Ch. 661..670
Chapter 661 The Kiss
Benjamin leaned closer to her, and she could feel his warm breath puffing on her face.
Realizing what he was about to do, Arissa blushed uncontrollably and instinctively closed her eyes.
Suddenly, Benjamin noticed just how serious her wound was, so he suppressed his urge.
He couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw how ready she was to receive a kiss from him.
Despite the temptation, he applied the medication to her lips.
Arissa hissed in pain.
Benjamin immediately moved his hand away and asked with a frown, “Did I hurt you?”
Those words sounded particularly ambiguous and sensual to her.
With her cheeks reddened, Arissa shied away and answered, “Yes.”
“Okay. I’ll be gentler.” Benjamin had no idea what was going through her mind when he continued applying medication to her wound.
Arissa was looking at his sculpted face with the incredible features through her eyelashes.
She was staring at him intently without even blinking. He’s so handsome.
Suddenly, Benjamin uttered in his low, magnetic voice, “Arissa!”
“Yes?” She was staring at his elegant facial features in a daze.
“Be quiet!” Benjamin demanded.
Arissa widened her eyes in response. I didn’t even make a sound!
Benjamin’s eyes flashed, and he raised his gaze toward her.
Flicking her nose gently with his slender fingers, he said, “I could hear you staring at me.”
His hoarse voice caused Arissa’s heart to skip a beat. After averting her gaze, she uttered softly, “You were also looking at me.”
Benjamin chuckled softly and leaned over to whisper in her ear, “Did you want me to kiss you just now?”
Arissa could feel an intense warmth surge through her body, and she blushed. “I didn’t!”
Benjamin raised his brows and smiled at her wickedly.
In response, Arissa glared at him and asked, “Are you done applying the medication?”
Their faces were really close to each other, and she was practically breathing in the air he exhaled.
“Not yet,” Benjamin answered before squeezing out a bit more ointment to apply to her wound.
Benjamin’s gaze darkened when he saw her licking the corner of her lips.
At that moment, he felt a wave of desire surge through him.
“Stop licking!” he scolded in a deep voice.
Hearing that, Arissa pursed her lips sheepishly.
Benjamin had to put his urges aside so that he could re-apply the medication to her lips.
Since the ointment was cooling, Arissa felt a lot better after that.
“Before it heals, don’t lick your lips,” Benjamin reminded.
Arissa moved away from him and asked, “Isn’t this all your fault? Would I be wounded if you didn’t bite me?”
Benjamin’s gaze darkened after he heard her complaints. “Be good and don’t irritate me, then!”
Arissa was taken aback. “How did I irritate you?”
Benjamin kept mum and stared at her with a solemn expression.
Pinning him with her gaze, she queried, “Benjamin, you said I irritated you, right? Tell me how I’ve irritated you. You ought to explain it to me. Otherwise, how would I know what I’ve done wrong?”
When Benjamin met her bright eyes and noticed the sly, knowing gleam in them, a glint flashed across his eyes.
Arissa realized she had guessed it right after seeing the look on his face. She leaned closer to him and smiled. “Did you get angry because I mentioned something about marrying other men?”
Indeed, she was right.
Upon hearing that, a hint of uneasiness crept onto Benjamin’s handsome face, and he was getting mad because he was embarrassed by Arissa’s constant staring.
Thus, he glared at her.
Arissa couldn’t help but smile smugly. “Am I right?”
Suddenly, Benjamin pulled her in, held her head, and kissed her on her lips.
His tongue invaded her mouth as he devoured her lips like a starving man.
Once he had gotten the sweet taste of it, Benjamin couldn’t help but want more.
He was kissing her so passionately that she didn’t even have time to catch her breath.
It was as if he had lost control of himself.
Although Arissa was in pain due to the kiss, she couldn’t resist him. Instead, she gradually lost herself in his profound kissing skills.
Chapter 662 Buzzkill
Lost in the passion, Arissa couldn’t stop herself from responding. At the same time, her lack of experience in the encounter was making Benjamin even more excited.
Flushed and aroused, he swiftly pinned her on the couch.
The sounds of their actions were heard clearly in the quiet living room, and the passion was intense.
“Ahem!” Suddenly, someone came and ruined the moment.
After hearing the sound of a man clearing his throat, they could hear multiple footsteps closing in. It seemed like the kids had returned.
Arissa instantly regained her composure and pushed Benjamin away.
Benjamin turned to see who had ruined the mood.
Kingsley chuckled and said awkwardly, “I-I just wanted to come in and get some fruits. I didn’t know you guys were… Well, carry on. Carry on.”
When Kingsley saw Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper running toward the house, he quickly dragged them away and uttered, “Let’s get out of here. We don’t have any more fruits at home. I’ll bring you guys out to buy some, okay?”
The kids weren’t convinced. “Mr. Whitley said we do still have fruits! Don’t lie to us, Mr. Jack!”
“I’m not lying!” Kingsley pinched Zachary’s cheek.
Zachary snuck a peek inside and saw Benjamin and Arissa on the couch.
