Ch. 871..880
Chapter 871 Aaron Slaps Rosetta
Rosetta blushed with humiliation. She explained frantically, “Please don’t listen to her, Benjamin. I never said such a thing—”
“Do you think I’m deaf? I heard everything you said to her with my own ears!” Benjamin interrupted, his expression grim as he glowered at Rosetta.
A look of horror appeared on Rosetta’s face. There was no way she could defend herself further.
Right then, Jesse hurried out of the restroom. “Daddy, that evil woman says you’re hers. She even said she wants to take you away from Mommy!”
Jesse then glared daggers at Rosetta. “Hmph! How shameless!”
To Jesse’s surprise, Rosetta returned her glare. It gave Jesse such a shock that she hid behind Arissa.
“Don’t be scared, Jesse.” Arissa quickly carried Jesse into her arms and glared back at Rosetta. Let’s see how she’s going to keep defending herself.
“Aaron!” Benjamin called out.
Upon hearing that, Aaron rushed over. “What is it, Benjamin?”
Sensing the odd atmosphere, he glanced at Rosetta.
“Take your sister away, and don’t bring her along to our reunions in the future. Otherwise, don’t blame me for what will happen,” Benjamin warned icily.
Aaron blushed, feeling utterly embarrassed. It was the first time Benjamin spoke so straightforwardly.
Glaring at Rosetta, Aaron questioned, “What did you do?”
She’s such a handful! Trouble is all she’s been causing ever since I brought her here.
Of course, Rosetta did not dare to tell him the truth.
Unwilling to accept the situation, she stared at Benjamin, asking, “Have you really set your mind on this woman? She has a purpose for approaching you! Besides, she played some tricks to get pregnant with your child—”
Smack!
Aaron gave Rosetta a tight slap across the face.
Arissa was shocked, but Benjamin was unfazed. He merely glared at Rosetta.
Covering her face, Rosetta said disappointedly, “How dare you hit me, Aaron!”
“You wouldn’t have come to your senses if I didn’t hit you. Apologize. Now!”
Rosetta gritted her teeth. However, she felt terrified the moment she met Benjamin’s icy glare.
“Ms. Adams, you seem to harbor some serious feelings of enmity toward my wife. Let me make this clear today. No matter what she did to approach me, I was the one who willingly accepted her. I’m going to protect her for the rest of my life. On the other hand, you were just someone they joked about. I thought you were the obedient type, which made me consider marrying you. Truth is, I don’t have any feelings for you. I’ll never marry you, even if I hadn’t married my wife today.”
“You’re lying! You defended me in front of Old Mr. Graham and even talked about marrying me!” Rosetta rebuked.
Benjamin scoffed, “Are you sure you heard that with your own ears?”
I remember Dad and I were in the study when I was talking to him about all that. Looks like there are many spies in Old Manor. Not only are they spying for outsiders, but they are also spouting nonsense.
Rosetta pursed her lips.
Right then, Aaron tugged at her arm and scolded, “Don’t say a word. Aren’t you done embarrassing yourself?”
He then quickly apologized to Benjamin, “I’m sorry, Benjamin. Rosetta didn’t know better and has caused you trouble. Please don’t take offense at her.”
After that, he apologized to Arissa as well, “Arissa, please ignore Rosetta’s words. Benjamin never harbored any feelings for my sister. It was just a stupid idea we came up with back then. I’m so sorry. Please don’t misunderstand Benjamin.”
Arissa could hear the sincerity in his words. Thus, she had no intention of holding Aaron accountable for Rosetta’s faults.
She nodded in understanding. “It’s okay. I get it.”
“Please get out, Ms. Adams. You’re not welcome here,” Benjamin stated, not bothering to spare Rosetta’s dignity. His gaze was cold and indifferent.
Rosetta bit her lip, her face ugly with rage and humiliation.
Seeing she was not moving, Aaron quickly pulled her out, apologizing to Benjamin and Arissa again, “I’m terribly sorry about this. I’ll take her away now. Please don’t let her affect your mood.”
As soon as Aaron dragged Rosetta out of the restroom, he scolded her in front of the private room door, “What on earth is wrong with you? Look at you now! You look like a jealous woman instead of a daughter from a wealthy family. I’ve told you this before—Benjamin has absolutely no feelings for you! It’s all your imagination. If you really liked him, you wouldn’t have gone abroad for so many years and come back now just to snatch him away from Arissa. He’s married and even has a family. He’ll never want you, no matter how much you refuse to accept the truth!”
