… I need to stay calm! I can’t be the first to freak out! Wait, I thought he was rumored to be uninterested in women? Why is he flirting with me now? Are all men like this? Also, what does he mean he slept with me? It’s obviously the kids that he slept with! Good thing there’s no one else around here, or they might really get the wrong idea!

She then smacked herself on the cheeks in an attempt to clear her head before entering the kitchen.

However, she froze in shock when she saw that the kitchen was completely empty.

Apart from milk, everything else was gone. It looked as if burglars had raided the entire kitchen overnight.

Even the refrigerator had been emptied, so there was nothing she could cook at all.

What’s going on here?

Her mind went blank for quite a while before she snapped out of it and decided to question Benjamin.

 

 

Chapter 576 Have You Forgotten Your Promise

She opened the bedroom door, only to walk right into Benjamin standing at the doorway.

Had he not caught her by the waist in time, Arissa would’ve fallen on her behind.

“Be careful!”

This time, his voice sounded stern as opposed to his playful tone from earlier.

After taking a few seconds to regain her composure, Arissa recalled what she wanted to ask him about and quickly broke out of his embrace.

“What happened to the kitchen?”

Benjamin simply shot her a glance as he grabbed some clothes and headed toward the living room. “We’ll talk in the living room.”

Huh?

Arissa froze and stared at him in confusion.

Benjamin turned around and said, “The kids are still asleep. Let’s not wake them now.”

Arissa could only nod and follow behind him.

Unbeknownst to her, Benjamin broke into a grin as he thought to himself.

Mmm… How obedient…

“Did you have someone remove all the food from the kitchen?” Arissa asked the moment they got to the living room.

Since Benjamin had just returned from his morning run, he was about to take a shower.

“Yup!” he replied as he continued making his way toward the bathroom.

Arissa was so caught up with questioning him that she followed him inside without even realizing.

“Why did you do that? How am I supposed to make breakfast, then?”

“The hotel will prepare breakfast for us. You can go back to sleep if you wish to kill time!”

Having set his fresh change of clothes down in the corner, Benjamin began taking off his shirt in front of her.

The sight of his well-developed muscles gave her quite a shock and caused her to turn around immediately. That was when she saw the mirror and realized she had followed him into the bathroom.

“I’ll be on my way out now!”

Benjamin glanced at her through the corner of his eye as she ran off. “I don’t mind having you scrub my back for me!”

Arissa ignored him and slammed the bathroom door shut behind her. Fearing the loud noise would have woken up the kids, she quickly ran over to check on them.

It wasn’t until she saw that they were still asleep that she breathed a sigh of relief. She then pulled the blanket over their shoulders before leaving the bedroom.

I can’t make breakfast since there’s nothing in the kitchen, and it’s still very early at the moment… Should I go back to sleep? Or should I just wait for the kids to wake up? D*mn you, Benjamin! You could’ve at least told me if you didn’t want me making breakfast! I wouldn’t have gotten up so early if you did!

She thought to herself while glaring fiercely at the bathroom door.

Eventually, Arissa decided to order some food from the menu and had the butler serve it up.

The butler had just brought the food over when Benjamin came out of the shower.

“Enjoy your breakfast, Mr. and Mrs. Graham!”

Arissa froze when she heard that.

Benjamin shot her a glance as he sat down at the table. “Go on, Mrs. Graham. Eat up!”

Arissa made her way to the couch and said defiantly, “I’ll eat when the kids are all here. You can carry on without me, Graham!”

Hmph! Does he really think I enjoy this title? I just didn’t feel like explaining myself, that’s all!

Benjamin narrowed his eyes. “Arissa, have you forgotten what you promised me?”

Arissa’s face turned gloomy when she recalled her promise and reluctantly returned to the table.

“It’s fine if you don’t feel like eating yet. You can always serve me while you wait for the kids!” Benjamin added.

Arissa felt the corner of her lips twitch as she tried to force a smile at his shameless expression.

“And how would you like me to serve you, Graham? Be careful what you ask for, because you might suffer indigestion as a result!”

