Ch. 761..770
Chapter 761 A Feast For His Eyes
Sensing Benjamin’s scorching gaze, Arissa felt her heart racing. Thump! Thump!
She could almost feel her heart collide against her rib cage as the deafening sound echoed in her ears. Benjamin couldn’t help pinching her cheek with his slender, bony fingers.
Arissa’s beautiful eyes turned and glanced at him. The man’s amused and playful expression only served to make her blush more. “Graham, it hurts!” she yelped.
A look flashed across Benjamin’s eyes before he offered, “Oh. I’ll rub on it for you.” With that, he started massaging the spot where he pinched her. However, Arissa avoided his touch, the blush on her cheeks extending to her ears.
“Your face is very red,” Benjamin pointed out. He was quite pleased with himself as he took note of her bright red cheeks.
She felt awkward and boldly retorted, “How can my face not turn red when you’re touching me like that? Any straight woman will have the same reaction.”
Benjamin arched an eyebrow. His gaze, which resembled a bottomless abyss, seemed to emanate a mysterious charm that captivated people.
“But I won’t react like that if you were my guy best friend,” Arissa added.
The corner of Benjamin’s lips twitched when he heard that.
“Do you have a guy best friend?”
Arissa glanced at him in amusement. “Of course! Everyone has friends of the opposite gender!”
Benjamin’s expression fell as he heard that.
“If that’s the case, do you have a lot of male friends?”
Alas, Arissa continued enjoying her supper instead of explaining herself.
Benjamin kept his eyes fixated on her and felt his displeasure grow increasingly intense as the silence dragged on.
“I’m done.”
Arissa promptly stood up to clear the table.
Benjamin spoke up. “You can leave these to the housekeeper.”
Her eyes flitted over to him before she said, “That’s not necessary. I can do it.”
In minutes, she kept the dishes and even wiped the table while she was at it.
Meanwhile, Benjamin sat in his chair and watched as she busied herself.
“Are you too bored?”
Arissa shot him a look. “I thought you wanted me to do this. Plus, I’ll feel bad for staying here without helping with anything.”
Benjamin pursed his lips and uttered in a low voice, “You don’t have to do this next time. If you want to help, you could make some food for me instead.”
She looked at him, smiling ear to ear. “Very well. I’m holding you to your word!”
Benjamin nodded and hummed a reply before standing up. With his hands in his pockets, he tilted his head, gesturing to the stairs. “Let’s go upstairs.”
Arissa chirped cheerfully, “Coming!”
She quickly hopped into the kitchen to wash her hands before rushing back out.
His lips curved to form an inconspicuous smile when he saw how happy she was.
Arissa linked arms with him and asked, “Would you like to take a bath first? Or should I?”
The look in Benjamin’s eyes softened as he looked at the woman’s bright expression. “You can go first.”
Delighted, Arissa loosened her grip around Benjamin’s arm and hopped up the stairs.
“Okay, I’ll be going first!”
He watched as her figure disappeared from his sight, feeling somewhat empty.
Slowly, he trudged upstairs behind her.
Arissa checked on the kids before going to take a bath and saw that Edwin had already tucked them into bed. They were all fast asleep.
She said gratefully, “Edwin, you should head to bed too. You don’t have to stay here to watch over them.”
“All right, Mrs. Graham. I’ll head to my room in a bit.” Edwin nodded and smiled.
She returned the smile and greeted him goodnight before heading to the master’s bedroom for a bath.
When Benjamin entered the room, he could hear the sound of running water in the bathroom.
He lay down in bed with his head resting on his hands. His gaze subconsciously traveled to the bathroom, and his mouth felt dry, causing him to swallow every once in a while.
It did not take long for Arissa to finish washing up and emerge from the bathroom.
When she saw Benjamin in bed, she urged, “Your turn. I’ve got the bathtub ready for you.”
As she said that, he kept his eyes locked on her figure. Though the pajamas she was wearing weren’t revealing at all, he still thought she looked exceptionally alluring. His eyes darkened as his lustful desires grew.
“Come here!”
His low and gruff voice made Arissa’s heart skip a beat.
She reckoned he was either angry or trying to imply something by bellowing that command.
Chapter 762 A Woman Called Him At Midnight
A man and a woman were alone in the room in the dead of night, rendering the atmosphere as suggestive as ever. Under such circumstances, Arissa could feel her heart flutter. She stole a few glances at the man while drying her hair with a towel.
Benjamin was leaning lazily on the headboard. A few buttons on his black shirt were undone, revealing his muscular, attractive abs. She gulped and wondered why he summoned her over.
All of a sudden, he let out a soft grunt, his deep tone almost bewitching her. She suppressed her emotions and put an end to the sensual vibe by saying, “Go take your bath now!”
When he realized that she showed no intention of heeding his order, he got up and strode over to her. Arissa was dumbfounded. Before she knew it, Benjamin had already bent over to pick her up.