Aaron was so livid that he gave her such a terrible scolding without a care in the world.
Chapter 872 Give Me Away
“Aaron, I really like him. I didn’t realize it back then, but I understand my feelings now. I like him. I really, really like him!” Rosetta said defiantly.
Aaron fumed, “Nonsense! There’s something mentally wrong with you. Go home now. I’m warning you, you’re going to bring trouble to our family if you do this again. Benjamin has already given you a warning just now. Can you please wake the heck up already?”
With that, Aaron pulled her away. He was too embarrassed to rejoin the group for the meal.
However, what they did not know was that the entire conversation had been recorded by reporters.
Back in the private room, Kingsley and the others, who had watched Aaron pulling Rosetta away, hurried to the entrance of the restroom.
“What happened?” they asked.
Alas, Benjamin jerked his head, signaling them to leave.
In the meantime, Arissa lifted Jesse and helped the latter to wash her hands.
Benjamin fixed his gaze on her. “Did you really tell Rosetta you’d give me to her?”
Arissa snuck a glance at him, feeling a little pressured.
She responded softly, “Yep. I told her I’d give her the position of Mrs. Graham if you really wanted to marry her.”
Benjamin’s face fell.
Arissa eyed his grim expression. Is he mad?
“Jesse, please go out. I need to talk to your mommy.” Benjamin glanced at Jesse.
Jesse stared at the adults, feeling a little frightened.
“Carry on with your meal, Sweetheart. If not, your brothers are going to finish the food,” Arissa urged Jesse to leave.
“Hurry up, Mommy!”
“Okay!” Arissa nodded.
Jesse stole a glance at Benjamin, sensing the latter’s anger. Hence, she ran off to look for her brothers.
As soon as Jesse left, Benjamin shut the door and immediately pressed Arissa against it.
“What are you doing?” Arissa was taken aback.
Benjamin glared at her with a fiery gaze, hissing, “Did you really want to let me go?”
Arissa’s heart skipped a beat as she blinked nervously at him. “I… Mmph!”
Benjamin smashed his lips down on hers as if he was trying to punish her. He kissed her hard, wishing he could stuff her into his body.
Feeling the pain on her lips, Arissa smacked Benjamin’s back to make him stop. Unfortunately, he had locked her so tightly in his embrace that it was impossible for her to break free.
Arissa was on the verge of suffocating.
In the meantime, Jesse hurried to her brothers and reported softly to Zachary, “Zachary, Daddy’s angry. Do you think he’ll bully Mommy?”
“He’s angry at Mommy?” Zachary frowned.
Jesse nodded. “He even told me to leave the restroom.”
Hearing that, Gavin exchanged glances with Zachary. Immediately, they rushed to the restroom.
Tim and the others followed suit.
“Hey! Where are you kids going?” Kingsley shouted when he saw the six children running toward the restroom.
Jonathan, however, was not the slightest bit worried. In fact, there was even a smirk on his lips.
“Do you guys think Benjamin will be mad later?” Shaun asked the others, chuckling.
Ethen and Jack looked at one another. “Mr. Graham already looked angry just now.”
“That was different.” Shaun grinned at them. “He was mad at Rosetta earlier. And now, he must be mad at Arissa.”
“How do you know that?” Kingsley shot him a look.
Pushing his glasses, Shaun chuckled and explained, “Benjamin’s aura felt off just now.”
Jonathan sipped on his wine calmly. Noting Jonathan’s silence, Kingsley turned to him. “Do you agree with Shaun?”
“Drink up. Why do you care so much about a couple’s affairs?” Jonathan clinked his glass with Kingsley’s.
In the end, Kingsley could only shoot curious glances in the direction of the restroom.
Meanwhile, the six children called out in front of the restroom door, “Mommy!”
Benjamin shut his eyes and finally let Arissa go. He then glared at her. “Didn’t you think of fighting for me?”
Arissa was furious, and she could not be bothered to think about the wound on her lips.
She glared daggers at Benjamin, who was questioning her. “Are you crazy, Benjamin Graham?”