“Go ahead and give it a try. We’ll see if I can handle it!” Benjamin replied while staring deep into her eyes.

Arissa gritted her teeth in anger when she saw how calm and collected he was.

“I’m going to start eating!” she said while sitting down at the table.

Benjamin flashed her a smile before gracefully eating the food on his plate.

Arissa stole one more glance at him before digging in as well.

The food made by the hotel tasted so great that Arissa’s mood improved significantly, and she became a lot more talkative as a result.

“Mr. Frank sure knows how to pick a hotel! The food here is amazing!”

Benjamin gave her a strange look when he heard that.

Noticing his response, Arissa paused briefly before asking in confusion, “What, am I wrong? This food does taste amazing!”

Benjamin arched an eyebrow at her as he replied, “Oh, you’re right about the food. There’s just one thing you got wrong.”

“And what would that be?” Arissa asked while munching on her food.

 

Chapter 577 The Best Boss

“This hotel is a subsidiary of Graham Group,” Benjamin said calmly before he continued chewing his food.

Arissa froze in shock.

What? This is a subsidiary of Graham Group? I don’t think it was stated in the files I read before!

Noticing the look on her face, Benjamin decided not to tell her that he had only acquired this hotel the day before yesterday.

“Does that mean everything here is for free now?” Arissa asked excitedly.

“Yup!” Benjamin nodded.

Arissa then happily grabbed the menu and started ordering dishes that she and the kids loved.

Benjamin didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when he saw that. “Those who don’t about us might think I’ve been starving you guys!”

Arissa shot him a glance and said, “No, of course not! You’re really nice to us, Graham! You’re the best boss I’ve ever seen!”

Her sweet voice brought a smile to his face, and the look in his eyes turned gentle as he looked at her.

“Do you always flatter your bosses like this?”

Arissa shook her head profusely. “Nope! You’re the only one I flatter! Wait, no… I mean, this isn’t flattery! I genuinely think you’re a good guy!”

Benjamin couldn’t bring himself to get mad at her when he saw how cute her response was.

Arissa then passed her order down to the butler and carried on eating.

“Benjamin, the chef here is really good! You should give him a raise!”

Benjamin nodded. “Sure!”

Arissa was a little taken aback by his response, but chose not to think too much about it.

As the butler returned with more food moments later, Benjamin instructed, “Give all the chefs here a raise.”

The butler was shocked. “Mr. Graham…”

“Just tell them Mrs. Graham enjoyed the food a lot, so we’re giving them a raise,” Benjamin added.

“Yes, Sir! Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Graham!” the butler exclaimed while bowing gratefully.

Arissa retorted softly with a pout, “Since when did I become Mrs. Graham?”

Noticing that the butler was still standing there and watching nosily, Benjamin shot him a warning glare in response.

The butler then quickly served up the food and left them alone.

What, you don’t like being called ‘Mrs. Graham?’“ Benjamin teased her.

“I’m not married to you, so you’ll give people the wrong idea!” Arissa protested.

“I’m not even worried, so why are you getting so worked up about it? Here, eat up!” Benjamin said while handing her a breakfast platter.

“You know what? It’d be a lot nicer if you’d be gentler instead of ordering me around all the time!” Arissa snapped back at him.

What? She’s starting to make demands now?

Benjamin frowned at the thought of that. “Shouldn’t you at least reflect upon yourself before you request such things from me?”

Arissa pouted. “Am I not gentle enough?”

“Hmph!” Benjamin snorted coldly, much to her chagrin.

The chefs were delighted when the butler informed them about the raise.

“Why are we getting a raise all of a sudden?”

“Because Mrs. Graham really likes the food you guys made. She’s the reason behind your raise!”

“Mrs. Graham sure is a nice person! Should we go thank her?”

“Maybe later! They’re having breakfast at the moment, so you guys probably shouldn’t ruin the mood for them!” the butler reminded them.

“Oh, right! They’re having a romantic breakfast right now, so we shouldn’t interrupt! Hey, boss! What other dishes does Mrs. Graham like? We’ll whip up some more for her!”