“Mommy!”
Kingsley quickly grabbed his hand and dragged the other two kids away. “Kids, your daddy and mommy are spending time together, so we shouldn’t disturb them!”
“Mr. Jack, are you sure Mr. Graham isn’t bullying Mommy?” Jasper asked.
Kingsley smiled and answered, “I’m sure! If we go in now, your daddy is going to be mad!”
Oliver adjusted his glasses before asking, “Mr. Jack, what did you see?”
Kingsley smiled wickedly and whispered, “I saw your daddy kissing your mommy just now!”
Indeed, if we hadn’t barged in, things would have definitely gotten intimate in there. Kingsley then remembered how murderous Benjamin’s expression had been. His heart trembled in his chest while the smile on his face froze. Should I escape and hide somewhere? What if he comes after me to kill me?
The three kids were stunned upon hearing that.
“Are you sure about what you saw?” Zachary was bewildered.
Kingsley glanced at him and nodded. “Yes! I interrupted them when I walked in just now, and your daddy shot me a frightening glare!”
“Hey, Mr. Jack! Let me off. I dropped my glasses!” Oliver shouted anxiously.
Kingsley froze and let go of the three of them.
In the next instant, the kids started running toward the house.
“Hey!” Kingsley chased after them and grabbed all of them by their collars. “What are you guys doing?”
“We need to see if Mr. Graham is bullying Mommy!” Jasper struggled to break free.
Kingsley was exasperated. “Don’t go back there. If you guys go there now, not only is your daddy going to be pissed, but your mommy will also be embarrassed!”
Zachary answered disdainfully, “Mr. Watts, unlike you, we’re not afraid. We need to keep a close eye on Mommy! Otherwise, we wouldn’t even know if she was bullied.”
“How is that bullying? Your parents are just getting closer to each other!” Kingsley brought them away once again.
As for the two adults in the house, one was embarrassed while the other one was left feeling frustrated.
Benjamin’s expression was extremely sullen because Kingsley had been a buzzkill.
Arissa, on the other hand, was blushing uncontrollably as she tried to straighten her clothes.
Her heart was racing wildly at that moment. He just almost took full advantage of me! In the living room, no less. What if the kids saw that? That would be so awkward!
“You—”
“You—”
Both of them spoke at the same time.
Benjamin stared intently into her eyes and said, “Let me apply medication to your wounded lips again.”
Arissa touched her lips, and she could still feel the warmth he had left behind. While blushing, she answered, “That’s not necessary.”
With that, she got up and ran to the bathroom.
He watched her running away, his gaze dark.
After a while, he curled his lips into a smile.
Chapter 663 Darius Grumbling
“Since you won’t let me apply medication, remember to apply it yourself!” Benjamin shouted in Arissa’s direction. How is she so easily embarrassed? It seems like she’s not that daring after all.
Arissa’s heart was pounding even harder when she got into the bathroom.
She then saw herself in the mirror. At that moment, her face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with desire.
Indeed, like Benjamin, she was also having a hard time trying to suppress her desire.
Her cheeks flamed hotly at the thought.
She only managed to calm herself down after staying in the bathroom for a while.
After washing her face, she made sure she wasn’t looking as red anymore before she left the bathroom.
Right then, she heard noises coming from the front door, so she went over to check it out.
There, Darius was ordering the butler from the Old Manor around. They were moving boxes that looked like presents.
When Darius saw her, he smiled lovingly and yelled, “Issa! Is Tim back as well?”
“Hi, Mr. Graham!” Arissa greeted him with a smile and walked toward him. “Yes, he’s here!”
“Is he inside the house?” Darius craned his neck to look into the house because he was eager to see his grandchild.
“They’re in the garden!” Arissa answered while pointing toward the lake.
“I’ll go over there then.” Darius turned around to leave, but he halted in his tracks and ordered William, “Quickly, bring all these boxes into the house!”
When Arissa looked inside the car, she saw it was filled to the brim with boxes. Even the trunk of the car was packed full too.
Surprised, she asked, “What are these, Mr. Graham?”
Darius smiled delightedly. “These are presents for the kids!”
This is too much, no? Arissa’s lips twitched. “Didn’t you already buy them presents last time around? Why did you buy them gifts again?”
“Tim didn’t get presents last time around. However, I couldn’t help but buy for Gavin and the others as well. After all, the other five of them aren’t going to be happy if they don’t receive gifts when Tim gets them!” Darius laughed and walked toward the lake.
“Issa, lead me there, okay? Are they over there? I didn’t see them when I was coming here just now. Is Edwin with them? I bet he didn’t see me just now. If he did, he would surely come and greet me…” Darius was grumbling agitatedly.
Amused, Arissa chased after him. “Slow down, Mr. Graham! There’s no need to rush!”
Darius smiled when Arissa went to him to hold his arm. He then complained about Benjamin to her.
“Issa, you have no idea how disobedient Benjamin is. Did you know he blocked my number? That’s not even all! He also blocked the Old Manor’s number, so no one could reach him. I couldn’t even call you or Gavin and the others when I wanted to. I’m so pissed!” Darius’ face was puffed up with anger.
