Ch. 671..680
Chapter 671 We Are Dating
Arissa was momentarily startled. Smiling, she answered, “We’re dating!” At the sight of the shy expression on her face, Mary felt very much relieved.
“Benjamin is a pretty decent man. I’m really giving him much trouble this time!” With the basin in one hand, Arissa helped Mary into the room with the other.
“Grandaunt, don’t feel that you’re making trouble for him. He’s happy that you’re staying here. Of course, we’re also glad about it. While he seems cold, he’s actually warm-hearted. He’s just bad at expressing himself and is rather stern in nature. As you can see, he even treats his friends in the same manner. Don’t be intimidated by his chilliness at times!”
Mary chortled. “Indeed, he’s very stern. Sometimes, I don’t even dare speak to him.”
“Heh! Many people don’t dare speak to him, so you’re not the first person, Grandaunt. When I first made his acquaintance, I was also apprehensive. But it was all fine after knowing him better,” Arissa consoled her.
Of course, that was also her heartfelt words.
Benjamin’s attitude toward her had changed significantly, so she was no longer that fearful of him.
Following that, Mary nodded.
Arissa helped her onto the bed before going to the bathroom to put the basin away.
When she came back out, she helped Mary lie down on the bed.
“Grandaunt, I’ll go and call Dr. Bailey up.”
“Okay.” Mary lay on her back.
Arissa went out and hollered at Shaun, who was in the living room.
Right then, Shaun was chatting with Benjamin and Kingsley. The instant he heard her calling him, he promptly stood up and went over.
“Coming!”
Benjamin took a sip of coffee before putting the coffee cup down. He got to his feet to trail after the man.
Seeing that, Kingsley hastily went over to show his concern for Mary.
Shaun checked Mary over and found that all her vitals were stable.
“Get some sleep after you take your medicine, Mdm. Mary.”
Arissa swiftly took Mary’s medicine out while Benjamin prepared a glass of water.
Eyeing the man, she took the glass from him. When she sensed that the water was at just the perfect temperature, a smile bloomed on her face.
Well, he’s pretty considerate.
Benjamin’s gaze stayed on her countenance for some time.
Arissa went over to the bed and helped Mary up, feeding her the medicine.
After Mary took the medicine, she tucked the covers around her. “Sleep with peace of mind, Grandaunt. I’ll go downstairs and look in on the children.”
“Okay. All of you should go out and continue chatting. I’ll be going to bed first,” Mary said to Benjamin and the others.
“All right.”
Inclining his head in response, Benjamin threw a look at Kingsley and Shaun, signaling them to go out with him.
Arissa then turned on a small lamp before leaving the room with them.
“It’s late, so kick Dad out first. The children should be going to bed at this hour!” Benjamin ordered.
Arissa was wholly stumped. “That’s your father, yet you’re asking me to give him the boot?”
“Yes!” Benjamin affirmed in a low voice.
Kingsley and Shaun looked on in amusement.
“Arissa, Benjamin means that you’re the mistress here, so you have the right to give someone the boot.”
Stealing a peek at Benjamin, Kingsley noticed that the man’s expression remained unchanged. Thus, he was convinced that he was right.
Smiling, Shaun echoed, “That’s exactly what Benjamin meant!”
Arissa glanced at Benjamin, embarrassment flooding her when she met his profound gaze.
“Even if I’m the mistress here, I can’t kick an elder out of the house, no?”
It’s not like I’ve got a grudge against him. That aside, it’d be extremely rude if I were to do so.
Whirling around, she ascended the stairs. “I’ll go and tell the children to take a bath!”
Benjamin’s gaze followed her.
Meanwhile, both Kingsley and Shaun regarded him in mirth.
“Do you need to be so clingy that you can’t be apart from her for even a second, Benjamin? Why didn’t I know that you were so passionate in the past?”
Kingsley guffawed uproariously.
With his eyes glinting, Benjamin shot a hard glare at the man.
“Get out of here!”
The corners of Kingsley’s mouth twitched. Hah! He’s no fun at all!
“I’ll go and tell Mr. Graham to go home.”
He then trotted up the stairs.
Catching up with Arissa, he even assured her with a grin, “I’ll do it. You don’t need to worry, Arissa!”
“Sure!”
Arissa beamed at him, for she couldn’t bring herself to do such a thing.
As Benjamin glimpsed her bright smile at Kingsley, his brows knitted together, and he shot daggers at Kingsley.
Chapter 672 Daddy Obeys Mommy
Sensing the intense stare, Kingsley looked back. As soon as he locked gazes with Benjamin’s murderous glare, such fear struck him that he hastily took off.
Shaun, on the other hand, was greatly amused by Benjamin’s displeasure. Nonetheless, he hadn’t Kingsley’s courage to provoke the man every so often.
“I’ll go and have a look as well!”
Benjamin’s gaze fell on the man before he also went upstairs with his long legs.
As he did so, he added, “Stay here tonight!”
Verily, he was rather worried about Mary.
Grasping his meaning, Shaun happily assented, “Sure!”