Her eyes widened, and she stared at Benjamin in disbelief.
She felt suffocated upon seeing how close her face was to his.
Without hesitation, Benjamin pinned her on the bed and began kissing her passionately.
As she was enveloped by the man’s hormonal scent, she felt her mind go blank.
Just as the man was about to take things a step further, his phone began ringing.
Immediately, Arissa regained her senses. She pushed the man’s chest and said breathily, “Your phone is ringing!”
He bit the corner of her lips and deepened the kiss, seemingly couldn’t be bothered to take the call.
Worried that the call might be about something urgent, Arissa patted the man’s back, prompting him to take the call.
The phone continued ringing incessantly, ruining the mood.
After a while, Benjamin finally stopped what he was doing and fished his phone out of his pocket. “Who is it?”
Anyone could hear the irritation in his voice.
“Benjamin…”
When Benjamin heard the voice, he froze before heading to the balcony to take the call.
“Yes?” His voice sounded extra gentle.
A look of confusion flickered across Arissa’s eyes. The distinct change in his attitude was too evident to ignore.
As she stared at the man’s tall figure on the balcony, she felt her heart aching, as if pricked by needles.
She was quite sure she heard a woman’s voice coming from the other end of the line.
All of a sudden, she felt too embarrassed to still remain in that room. Thus, she slipped out of bed and headed to the children’s bedroom.
Moments later, Benjamin ended the call and returned to the bedroom. To his surprise, he found the room empty.
He left his phone on the bedside table and went to take his bath, but when he came back out, Arissa still didn’t return.
His forehead creased.
Having a vague idea of where she might be, he headed to the children’s room and twisted the door handle. Alas, the door was locked from the inside.
His frown deepened, and he could only return to his bedroom.
Arissa glanced at the door before turning to hug the children.
She felt a surge of mixed emotions.
Who is that lady on the call? Benjamin has never been so gentle to anyone before. Is it someone he fancies?
She could not stop her mind from running wild.
Women were sensitive creatures, and most of the time, their hunch would turn out to be true.
After a long while, Arissa finally managed to fall asleep.
Benjamin found it hard to get any sleep as well. He tossed and turned in bed multiple times throughout the night, feeling frustrated.
He kept staring at the door, sulking quietly.
Is that woman seriously sleeping in the kids’ room?
Exasperated, Benjamin turned his back against the door.
At that moment, his phone lit up.
It was a message from an unknown number that read: Benjamin, we should meet up.
An inexplicable look flashed in his eyes as he read the message before putting his phone back onto the nightstand with its screen facing down.
It was almost dawn when he finally fell asleep.
The next morning, Arissa rose from bed and woke the children up. After helping them to freshen up, she headed back to the master’s bedroom to change.
She stood at the door and hesitated for a while before entering.
However, the room was empty.
Stunned, she stood in the doorway. Did Benjamin go out for a run? Or did he head out last night?
Her lips curled into a bitter smile. She then changed her clothes and left the room.
“Kids, let’s go to the hospital to visit your great-grandaunt.”
“Okay!”
The children were all dressed in their school uniforms and were carrying backpacks.
Smiling warmly, Arissa brought them downstairs.
Edwin, who had prepared breakfast for them in advance, gestured for them to take their seats around the dining table.
“You’re up early, Edwin.”
Arissa was surprised. Initially, she thought of bringing the children out for breakfast.
“You mentioned that all of you would be leaving the house earlier today, so I got up slightly earlier too. Mrs. Graham, would you all like to eat breakfast now, or should I pack it for you guys to bring to the hospital?” Edwin questioned with a smile.
Chapter 763 Benjamin Left Early
Arissa glanced at the time and replied, “I think we’ll eat it in the hospital.” Edwin nodded and quickly headed to the kitchen to pack the food. Meanwhile, Arissa took the children’s water bottles to fill them up.
“Sweethearts, you all should drink more water. Refill it when the bottle’s empty, but be careful not to burn yourselves, okay?” she reminded the children. “Yes, Mommy!”
The six children nodded in acknowledgment. Arissa finished preparing everything, yet, Benjamin was still nowhere to be seen. After she helped the children into the car and was about to leave, Benjamin still did not show up.
“Edwin, is Benjamin not at home?” “Mr. Graham left early in the morning. Did you not know?” Edwin looked at her in confusion. With an awkward smile, Arissa answered, “I slept with the children last night, so I wasn’t aware of it.”
After bidding Edwin goodbye, she brought the kids to the hospital. As Edwin watched the car leave, he felt worried. Mr. and Mrs. Graham were fine the night before. Why did Mr. Graham leave early in the morning without informing Mrs. Graham?
He was not the only one who noticed that something was amiss. Meanwhile, in the car, the six children studied Arissa’s expression and could sense that she was upset.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” Gavin asked out of concern. Zachary echoed, “Mommy, is something bothering you?”
