Ch. 701..710

Chapter 701 Darius Saved Her Some Soup

At that sight, Benjamin knitted his eyebrows tightly, leaned over to grab the takeout, and placed it on the center console. “Leave it here.”

Arissa’s lips twitched when she looked up to see how stern he seemed. “It’s more unlikely to spill if I hold it.”

In response, he glared at her before fastening her seatbelt for her. “Sit tight.”

Arissa leaned back as she watched Benjamin help her with her seatbelt.

After shutting the car door for her, he went around the front of the vehicle and got into the driver’s seat.

Darius, who had not left yet when Benjamin and Arissa reached the hospital, chatted with Mary after having lunch with the children.

Benjamin followed Arissa upstairs and into the ward.

Mary was excited when she saw him behind the young woman. “Benjamin, you’re here!”

“In the flesh,” Benjamin responded with a nod and only decided to leave after asking about her condition.

“I’m going to the office now. If you don’t want to go home, you can rest there,” he said to Arissa and then instructed Edwin to send her to the office later.

“Okay. Get going now,” responded Arissa with a nod.

Only after taking one last glance at Arissa and the children did Benjamin leave.

“Sweethearts, I got you guys something to eat. Would you like to have them now?” Arissa asked as she beckoned the kids over.

Upon hearing that, Oliver smiled. “What did you get us, Mommy?”

“Yummies!” replied Arissa as she showed the children the takeout.

Even though the kids had just eaten, they were thrilled to see what their mother had brought them.

“Go wash your hands first!” Arissa instructed upon noticing that Jesse was reaching out to grab some food.

Jesse giggled before hurrying to clean her hands as told.

“Let’s go wash our hands!”

Gavin then gestured for Zachary, Tim, Oliver, and Jasper to follow him to the restroom to do the same.

After the kids hurried away, Edwin approached Arissa and helped her lay out the dishes on the table.

“Would you like to have some, Old Mr. Graham?” Arissa asked Darius.

“No. I ate a lot just now,” he answered with a smile. “I saved you some soup. You should drink it before it gets cold.”

“You did?” Arissa was pleasantly surprised.

“Old Mr. Graham made it just for you! Enjoy it, Mrs. Graham,” voiced Edwin before he gladly went to get Arissa the soup.

“Not too much, Edwin. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to finish it,” uttered Arissa, who then sat down to talk to Mary.

Since the elderly woman already had the soup, she decided to pass when Arissa asked if she wanted to try the food she had brought.

Before long, the children rushed back to Arissa and began munching down on the lamb chops beside her.

“Do you want some, Grandpa?” The kids had voices so sweet that they immediately melted everyone’s heart.

Darius smiled warmly at the children in response. “No, thank you. You guys enjoy it. An old man like me doesn’t have a digestive system as strong as yours, so it’d be a bad idea to overeat.”

Amused, the kids chuckled for a bit before shifting their attention to Arissa. “Mommy, is the soup good?”

“Oh, yes!” Arissa replied with a smile, glancing at Darius.

With that, she kept the children company as they ate. Just like her, they relished all kinds of food.

Unlike Tim, Gavin and Benjamin used to be picky-eaters.

However, the two started to accept more food because of Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse.

Slowly, they were no longer picky about food.

At that moment, Darius, Mary, and the butlers had doting expressions on their faces as they watched the kids enjoy the food.

“You should go home and rest, Old Mr. Graham. It’s already noon,” Arissa urged.

“Don’t worry. I can stay a little longer,” responded Darius, smiling.

After finishing her soup, Arissa was about to prepare some fruits for the others.

However, before she could do so, Darius stopped her. “Don’t worry about that. Come and sit here, Issa. There’s something I have to talk to you about.”

“What is it, Old Mr. Graham?” inquired Arissa as she sat down as requested.

“You remember agreeing to marry Benjamin last night, right?”

Darius’ words immediately attracted the kids’ attention.

 

 

Chapter 702 He Did Not Even Propose

After steeling herself, Arissa nodded. “I do.”

“I’ve already asked around, and tomorrow seems perfect. Get ready to head to City Hall tomorrow. I’ve already made the arrangements with the personnel there. You two can go there straight away!” informed Darius cheerfully.

Arissa had no choice but to agree to it with a forced smile. Why didn’t Old Mr. Graham mention it when Benjamin was still here? Has he told him already?

“Old Mr. Graham, did you tell Benjamin?” she asked.

Darius cleared his throat before answering, “I forgot just now, but I’ll tell him tonight.”

Upon hearing that, she breathed a sigh of relief, glad to know that she did not have to be the one to bring up the matter.