The children’s bedroom upstairs was incredibly lively.
Arissa stood at the door, torn between laughing and crying at the sight of the room filled with toys.
“Sweethearts, you’re all about to drown in the sea of toys!”
“Mommy!” Gavin greeted.
“Mommy, all these are gifts from Grandpa!” Zachary said.
Subsequently, Jesse chimed in, “Mommy, we’ve gifted all our toys to Tim!”
“All these are fun, Mommy!” Jasper exclaimed.
Finally, Oliver nudged his glasses and queried, “Do you want to play with us, Mommy?”
Amusement inundated Arissa. “I’ll just watch all of you play!”
Tim was initially playing with gusto, but he tensed up once more upon seeing that she had come upstairs.
With a smile on her face, Arissa pinned her gaze on him.
Tim, likewise, stole peeks at her every so often.
His adorable action had Arissa giggling away.
“Tim, join them if you like to play!”
In response, Tim nodded.
“Hurry up, Tim! I’m going to crash into you!”
Jasper increased the speed, and his toy car hit Tim’s toy head-on.
Gasping in alarm, Tim hurriedly moved his little pony away.
All six children played madly among themselves again, joyous laughter filling the air.
Arissa stood at the door and took it all in with a smile.
Darius, Edwin, and William were in the room.
Spotting her, Darius called out, “Issa, come in and have a seat!”
“No, it’s okay. I’ll just stand here for a while.”
Kingsley leaned over. “Mr. Graham, are you going back tonight or staying here?”
At that question, Darius eyed him dubiously. “Why are you asking that?”
Flashing him a sheepish smile, Kingsley admitted in a whisper, “Benjamin wants you to go home and rest earlier.”
Darius snorted and countered, “He’s kicking me out, right?”
Just then, Benjamin and Shaun also arrived at the door of the children’s room.
Benjamin stared at Darius.
“It’s late. They need to bathe and rest! They still have to attend school tomorrow!”
Darius was disgruntled, but still, he glanced at the time.
When he saw that it was already past nine o’clock, shock swamped him. “It’s already past nine o’clock!”
“Can we not attend school tomorrow, Mr. Graham?”
Zachary tried negotiating with Benjamin.
Benjamin arched a brow. “Why don’t you want to attend school?”
“Great-grandaunt is going to be hospitalized tomorrow. We’d like to keep her company!” Zachary said, knowing that Tim would definitely be worried if he didn’t get to tag along.
Arissa turned and looked at the man, feeling that the children could be allowed to skip school for a day so that they could adapt to the surroundings. “Let them attend school a bit later!”
“Just one day!” Benjamin replied.
Jasper and Oliver were overjoyed. “You’re the best, Mr. Graham!”
Even Gavin was smiling so widely that his eyes narrowed into slits. Daddy obeys Mommy now!
Tim was also over the moon.
Conversely, Darius frowned after hearing that arrangement.
“Is Mary sick, Issa?”
“Yeah, she has diabetes. That aside, there are some other problems plaguing her,” Arissa said.
With his brows creased deeply, Darius ordered Benjamin, “Benjamin, you’ve got to find an expert to treat her.”
“I know.” Benjamin nodded.
“Make the necessary arrangements, Shaun,” Darius instructed Shaun.
“I will, Mr. Graham. Don’t worry. Benjamin has long since had me bring the expert team over. We’ll proceed with the best treatment plan according to her situation.”
Sheer relief suffused Darius after he heard that. “Our family owes her a great debt of gratitude. We’ve got to take good care of her!”
“I know. You should go home first.”
Benjamin swept his gaze over the man.
Darius was again chagrined to hear that his son was kicking him out. “Can’t I leave later? If you’ve got something to do, just go and get busy. I still want to play with my grandchildren for a while longer!”
At that precise moment, Tim suddenly stopped playing. He got up and raced to the door.
Chapter 673 Why Is Your Mommy Bathing Jesse
“Ms. York, where’s Great-grandaunt?” Tim lifted his head and looked up at Arissa. Arissa caressed her son’s petite face. Gosh, he’s really skinny!
“She’s asleep. Go and play!” Smiling, she wiped the sweat off his forehead.
Tim scrutinized her for a moment before murmuring, “I’ll go and look in on her!”
With that said, he spun around and sprinted down the stairs.
Arissa glanced at the other children. Seeing that Benjamin was there, she also turned around and went after Tim.
Benjamin cast a look over.
Then, he ordered Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse, “It’s late. Go and bath!”
After saying that, he shifted his gaze to Edwin and instructed, “Edwin, go and draw a bath for them!”
Darius also kindly urged the children, “Sweethearts, let’s not play anymore. Let’s go and take a bath instead. How about I give you all a bath?”
All five children shook their heads in refusal.
Darius was utterly disappointed, but still, he tried to coax them to allow him to bathe them. “You’ll be as clean as a whistle after I give you all a bath!”
“We can also do the same!” Zachary countered, staring at the man unblinkingly.
“We can bathe by ourselves. We don’t need to trouble the adults!” Oliver seconded solemnly.