Arissa was taken aback. “He blocked you?”
“Yes! He’s so mean,” Darius complained.
Arissa quickly comforted him when she saw how worked up he had gotten.
“I think he just didn’t want you to travel around too much. After all, you’re still bound to see Tim. We’ve only gotten back today, and I’ve been asleep till before dinner. That’s why we haven’t gotten the chance to inform you. I’m sorry to have gotten you worried!” Arissa was very apologetic.
“I don’t blame you. This is all Benjamin’s doing. He’s always trying to get me mad, and he won’t even allow me to see my grandchildren!” Darius gritted his teeth in anger.
Arissa let out an amused chuckle. “Calm down, Mr. Graham. You’ll see them soon!”
Her voice was so sweet and convincing that Darius felt much better after hearing that. He then smiled and looked at her when he asked, “Issa, is there another grandchild apart from Tim?”
Arissa blushed when she saw the eagerness in his eyes.
After smiling sheepishly, she answered, “No. Just these few!”
Darius chuckled heartily. “Six isn’t too bad at all. No one is able to surprise me as much as you did. Issa, thank you!”
If I bring all six of them out with me, my comrades are going to be so envious of me! With that thought in his mind, Darius was on cloud nine.
Chapter 664 Hiding Them From Me
Arissa did not know what he was thinking about, but the beam on Darius’ face caused the corners of her lips to lift as well.
Old Mr. Graham seems fun to be around. Why can’t Benjamin be like this instead of acting cold all the time?
“Um, Issa? They’re not here!”
As they talked, the pair arrived at the lake. Darius quickly scanned the surroundings for the children, but to no avail.
Puzzled, Arissa looked around as well. “Could they be further in front?”
I could have sworn they came back to the house…
Arissa brought Darius deeper into the garden in search of the children. The pair looked around for ten minutes, but there was no sign of them.
Darius’ expression was gloomy as he huffed. “Is Benjamin hiding them from me on purpose after finding out I’m here?”
Arissa glanced over at Darius, doubting his take on the situation.
“I don’t think so. Perhaps Mr. Watts brought them out to play?” Arissa suggested.
“Kingsley’s here?” Darius peered at Arissa as he asked, almost in accusation.
Arissa nodded in response. “Yep! He always has his meals here, along with Dr. Bailey!”
Tossing Darius an encouraging smile, Arissa reassured, “Don’t worry, Mr. Graham! I’ll just give the kids a call!”
As she reached for her pocket, Arissa quickly realized that she had forgotten her phone with her. “Sorry, Mr. Graham,” she apologized sheepishly. “My phone is not with me right now. Can I use your phone instead?”
Darius patted his pocket before exclaiming in panic, “My phone’s not here either!”
“In that case, let’s go inside first. It’s alright, Old Mr. Graham. You will get to meet them!”
With that being said, Arissa accompanied Darius back into the house.
While they were walking, Darius grumbled, “This has to be Benjamin’s doing. Before this, it was only Gavin. And even back then, he never liked to bring Gavin to see me. Now that there are five more, he still wouldn’t let me see them!”
With a huff, he pouted. “He’s the one that’s bad with kids, yet I’m the one who never gets to see them!”
Hearing Benjamin being scolded by Darius, Arissa instinctively jumped to his defense.
“Say, Old Mr. Graham. Does Benjamin know that you’re coming over?”
Ever since she came out of the restroom, Arissa had not seen even a glimpse of Benjamin. She did not know if he was still in the house or if he had gone out as well.
“Probably not.” Darius hesitated.
His answer managed to piqued Arissa’s curiosity. “Oh? If you don’t mind me asking, how do you know we’re back home?”
Darius broke into an impish grin at the question before lowering his voice to answer. “I hired someone at the company to inform me when Ethen returns. I then proceeded to go see Ethen myself, and Ethen told me that you guys are back!”
Realization dawned on Arissa.
When they returned to the house, William had already carried all the presents into the house and arranged them nicely with the help of others.
Darius slumped onto a couch. Disappointment was written all over his face for not being able to see his grandchildren.
Amused by Darius’ actions, Arissa smiled and poured him a glass of water.
“Have some water, Old Mr. Graham. I’ll call them now!”
Picking up her phone, she immediately dialed Gavin’s number.
Sipping the glass of water, Darius stared at her in anticipation.
“Has anyone picked up?” he asked, impatient.
Arissa shook her head. “Not yet.”
It’s been ringing for a while now. Why hasn’t he picked up?
In the end, the call went to voicemail.
Seeing that Darius had gotten increasingly restless, Arissa comforted the old man. “Maybe he didn’t hear the ringtone. Let me try calling Zachary!”
Upon hearing the suggestion, Darius nodded.
Arissa quickly dialed another number. To her dismay, the phone’s ringtone could be heard from upstairs. From the looks of it, Zachary had left his phone at home.
Without another choice, Arissa called Kingsley instead. That time around, it only took a few seconds for the call to be connected.