Arissa snapped out of her trance and immediately felt better upon noticing the concern in the children’s eyes. She assured them with a smile, “I was just wondering if your great-grandaunt is awake yet.”
“Ms. York, we will see her soon!” Tim comforted her. Arissa caressed the children’s heads affectionately. “Would you guys like to have some food first?”
They all shook their heads and answered in unison, “We’ll have breakfast with Great-grandaunt after we reach the hospital.”
“Okay,” Arissa replied with a smile.
“Mommy, why did Daddy head out so early in the morning?” Gavin questioned.
“I’m not sure either.”
“Oh.” Her response made the boy frown. It’s been a long time since Daddy left this early.
Zachary looked at Gavin and then at Arissa. “Mommy, did you get into a fight with Mr. Graham?”
The boy was particularly sensitive to such things.
Putting on a smile, Arissa pinched his cheek. “No, we did not.”
“Then why did you sleep with us instead of Mr. Graham last night?”
Jasper stared at the woman unblinkingly.
Arissa was put in a tight spot, but she insisted, “That’s because I enjoy sleeping with all of you. Is that not allowed?”
“Of course it is allowed!” Jasper beamed.
“But Mommy, whenever you sleep in our room before this, Mr. Graham would come and carry you away. Why didn’t he do the same last night? Did anything happen?”
Oliver, being a smart boy, noticed something was amiss.
Arissa touched her nose awkwardly and explained, “That’s because I locked the door last night, and he couldn’t come in.”
Benjamin did come looking for her, but she wasn’t sure if he was planning to carry her back to their bedroom.
If Benjamin did intend to do so, he could have come up with a way to do it.
However, he left right after one failed attempt at opening the door.
Perhaps he only thinks of me as his sleep aid and wants to hug me in his sleep.
Recalling the phone call he received last night, Arissa felt a pang of displeasure in her heart.
I don’t think I have the courage to pursue him anymore. He doesn’t love me, so it’s pointless for me to go after him.
Arissa and the children had breakfast with Mary when they reached the hospital. Afterward, Arissa sent them to school before heading to the company.
She kept herself busy till noon and was unsure whether Benjamin was in his office. Finally, she could not find any excuse to avoid him as she had to pass him a document that needed his signature.
To her relief, Benjamin was not in his office, so she left the document on his table before heading to the cafeteria for lunch.
The daily news was broadcasted on the television in the cafeteria.
Only then did she find out that Benjamin had gone to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
She stole a few glances at the handsome man on the television.
He looked elegant and charming in his suit and leather shoes.
As she was about to look away, she noticed a woman passing him a water bottle.
Chapter 764 She Is His First Crush
When she looked over, the scene had already changed. Maybe it’s not what I think it is. “Hey, did you see that? That’s Rosetta Adams, right? I can’t believe our CEO is with her!”
“You haven’t heard about it, have you? I heard they used to be really close to each other. They’re a match for each other, so it’s nothing strange if they’re getting married.” “Isn’t that Danna?”
“What Danna? Danna’s a loser in comparison to Rosetta. Even Rosetta’s toe is worth more than an entire Danna. If you insist that there’s some kind of similarity between them, I’d say the only thing they share is their surname. That’s also why our CEO had a relationship with Danna.”
“So that means Rosetta’s the CEO’s first love?”
“How can she not be?” Arissa shuddered. That woman’s his first love?
After taking a few more bites of her food, she lost her appetite. She then excused herself from her coworker and went back to the office.
Her coworkers shared a look with each other at that.
Just the day before, Mr. Graham left the office with Ms. York, so how could he possibly be with his first love right now? Is this what all rich men do?
Everyone could not help but begin feeling sympathy for Arissa. “Hey, hey. You guys, why are you all such busybodies? Mr. Graham might overhear you and fire you,” they angrily told the gossiping people, and the place immediately fell silent.
Everyone knew how much Benjamin hated gossip. “Ms. York didn’t eat much earlier. Let’s bring some desserts for her.”
“That’s a good idea. She can snack on them if she gets hungry.” A few of them agreed on that. After their meal, they bought some desserts and brought them back to Arissa.
“Ms. York, we’ve got some desserts to go for you. Hurry up and dig in. Don’t starve yourself and dive into work instead. It’ll be bad for you.”
Arissa was touched by how her coworkers had brought her food.
“Thank you!”
“It’s nothing. Dig in while it’s hot.”
“All right!”
Arissa smiled and nodded. Sensing the concerns radiating off the others, she tamped down the negative emotions in her and gobbled up the desserts.
Men are nothing. I still have work, coworkers, and friends with me. I still have someone else to worry about me, was what Arissa consoled herself with, and those words lifted her spirits slightly.
Benjamin never said anything outright anyway. Those heart-throbbing feelings were just a hallucination. I’ll make sure not to feel that way from now on.