Jasper and Jesse nodded in agreement. Grinning, Jasper added, “It’s been a long time since we last had Mommy bathe us!”
Sticking his hands into his pockets, Benjamin swept a gaze over Jesse. “Then why is your mommy bathing Jesse every day?”
“Because Jesse’s the youngest!” Gavin answered. With a straight face, he declared, “Anyway, we don’t need anyone to bathe us! We can manage by ourselves!”
“Okay, okay, you all can bathe by yourselves!” Darius mollified.
He quickly asked William to draw a bath for the children as well.
“We’ll bathe later. We want to wait for Tim!”
Sitting at the side, Gavin called out to his siblings, “Come over here! We’ll wait for Tim!”
Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse all raced over and plopped down beside him.
They all had exquisite features and adorable countenances, melting the hearts of all who beheld them.
“I’ll go downstairs and take a look at things.”
Benjamin pivoted and walked away, going downstairs.
After Tim ran downstairs, he carefully opened Mary’s room door. He poked his head inside for a look before stealthily creeping into the room.
Upon seeing that Mary was really asleep, he tucked the covers around her.
Arissa followed behind him, gratified to see her son’s considerate gesture.
“Tim, let’s go and take a bath before going to bed!” she whispered.
Tim glanced back over his shoulder and looked at her. Afraid that they would disrupt Mary’s slumber, he trotted over to her.
“Great-grandaunt is asleep. Can I bathe outside?”
Crouching, Arissa stroked his head and replied dotingly, “Of course. We’ll go and take a bath upstairs in the room in which you were playing earlier. That will also be your room in the future. How about you sleep with Gavin and the others tonight?”
Tim turned and glanced at Mary before nodding at her.
Delighted, Arissa caressed his head gently and scooped him up.
“Let’s go and take a bath!”
Only after closing the door gently did she whirl around. At once, she saw that Benjamin had come downstairs.
“Gavin and the others are waiting for Tim to bathe together,” Benjamin stated.
Subsequently, he reached out to take Tim from her. “I’ll take him upstairs.”
However, Arissa dodged him. “I’ll carry him by myself!”
At that, Benjamin swept his gaze over her.
Contrarily, Arissa’s eyes were trained on her son. “Let’s go upstairs, Sweetheart!”
“Okay!”
Tim hugged her around the neck, a wealth of warmth suffusing him.
Benjamin eyed the two of them before following them.
Out of the blue, Arissa glanced over her shoulder at him. “Go and get busy. I’m fine bathing them alone!”
Benjamin’s gaze darkened. He said nothing but continued trailing after her.
Proceeding to ignore him, Arissa returned to the room earlier with Tim in her arms.
The moment Gavin and the others saw that Tim was back, they cried out excitedly, “Quick, Tim! Let’s go and take a bath!”
“Okay!” Tim nodded, wriggling to be put down.
Arissa promptly leaned down and placed him on the ground.
Chapter 674 The Exclusive Number Of Benjamin
As soon as Tim’s feet touched the ground, he dashed into the bathroom with the other children. Darius, Edwin, and William followed them.
Alas, they were shut out by the children who closed the door. “They’re not allowing us in?”
Darius’ brows furrowed deeply, and he glanced around at the bathroom door. At that sight, Arissa giggled. “Come, let’s go take a bath, Jesse!”
She took Jesse’s hand.
Noticing Jesse, Darius teased her while grinning from ear to ear, “Jesse, how about I give you a bath?”
Jesse hugged Arissa’s leg and shook her head profusely. “No, I want Mommy to give me a bath!”
Darius flashed her an indulgent smile. “Okay, have your mommy give you a bath, then. I’ll refrain from doing so!”
Smiling, Arissa took her leave from the man before scooping Jesse up and heading to the master bedroom, planning to give her daughter a bath there.
Benjamin frowned and spun around, chasing after them.
“I’ll give him a bath instead!”
Not only did Arissa glance at him, but even Jesse in the arms shifted her gaze to the man.
“It’s okay. Jesse doesn’t want you to do it.”
After saying that, she carried Jesse into the bathroom and closed the door.
Benjamin stared at the door fixedly, the doubt within him intensifying.
Why isn’t Jesse bathing with the others? Even if he doesn’t know how to bathe, he’ll know after a while when all his brothers are there.
The crease of his brows deepened, and he felt that Arissa was pampering Jesse too much.
When he returned to the children’s room, Darius was still there. Right then, Shaun was chatting with Darius, Edwin, and William.
“Bring him home, William!” Benjamin ordered unceremoniously.
Darius glowered at him. “Gavin and the others are still bathing. Why should I go home?”
Benjamin merely stared at him.
Darius heaved a sigh. Oh well, he’s always been this stubborn. No one can sway him.
“I want to wait for them to come out. At the very least, I’ve got to bid them farewell before leaving!”
Benjamin then shifted his gaze to Kingsley, upon which the latter flashed him a sheepish smile.
“Like Mr. Graham, I’ll leave in a while!”
Benjamin turned to Shaun. “Go and get some rest!”