“Arissa!”
Kingsley sounded surprised to be hearing from Arissa. “Why are you calling me? Aren’t you having some time of intimacy with Benjamin?”
The corners of Arissa’s lips twitched slightly. Glancing at Darius, she could only pray that she was not blushing.
“Mr. Watts, are the kids with you? Did you bring them out to play?”
“Yeah! Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them. I promise I’ll send them back later,” Kingsley quickly reassured.
Upon hearing his answer, Arissa breathed a sigh of relief. “Grandaunt and Edwin aren’t here either. Are they with you too?”
“Yeah! This is the first time Mdm. Mary has been to Dellmoor, we’re taking them around to sightsee and familiarize themselves!”
Just as Kingsley was speaking, Darius gestured at Arissa, asking her to pass him the phone.
“Pass me the phone, Issa! Let me speak to him!”
Chapter 665 I Am In The Wrong
“Oh, okay…” Arissa immediately handed the phone to Darius.
The moment Darius took the phone, he began giving out orders in a grim tone.
“Kingsley! Where have you brought the kids! Bring them back now!”
“Mr. Graham…”
Kingsley was dumbfounded to hear Darius’ voice over the phone.
“Mr. Graham, I’ve just brought them out. We haven’t even gone anywhere fun yet. I’ll bring them back soon!” Snapping out of his shock, Kingsley argued.
Darius’ eyebrows knitted together tightly, not pleased by the fact that he had to wait even longer to see his grandchildren. Who knows how long I have to wait!
“Bring them back first! You can take them out some other time! Come back now!”
With that, Darius hung up the phone.
Just then, Arissa brought out a platter of fruits and served it to Darius.
“Have you had your dinner, Old Mr. Graham?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Darius nodded cheerfully. With a polite grin on his face, he told Arissa, “You don’t have to accompany me! Go rest. I’ll wait for them on my own!”
Arissa merely smiled in response. Naturally, it would not be polite for her to leave her guest on his own.
“Go rest, Ms. York! I’ll stay with Mr. Graham.” William chipped in from the side.
“It’s alright. It’s still early. I’ve only just finished eating when you guys arrived!” Arissa smiled politely at William.
“Please, take a seat! I’ll go see if Benjamin is in the study!”
From the phone call with Kingsley just a moment ago, Arissa assumed that Benjamin did not go out with them.
“You don’t have to get him. I’m not here for him anyways. The mere sight of him annoys me!” Darius snorted in anger.
Arissa laughed courteously in response.
“Take a seat, Issa! Have a cup of coffee with me!”
As he spoke, Darius glanced at William, motioning the latter to make coffee.
Taking the hint, William quickly brewed them a pot of coffee.
Without much choice, Arissa sat down and started striking up conversations with Darius.
Nevertheless, she sent a text to Benjamin in secret, informing him that Darius had come to visit.
Within minutes, Benjamin showed up in the living room.
Arissa’s eyes lit up at the sight of him.
On the other hand, Darius pursed his lips together in a prideful manner upon seeing Benjamin.
“What are you doing here?” asked Benjamin as he took a seat next to Arissa.
However, the simple question was enough to tick the old man off.
“What is that supposed to mean? Am I not welcomed here?”
Darius glared at Benjamin.
In contrast to Darius’ frustrations, Benjamin’s expression remained calm.
Seeing that Benjamin could not be bothered, Darius’ fury spiked even higher.
“Why did you block my number? Not answering my phone calls is one thing. Who are you to forbid me from seeing my own grandkids?” Darius hollered.
Benjamin merely glanced at Darius calmly.
“Aren’t you tired from running around all the time?” he asked casually.
Darius’ lips twitched in frustration.
“Who’s tired? I’m not tired,” argued Darius.
“I’m beyond excited to meet my grandchildren!” he huffed.
Benjamin raised an eyebrow at Darius. “Look at you, huffing and puffing as you speak. Are you sure you’re not tired?”
Darius almost fainted out of anger.
“Look at this attitude, Issa. Have you seen anyone else speaking to their own father in this manner?” Darius pointed an indignant finger at Benjamin.
Sensing the rise in tension, William quickly fanned Darius to cool him down.
“He’s definitely in the wrong, Old Mr. Graham!”
Arissa agreed with Darius. She herself was appalled by Benjamin’s attitude toward Darius as well.
Upon hearing her response, Benjamin narrowed his eyes and turned to look at her.
Sensing Benjamin’s eyes on her, Arissa pretended not to notice and ignored him.
If she acted clueless, Benjamin could not do anything.
However, Benjamin did not plan to let her off the hook.
He raised his hand out and pinched her cheek.
“I’m in the wrong?”
Arissa sucked in a sharp breath in pain before shooting him a glare.
“Obviously you’re the one in the wrong! How could you talk to Old Mr. Graham that way? He’s your father!”
“Hmph!” Benjamin let go of her cheek and leaned into the chair, crossing his legs domineeringly.
Arissa rubbed her sore cheek while looking at him speechlessly.
“What did Dad give you for you to take his side?” Benjamin teased.