“Do be mindful of the timing because the children have to pay respects to their ancestors next Friday,” Darius pointed out, to which Arissa nodded as she had decided to let Benjamin handle the matter.

Like Tim, Gavin was thrilled when he heard Darius’ words.

However, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper did not feel the same way. “Grandpa, Mommy can’t marry Mr. Graham!”

Jesse quickly nodded to agree with her brothers.

Surprised to see how Zachary and the others reacted, Darius lowered himself before the kids before inquiring, “Why is that?”

“Mr. Graham hasn’t passed our test yet, so he can’t be our daddy,” answered the children.

Amused, Darius chuckled. “It doesn’t matter because he is your father!”

“No, he isn’t. He has to pass first!” insisted Zachary in all seriousness, as stubborn as Gavin.

“I thought you agreed to be on our side.” The boy then turned to glare at Gavin.

“You have my support!” the latter responded.

At that point, Zachary was even more confident as he continued to speak with Darius. “He can only marry Mommy if he passes. And there has to be a wedding, not just a marriage registration!”

Since they were all objecting to him, Darius knew there was no other way but to go along with his grandchildren. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye on your daddy. I just want them to register their marriage first so that it would be better for us to reveal you and the others’ identities to the public. As for the wedding, we’ll prepare it for her.”

“No!” protested Zachary as he looked at Arissa. “Mr. Graham must prove himself if he wants to marry Mommy. We’re not satisfied with him yet, so they can’t get married until he has our approval!”

“You better take us seriously, Grandpa, because we mean it. We’ve already talked to Mr. Graham about this,” advised Oliver.

“He agreed with us. Nobody can force Mommy to marry anyone!” Jasper chimed in.

“You can’t talk to Grandpa like that!” Arissa chided the kids, for she knew Darius just wanted what was best for the family and that he was not forcing her to do anything. “I agreed to marry your father. Nobody forced me to do it.”

The kids were stunned when they heard her. “Mommy, you agreed to marry him?”

Faced with the children’s doubtful looks, Arissa nodded in response. “Yes, I did.”

However, the woman knew the answer was somewhat forced.

When she looked apologetically at Darius, he smiled warmly at her.

“It’s true that I agreed to marry him,” Arissa added seriously.

Immediately, Zachary questioned, “Does that mean Mr. Graham proposed to you?”

To answer the boy’s question, Arissa shook her head, which caused him to drop his jaw.

“Mr. Graham didn’t propose to you, yet you agreed to marry him? How did it happen?”

Darius felt guilty when he saw how embarrassed Arissa looked, so he decided to explain the situation to the boy. “I talked to both of them yesterday and suggested that they get married so that you can all reunite with the Graham family, and your mother agreed to do so.”

Zachary was not happy with what he had heard. “I don’t care about that, Grandpa. Do you think this is going to make them happy? Mommy’s pride would be hurt since she agreed to marry Mr. Graham when he didn’t even propose to her!”

Arissa stroked the boy’s head, signaling him to curb his anger through her gaze.

 

 

Chapter 703 Clean Up Your Mess Yourself

“All I did was make a promise. It doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to marry your daddy.” “Really?” the kids asked.

“Really. I’m not that stupid,” Arissa reassured them. While the kids were happy with what she said, Darius wasn’t all that pleased about it.

“Issa, were you lying to me?”

Arissa blinked nervously at him. “Old Mr. Graham, I…”

Darius pursed his lips. “You don’t have to explain it. I know you were only saying it to make me feel better. Honestly, I can’t believe how useless Benjamin is! It’s been so long, and he still can’t win you over! He may not take this seriously, but it’s making me very anxious! I might end up dying without seeing him get married!”

Tears started flowing down Darius’ cheeks after he said that, much to Arissa and the six kids’ surprise.

Mary felt moved by his emotions and teared up as well.

“I’m sorry, Old Mr. Graham! I shouldn’t have upset you by saying such things!” Arissa said apologetically.

She felt guilty for letting her emotions get the better of her.

“You are not to blame. It’s Benjamin’s loss for not marrying you. I just don’t know how I’d answer to his mother when I see her in the afterlife,” Darius replied while his tears continued to fall.

“Please don’t cry, Old Mr. Graham!”

As Arissa had little to no success consoling him, she could only turn to the two butlers for help.

Edwin and William tried their best to console Darius but failed all the same.

“Don’t be upset, Grandpa,” Tim said as he came over and held Darius’ hand.

However, that only seemed to worsen things as his face reminded Darius of Benjamin.

“Oh, Benjamin… It’s all my fault! Will you please forgive me?” Darius wailed and cried even harder.