All at once, displeasure swamped Kingsley. “Why is Shaun allowed to stay here while I’m not, Benjamin?”
“You’re too noisy!” Benjamin retorted.
The corners of Kingsley’s mouth twitched, and he glared at Shaun, who was grinning away happily.
“Why do you get to stay?”
Shaun beamed. “Because I’m a doctor.”
Kingsley was instantly rendered speechless.
Naturally, Darius knew why Shaun was staying. It was because of Mary.
“All right, we’ll be leaving shortly. It’ll be the same routine when I come over tomorrow!” Darius announced.
Then he turned around and pinned his gaze on the bathroom door as he waited for his grandsons to come out.
At that precise moment, Ethen came over. Knowing that Benjamin was upstairs, he went upstairs straight in search of the man.
“Mr. Graham!”
Benjamin nodded in acknowledgment.
Entering the room, Ethen handed the phone numbers he bought for the children to Benjamin.
“It’s all here, Mr. Graham. I also bought one for Ms. York.”
“Okay.” Benjamin counted them all.
Both Darius and Kingsley were extremely curious.
“What are those?”
Kingsley looked at Benjamin and Ethen.
“SIM cards,” Ethen answered.
When he saw Benjamin going over to help the children install them personally, he continued, “Mr. Graham ordered me to buy SIM cards for the children and also Ms. York.”
“What are the phone numbers? I’ll add them to my contacts!” Darius asked with a bright smile.
Ethen was just about to answer when Benjamin spoke.
“Ethen!”
The man’s voice carried great authority, making one afraid to go against him.
Ethen glanced at Benjamin before turning back to Darius apologetically.
Mr. Graham doesn’t allow to me tell you the answer, so I can’t do anything about it either.
Furious, Darius shot daggers at Benjamin. “What’s wrong with me adding my grandsons’ phone numbers into my contacts, you little punk?”
Benjamin lifted his eyes and swept a gaze over the man.
“Whatever. But you can’t have Arissa’s number!”
Darius was promptly at a loss for words.
Likewise, everyone else was struck dumb.
“Haha!”
Kingsley burst into laughter.
He then teased Benjamin, “You’re too domineering that you’re even forbidding Mr. Graham from contacting Arissa, Benjamin!”
Benjamin pinned an icy look on him and asserted solemnly, “This number is off-limits!”
Kingsley nodded. “I know. It’s your exclusive number!”
Following that, everyone doubled over in laughter.
Chapter 675 The Phones Have Passcodes Setup
After inserting a SIM card into Tim’s phone, Benjamin installed a tracking system on it. Subsequently, he took the rest of the children’s phones to insert SIM cards into them.
Just when he turned them on to install the tracking system, he was stunned to see that all their phones were set with passwords. I can’t believe them.
While he continued fiddling with the children’s phones, Kingsley, Shaun, and Ethen were chatting with Darius.
When the five children were done bathing, Benjamin had already completed his task and laid the phones out.
Clean and refreshed from their shower, the children looked extremely adorable.
Unable to resist himself, Darius pulled them to his side.
“I’m proud that all of you know how to bathe by yourselves!”
Gavin shot Darius a glance.
Why is Grandpa so excited when I have long learned how to shower by myself?
“Grandpa, don’t you know that we know how to do that?” Zachary asked in amusement.
Darius tousled his hair. “I wasn’t aware Tim knew how to do it too!”
The children grinned at Tim, who was still inside the bathroom where Jasper was combing his hair back for him.
With his exquisite features, he exuded a slight tinge of maturity.
Kingsley, Shaun, and Ethen were awestruck and couldn’t peel their eyes away from him.
Edwin and William, too, gave Tim a look that was filled with affection, causing Tim to feel shy.
Meanwhile, Benjamin walked over and led the five brothers to the bedside.
“Sit down. I’ll blow your hair for you.”
Benjamin gave Edwin a look, and the latter hurried off to bring the hair dryer.
The boys sat by the bedside obediently. All of them looked the same, making for an adorable sight.
“I can’t believe how cute they are!” Kingsley was astonished.
Shaun, too, was amused. Even though he wasn’t as blown away as Kingsley was, he was mesmerized by them.
“The boys are as dashing as Mr. Graham!” Ethen exclaimed with a narrowed gaze.
“Since when is he as handsome as his children? He looks aloof and wears a sullen expression all the time,” Kingsley retorted.
Tickled by what they saw, Edwin and William continued to watch the children.
Suddenly, Darius snatched the hair dryer from Benjamin’s hands. “Step aside. I’ll do it!”
“Sweethearts, let me blow your hair, all right?” Darius beamed at the children affectionately.
“Sure!”
The four boys nodded in agreement.
Tim, not wanting to be left out, anxiously muttered, “Sure!”
Smiling so vibrantly that his eyes couldn’t be seen, Darius began blowing the children’s hair for them.
Since he couldn’t bathe his grandchildren for them, he was more than satisfied to blow dry their hair.
Standing by the side, Benjamin watched Darius with his brows furrowed.