One could easily tell from his voice that he was not mad.
Darius eyed the couple back and forth. Seeing that the pair seemed to have gotten closer than they were before, he could not help but feel delighted.
“Issa, come over here.” Darius waved Arissa over.
Out of reflex, Benjamin shot Darius a glare.
Just as Arissa was about to make her way over, Benjamin reached out to grab her shirt.
Chapter 666 Just Register Your Marriage Already
Arissa took a seat back out of habit and shot a glare at the man.
“What are you doing?”
“Be good and sit still!” Benjamin ordered as he cocked his head sideways to look at Arissa.
Arissa did not take it well.
Darius glared at Benjamin and chided, “Little punk, you’d better be gentler to Issa!”
Benjamin gave his father a sideways glance and said, “It’s already so late. Why are you still here?”
Darius gritted his teeth in frustration. “I have not met my grandchildren yet. Do you think I don’t dare to stay the night if you chase me out the door right now?”
At the sight of Darius almost gasping for air from the rage, Arissa hurriedly tugged at Benjamin’s sleeve.
“Mind your tone with Mr. Graham. Don’t anger him further.”
Benjamin took a look at her fair hand, and the tense expression on his face eased a little.
“Where did the kids go?” he asked in a gentle voice.
“They went out with Kingsley,” she replied.
Benjamin furrowed his brows and gave Kingsley a call.
Over the phone, Benjamin ordered in a low voice, “Hurry up and bring them back right now!”
Darius was not sure if he should be happy or angry about the matter.
Can’t this little punk let me stay longer?
However, at the thought that he would be able to see his grandchildren soon, Darius was overjoyed.
“Old Mr. Graham, please enjoy the tea,” William said as he served Darius some tea.
“Okay.”
Darius nodded. He took over the cup of tea and started to enjoy it.
William served Benjamin a cup of tea as well and said, “Please enjoy the tea, Mr. Benjamin.”
“Please enjoy the tea as well, Ms. York.”
“Thank you,” Arissa replied with a smile.
William flashed a smile at her.
Arissa stole a glance at Benjamin. Does he have siblings? Why is the butler addressing him as Mr. Benjamin?
Then, she recalled that Benjamin was actually the third child of Darius. However, she had never met his siblings even after having known him for quite some time.
“What do you plan to do now that all your children are found?”
Arissa’s train of thought was instantly pulled back to the present with Darius’ question.
Benjamin leveled a stare at his old man and said, “Haven’t you got it all planned out already?”
“Are you saying you agree to my plans?” Darius’ eyes glinted.
He hurriedly glanced at Arissa and said, “Issa, the children have been back for quite some time. It’s time for them to meet their relatives. They have not paid their respects to their ancestors either. So, I’m planning on picking out a good day for them to go back and pay their respects to our ancestors together with the other family members. Otherwise, it’s going to be awkward when they cannot recognize their own relatives out there. What do you say?”
It was not the first time Darius had brought it up, and Arissa did not have anything against the idea either.
“Sure, no problem.”
Darius was thrilled to hear her reply. “So I’m going to proceed with the arrangement?”
“Okay!” Arissa nodded.
Overjoyed, Darius hurriedly ordered William to make the necessary arrangements so that it could be done as soon as possible.
“I will let you guys know once the dates have been arranged. Oh, there’s one more thing—”
Darius eyed the two of them and paused mid-sentence. They are such a good match for each other.
A wide grin appeared on his face as the thought crossed his mind.
Benjamin’s eyes flashed with an enigmatic glint.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Graham?” Arissa asked.
“Um, shouldn’t you guys register your marriage?”
It would be easier to explain to others about the children’s identities as well.
Darius did not wish for others to gesticulate at his grandchildren, claiming that they were children born out of wedlock.
Arissa glanced at Benjamin. After all, it was not something that she could decide on her own.
Benjamin cast a sideways glance at her. “The old man is asking you a question.”
Arissa was taken aback by his remark and shot him a glare.
Is this something I can decide on my own? This is marriage we’re talking about, and it takes two people to get married!
A mischievous look fleeted across Arissa’s eyes as she noticed Benjamin’s indifferent manner.
She smiled and said to Darius, “Mr. Graham, we will pick a date and register our marriage.”
Darius’ lips curled into a wide smile. He even let out a chuckle when Benjamin did not protest.
“Great! That’s great! I’ll wait for the registration then! William, hurry up and pick an auspicious date for them to get married. We can delay the matter of the children paying respect to the ancestors.”
Chapter 667 No One Else In My Family
Arissa peered at Benjamin and, upon noticing the dark look in the man’s eyes, deliberately ignored it. You’re the one who told me to reply.
As Darius gave out orders to William, he was also carefully observing Arissa and Benjamin. The old man was overjoyed to see that Benjamin did not get angry nor protest the arrangement. “Issa, your family—”
Darius was interrupted by Benjamin before he could finish his sentence. “Go back if you aren’t staying for tea!”
Darius widened his eyes. When he met Benjamin’s gaze and noticed the dark look in them, he was taken aback.