Arissa glanced at the two butlers, only to see them shake their heads helplessly in response.

“Old Mr. Graham, I’m not saying I won’t marry Benjamin. I will marry him eventually if he truly likes me and treats my kids right,” Arissa explained, but Darius was too upset to listen.

“Benjamin has always hated me and would often go against my wishes just to spite me, but I like these kids of yours. Not only are you two most suitable for each other, but you two are also the parents of six kids. Imagine what would happen to them if you two weren’t married! Everyone is going to laugh at them forever!”

Arissa gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder. “It’s not that serious. They’ve been separated for five years in the past, so what’s another year or two?”

“That’s easy for you young ones to say! I’m not getting any younger, you know? I might actually end up dying without seeing you two get married!” Darius replied with a sniffle.

As Benjamin was the one who had to make that decision, there wasn’t much Arissa could do about it.

Left with no other options, she could only give Benjamin a call.

Benjamin answered the call after a few rings and asked in a commanding tone, “What is it?”

“Old Mr. Graham started crying, and I can’t seem to console him,” Arissa replied with pursed lips.

Benjamin fell silent, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking at the time.

Feeling a little guilty, Arissa continued, “The kids objected to us getting married when they found out about it earlier, so I comforted them by telling them I only said that to set Old Mr. Graham’s heart at ease, and that I didn’t mean it—”

“You created this mess, so you’re going to clean it up yourself!” Benjamin cut her off coldly and hung up the phone.

Arissa froze when she heard the line go dead.

Oh, no… He’s angry! I shouldn’t have said that on a whim yesterday!

As that thought flashed across her mind, she turned around, only to see that Darius was still crying.

“Please stop crying, Old Mr. Graham. It’s really bad for your health.”

The kids tried to console him too, but to no avail.

“As long as…”

Arissa was about to say something but quickly held her tongue when she realized an issue.

Wait, this isn’t something I can just decide on my own. Even if I agree to marry Benjamin, the kids will object to it. I don’t have a solution that satisfies both Darius and the kids at the same time.

“Will you give me a bit more time, Old Mr. Graham? I’ll work on convincing the kids about this. I promise I’ll marry Benjamin if the kids agree to it.”

 

Chapter 704 Work Hard To Win Benjamin Back

Darius stared at her after hearing that. “Issa, do you really mean that?” Arissa nodded when she saw how upset he was. “Yeah!”

Darius’ eyes lit up with excitement. “You don’t find Benjamin dissatisfactory?” Arissa shook her head. “Nope!” Darius was so happy that he quickly wiped his tears as he continued, “Do you like him, then?”

Arissa blushed a little from embarrassment. “Well, I don’t hate him.”

Darius let out a heavy sigh. “So, you don’t like him, then.”

Realizing that he was about to start crying again, Arissa quickly said, “I do! I do like him!”

Darius, the two butlers, and the six kids all stared at her in surprise.

“Mommy, you like Mr. Graham?” Jesse asked.

Arissa’s face burned bright red from embarrassment when she heard that.

“Like I said, I don’t hate him.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes and asked with a snicker, “Does Daddy like you too, Mommy?”

Arissa felt rather speechless when she saw him staring at her lips. “You should go ask your daddy that.”

Benjamin got mad at me just now. I wonder if he actually likes me…

Darius chuckled in amusement when he saw her acting like a young girl that had fallen in love.

“Come on, William. We’re going home.”

Darius didn’t want to stick around for too long as he felt a little awkward after crying in front of them.

“All right. Please slow down, Old Mr. Graham!”

William resisted the urge to laugh as he stepped forward to hold Darius steady.

“I’ll get going now, Issa,” Darius said.

Arissa nodded. “I’ll walk you to the door.”

“No need. I know my way out.”

Darius waved at her and turned toward Mary as he continued, “Take care, Mdm. Mary. We’ll drop by for a chat some other time.”

“I will. See you soon,” Mary replied with a smile.

Darius nodded and asked the six kids, “Would you kids like to stay over at my place?”

Gavin was the first to shake his head. “No.”

The other five followed in his lead and shook their heads as well.

“Make sure you kids behave yourselves here, okay? Listen to your mommy, and don’t cause Mdm. Mary any trouble,” Darius said with a sigh.

“Got it, Grandpa. We’ll behave ourselves, so you can head on home now,” Gavin reassured him.

Darius nodded and shot them a reluctant glance before leaving the ward.

Arissa followed him out the door and walked him to the elevator.

“Make sure to rest well when you get home, Old Mr. Graham.”

“I will! You should head back and rest too,” Darius replied with a sigh.