“Can’t you start from the left and then come back after one round? If you keep blowing Jasper’s hair, the rest will catch a cold while waiting.”
Even though Darius was annoyed, he did see Benjamin’s point.
Moving on to Oliver, he retorted, “Do you think I don’t know how to dry their hair? I don’t need instructions from you.”
Benjamin pursed his lips.
“Mr. Graham, why don’t you wipe their hair first?” Edwin handed him a towel.
Upon receiving the towel, Benjamin dried the other boys’ hair.
Darius glanced at him, then continued to blow the children’s hair.
The five boys sat obediently while waiting for their hair to be dried.
Hanging his arm around Shaun’s shoulder, Kingsley beamed while watching Darius and Benjamin fuss about the children.
“What a harmonious scene!” Ethen smiled as he nodded at both butlers.
Once the children’s hair was blown dry, Benjamin tucked them all in.
“Go to sleep.”
“We’ll be checking on Mommy and Jesse to see if they’re done.”
Gavin jumped out of bed and hurried out the door with his three brothers in tow.
When Tim saw them run out, he, too, quickly followed them.
Chapter 676 Benjamin Slaps Their Hands Away
Darius went after them anxiously. “Slow down, or you’ll fall!” Edwin and William followed suit. Knitting his brows, Benjamin joined the pursuit.
Seeing that, Shaun, Kingsley, and Ethen, went out as well. Everyone’s attention was focused on the children. Meanwhile, Arissa had just finished bathing Jesse and was helping the latter change into her clothes.
“Mommy, is Jesse done?” Gavin yelled happily as he stood by the bathroom door. “Yes. I’m helping Jesse to get dressed. How about you boys?” Arissa replied.
“We’re done too. Grandpa and Daddy even helped us to dry our hair,” Gavin said before turning to look at his brothers.
“Is Mommy not finished yet?” Zachary gave Gavin a look.
Tim, too, did the same.
Oliver and Jasper stared at the bathroom door instead. “Mommy’s really slow!”
“Mommy probably hasn’t bathed yet. Only Jesse is done,” Gavin said.
Jasper pursed his lips. “Mommy was slow when she gave me a bath last time. If she were to do so for all of us, it would take hours on end.”
At that moment, Darius and the others were standing outside the door. When they heard the children’s conversation, they couldn’t hold back their laughter.
“Sweethearts, go back to your room to sleep. Your mommy will go over once she’s done.”
“Grandpa, we’re waiting for our sis—Jesse!”
Jasper almost had a slip of tongue. He snuck a glance at Benjamin.
“We’re waiting for Jesse,” Gavin reiterated calmly.
Benjamin walked in and gestured at the door.
“Go back to your room first. Who knows how long your mommy needs to finish up with Jesse.”
Gavin gave him a look but didn’t say a word.
Zachary glanced at him. “But Mommy said she’s done.”
When Tim heard the footsteps from inside, he broke into an excited smile.
“Ms. York and Jesse are about to come out!”
Just as he spoke, someone opened the door.
Arissa came out with Jesse in her arms. Even though the latter’s hair was still a mess, it didn’t diminish how cute she looked.
The adorable charm she exuded made it hard for anyone to peel their eyes away.
“Jesse, you look great!” Gavin gushed in admiration.
“Just like Mommy!” Tim nodded. He felt that both of them resembled each other.
When Benjamin’s gaze fell upon both of them, he, too, thought that Jesse looked like Arissa.
He reached out to take Jesse from Arissa’s hands. “Why didn’t you blow his hair?”
Arissa gave him a look. “Jesse has just finished bathing!”
“I can’t believe how slow you are. The other five children are done, and yet, you still haven’t finished with Jesse.”
Arissa was stumped. Of course the other five will be faster because they are less thorough bathing by themselves.
“They’re not as clean as when I do it for them.”
The boys were speechless.
“Mommy, all of us bathed ourselves thoroughly,” Oliver refuted.
Arissa smiled and tousled his hair.
When she saw Darius and the others at the door, she led the children out.
“It’s time for bed.”
The children followed her, grinning from ear to ear.
“I asked them to go to bed, but they insisted on coming over to wait for Jesse,” Darius related with a smile.
“They have a habit of sleeping when all of them are together,” Arissa said.
Kingsley and the others, who were standing by the door, made way, and Arissa led the children back to their room.
Benjamin carried Jesse and helped blow her hair dry.
Jesse sat down obediently, her big, shimmering eyes sparkling in the light.
Unable to resist her cuteness, Kingsley and Shaun gave her pinkish cheeks an affectionate pinch.
“Jesse, you’re so adorable!”
Benjamin slapped their hands away and warned them off with a look. “Get your filthy hands away!”
Kingsley and Shaun were dumbstruck.
Seeing that, Ethen couldn’t help but be tickled by it.
Right then, Jack came up after not finding anyone downstairs. When he saw the exchange, he felt significantly better.
Arissa, too, turned around to see what happened before returning her attention to the children.
“All right, now. Lie down and go to sleep.”