He glanced at Arissa. Have I said something wrong?
Arissa looked at Benjamin and said to Darius honestly, “Mr. Graham, I’m the only one in my family.”
Darius nodded his head awkwardly.
“I didn’t know that.”
“It’s all right!” Arissa said with a smile. “You were saying?”
Darius stared at her for some time before saying, “I was about to ask about your family members so that I could arrange for Benjamin to ask for your hand in marriage in front of them…”
After all, Arissa was about to marry into the Graham family. Darius deemed it necessary that all proper etiquette be observed.
Darius had wanted to pay a visit to the York family.
“There’s no one else around, really. Both my mother and Granddad have passed away.”
She made no mention of Regan.
“It’s all right, Mr. Graham. This is going to save you the trouble.”
She’s the one saying yes to this. I’ve said nothing.
Benjamin glanced at her. Upon confirming that she was not upset, he eased the tense look on his face.
“It’s no trouble at all. We could maybe pay respects to your ancestors if you don’t have other family members around,” Darius said amiably.
Arissa noticed that Darius was particularly insistent on adhering to the proper etiquette. Hence, she nodded and said, “Mr. Graham, I will pay my respects someday.”
“It’s not only you. It’s the two of you, together.”
He threw a look at Benjamin and said, “Let me know when you guys plan to come back. I’ll prepare something for the two of you.”
Arissa smiled and nodded. She did not have any other choice but to agree with Darius. After all, she was the one who agreed to register her marriage with Benjamin.
In truth, she had not anticipated the turn of events as well.
Benjamin merely sat at one side and did not utter a single word.
Arissa grew more and more uneasy as Darius droned on about the details.
Does Benjamin think that I’m shameless?
Arissa somehow felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
She dared not even cast a glance in Benjamin’s direction.
Right then, the rumble of a car’s engine sounded outside the house.
Darius’ eyes lit up. “Are the children back?”
“I think so,” Benjamin replied as he peered at his father.
“Let’s go check it out!”
Darius could not hold in his excitement as he beckoned at William.
The old butler hurriedly helped Darius to his feet before the two of them headed outside briskly.
Arissa trailed behind them.
Benjamin fixed his gaze on her and got up to follow.
The car came to a stop just when they reached the front door.
Kingsley came out of the driver’s side.
Darius hurriedly took a step forward and asked anxiously, “Where are Gavin and the others?”
Kingsley smiled and replied, “They’re in the car. Be patient. I’ll carry them out of the car right now.”
Then, he threw a look at Arissa and Benjamin before he hurriedly headed for the backseat to carry the six children out of the car.
“They made it back safely!”
It was as if Kingsley was making a declaration to Benjamin.
Benjamin’s handsome face darkened as he proceeded to warn his friend, “Do not bring them out of the house ever again.”
“Yes, yes,” Kingsley hastily replied.
The six children took a look at Benjamin. They were stumped and did not understand why he was angry.
Benjamin was just worried about their safety. After all, having been in the business circle for years, he had offended quite a handful of people.
Darius could not peel his eyes off his grandchildren the moment he set sight on them. His face split into a wide grin.
He hugged the six children and smiled as he carefully sized them up.
His gaze last fell on an unfamiliar face—Tim. The little guy was dark-skinned and skinny.
Tim was as thin as a rake, especially standing next to his other siblings. Darius felt his heart wrench for the little boy.
“Are you Tim?” the old man asked gently.
Tim did not know who he was. However, he noticed the greying strands of hair by Darius’ ears and nodded politely to greet the old man.
Chapter 668 Darius Finally Meets Tim
“Good boy.” Darius caressed his head fondly. “I finally got to meet you, Tim. Let your grandpa hug you, okay?” he asked softly, afraid of scaring the young boy.
Tim widened his eyes as he stared at Darius. This old man is my grandpa? “Tim, he’s your grandpa!” Gavin said to him. “Hello, Grandpa!” Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse greeted sweetly.
“Hello!” The old man hurriedly hugged the four of them to comfort himself as he had missed his grandchildren.
“I’ve missed you all so much!”
Darius hugged them for a while. After that, he moved to hug Gavin, but the latter shrank back.
Darius was amused by his reaction. He patted Gavin’s head before looking at Tim.
“Can I hug you?”
The boy was a little shy.
Zachary tugged at his sleeve. “Go on and greet Grandpa!”
Darius looked at Tim in anticipation.
Tim’s lips quivered for a moment before he softly greeted, “Hello, Grandpa.”
“Hi!”
Overjoyed, Darius picked the little boy up as he proudly bragged to everyone, “Tim called me Grandpa!”
Benjamin was a little jealous. The brat hasn’t even called me Daddy.
Arissa observed the interaction between the old man and the children with a smile. When she noticed Shaun and Jack returning with Mary and Edwin, she quickly approached them.
“Grandaunt!”
Everyone helped the old lady alight the car before Arissa pushed her over.
Upon seeing the unfamiliar face, Darius looked at Benjamin.