Arissa glanced at him worriedly. “Are you feeling unwell, Old Mr. Graham?”

“I’m fine. Just a little depressed, is all. You shouldn’t overwork yourself, Issa. Benjamin has an office here, so you can use it to get some rest. Edwin will take you there.”

“Don’t worry, Old Mr. Graham. I’ll work hard to win Benjamin back,” Arissa reassured him with a nod.

Both Darius and William smiled upon hearing that.

“I’m glad to hear that. Keep up the good work, Issa! I know that dense idiot isn’t good at being romantic, but I can tell he cares deeply about you. Otherwise, he would’ve objected when you promised to marry him yesterday.”

“Got it,” Arissa replied with a smile.

She then reminded William to take good care of Darius.

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Graham. I’ll be sure to take good care of Old Mr. Graham. I assure you, he isn’t feeling unwell or anything. He was simply a little depressed, that’s all. You should head back and keep Mdm. Mary company. I’m sure she’s starting to miss you already,” William said while helping Darius into the elevator.

Arissa waited until they were out of sight before heading back to the ward.

 

Chapter 705 Be In Control Of The Finances

The six kids were standing around the hospital bed and chatting with Mary by the time she returned. Arissa decided to sit down and join them when she saw how happy Mary looked.

“I need to take a nap, and the kids have been keeping me company all day at the hospital. You should all go get some rest, Issa,” Mary said.

Arissa flashed her a smile. “You can go ahead and take a nap, Grandaunt. I’ll wait till you fall asleep before I leave with the kids. Would you like to use the bathroom beforehand?”

“Yes, I do,” Mary replied as she climbed out of bed.

Arissa quickly reached out to hold her steady, but Mary gently brushed her hands off and said with a chuckle, “I can walk on my own now, Arissa. If you keep holding on to me like this, I might end up forgetting how to walk.”

“All right. Watch your step, Grandaunt,” Arissa replied and stepped to the side.

The six kids then helped make the bed while she was in the bathroom.

“Do you feel cold, Grandaunt?” Arissa asked as she gently tucked Mary in afterward.

“No, it’s just right. Make sure to get some rest later, okay?” Mary replied.

The six kids nodded in unison. “Okay!”

Arissa waited until Mary had fallen asleep before bringing them to Benjamin’s office.

Although Benjamin rarely used the office, he had someone clean it on a daily basis. As such, the air inside wasn’t musty at all.

“Mrs. Graham, you and the kids can take a nap in here. I’ll be right outside, so just call out to me if you need anything,” Edwin said after adjusting the temperature.

“There’s a couch here, Edwin. How about you lay down for a bit? Or would you prefer to rest at home instead?” Arissa asked when she saw him leaving.

“I’ll be heading back at three in the afternoon, so I guess I’ll be taking the couch,” Edwin replied with a smile.

“I’ll fetch you a blanket, then,” Arissa said as she brought the kids into the office.

The lounge looked rather simple with only a bed and a wardrobe.

Even so, it was really comfortable due to its spaciousness and warm atmosphere.

“All right, it’s time for you kids to go pee. We’ll all be taking a nap here today!”

Arissa then brought Edwin a blanket before returning to the lounge.

The kids nodded obediently and ran off to use the restroom.

“We’re done, Mommy!” they called out to her when they returned a few minutes later.

“Go on, get in bed,” Arissa said as she went to use the restroom as well.

“Hurry up and join us, Mommy!” the six kids shouted excitedly when she came out of the restroom.

“Hurry up, Ms. York!” Tim called out to her with a smile.

Arissa’s eyes lit up when she heard that, and she quickly joined them in bed.

“Oh, you all smell so good!” she exclaimed as she hugged them tightly and gave them a kiss each.

For some reason, Arissa really loved the scent of her kids.

A smile formed on Edwin’s lips when he heard them giggling from outside the lounge.

It is as I expected… The kids are at their happiest only when their mother is around. I’m glad Gavin is laughing so happily!

“All right, that’s enough fooling around for now. Go to sleep,” Arissa said as she lay down in the middle with three of them on each side.

“Mommy, do you like Daddy?” Gavin asked.

Zachary and the others all looked at her curiously upon hearing that.

“Yes, I do,” Arissa replied with a nod.

Gavin broke into a wide grin, and Tim’s eyes lit up with excitement as well.

“You mustn’t let your guard down even if you like him, Mommy! You need to make sure that he likes you too,” Zachary reminded her.

Arissa gave him a little pinch on the nose. “I know. I have you kids to help keep an eye on him, don’t I?”

Zachary simply chuckled in response.