Chapter 677 Benjamin Falls Of The Bed
“Tim, sleep in the center!” “Tim, you should sleep in the center.” All the children insisted that Tim sleep in the center. “I’m fine sleeping by the side,” Tim murmured.
Arissa persuaded him with a smile, “Sweetheart, since it’s your first time sleeping here and you’re still unfamiliar with your surroundings, it’s better that you sleep in the center.”
“Hehe, if you sleep by the side, you might fall off the bed just like Jesse,” Jasper teased.
“Just like Mr. Graham the other morning too!” Zachary cracked a smile.
Suddenly, everyone’s gazes fell upon Benjamin.
Kingsley burst out in brazen laughter. “Benjamin, I’m surprised to hear that you fell off your bed while sleeping.”
Benjamin shot him a glare.
When everyone noticed that he didn’t deny the fact, they were both amused and curious as to how it had even happened.
“Zachary, how did your daddy fall off the bed? Tell us!”
“I don’t know. But when I woke up, he had already fallen to the ground.”
Zachary blinked as he was unfazed by the look Benjamin was giving him.
Everyone guffawed as the image of Benjamin falling off his bed popped into their minds.
Benjamin looked daggers at Arissa.
Pursing her lips, she calmly averted her gaze and signaled for the children to settle in.
“Sweethearts, it’s time for bed. It’s getting late.”
Darius, too, helped tuck them in with a smile.
The five children lay down in bed and looked at Arissa before turning their gazes to the others.
Everyone couldn’t help but be blown away by their cuteness.
Likewise, Darius’ smile never once faded throughout the entire episode.
Sitting by the bed, he looked affectionately at his five grandchildren. “Let me tell you a bedtime story.”
“Grandpa, your stories don’t make us sleepy.”
Blinking and pouting, Gavin looked uniquely adorable with his serious expression.
“In that case, I’ll tell you a story that’s less exciting and will help you sleep.”
Darius craved for more time with them.
Arissa noticed how much he wanted to do it, so she urged the children, “Let Grandpa do it.”
Darius threw her a delighted look.
“Grandpa, go on. Tim hasn’t heard it before.”
Zachary turned to look at Tim.
When Tim glanced at Darius, the latter’s heart melted at the innocent look on Tim’s face.
Darius began to tell them stories from his time in the army.
After Benjamin blew dry Jesse’s hair, he told her to join the others on the bed.
Hearing that, Jesse hurried over.
“Slow down!” Arissa barked.
“Hehe.” The moment Jesse cracked a smile, she looked as cute as a pixie.
“Jesse, sleep here.”
Gavin quickly made some space so that Jesse could sleep among them.
Arissa looked at them with a smile and tucked Jesse in.
Jesse was ecstatic to lie in between Tim and Gavin.
She turned left and right to look at them. “Gavin, Tim.”
“Mm-hmm.” Tim beamed in response.
Gavin pulled up the blanket and covered her snugly.
Observing the children, Arissa leaned in and tucked all of them in.
The six children slept together and listened to Darius’ story.
As the story reached the exciting part, their eyes gleamed.
Benjamin walked over to Arissa’s side. “You should go and take a bath.”
Arissa’s ear turned red when Benjamin breathed in her ear. At the same time, she could feel a tingling sensation on her skin.
“Just a while more.” She quietly stepped aside.
Benjamin’s eyes glistened in response.
When he saw her blush, his gaze deepened as he said, “Dad’s story is a long one. By the time he finishes, it will be very late. Just go now.”
His bassy voice was tinged with a hint of dominance.
Arissa snuck a glance at him and met with his mesmerizing gaze, which caused her heart to skip a beat.
“I’ll watch over them,” Benjamin added.
Chapter 678 Are You Here Looking For Mister Graham
Arissa nodded and didn’t interrupt Darius and the children. She nodded at Kingsley and the others, then went back to her room to take a bath.
Meanwhile, Zachary, Oliver, Japer, and Jesse had fallen asleep halfway into the story. Tim was trying hard to stay awake, while Gavin was simply too excited to sleep since all his siblings were with him.
“Go to sleep now. If you want to hear more, just tell Grandpa to continue next time,” Benjamin murmured as he stroked Tim on his head.
Glancing at him, Tim, who was still alert a moment ago, fell asleep shortly after.
Benjamin turned his attention to Gavin. “Everyone’s asleep. You should join them.”
Gavin looked at him before turning his attention to his siblings. When he saw that Oliver’s glasses were still not removed, he got out of bed.
Benjamin pressed him back down. “Where are you going?”
Gavin’s lips twitched. “Oliver hasn’t removed his glasses yet.”
Benjamin leaned in to take off Oliver’s glasses and put them on the side table.
Unsatisfied with how Benjamin had placed them, Gavin got up to adjust their position before lying back down.
Kingsley, Darius, and the others were amused by that.
Darius said to Gavin softly, “Gavin, go to sleep. I’ll come to see all of you tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
Gavin glanced at Darius and closed his eyes.
Having made sure Gavin was covered snugly, Benjamin got to his feet and turned to Darius.
“It’s getting late. You should go back now.”