Once Arissa polished off her food, she returned to work.
Her coworkers continued to observe her. When they saw her return to her usual hardworking way, they were baffled.
“Were we wrong? Is Ms. York not with Mr. Graham?”
“It’ll be good if they’re not together. She won’t be sad at the very least.”
“Ms. York seems fine. I don’t think they’re actually in a relationship yet.”
When Arissa opened the door and stepped out of her office, she saw them whispering to each other. Promptly, she arched a brow and asked, “What are you people doing?”
The few of them smiled sheepishly. “Ms. York, we’re only worried about you.”
Arissa was touched by their concerns. She chucked and said, “I’m fine. You should get back to your work. Sorry for making you worried. Go now. You’ll be chided if you don’t complete your work.”
The others turned to look at her to make sure that she really seemed fine before going back to their work.
Arissa smiled and went back to her office to continue working.
She lost track of time. If not for her coworker reminding her that it was time to finish work and pick up her children, Arissa would have still been busying away with her work.
She hastily packed up and reminded the others to go home earlier before rushing to school to pick up her children.
The other children had already been picked up by their parents. Only Gavin, Tim, Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse were still sitting on the stairs at school, waiting for their mother.
That was the sight that greeted Arissa when she arrived. Her heart ached, and she ran toward them.
“My sweethearts, I’m sorry that I’m late.”
As she said that, she told herself to set an alarm so that she would never lose track of the time again.
“Mommy!”
The children dashed over to her excitedly.
They did not mind that she was late at all.
Chapter 765 Half For Everyone
Jasper said, “Mommy, it’s fine. You came!” Gavin also said, “Mommy, we were just discussing if we should visit Great-grandaunt in the hospital!”
Jesse chimed in as well, “Mommy, we knew you were going to come, so we waited for you here.” Arissa hugged them and patted their heads. “I was too caught up with work that I lost track of the time. I’m sorry. If I’m late again, call me.”
Arissa felt immensely apologetic. “Mommy, we don’t blame you for this at all! It’s not like you were very late. The other kids just left,” Zachary consoled.
Nevertheless, Arissa still felt bad. She had broken her promise to her children many times, yet the children had always forgiven her. “Are you hungry?”
The six children stared at her and beamed. “Come on. I’ll bring you to eat.”
After bidding the teacher goodbye, Arissa led the children away. The children also bade the teacher farewell, waving their hands. “Mommy, let’s get takeaways and eat with Great-grandaunt instead!” Oliver suggested.
When Arissa saw that the other children were in agreement, she nodded. “Okay, we’ll get takeaways and eat with Great-grandaunt in the hospital. What would you like to eat?”
“Something convenient. What about some buns and pastries?” Zachary suggested. After all, in an hour or two, his great-grandaunt was going to be having her dinner.
“Buns will be fine.”
Tim nodded in agreement.
When Gavin saw someone selling buns near the school, he pointed at the person.
“Mommy, there are buns there.”
Arissa led the six children over.
After ordering buns with the children’s favorite fillings, she ordered a few bottles of milk for them as well.
Once she was done ordering their portions and a little extra, she brought them to the hospital.
“You can dig in first if you’re hungry; you don’t need to wait until we reach the hospital. I have plenty more with me.”
Arissa was worried that the children would be hungry, so she asked them to start eating first.
“Let’s share for now. When we reach the hospital, we’ll eat with Great-grandaunt.”
Jasper was indeed quite hungry, so he took a bun and split it into six parts.
He even dropped a bit of the filling on his lap, but he quickly picked it up and ate it.
The others laughed at that.
Jasper then gave the portions to the rest of the children.
“Thanks, Jasper!”
After that, Jasper happily munched on his portion of the bun.
“Mommy, we don’t have enough for you. You should eat one whole bun!”
Arissa smiled at her children.
“All right!”
She then gave three more buns for them to share.
“Half for everyone. There’s no need for you to split them into such small portions. It won’t even be enough for you. Remember, I bought plenty!”
Arissa took one out and began digging in. It was a small bun, and she soon finished it.
The children were delighted.
Gavin shared with Tim, Oliver shared with Zachary, and Jasper shared with Jesse.
They had a merry time eating the buns.
After having some buns and some milk in their stomach, they beamed.
“Sweethearts, was everything all right in school today?”
“Yes!”
“Did you learn anything new?”
The children took turns reporting their days, and Arissa enjoyed every moment of it.
It was a lively moment on their way there. Even after they arrived at the hospital and went to visit Mary, the children remained energetic.
Arissa’s smile remained glued on her face as she watched the happy children.
The eight of them had dinner together.
It was only after Mary fell asleep did Arissa bring the children back to the Graham residence.
The children were perplexed when they saw that Benjamin was not home.
Gavin asked, “Mommy, is Daddy still working in the office?”
Arissa did not know how to respond to the boy’s question, for she did not know where Benjamin was.