“We don’t object to you two being together, but you have to be in control of the family’s finances! You can’t really trust rich people like him!” Oliver added.

“Look at you, talking about finances like a grown-up!” Arissa gave him a gentle smack on the forehead.

“I won’t object to you two dating as long as Daddy treats you well, Mommy,” Jasper chimed in as well.

 

Chapter 706 Nothing To Be Ashamed Of

Zachary nodded. “That’s right. It all depends on how well he treats you, Mommy. He hasn’t even proposed to you yet, so you mustn’t fall for any of his tricks! Just because a man marries you doesn’t necessarily mean he loves you. For all we know, he could just be putting up an act!”

Arissa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when she heard that. “What you said does make sense, but where are you kids getting all this information? Did you read them off the internet or something?”

“We were just doing some research, Mommy,” Oliver replied with a mischievous giggle.

“Stop reading that nonsense, or I’ll confiscate your phone,” Arissa warned him sternly.

Jesse seized the opportunity to rat them out.

“They were playing video games on their phones, Mommy!”

Arissa shot them a stern glare and said, “Kids like you shouldn’t be on your phones so much! It’s bad for your eyes! Gavin, I want you to supervise them and make sure they don’t spend too much time on their phones.”

“Okay!” Gavin nodded.

“Can we teach Tim how to use his phone, Mommy?”

“You may, but make sure to game in moderation. You are only allowed to game for half an hour per day, okay? I don’t want you kids getting addicted to it.”

Arissa had to set a strict limit for them, or they would surely go overboard with it.

“We only game occasionally, Mommy,” Jasper protested.

Arissa pinched him on the cheek. “Says the one who spends the most of his time gaming!”

Jasper let out a mischievous giggle in response.

Arissa then shifted her gaze toward Tim as she asked, “Do you know how to make phone calls yet?”

“I do. Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper have been teaching me how to do it! They even taught me how to send voice messages!” Tim replied while showing his newly acquired skills to Arissa.

“Do you have your own phone number yet, Sweetheart? Could you tell me what it is?”

She was shocked to find out that Tim’s phone had a SIM card installed.

“Yeah, but I don’t know the number,” Tim mumbled awkwardly.

“Daddy did it for him last night, Mommy,” Gavin said.

“Yeah! Mr. Graham gave us all a phone number each!” Zachary added.

“Is that so? Hurry up and tell me the numbers, then. I’ll save them on my phone. You first, Tim. Give me a call, and we’ll find out what your phone number is,” Arissa said with a smile.

“Sure.” Tim nodded.

Arissa then read him her phone number while he keyed it into his phone with a serious look on his face.

“That’s it. You’re doing a good job, Sweetheart,” she complimented him while ruffling his hair.

After saving his number, Arissa asked, “Were you familiar with numbers before, Sweetheart?”

“Yeah! Great-grandaunt and Grandpa have been teaching me. Nathan and the others taught me how to count too!” Tim replied with a nod.

Arissa flashed him a smile and asked, “Is Nathan a friend of yours?”

“Yeah… We used to work together…” Tim quickly held his tongue when he realized he almost let it slip.

Arissa’s eyes lit up when she heard that. “What kind of work were you guys doing?”

Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse were all staring at him curiously as well.

Tim lowered his head and buried his face in Arissa’s chest as he mumbled, “F-Farming…”

Of course… It’s common for kids in villages to help their families out at the farm.

With that in mind, Arissa patted him on the head and said, “Farming is nothing to be ashamed of, Sweetheart. You’re making an honest living with your own two hands, and that’s something to take pride in. I’m really proud of you for helping your family out, Tim!”

Tim’s eyes lit up as he looked up at Arissa, who gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“Hey, Tim! You must be really good at weeding, right? I’ve never been able to pull them out of the ground!” Jasper asked.

“We usually use a hoe for weeding, but we do use our hands from time to time. It’ll be a lot easier if you wear gloves when weeding with your hands. It’ll keep your hands safe from cuts,” Tim replied.

“Teach me how to weed when we get back to Rutaceae Village! I want to try farming too!” Jasper said excitedly.

“Be careful not to end up pulling the entire village out of the ground!” Arissa teased him with a chuckle.

Gavin and the others burst out laughing when they heard that.

What are you all laughing at me for? It’s not like you guys know how to weed either!” Jasper exclaimed with his face red from embarrassment.

 

Chapter 707 Is My Dad Still Crying

“Haha! You weren’t even born yet when I was weeding!” Arissa replied while laughing. Jasper snorted in frustration. “I was talking about them! Besides, I won’t believe you until I see you weed, Mommy!”