Darius shot him a glare before turning his gaze to the children. He brought out his phone to take a picture before putting it away again.
Only after he took another look at his grandchildren did he leave reluctantly. “Let’s go, William.”
William bid Benjamin farewell and left with Darius.
When Darius reached the door, he turned around to instruct Edwin, “Oh, Edwin, please let Issa know that I’ve gone home.”
“Understood, Old Mr. Graham.”
After acknowledging with a smile, he escorted them out.
When Benjamin’s gaze fell upon Kingsley and the rest, they reciprocated his look before turning to leave.
Benjamin sat in the children’s room until he was sure Gavin was asleep. Only then did he turn off the light and leave the room.
After closing the door, he headed downstairs but returned to the master bedroom when something suddenly occurred to him.
Following the sound of flowing water from the bathroom, Benjamin walked over and knocked on the door. “The children are asleep.”
“Okay.”
Arissa, who was dressing at that moment, briefly froze when she heard his voice.
When she didn’t hear him leave, she stared at the door, her heart pounding furiously.
Benjamin cleared his throat. “Go to bed early once you’re done.”
“Okay.” Arissa continued to watch the door.
Only when she heard him leave did the tension within her ease.
She put on her clothes and wrapped her hair in a towel before coming out.
With Benjamin nowhere to be seen, she went to the children’s room and entered after gently pushing the door open.
Once she was certain that all of them were asleep, she quietly left the room.
Before she did, she turned a night light on when she noticed the room was in total darkness.
Then she returned to her room and began to blow her hair.
Thinking that Darius and the others might still be around, she headed downstairs afterward.
However, when she found it to be silent with no one in sight, she was stunned.
Have they all gone home?
Right then, Edwin entered and saw Arissa. He informed her, “Ms. York, Old Mr. Graham wanted me to tell you that he has gone home.”
“Oh, okay.” Arissa nodded.
“Are you hungry?” Edwin asked with a smile. “I can make supper for you.”
Arissa shook her head. “It’s fine. I’m not hungry. I’ll be sleeping soon anyway.”
Noticing that her eyes were scanning the surroundings, Edwin asked knowingly, “Ms. York, are you looking for Mr. Graham?”
Arissa was taken by surprise. “Has he gone out?”
“Mr. Graham is in the study. He’s probably dealing with work together with Ethen and the others,” Edwin replied as he pointed upstairs.
Arissa was a little embarrassed when she caught sight of Edwin’s nosy gaze.
“I’m going to sleep now. Edwin, you should rest early too.”
“All right.” Edwin beamed.
Chapter 679 This Is Not Your House
Arissa hurried back up. Edwin looked on with amusement before returning to the kitchen to make coffee for Benjamin and his guests. Kingsley, who still hadn’t left, was in the study together with Shaun. Both of them were watching Benjamin busy himself with work.
Ethen and Jack were updating Benjamin on the latest. Once they were done with their reports, they began a small-scale meeting. Shaun and Kingsley, on the other hand, were sipping coffee by the side.
After the meeting, Benjamin furrowed his brows when he saw that both of them were still around. He instructed Ethen, “Get Jonathan to see me tomorrow.”
Ethen nodded. “Mr. Graham, do you want Mr. Patterson to come here or go to the office?”
Benjamin remembered that he needed to take Mary to the hospital in the morning. Hence, he answered, “The office.”
“All right.” Ethen nodded. “Mr. Graham, is there anything else?”
Benjamin threw Ethen a glance. “You should go back and rest. You can come in later tomorrow.”
Ethen was elated by the news.
“Thank you!”
Ethen said to Jack, “Let’s go.”
“Mr. Graham, I’ll be off, then,” Jack informed Benjamin, who nodded in acknowledgment.
Before they left, they asked Kingsley, “Mr. Watts, aren’t you going home?”
“You guys go ahead.” Kingsley waved with a smile. He wasn’t in a hurry.
After bidding Edwin farewell, Ethen and Jack went off.
“Benjamin, now that you’re done with work, let’s have some coffee.” Kingsley poured Benjamin a cup.
Benjamin walked over and said to Shaun, “You should make the arrangements now so that Grandaunt doesn’t need to wait when she goes over tomorrow for her checkup.”
Shaun nodded, cognizant that Benjamin was grateful to Mary. Nevertheless, it was still rare to see him care so much about someone.
“I’ve given the instructions. I’ll also be there early tomorrow morning to make the preparations.”
Benjamin nodded, then swept his gaze at Kingsley. “Aren’t you gonna go home?”
Unsure of how to react, Kingsley teased, “Benjamin, why do you keep targeting me?”
Benjamin snorted. “Stop bothering me!”
He got to his feet, returned to his desk, and got back to work.
Shaun and Kingsley exchanged smiling glances and remained in the room.
“Shall I bunk with you tonight? I’m lazy to go home,” Kingsley suggested to Shaun softly.
Shaun chuckled. “You’d better discuss it with Benjamin.”
Kingsley rolled his eyes. “There’s no such need at all.”