The butler, who had been personally serving Benjamin and the others, was actually the manager in charge of the hotel.

“I’ll let you guys know when I’ve figured that out. From what I know, Mrs. Graham really liked whatever I just served them. You guys can use those dishes as a reference to figure out what she might like. Try coming up with some different dishes this time. Don’t just make the same ones over and over.”

“Yes, Sir! We’ll come up with something different!”

 

Chapter 578 A Little Romantic

When they had almost finished eating, the children started getting out of bed one after another as the tantalizing smell of the food roused them from their slumber.

Tim was the first to wake up, and sensing his movements, Gavin and Zachary also followed suit.

“Could it be that Mommy is making breakfast again?”

Zachary glanced around but did not see Arissa.

“Let’s go out and take a look!” Gavin suggested, calling for the two other buys to follow him. The trio ran outside together, and their eyes widened when they saw Arissa eating breakfast with Benjamin.

They could not help thinking that the scene before them looked a little romantic.

Seeming to sense their presence, Arissa turned and saw the three brothers standing rooted to the spot in shock.

She beckoned at them happily. “Sweethearts, why are you just standing there? Come over!”

Gavin, Zachary, and Tim rushed over to them with a chorus of greetings.

“Mommy!”

Mommy!”

“Ms. York!”

“Daddy!”

“Mr. Graham!”

“Mr. Graham!”

Benjamin nodded at them. “Good morning.”

Their sweet and adorable voices melted Arissa’s heart, and she pulled them to her. “Come and have breakfast with me. Aren’t the others up yet?”

“Mommy, we haven’t washed our faces!” Zachary piped up as he stared at the delicious spread on the table.

Gavin and Tim nodded. “And we haven’t brushed our teeth!”

Smiling, Arissa stood up and quickly brought them to wash up.

“Come on. Go and brush your teeth first.”

After leading them to the bathroom, she went to the bedroom to wake the three younger children.

She leaned over and nudged them gently. “Sweethearts, it’s time to get up.”

Jasper turned onto his front and hugged the covers while Oliver also rolled away.

Meanwhile, Jesse burrowed deep under the covers.

The three older siblings slept in much more normal positions compared to them. Now that the older ones were not in bed, they began moving around and sleeping in various odd positions.

It tickled Arissa to see their actions. Clearing her throat, she said sternly, “Oliver! Jasper!”

The two boys sat up instantly and even stood at attention on the bed. “Yes, ma’am!”

She chuckled and instructed, “Go wash your faces.”

“Yes, ma’am!” With that, they jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom.

Gazing at Jesse, who was still curled up in bed, Arissa said, “Jesse, if you don’t get up, your brothers and I will be leaving you here.”

As she spoke, she patted the little girl’s bottom through the covers.

“Mommy, I still want to sleep…”

She raised her eyebrows. “Well then, go back to sleep. We’ll finish breakfast and won’t leave anything for you. The food prepared by the hotel looks so nice and tastes so yummy…”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she deliberately described how good the food tasted. She even smacked her lips to emphasize its deliciousness and tempt Jesse.

Jesse squirmed and finally poked her head out from under the covers.

“Mommy!”

Having just woken up, the little girl looked utterly adorable with her flushed cheeks.

Arissa picked her up in her arms and kissed her cheek. “Come on. I’ll take you to go wash your face.”

Jesse wrapped her arms around Arissa’s neck and leaned against the latter’s shoulder, still half-asleep.

Then, Jesse sniffed at her and asked, “Mommy, you’ve had breakfast already?”

Although Jesse was half asleep, she was still thinking about food. Arissa gazed at her in amusement and said, “Yes. I’ve almost finished with my breakfast.”

“Then is there any more left?” Jesse asked with a yawn. The thought of getting up to eat something delicious was tempting. However, she also felt like sleeping, and the two opposing thoughts locked horns in an inner conflict.