“This is Grandaunt Mary, the woman who raised Tim,” Benjamin introduced her to Darius.
As realization dawned on the latter, he greeted Mary enthusiastically, “So, you’re Mary. I’m very grateful to you.”
“It’s fine!” she replied nervously.
Arissa leaned forward and introduced to Mary, “Mr. Graham is Tim’s grandpa.”
The latter nodded in response as she knew who Darius was.
“Hello!”
“Come in and have a seat. It’s windy out here.”
Darius carried Tim in one hand and held Jesse’s hand with the other as he ushered Mary into the house.
“Let’s head in, Grandaunt.”
As Arissa pushed Mary into the house, she turned her head and shouted to the children, “Come inside, sweethearts!”
With that, Gavin led Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper into the house.
Benjamin furrowed his brows when he saw Darius holding onto Jesse’s hand.
“We had just gone out when you and Mr. Graham urged us to come back. We didn’t even get a chance to take them for a walk,” Kingsley complained.
Benjamin shot him a glare as he chided, “Why did you bring them out?”
Kingsley pouted. “Can’t you tell that I did it out of consideration for you and Arissa? You two can spend some quality time together when we’re out. Have you…”
His words grew suggestive as he spoke.
Benjamin’s handsome face instantly darkened.
Kingsley kept his mouth shut and looked at Benjamin’s grim expression. Is he dissatisfied?
As he recalled that Darius had come only shortly after they left, he felt that it was most likely the case.
Benjamin responded by rolling his eyes.
“Why are you still here?”
Kingsley looked at him as though he had been wronged. “But I haven’t spent enough time with them!”
Shaun patted his shoulder as he chuckled. “I think it’s better that you leave.”
“You wish! You think I don’t know that you want to send me away so you can spend some time with the cutie pies?” Kingsley harrumphed before running into the house.
Darius sat down with Jesse while still carrying Tim as he entertained Mary.
William quickly served Mary some coffee.
“Thank you.”
The old lady was not used to being treated with such respect, so she was a little flustered.
“Have some coffee, Grandaunt,” Arissa said gently as she sat beside the older woman and held her hand.
With Arissa by her side, Mary did not feel so nervous.
Arissa lifted the cup to offer the old lady some coffee.
The other children came in and also sat beside Arissa. After entertaining Mary for a while, Darius began to play with the children.
Chapter 669 Presents For Tim
Benjamin entered with Kingsley and Shaun and sat off to the side. Edwin instructed Jack to follow him and prepare some food for everyone.
“Sweethearts, I’ve brought presents for you all!” Darius told the children with a chuckle. “Sweethearts, I’ve brought presents for you all!” Darius told the children with a chuckle.
Jesse was delighted and clapped her hands. “Thank you, Grandpa!”
“Good girl.” Darius happily dipped his head and kissed the little girl’s forehead.
“Thank you, Grandpa!” Oliver and Jasper expressed their gratitude gleefully.
Zachary also echoed them.
“Come. I’ll take you all to see the presents!”
Darius picked up Tim and Jesse and ushered the other four children upstairs to unwrap the gifts.
As Zachary jumped off the couch, Oliver, Jasper, and Gavin followed suit.
Edwin and William quickly followed to take care of the children.
“Tim, I didn’t know what you like, so I bought some toys!” Darius told the little boy in his arms.
His heart ached the more he looked at the skinny boy.
He’s too thin.
“Thank you, Grandpa,” Tim replied softly.
Noticing that the boy was shy, the old man smiled. He then brought the children into the bedroom to see the gifts.
“Which of these are for Tim, Grandpa?” Gavin asked as he looked at Darius.
“These are for Tim. Those are for you all,” Darius told them and allowed William to distribute the gifts.
Upon seeing the pile of presents, Zachary and the others were overjoyed.
“Have a look at the presents, Tim, and see if you like them!”
Darius brought Tim over to open his gifts.
Tim looked at him before looking at Gavin. Upon seeing that his presents were more than the others, he bit his lower lip.
“Why do I have so many presents, Grandpa?”
Darius, William, and Edwin were momentarily stunned. Then, they smiled contentedly.
Darius patted the little boy’s head. “Because I’ve never bought presents for you. I’ve gifted Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse before, so I bought more for you this time!”
He then unwrapped one of the gifts and took out a toy car.
“Do you like it, Tim?”
Tim stared at Darius but could not bring himself to take it.
Seeing that, Gavin ran over.
“Tim, this is from Grandpa. Take it. We still have a lot of toys. This is also for you.”
Gavin gave the airplane he had just unwrapped to Tim.
“I don’t want it. It’s yours!” The latter turned him down.
Darius smiled. “You also have a plane.”
The old man quickly found it and unwrapped it for the little boy.
Gavin took it and stuffed it into Tim’s arms. “Hurry up and take it. You can also have my other gifts if you like them!”
Tim hugged the toy, feeling touched. “Thank you!”
Gavin patted his head. “This is my home as well as yours. We can share our toys!”
Darius, William, and Edwin were pleased to see the little boy acting more like an older brother.
Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse also carried their toys over to Tim.
“This is also for you, Tim. Grandpa previously bought us many gifts!”
Tim was instantly surrounded by toys.
Jasper let out a laugh as he took a picture with his phone.
“Look over here, Tim!”
Tim looked over at him, a little confused.
Everyone burst into hearty laughter.
Their reaction made him blush even harder.
“Tim is blushing!” Jesse chuckled joyfully.
Jasper slid over with his toy car.
“Get on, Tim! Let me drive you around.”
Zachary and Oliver also came over to coax Tim to play.
Children get along with one another easily, and soon, Tim was playing with all kinds of toys with them.
Many of the toys he had never seen before, but he still liked them very much when he saw them. For those that he did not know how to play, Gavin and the others taught him.
Darius and the two butlers sat to the side and watched the six children play with adoration written all over their faces.
Chapter 670 Bradley Deliberately Hung Up On Arissa
Downstairs, Benjamin, Kingsley, and Shaun were drinking coffee. Meanwhile, Arissa was chatting with Mary. Noticing that the latter seemed a bit tired, she suggested, “Grandaunt, why don’t you take a bath and rest? You still have to go to the hospital early morning tomorrow.”
“Uh…” Mary hesitated for a moment, finding it rather inappropriate to go and rest when everyone was gathered there. “I can stay and sit for a while longer.”
Aware of her concern, Arissa coaxed smilingly, “Let them sit here by themselves. I’ll take you back to your room. It’ll be late by the time you finish bathing.”
“Mdm. Mary, you should really rest earlier. You have to go to the hospital early tomorrow morning. When you’re done bathing, I’ll check you over again,” Shaun seconded.
Nodding, Mary finally allowed Arissa to help her up and escort her back to her room.
Arissa helped to draw her a bath before preparing a set of clothes for her.
“Issa, go out and sit with them. I can manage by myself.”
In other words, Mary was telling her that she didn’t need her to wait on her there.
In response, Arissa chuckled. “It’s okay. The men are all drinking coffee, so I’d be the odd one out. Hurry up and take a bath, Grandaunt. I’ll put the towel here, and this is the shower gel.”
“Got it!” Mary relented.
Only then did Arissa shut the door and left the bathroom.
As she abruptly thought of something, she called out toward the bathroom, “Grandaunt, after you change out of the clothes, just leave them be. Don’t wash them.”
“Okay,” Mary answered.
Arissa walked away and started straightening the room.
She didn’t take out the luggage to be brought to the hospital but sorted out the clothes at home instead.
Then, she made the bed and tidied the room.
After doing all that, she waited in the room for Mary to finish bathing.
Recalling that she hadn’t spoken to Bradley, she swiftly rang him up.
A moment later, Bradley’s groggy voice drifted into her ears. “Boss!”
Arissa was stunned for a moment. “Were you sleeping?”
Chuckling sheepishly, Bradley said, “I didn’t go to bed until a little over five in the afternoon.”
Arissa, likewise, chortled. She glanced at the bathroom before strolling over to the balcony.
In a low voice, she asked, “Have you found out anything?”
“What? What did you just say, Boss?”
Bradley’s volume went up a notch.
Arissa repeated herself, upon which Bradley’s voice again rang out from the other end of the phone.
“Boss? Why can’t I hear her anymore? What crappy signal!”
In no time, Bradley hung up the phone.
Hearing the disconnect tone from her phone, Arissa frowned deeply.
Was the signal really bad, or was it deliberate on his part?
Just when she was planning to call him back, she heard the bathroom door opening. She quickly put her phone away and hurried over.
“Where should I hang my clothes, Issa?”
Mary came out with a basin in hand.
Hastily taking it from her, Arissa chided with a smile, “Didn’t I tell you not to wash your clothes, Grandaunt? You’re not in perfect health now. I’ll do it instead. Besides, there are housekeepers here. Just have them do the laundry.”
Mary merely flashed her a smile. “I can wash them by myself. There’s no need to trouble them. Furthermore, I’m still mobile now. It’s not like I’m already bedridden!”
At that, Arissa chuckled. “Sit down. I’ll go and hang the clothes.”
Mary nodded in agreement. “Okay!”
Upon seeing that the bed was already made, she was incredibly moved.
Subsequently, she watched as Arissa went to the balcony to hang the clothes.
“Grandaunt, I’ve packed the clothes to be worn at home. The clothes in the bag are for you to bring to the hospital. Tomorrow, we can bring the bag without taking anything out.”
“Sure!” Mary replied with a beam.
Poking her head in, Arissa added, “Granduncle’s picture is also in the bag. I haven’t taken it out yet.”
“Just leave it and bring it to the hospital as well!” Mary wanted to take the picture with her.
Hearing that, Arissa giggled. “I just knew that you’d want to bring it along!”
Mary walked over and inquired gently, “Issa, were you all living here also previously?”
“Yup! Why?” Arissa hung up all the clothes to dry.
Nodding in acknowledgment, Mary hesitated for a while before asking, “So what exactly is your relationship with Benjamin?”