“All right, then. I’ll bring you all to Rutaceae Village once your great-grandaunt is all better. You kids had better not complain about weeding being exhausting, okay?” Arissa replied with a grin.

“We don’t need to go all the way to Rutaceae Village for that, Mommy! We have a garden in our backyard, remember? Mr. Whitley often does the weeding there!”

“Oh, you’re right! I can’t believe I forgot about that! I’ll let you kids try out weeding when we have the time, then.”

“Don’t forget to buy us straw hats, Mommy!” Jesse reminded her.

“No problem. I’ll provide you kids with all the stuff you need. From now on, you’ll all be in charge of weeding the garden at home,” Arissa said.

A look of confidence appeared on Tim’s face when he heard that. “Okay! I’m really good at weeding!”

Arissa patted him on the head. “Great! Make sure you teach them all how to do it, okay?”

Tim nodded. “I will!”

Arissa gave him another kiss on the forehead. “All right. Now, stop talking and go to sleep, all of you.”

While glancing at each of the kids, she noticed that Oliver still had his glasses on and reached out to remove them.

“Thanks, Mommy,” Oliver said with a giggle.

Arissa gave him a pinch on the cheek. “Go to sleep now.”

The kids then closed their eyes obediently and slept soundly in her arms.

Arissa felt a warm sensation in her heart as she pulled a blanket over them and watched them sleep.

Right when she was finally feeling a little sleepy and began dozing off, her phone started ringing all of a sudden.

Not wanting to let it wake the kids up, she quickly answered the phone.

“Is my dad still crying?”

It took Arissa a few seconds to realize it was Benjamin calling.

“No,” she replied.

“Were you sleeping?” Benjamin asked after a brief pause.

“Yeah. The kids are asleep too. Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?” she said calmly.

“No, that’ll be all. You can carry on sleeping,” Benjamin replied and hung up the phone.

Arissa frowned. Didn’t he ask me to take care of the situation myself? Why would he ask me about it after everything is over? He should call Old Mr. Graham himself if he’s that worried about him!

She then put the phone away and tried to get some shuteye.

She was woken up once when the kids rolled around in bed but managed to go back to sleep shortly after.

The first thing Tim saw when he woke up was Arissa sleeping soundly next to him.

Not wanting to wake her up, he made sure to be extra gentle when turning his head. His lips curled into a smile when he saw his siblings sleeping soundly next to him.

It’s so nice to finally have a mommy and siblings!

With that in mind, Tim continued staring at them until he dozed off again.

Zachary was the next to wake up. Seeing as everyone else was still asleep, he cautiously climbed out of bed to wash up in the restroom before leaving the lounge.

Edwin had already woken up a while ago and was preparing afternoon tea at the time.

“Come have some snacks, Zachary,” he greeted Zachary warmly upon seeing him.

“Thank you, Mr. Whitley,” Zachary said as he made his way over.

“Don’t mention it. It’s my pleasure to prepare this meal for you all. Are you the only one awake?”

“Yeah. Mommy and the others are still asleep. Do you think Mr. Graham likes my mommy, Mr. Whitley?” Zachary asked curiously as he sat down on the couch.

Edwin’s eyes lit up as he asked, “What about you, little guy? Do you think he likes your mommy?”

 

Chapter 708 Why Has He Not Proposed Yet

Zachary frowned as he replied, “His attitude was really horrible before.” Although the way Benjamin treated Arissa had improved a lot lately, Zachary was still uncertain if his father actually liked her or was simply treating her well because they asked him to.

Edwin chuckled. “Your father has always been cold to everyone. He was cold to your mother because he didn’t know her that well and thought she had ulterior motives for being with him. Now that he has gotten to know her better, it’s only natural that his attitude toward her will change. Trust me; there’s no way he’d let her sleep in his bedroom if he didn’t like her. Your father doesn’t just let anyone into his bedroom, you know? Even the housekeepers at home aren’t allowed in there. I don’t think he’d even let me in there if he didn’t need someone to clean it from time to time.”

Zachary narrowed his eyes as he said, “Maybe he just wants to take advantage of Mommy.”

“For that to happen, your father would first have to like your mother. He could’ve just let her stay in the guest room, but he insisted on moving all her stuff into his bedroom instead. That’s how you know he likes her, Zachary. He would never let people near him unless he likes them. Have you ever noticed how he only pays attention to your mother when eating? He’d even help top up her plate, which is something he has never done for anyone else. Even Gavin rarely gets that kind of treatment from him. I’m sure your father just hasn’t realized that he likes your mother,” Edwin explained with a smile.