“Yes. But if you continue sleeping, there might not be any left for you to eat by the time you wake up,” Arissa replied, teasing her daughter.

Jesse pouted. “This is a hotel. I can just ask the kitchen staff to make some more.”

“Do you have money?” Arissa asked, arching her brow.

Jesse bowed her head and mumbled in a defeated tone, “No.”

Arissa carried her daughter into the bathroom with a chuckle and placed her on a chair. Dampening a towel with warm water, she proceeded to wipe Jesse’s face.

Jesse felt much more awake after that.

Then, Arissa squeezed some toothpaste onto Jesse’s toothbrush. “Hurry up and brush your teeth.”

 

Chapter 579 We Are Not Arguing

Oliver and Jasper looked up at Arissa as they stood to one side, brushing their teeth.

“Mommy, what time did you get up today?” Jasper asked, spewing foam everywhere as he spoke.

She pinched his cheek lightly. “Don’t talk while you’re brushing your teeth!”

As Jasper nodded obediently, Oliver secretly laughed and lowered his head to spit out the foam in his mouth. “Mommy, have Gavin and the others been up for a long time too?”

“They only just woke up as well. They’re washing up in the bathroom outside,” Arissa replied, dampening some towels and wiping the boys’ faces after they cleaned their teeth.

After that, she went out to check on the three older boys and saw they had just finished washing up.

“Sweethearts, come and have breakfast,” she called out while waving at them. The trio went over to the dining table.

Benjamin was still eating, and he poured glasses of milk for the children. “Sit down quickly and have breakfast.”

Arissa lifted each of the kids onto the chairs and took a few plates for them.

Benjamin watched her intently as she busied herself, then asked, “Are you done eating?”

Arissa turned to look at him. “No. Why?”

“If you haven’t, then sit down. Watching you bustle around is making me lose my appetite.”

Her lips twitched when she heard that while Gavin shot him a dirty look as he thought about how infuriating those words were.

“If you can’t stand watching my mommy bustle around, then don’t look!”

“Don’t talk when you’re eating!” Benjamin barked, reprimanding his son with a stony expression on his handsome face.

Gavin pursed his lips and ate in silence.

Arissa’s heart ached when she saw that, and she caressed the boy’s head gently. “Can’t you speak to him in a gentler tone?” she chastised Benjamin.

Benjamin glowered at her. “The children are already five years old. It’s time you let them learn to be more independent and stop doing everything for them.”

Arissa did not retort after getting admonished by him. Just then, the three younger children came running over.

As they climbed into their seats by themselves, she shot Benjamin a proud look.

“Do you think my darling children aren’t independent? I was only trying to interact with them more.”

Benjamin’s expression turned grim.

For some reason, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse immediately sensed something amiss in the atmosphere. Their eyes flicked back and forth between Benjamin and Arissa.

Then, they whispered to their older brothers, “Are they arguing?”

Gavin, Zachary, and Tim looked at each other.

“It seems like it,” Gavin answered.

Hearing that, Benjamin and Arissa were speechless for a moment.

“We’re not arguing. We’re just having a discussion,” Arissa explained.

All six children fixed their gazes on Benjamin.

Casting a glance at Arissa, Benjamin said, “Yes, I was having a discussion with your mommy. As you’re all older now, you need to be more self-aware and independent. Don’t keep waiting for her to help you.”

His words struck a chord within the children. Recalling how Arissa would always help them, they bowed their heads guiltily.

Seeing that, Arissa rolled her eyes at Benjamin.

“They’re all very independent. Does helping the children into their seats, getting their plates, and washing their faces mean they’re not independent?”

She could not help cursing inwardly. They’re only five years old, for goodness’ sake. I still have to watch over them a little with things like these. I correct them as I spend time with them. After all, it’s a learning process. Sometimes, I do it because I love them and want to dote on them. Is that wrong? Must I let them become self-reliant like adults? Is that the only way? My sweethearts are very independent, okay? They do so much for me that I sometimes don’t even feel a sense of pride from being a mother.