She had only seen him at noon when she went upstairs to deliver documents; she did not know if Benjamin even went back to the office after that.
Chapter 766 Not Even After Midnight
“I think so,” Arissa said. I think so?
Gavin furrowed his brows, sensing something amiss. As the boy stared at Arissa, he wondered, Doesn’t Mommy work with Daddy in the office? How can she not know if Daddy’s still in the office or not?
“Mommy, did you fight with Daddy?”
“I didn’t. Don’t worry.”
After ruffling the boy’s hair, Arissa took the children’s bags and placed them on the couch. “Sweethearts, did your teacher give you any homework?”
“Yes, Mommy. Our teacher has given us homework,” Jesse quickly answered. “Wash your hands first. I’ll accompany you to finish them now.”
“Okay!” Jesse bobbed her head. The five older children all glanced at Arissa before running off to wash their hands. Edwin came out with washed fruits and asked, “Mrs. Graham, shall I prepare more food for you and the kids?”
Arissa had told Edwin that they were eating at the hospital, so Edwin had brought them food as well when he delivered food to Mary. “Edwin, it’s fine. If they get hungry later, I’ll make them some pasta,” Arissa replied.
Edwin nodded. “Mrs. Graham, feel free to ask anything from me.” “All right.” Arissa nodded. Edwin then left to look at the children.
Gavin was leading his younger siblings to wash their hands before they run back to the living room. By then, Arissa had cleaned up the coffee table. She was sitting on the carpet and waiting for them to return.
“Come over and start working on your homework.”
The six children sat down and took out their homework. “Mommy, the teacher said that we can work on different kinds of homework.”
Arissa glanced at the topic before helping the children with their paper-cutting exercises. She made six different patterns for them while they assisted her. Once in a while, Edwin would bring them food and drinks.
He was impressed by Arissa’s skillful cutting.
“Mrs. Graham, you’re amazing with your hands,” Edwin praised. “None of us knew how to do Gavin’s homework, and Gavin stopped wanting to do it after a while.”
Arissa paused and raised her head. “Did Graham not help Gavin?”
“Mr. Graham is too busy for it.” Edwin sighed.
Gavin huffed. “Even if Daddy comes back early, he won’t do it with me. He thinks it’s childish!”
Arissa’s heart ached when she heard that, and she patted his head gently.
“I’ll do it with you from now on. It’ll be the same.”
“Okay!” Gavin smiled.
Arissa smiled in return and continued helping them out with their homework.
Zachary and Oliver had done many similar things before, but when they saw Gavin, Tim, Jasper, and Jesse working seriously on their homework, they became excited too.
Not long after, the children completed their homework.
“Thank you, Mommy! You must be tired,” the children chorused, then came over to kiss her cheek, Tim included.
“No problems, Sweethearts!” Arissa hugged the children and gave them kisses on their foreheads. “Sweethearts, it’s time to shower and go to bed.”
“Okay!”
The children packed their bags and rushed to the bathrooms.
Arissa glanced out the window before going upstairs.
The first thing she did was give Jesse a shower.
After stepping into the master bedroom, she packed her things and brought them to the guest room.
Once she was done with her shower, she went to the children’s room to tuck them in.
Even after they fell asleep, Benjamin did not return.
Is he keeping that woman company?
Arissa could not help but think about that man.
As she watched the sleeping children, a sigh escaped her lips.
The kids were just asking why he hadn’t come back. They still love their daddy. Should I ask him about it? What if he’s enjoying his time with her? Won’t I be disturbing them in that case? Forget it.
Even when midnight came, even after Arissa fell asleep, Benjamin did not return.
Chapter 767 He Went On A Business Trip
When Arissa awoke the following morning and went to wash up, she subconsciously walked to the master bedroom. Just as she was about to open the door, someone opened it from the inside.
She was stunned to find herself face-to-face with the man she had not seen for almost two days. “Good morning,” she greeted politely. Benjamin stared at her intently and asked in a deep voice, “Why did you move your things out?”
Her heart lurched. I went to the wrong room! I already moved my things to the guest room last night. “It’s more convenient that way!”
She glanced at the weary-looking man before her. He looked as though he had just returned, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He glared at her in response.
However, she merely nodded, then turned to return to the guest room and wash up.
Benjamin pursed his lips. Then, he also turned and went to shower in the master bedroom.
Knowing that Benjamin had returned, Edwin prepared more food for breakfast.
He asked Ethen, “Where has Mr. Graham been these past two days?”
“He was on a business trip. Didn’t you know?” Ethen replied as he moved closer and stole a bite of the food.
“A business trip?”
Edwin was surprised.
Ethen nodded. “That’s right. We were on a business trip. After yesterday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, we rushed to Xenhall. We were very busy, and that’s why we’ve only just returned.”