Zachary’s eyes went wide with surprise. “Huh? How is it possible to like someone without realizing it?”

“This might come as a surprise to you, but adults can sometimes be a lot shyer than kids when it comes to their feelings. Don’t worry about it, Zachary. The adults can handle their feelings themselves. I’m sure your mother likes him too if she’s willing to marry him. Do you not want them to be together?” Edwin said.

Zachary bit down on his lip and shook his head.

“No, I fully support them being together if that’s what they want.”

He did want Benjamin and Arissa to be together, but he was a little worried after seeing how poorly he treated her in the past.

Edwin gave him a pat on the head. “I know your mother only promised to marry him to calm your grandpa down, but he has taken her word for it. Even so, whether or not they’ll actually get married is ultimately up to them.”

“Why hasn’t Mr. Graham proposed to my mommy yet?” Zachary asked with a pout.

Edwin let out a sigh as he replied, “There has been a bit of a misunderstanding between your father and your grandpa. He hates doing what your grandpa wants him to do, so it’s possible that he feels pressured into marrying your mother. As such, he might not marry her even if he has feelings for her. Do you understand what I mean?”

“What, is he going through a rebellious phase or something?”

Edwin chuckled at that. “Maybe.”

Zachary clicked his tongue in disapproval. “This is the first time I’ve seen an adult behave like a rebellious teen!”

“Who are you talking about?” Gavin asked as he came out of the lounge and sat down on the couch.

Zachary shot him a glance and said, “We’re talking about your daddy, of course!”

“Oh, I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. By the way, Zachary, do you not like Mommy being with Daddy?”

Gavin was a little worried since Zachary was vehemently opposed to it before.

As Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse saw him as their leader, they were more inclined to follow in his footsteps.

Zachary shot him a glance as he said, “No. I’m just concerned about whether Mr. Graham truly likes Mommy.”

 

Chapter 709 Wait Till Daddy Likes Mommy

“In that case, why don’t we wait till Daddy likes Mommy before letting them date each other?” Gavin suggested. Zachary agreed with his brother’s suggestion readily.

Arissa woke up at around the same time Tim and Jasper got out of bed. “Where’s Gavin and Zachary?” she asked. “I don’t know, Mommy. I just woke up,” Jasper replied.

“Me too,” Tim chimed in as well.

Arissa quickly ran out of the lounge, only to breathe a sigh of relief when she saw the two of them outside. “My goodness. I thought you two ran off on your own.”

“Mommy!” Gavin and Zachary called out to her in unison.

“Come have something to eat, Mommy,” Zachary said.

Arissa chuckled. “When did you two wake up?”

“Zachary was the first to wake up. I only woke up about twenty minutes ago,” Gavin replied.

“You kids can go ahead and eat. I’ll join you after I wash my face,” Arissa said as she went back into the lounge.

“Are Zachary and Gavin outside?” Jasper asked while putting his shoes on.

“Yeah. Go wash your faces, Jasper, Tim,” Arissa replied.

The two of them then ran into the restroom to wash their faces.

Noticing that Oliver had woken up as well, Arissa made her way over to the bed and handed him his glasses.

“Go wash your face, Sweetheart.”

“Okay,” Oliver said with a yawn as he slid off the bed.

Seeing as Jesse was still asleep, Arissa gave the little girl a pinch on the nose and said, “Wake up, Sweetheart. You won’t be able to sleep at night if you nap for too long.”

“Okay…” Jesse mumbled as she rolled over and carried on sleeping.

Arissa gave her a smack on the bottom. “Come now. Wake up.”

“But I want to sleep longer, Mommy!” Jesse protested in her adorable voice.

“Come on, get up. Your brothers are all awake. You won’t be able to fall asleep tonight if you don’t get up now,” Arissa said with a smile.

Jesse pouted as she sat upright with her hair all messy.

Arissa shook her head helplessly when she saw how Jesse looked.

Her hair looked fine before going to sleep, so why did it end up like this? See, this is why I don’t want her to keep her hair long! It gets so tangled up that combing it becomes a real pain in the neck!

“Go wash your face. I need to go keep your great-grandaunt company downstairs,” she said while giving Jesse a light smack on the head.

Jesse let out a yawn and smacked her lips. “Something smells nice…”

Arissa chuckled in amusement when she saw her sniffing at the air like a dog.

“There’s food outside.”

“What kind of food?”

“I don’t know. You’ll get to eat it after you wash your face.”

“Okay!”

Jesse loved food so much that she ran into the restroom without even putting her shoes on.

Arissa chuckled as she brought Jesse’s shoes over to her.