As Benjamin watched her closely and noticed her cheeks puffing with anger, his tone softened slightly as he said, “I was only reminding you to be mindful. It’s not the first time this has happened.”

 

Chapter 580 Are You A Big Baby

“They’re my children. If I don’t do these, who will?” Arissa retorted, shooting Benjamin a sidelong look.

Nonetheless, she did agree that what he said made sense, so she added, “I’ll be careful.”

These are things that I do at home, and there’s nothing wrong with doting them occasionally. Unlike him, who always looks so stern and serious. No wonder the kids are afraid of him.

After setting plates in front of Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse, she began serving them food.

“Eat up, Sweethearts!”

Even after she sat down and started eating, she did not forget to continue getting more food for them. “You should eat more. You’ll be going to the hospital later to spend time with Mdm. Mary, and there won’t be anything to eat there. You’ll have to wait until lunchtime.”

Then, she paused when she noticed Tim had left some food on his plate untouched. “Tim, why aren’t you eating? Does it not taste nice?”

Tim bit his lip. “I… It’s nice. It’s just that I want to bring some for Grandma.”

Arissa felt a pang in her heart. Patting his head affectionately, she said, “We’ll pack some for her later. These are for you, so hurry up and eat.”

She scooped up a mouthful of food and held it up to his mouth.

Tim quickly took the spoon from her and ate it by himself, sneaking a peek at Benjamin.

When Arissa saw that, she felt her chest tighten and glared at Benjamin. It’s all because of what he said earlier. Now, I can’t even feed my child.

Benjamin’s heart wrenched in pain when he saw the look of disappointment on her face and that she was on the verge of tears.

“Arissa,” he called out.

She ignored him and continued eating with her head lowered.

I like bonding with my children. I’m not like him, cold and distant.

“Take some omelet for me,” he ordered.

She gritted her teeth when she heard his voice, then lifted her head and glared at him.

Benjamin froze when he saw her fix him with a death stare. Did I go overboard with what I just said?

Suppressing her anger, she snapped, “You just told me off and wouldn’t let me help the kids. But now, you want me to get some food for you? Are you a big baby? Can’t you get it yourself? You’re a… fiend with double standards!”

Having noticed the instant darkening of his expression, she had forced herself to change her last sentence. I wonder if he’d kill me if I’d called him a dog instead.

Thinking that Benjamin had gotten what he deserved, the children snickered to themselves.

Gavin was especially gleeful, secretly giving his mother’s actions his stamp of approval.

If Arissa had not been fuming with anger, he would have burst out laughing.

Benjamin pressed his thin lips together tightly and flung down his knife and fork. “I’m full!”

Arissa watched him walk away with a smug look. Full from rage, I suppose.

Unable to contain his laughter anymore, a giggle escaped from Jasper.

“Hush!” Arissa hissed, motioning for him to watch his behavior.

Benjamin is someone who holds grudges. It’ll be bad if he overhears them laughing.

The children finally continued eating after giggling quietly for a while.

“You should all eat more. There’s still a lot of food. This one here and that one are nice too. Here, have some milk.”

Her soft and gentle voice would drift over to Benjamin from time to time, and he could feel his rage intensifying.

The sight of the seven around the table was such a happy and heartwarming scene that he felt the urge to join them. However, he could not let go of his pride.

Hence, he sat reading the newspaper in the living room. But only he knew how much he actually read as his gaze kept getting drawn toward the dining table.

“Mommy, I want to eat this!”

“Mommy, this is for you. It’s a little hot, so be careful!”

“Okay!”

Benjamin could not help feeling envious when he saw how close she was to the children and began reflecting on his behavior.

Was I too harsh? Is that why the children behave so differently when they’re with me compared to how they are with her? They share such a close bond with her, but with me, they feel afraid. Even Zachary, who has been by my side since he was little, is sometimes somewhat scared of me.

He pursed his lips as the thought crossed his mind. Since he was a child, Darius had raised him in a military-style setting with strict expectations, and he had been envious of the other children’s freedom.

Gazing at the kids, Benjamin fell into deep thought.