Something flickered in Edwin’s eyes. He had seen the news about the previous day’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, so he enquired softly, “Wasn’t Mr. Graham with Ms. Adams?”
Ethen glanced at him. “No, he wasn’t.”
Then he scanned the surroundings to make sure Benjamin was nowhere in sight before continuing to gossip with Edwin.
“She did show up at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, but Mr. Graham ignored her. After that, he took me on that business trip.”
Edwin breathed a sigh of relief. “So that’s what happened.”
He also cast a quick glance around them before saying to Ethen quietly, “Mrs. Graham didn’t look too happy yesterday.”
Astonished, Ethen asked, “She saw the news too? She doesn’t know Rosetta, does she?”
“I’m not too sure about that. However, women tend to be more sensitive about such things. I already felt something was off when Mr. Graham left yesterday morning, and they didn’t sleep in the same room the night before.”
Realization suddenly dawned on Ethen. No wonder Mr. Graham has been giving off such a terrifying and unapproachable aura since yesterday morning. It turns out that it’s because of Mrs. Graham and not Rosetta.
“Did they quarrel?” Ethen asked.
Edwin furrowed his brows. “The children asked Mrs. Graham that yesterday, but she denied it. It doesn’t look like they did to me. They were fine before I went to bed the night before, but things had changed by the time I got up the following morning. I’ve no idea what happened since I wasn’t there.”
“That must mean something unpleasant happened between them since Mr. Graham wasn’t in a good mood either,” Ethen guessed. Mr. Graham was on his phone a lot during the business trip. I asked him something while he was waiting for a call, but he cut me off with a glare.
As the two gossiped in the kitchen, they did not notice Arissa coming downstairs.
“Could it be because of that woman?”
Edwin looked at Ethen. That woman has already left the country, so why would she return?
“I didn’t dare to ask,” Ethen replied with a shrug of his shoulders.
“Good morning, Edwin. Good morning, Mr. Frank!”
The two men nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard Arissa’s voice.
Fixing their gazes on her, they answered in unison, “Good morning, Mrs. Graham.”
She went to pour a glass of water, then busied herself with getting the children’s breakfast.
Edwin and Ethen exchanged glances. Then, the former stepped forward and said, “Mr. Graham is back from his business trip. I saw him just now.”
Arissa nodded.
“Mr. Graham and I left for a business trip yesterday morning,” Ethen also chimed in to offer her an explanation.
However, she merely turned toward him and nodded with a smile before continuing with what she was doing.
So, he went on a business trip. But whether or not he did has nothing to do with me, nor is it something I should ask about.
The two men gazed at her. Seeing that she had no wish to continue the topic, they fell silent and helped to prepare breakfast.
Chapter 768 I Brought Gifts For All Of You
After showering and getting changed, Benjamin walked out of the bedroom and headed to the children’s room. The kids were already awake.
“Daddy!” Gavin exclaimed, staring at him in surprise. The others also turned to him with similar expressions. “Mr. Graham!” Benjamin murmured an acknowledgment.
After sweeping his gaze over the little ones, he called Ethen on the phone and asked the latter to bring up the things he had prepared. Gavin’s eyes gleamed briefly when he heard that. “Did you go on a business trip?”
Benjamin nodded. “Mm-hmm.”
“Where and when did you go, Daddy? You didn’t come home last night. I thought you were at the office.” Gavin rarely asked so many questions.
Patting the boy’s head fondly, Benjamin replied, “I went to Xenhall yesterday morning and only just got back.” Gavin was understanding, and he forgave him for not coming home the previous night.
Zachary, Oliver, Jasper, Jesse, and Tim looked at Benjamin. They also understood that he did not return home because he had gone on a business trip. Just then, Ethen came upstairs with a pile of presents in his arms.
“Mr. Graham.” “Place them over there,” Benjamin instructed, telling Ethen to set the presents down gently.
“I brought gifts for all of you!”
Ecstatic, the six children rushed to open their presents while Benjamin sat and watched them. His thin lips curved upward into a smile when he saw how happy they were.
“Wow! It’s beautiful!”
“This is nice too!” There were six model airplanes of various colors, and they could even be flown in the air using remote controls. Oliver and Jasper were already flying their model airplanes while Zachary taught Tim how to use the remote control.
As Gavin and Jesse were figuring out how to operate theirs, the latter remarked with a sigh, “If only it were pink.”
Ethen smiled. He had suggested that to Benjamin when they were buying the toys. However, the latter had immediately tossed aside the pink one.
As soon as Benjamin heard what Jesse said, he knitted his brows. “Boys who like pink will get laughed at by the other kids, Jesse.” This kid likes pink too much. I need to correct that.
Jesse bit her lip and muttered, “Let them laugh, then. I like pink!”
Benjamin frowned. Ethen was aware that Jesse was a girl and knew it was not unusual for her to like that color. “Mr. Graham, shall we change it to a pink one for Jesse?”