Finishing his coffee, Kingsley got to his feet and declared, “Benjamin, I’m going back now. Good night.”
Benjamin shot him a glance. “Don’t disturb the children.”
Kingsley broke into a sheepish smile and waved his hands.
“Good night!”
He left the study. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he swiftly tip-toed upstairs.
He slipped into the children’s room for a while before going into the guest room where Shaun would be staying in.
When Shaun returned and saw that Kingsley was in there, he grimaced.
“Kingsley, if you snore, I’m going to kick you out!”
Kingsley cracked a mischievous smile. “This isn’t your house!”
Shaun rolled his eyes at him before heading into the bathroom.
However, someone beat him to it.
Kingsley had dashed into it first. “I’ll bathe first. I don’t mind if you want to join me.”
Shaun’s lips twitched. “Be quick!”
Given how eccentric he is, he might even take a photo of us if we did bathe together.
Kingsley laughed wryly. “Right away!”
By the time Benjamin finished work and checked the time, he realized it was already late.
He got up and headed upstairs.
“Mr. Graham,” the housekeeper greeted him when he passed by Mary’s room.
Benjamin nodded. “Let us know if there’s anything.”
“Yes, Mr. Graham,” the housekeeper acknowledged.
Upstairs, Benjamin went into the children’s room and made sure they were tucked in before returning to the master bedroom.
Seeing that Arissa was asleep, he didn’t turn on the lights.
He trod lightly toward the wardrobe, took his towel, and went to use the bathroom in Arissa’s old room.
Chapter 680 Hugging Her Calms Him
A few minutes later, Benjamin came out of the guest room and returned to the master bedroom. At that moment, Kingsley came out of Shaun’s room and made eye contact with Benjamin.
Shocked by the encounter, he darted back into his room to hide. Benjamin knitted his brows and simply returned to his room.
Hearing the sound of the door closing outside, Kingsley opened the door and stared curiously at Benjamin’s door.
Is Benjamin sleeping alone or with Arissa?
When Shaun saw him sneaking around, his lips twitched as he reminded, “You’d better not go there.”
Kingsley turned around and shot him a glare to signal him to be quiet. “Shush!”
Shaun shook his head with a smile. He sat down and waited for the good show.
All this while, Kingsley had never gotten the better of Benjamin.
He tiptoed toward Benjamin’s bedroom and put his ear on the door to eavesdrop on them.
Dirty images began appearing in his mind, and he couldn’t help but snigger to himself.
Suddenly, the door opened from the inside.
Caught by surprise, Kingsley tumbled head first into the room.
He sensed an icy aura envelop him and began to feel his hair stand on end.
Slowly lifting his head to sneak a glance, he saw Benjamin’s perfect figure that was wrapped in just a towel and admired it for a fleeting moment.
However, when his eyes met the latter’s terrifying gaze, he felt a chill down his spine.
“Hehe, Benjamin.” Smiling awkwardly, Kingsley scrambled to his feet.
The next moment, Benjamin grabbed him by the collar and dragged him toward the staircase.
“Benjamin, calm down. I don’t mean anything! I won’t do it again! Argh!”
The agonizing scream woke Arissa up.
What’s going on?
Hearing the commotion outside, she hurried out of the room, only to be stunned to see Benjamin walking back with a grim look on his face.
“What happened?”
Benjamin’s expression darkened further when he saw that she had woken up.
“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep.”
He strode back into the room, pulled her in, and locked the door.
After that, he called the bodyguards on the phone and ordered, “Throw him out and don’t let him come here again!”
Realizing that Benjamin was furious, Arissa blinked and asked softly, “Who is it?”
Who has gotten on his nerves?
Benjamin sensed her caution. He took a deep breath and suppressed his anger before carrying her back to bed.
Arissa curled herself up and didn’t dare to make a move as Benjamin lay in bed beside her.
The next second, she was wrapped in his embrace.
Both their bodies were pressed against each other. It was an extremely amorous position that caused her heart to pound furiously.
As Benjamin’s breath brushed across her neck, she felt goosebumps all over.
She cringed a little and began to blush.
After hugging her for a while, Benjamin felt the anger he had for Kingsley quickly dissipated. It was as if the familiar scent she emitted was inexplicably comforting.
Benjamin had not been getting proper sleep recently ever since she fainted.
However, he felt so peaceful that instant that sleep descended upon him in seconds.
Not detecting any movements from him, Arissa turned around slightly to check and was stunned to find him asleep.
That’s fast. Wasn’t he just in the midst of flaring his temper?
The moment she saw how exhausted he was, her heart went out to him.
She only turned around after waiting for him to fall into a deep sleep.
Subconsciously, Benjamin hugged her tighter.
Arissa raised her hand to stroke his furrowed brows.
“Don’t move,” Benjamin mumbled.
Arissa gazed at him, taken aback.
It wasn’t until some time had passed that his breathing finally calmed down.
Observing him sleep, she felt as if he was a dashing prince who had walked out of a painting.
She flashed a blissful smile and realized she was finding him increasingly handsome.
I can’t resist getting close to him. What should I do?