“Make it quick, Jesse!” Tim, Oliver, and Jasper urged her when they saw her enter the restroom.

“Okay!”

Her three brothers then stood outside the door while she used the restroom.

“Zachary and Gavin are already helping themselves to the food out there. You boys can go join them if you’re done washing up,” Arissa said.

“We’re waiting for Jesse, Ms. York,” Tim replied.

“They’re literally in the next room. You don’t have to wait for Jesse,” Arissa said while adjusting their clothes.

However, the three of them insisted on waiting for Jesse as they had promised to do so.

“I don’t know how to flush the toilet, Mommy!” Jesse exclaimed from inside the restroom.

“Isn’t it automatic?” Arissa asked as she went inside to have a look.

“There’s a button on the wall, Mommy!” Oliver shouted from outside the restroom.

The three of them had been trying to figure out how to flush the toilet earlier.

 

Chapter 710 Wash Your Own Hands

Arissa gave the button a push and the toilet was flushed. It’s built higher, so I guess they made it according to Benjamin’s height. “How advanced,” she commented drily.

Upon hearing that, the kids laughed. “Quickly now, go and eat something,” Arissa urged. Jesse smiled and asked, “Mommy, do you not need us to wait for you?”

“That’s not necessary. I’ll be there in a bit.” Arissa waved them away and said, “Help me close the door, will you?”

Jasper snickered. “It’s not like we’re going to look at you, Mommy.”

Arissa put on a stern face and replied, “What if someone comes in and sees me?”

The kids giggled and ran out after closing the door for her.

“Hurry up, okay, Mommy?”

“Hurry up, Ms. York!”

“Okay!” Arissa answered sweetly.

She then washed her face and tied her hair up before heading out.

All six of the kids were eating together. When they saw her, they asked her to join them.

At the same time, Edwin was also calling out for her.

Arissa smiled and sat down. “Thank you for preparing these, Edwin.”

“No worries. All I did was tell the people in the kitchen what to do. Besides, these are bought by the bodyguards,” Edwin answered.

He then sat down and watched the kids while they ate. Arissa glanced at him and asked, “Edwin, were you able to get some rest?”

“I did. I slept for twenty minutes.” Edwin beamed.

Arissa nodded in response.

Once they were done eating, Edwin cleaned the place up and went back to the Graham residence.

Meanwhile, Arissa brought the kids over to accompany Mary. When evening came, they kept Mary company while she had her dinner.

After that, she gave the elderly woman a bath and got ready to leave.

“Grandaunt, rest well, okay?” Arissa said.

“Got it. Don’t come over again tonight. Bring the kids home for dinner.” Mary waved her hand.

Arissa and the kids bid Mary goodbye and informed Shaun they were leaving. With that, they went back to Yaleview.

By then, Benjamin had already gotten back, and he was reading a book on the couch.

The kids were chatting away happily until they saw him.

“Daddy!”

“Mr. Graham!”

Arissa cast him a glance before telling the kids to wash their hands.

Wearing an apron, Edwin smiled and said, “Mrs. Graham, you guys are back! Dinner is ready.”

“Got it!” Arissa responded with a smile and brought the kids to get their hands washed before dinner.

A glint flashed across Benjamin’s eyes when he saw her bringing the kids away without greeting him. Soon after, he frowned.

“It’s time for dinner, Mr. Graham,” Edwin reminded.

Benjamin got up and walked over. That was when he saw Arissa washing the kids’ hands for them. Seeing that, he sized up her expression, and he could tell that she was ignoring him.

“Did you guys come back from the hospital?” he asked.

The kids looked at him and kept mum because they thought he was talking to Arissa.

Arissa ignored him and kept washing the kids’ hands.

“Sweethearts, wipe your hands and go to the dining room,” she said.

The kids wiped their hands dry and ran to the dining room.

“Ms. York, Mr. Graham, hurry up!” Tim yelled.

Arissa smiled at him and replied, “Okay!”

“All right,” Benjamin responded as well.

Arissa merely glanced at him and lowered her head to wash her own hands.

Benjamin walked up to her and said, “Wash my hands for me.”

Arissa narrowed her eyes. “Wash your own hands, Graham.”

With that, she turned around and left.

Benjamin furrowed his brows at her response. Is she doing this on purpose?

He then turned around and saw her leaving without even sparing him a glance.

After washing his hands, he went to the dining room as well.

By then, Arissa and the kids were already seated at the dining table, and they were waiting for him.

The displeasure he was feeling eased up a little when he saw that.

“Let’s dig in,” he called out.

Only then did Arissa start taking food for the kids. “Eat up, my Sweethearts.”