Benjamin glared at Ethen, and the latter dared not say anything more. “We can buy some pink paint. I’ll help you change the color,” Gavin said, comforting his younger sister.
Her eyes brightened. “You can change it?”
“Sure. We can give it a new coat of paint and turn it pink!” Gavin responded with a grin.
“Awesome!” Overjoyed, Jesse began playing with her brothers.
Benjamin’s frown deepened.
“Gavin, come over here.”
The boy peeped at him, then walked over.
“What is it?”
“Boys should like colors that are appropriate for boys. Don’t indulge in your brother’s whims,” Benjamin admonished Gavin.
Gavin looked up at him with a flicker in his eyes. “Daddy, Jesse is still little. It’ll be different once Jesse is older.”
Still furrowing his brows, Benjamin answered, “Interests and hobbies are nurtured from a young age. Do you want to see him still liking pink when he’s older?”
Observing the stern look on his father’s face, Gavin sighed inwardly.
“All right. I’ll talk to Jesse.”
Benjamin nodded.
Just then, Arissa came upstairs to wake the children, only to find them already up and playing with their model airplanes in the room. The atmosphere was very lively, and she saw that Benjamin and Ethen were also there.
Jesse ran up to Arissa to share her excitement. “Mommy, Mr. Graham bought us model airplanes!”
“Did you thank him?” Arissa asked as she smoothed the little girl’s hair.
Jesse was momentarily stunned, then she quickly turned to thank Benjamin.
“Thank you, Mr. Graham!”
Benjamin nodded in response while gazing fixedly at the woman at the door.
Moving out of his line of sight, she gestured to the children. “Sweethearts, do you want to go to the hospital to visit Great-grandaunt?”
“Yes!”
The six children set aside the toys in their hands and dashed over to her.
Chapter 769 Neither Of Them Spoke
“In that case, you should hurry down and have your breakfast,” Arissa said with a smile, motioning for them to go downstairs. “Okay!”
With that, the children sprinted down the stairs immediately. “Graham, Mr. Frank, come and have breakfast too,” she called out, then followed the kids downstairs. Sensing her aloof attitude, Benjamin frowned, and his handsome face darkened.
Ethen sneaked a glance at him. “Mr. Graham, let’s go down for breakfast.” Benjamin radiated an icy-cold aura as he rose to his feet and strode out of the children’s room. Ethen dared not utter a single word as he followed the former.
Once downstairs, Arissa rushed the kids through breakfast, then got ready to take them to the hospital. However, she was shocked to see Benjamin follow them. “Let’s go together.”
He shot her a glance before getting into the car. The six children’s gazes darted between the two of them. Then, they called out to Arissa enthusiastically, “Hurry up!”
“Okay.” Arissa leaned down and got into the car. The children sat in the middle. “Has Grandaunt’s condition been stable these past couple of days?” Benjamin asked. She did not respond.
The children gazed at them. After a while, Gavin said to him softly, “She has been in quite good spirits, and her appetite has been good too.” Benjamin nodded, then took his tablet and started working.
Arissa kept staring at her phone. Bradley still had not contacted her, so she was a little worried. “Mommy, what are you looking at?” Zachary asked, craning his neck to look at her phone. She turned to him and asked, “Have you been in touch with Mr. Hinton?”
Zachary shook his head. Oliver was also puzzled. “He hasn’t contacted us since we got back. We can’t reach him on WhatsApp either.”
Jasper nodded. “That’s so strange!”
“Mommy, you don’t think something happened to him, do you?” Jesse asked, also starting to feel concerned. Arissa’s heart sank. “I’ll give Mr. Griffin a call.”
Tim blinked and asked in surprise, “Is he still at Rutaceae Village?”
Arissa nodded. She felt quite uneasy, as Bradley had never been unreachable for several days. “Bradley is fine. It’s just that the cell tower over there is down,” Benjamin said while casting her a quick look.
Stunned, she turned to stare at him. “How do you know that?”
“Ethen contacted someone about building a house,” he reminded her.
“Oh,” she murmured, gazing at him.
Then she turned back to the front. No wonder I haven’t been able to get in touch with him.
Arissa wanted to ask how long the cell tower had been down. However, she stopped when she saw him with his head lowered over the tablet and working away.
“Don’t worry, Mommy. Mr. Hinton will definitely contact you as soon as the cell tower is fixed,” Gavin said reassuringly.
She nodded.
When they arrived at the hospital, Benjamin followed them upstairs to visit Mary. The elderly lady was delighted to see that he had come too.
They stayed at the hospital for a short while before sending the children to school.
Benjamin and Arissa took the kids to the school gate and waited until they entered the school campus before leaving for the office.
Neither of them spoke in the car, and Ethen felt under immense pressure as he drove.
He would sneak a peek at the two people in the backseat through the rearview mirror from time to time, and he hardly dared to breathe because the air was so thick with tension.