Wasn’t my explanation just now clear enough? What’s he mad for?
Chapter 873 No Need For A Jerk
In truth, it was the fact that Arissa would give him away so calmly that made Benjamin furious.
“It’s your fault that I’m crazy!” he roared.
“Daddy, come out! What are you doing with Mommy in there?”
Gavin’s voice rang out.
Blushing and panting, Arissa hissed, “Move aside!”
Benjamin stared at her. “Do you really not want to fight for me?”
Arissa rolled her eyes at his words. I can’t believe he bit me because of this.
Annoyed, she snapped, “What’s the point of fighting for you if you want to marry someone else? Why would I want a jerk?”
Benjamin stared at her fixedly.
That makes sense…
Regardless, he still felt displeased.
“How can you give me up so easily?”
Arissa glared at Benjamin, who would not give up on the topic. She taunted, “What do you want me to do? Are you only going to be satisfied when I put on exaggerated acts? If I do that, will the jerk change his mind and feel bad for me? I think all you’ll feel then is disgust.”
She poked his chest firmly.
“I’m not a jerk!” Benjamin grabbed her hand, looking utterly serious.
Arissa stared intently at him, speechless.
“Are you satisfied, Mr. Graham? Are you satisfied with my answer now?” she asked.
It’s just a hypothetical situation. Does he really have to be so petty?
“No!” Benjamin spat.
His answer left Arissa exasperated.
“Mommy… Mommy…” the children cried out anxiously outside the restroom.
Hearing that, Arissa attempted to push Benjamin away, but to no avail.
“I want to go out!” she shouted.
Benjamin pinned her tightly and fixed his eyes on her face.
Arissa was at a loss for words. “Just what are you trying to do?”
Benjamin leaned forward, placed his chin on her shoulder, and breathed into her ear, “Arissa, I thought long and hard before deciding to marry you. I’ll never let you go in this lifetime.”
Arissa felt her heart skip a beat.
What a jerk! He forced a kiss on me a while ago. Now, his sweet words have managed to douse my anger.
She softened her tone, saying, “It was just a hypothetical situation. Why are you so serious?”
If he had told her that in a different location, she would have been more touched.
“No hypothetical situations are allowed!” Benjamin argued stubbornly, biting her ear.
Arissa shuddered.
This is so embarrassing! The children are still outside, and we’re only separated by a door. Besides, the guys are still eating out there. What will they think of us?
“Let’s go out. Everyone’s still out there. They’ll start wondering what we’re up to,” she reminded him while pushing him away from her.
Benjamin lifted his head and gazed at her. “Don’t you ever come up with such hypothetical situations again when someone talks to you that way. You’re just condoning other women to take me away from you, you know that?”
Arissa stared at his serious expression, feeling a little amused.
She patted his chest, asking, “Can anyone take you away from me when your heart is with me?”
“Arissa York!” Benjamin growled, glaring at her. “You’re my wife. You cannot shrink back when you’re dealing with those women. You should fight back.”
“I did!” Arissa looked at him innocently.
“Mommy!”
“Daddy!”
“I’m going to teach you a lesson if you bully Mommy, Mr. Graham!”
The children banged on the door.
Arissa was getting impatient. “Let me go now! The kids are panicking.”
Glowering at the man who still did not release her, she warned, “The guys are going to get the wrong idea if we continue staying here.”
Benjamin’s gaze bored into hers as he said confidently, “That has already happened.”
Arissa was dumbfounded.
The children were extremely worried about Arissa when the door did not open no matter how much they yelled. Thus, they went looking for Ethen to open the door.
“Mr. Frank, please open the door. Daddy must be bullying Mommy now.” Gavin tugged at Ethen’s arm.
Of course, Ethen did not dare to approach the restroom.
“Haha! Gavin, it’s normal for your daddy to bully her. Come on, dig in. I promise they’ll come out in one piece.” Kingsley giggled indecently.
Chapter 874 Why Do They Think That
Both Shaun and Jonathan were speechless.
They were sure Benjamin would be mad if he heard what Kingsley had just uttered.
“Uncle Jack, please help us smash the door open!” Zachary tugged at Jack’s arm as well.
Jack glanced at the restroom. He, too, did not dare to intrude on Benjamin and Arissa.
“Mr. Graham will only be angrier if I smash the door open,” he said.