Arissa was scrolling through her phone when she stumbled upon a blog post exposing what happened at the school. It was already trending.
She frowned and tapped on it to read the post, only to find it condemned the principal and her children for bullying others.
She was infuriated.
It’s evident they hired a ghostwriter!
Holding her phone in front of Benjamin, she asked, “Do you know about this?”
His eyes flashed when he saw the trending article. Then he narrowed his eyes as they glinted coldly.
“Ethen, sue those parents for defamation.”
“Got it,” Ethen replied, making a mental note.
Arissa shot Benjamin a look. “That’s it?”
The children are already getting dragged through the mud even though they’re innocent!
He glanced at the fury etched across her face, then said solemnly, “I’ll take care of it.”
She looked at him. Trusting his words, she nodded.
“Sorry to trouble you.”
Chapter 770 Bonus Deducted For Tardiness
Benjamin’s eyes narrowed, and his gaze became piercing. “What did you just say to me?”
Arissa froze. I only said, “Sorry to trouble you.” What’s wrong with that?
His expression turned grim, and anger surged within him when he saw her distancing herself from him. He growled in a low voice, “The children’s affairs concern me too, so why did you say that?”
“I misspoke!” Taking back her phone, she lowered her head and scrolled through the nasty remarks, feeling upset. She even posted a few replies refuting the angry comments.
Benjamin’s eyes flashed. He wanted to say something to her, but he noticed her angling her body away from him. Hence, he took out his phone and began tapping away on it.
Before Arissa even had time to post the surveillance footage, she noticed that the tides had turned. It was only after refreshing the page that she realized someone had leaked the footage of the other children mocking her kids.
However, that was not the only video. Even the clip of the parents at the school bullying Arissa’s children had also been revealed. Except for the blurred-out faces of her children, those of the parents and their children were clear for all to see.
Hence, the actual perpetrator and victim of the situation were evident at a glance. Those who got all riled up immediately turned on the parents and their children, lambasting them even more harshly than how they had berated the principal and Arissa’s kids.
She turned back toward Benjamin and met his dark gaze. The corners of her mouth twitched, but in the end, she did not say anything.
These are all things he should do. I don’t need to thank him.
Hence, she looked away and continued monitoring the situation online.
His handsome face turned as black as thunder at her cold attitude toward him, and the tension in the air became even more palpable.
Suddenly, Arissa said to Ethen, “Mr. Frank, please stop the car there. I want to get out.”
Ethen’s gaze flitted to the rearview mirror. Noticing Benjamin’s darkening expression, he swallowed hard.
“We’re almost at the office. Why don’t you get down there?”
“That’s all right. I feel like walking.”
The oppressive atmosphere inside the car is a little too much for me to bear.
“Stop the car for her,” Benjamin thundered.
Left with no choice, Ethen could only pull over at the side of the road.
Arissa grabbed her bag, opened the car door, and climbed out of the car.
As soon as she closed the door, Benjamin told Ethen to drive off.
She started walking toward the office after watching them drive away and happened to bump into a colleague from the same department on her way. “Ms. York, didn’t you drive?”
“No, I didn’t,” she replied, smiling awkwardly.
At that, her colleague offered warmly, “Hop on, then. Otherwise, you’ll be late.”
Arissa accepted the offer and quickly climbed into the colleague’s car.
Meanwhile, Ethen glanced at his boss through the rearview mirror, about to say something on Arissa’s behalf. However, the words stuck in his throat when his eyes met Benjamin’s gaze.
Upon arriving at the office building, Benjamin got out of the car and strode in with a frosty expression.
“Good morning, Mr. Graham!”
As some of the employees watched Benjamin enter the building, they felt a chill run down their spines.
Mr. Graham isn’t in a good mood.
When their gazes shifted to Ethen, he shot them all a warning look. Then, he turned back to glance at the road one would have to take to get to the office.
He had just instructed a bodyguard to go and pick Arissa up when he saw her get out of a car and walk toward the office.
Feeling relieved, Ethen hurried into the building.
Once upstairs, he saw Benjamin standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window. He could see that Benjamin’s frustration was evident even just by looking at his back.
A bone-chilling aura shrouded him, deterring others from approaching.
Turning his head, Benjamin instructed frostily, “Arissa will also have her bonus deducted for tardiness.”
Ethen adjusted his glasses and said cautiously, “Mr. Graham, Ms. York has already arrived at the office.”
She arrived right after us and was only a minute late. That’s definitely not tardiness.
Benjamin’s brows drew together when he heard that. She’s already at the office?
He tugged at his tie irritably, then asked, “How did she get here?”
I don’t believe she can walk that fast. After all, it’s approximately five or six hundred meters from where she got out to the office.
“She caught a ride with one of her colleagues,” Ethen replied softly.
Instantly, a chill descended over the office as the tension in the air intensified.