The children glared at the men, huffing in anger.
“Why aren’t you guys helping us?”
“Your daddy just wants some alone time with your mommy. They’re trying to resolve some misunderstandings and cultivate their relationship. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry,” Kingsley explained, grinning at them.
It’s so fun to see their faces puffed with anger. They look like squirrels.
“Hmph! We don’t need your help! We’ll settle this on our own. Let’s go!” Zachary turned on his heels and ran back to the restroom, hollering at his siblings to follow him.
“Mommy!” The children started banging on the door once more.
Arissa quickly answered, “I’m here!”
“Mommy, is Mr. Graham bullying you? Stand aside! We’ll go in and help you!”
Hearing the children’s aggressive shouts, Arissa glanced at Benjamin, ordering, “Open the door.”
Benjamin raised his brow and shouted at the door, “Zachary, I’m not bullying your mommy!”
He then straightened Arissa’s clothes, which left her speechless.
“If you’re not bullying Mommy, then why aren’t you opening the door? Why aren’t you guys coming out? Do you think I’m that easy to fool? Why didn’t you answer us just now?” Zachary snorted.
Jasper chimed in, “Exactly. Why didn’t you speak up earlier?”
Oliver demanded, “Open the door!”
Jesse assured, “Don’t be scared, Mommy. We’ll help you!”
Tim, too, ordered, “Open the door now, Mr. Graham! That way, we won’t misunderstand you anymore.”
Gavin threatened, “I won’t forgive you if you bully Mommy!”
“Why do they all think I’m bullying you?” Benjamin pinched Arissa’s cheeks, feeling jealous.
“Isn’t that what’s happening now?” Arissa pouted.
Her pink and slightly swollen lips were quite enticing.
Benjamin’s eyes glinted with an unfathomable emotion as he leaned forward.
Arissa quickly pushed him aside. “Time to go out!”
Benjamin chuckled when he saw her shyly hanging her head.
Pinching her nose, he said domineeringly, “Remember what I said. Don’t make me angry.”
Arissa pouted. “Petty idiot.”
“Huh?” Benjamin arched his brow, exuding an imposing aura that could make a person’s heart tremble.
“I get it, I get it. Open the door already. Didn’t you hear how panicked the kids were?” Arissa snorted, pursing her lips in annoyance.
“They’re going to smash the door down if you don’t open it now,” she warned.
“Are they that strong?” Smirking, he hugged her and stood aside to open the door.
The sudden movement of the door caused the children, who were banging on it, to bump into Benjamin.
He immediately helped them up. “What are you kids doing?”
The children looked up and hurriedly steadied their feet, looking like a pack of furious animals.
“Did you bully Mommy?”
Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper glared at him.
Jesse, too, glared at him before hiding behind Tim, who did not show as much resistance toward Benjamin compared to the others. He felt relieved after seeing Arissa was fine.
Benjamin turned around to give Arissa a warning look. “Did I bully you?”
Arissa snorted and glowered at the shameless man before putting on a smile and leading the children out.
“Sweethearts, I’m fine. I was just talking to him about something,” she assured.
“Really?” Zachary stared at her innocently. When he turned to look at Benjamin, his gaze was filled with doubt.
Gavin, Oliver, and Jasper, too, eyed them.
Arissa pursed her lips, worried they might notice her wound. “Come on. Let’s carry on with our meal.”
Jasper, the more observant among them, pointed at her lips, exclaiming, “Mommy, your lips are bleeding again!”
Chapter 875 Did You Threaten Mommy
Embarrassment washed over Arissa. “Oh, it was an accident.” “Mommy, did a certain someone bite you?”
The little guy grinned mischievously while eyeing Benjamin suspiciously. Arissa blushed so hard that even her ears were red. “That is not the case at all. I accidentally bit myself, and kids shouldn’t talk in that tone.”
She pinched the boy’s chubby cheek while smiling. “What? She already made it clear that I didn’t hurt her, so why is everyone still glaring at me?”
Benjamin was exasperated while facing the kids.
Gavin harrumphed loudly and in dissatisfaction.
“Who knows? Maybe you threatened Mommy, and that’s why she’s saying all that.”
Benjamin’s lips twitched uncontrollably.
Arissa chuckled before she got all six kids back to their table.
Benjamin followed closely behind them and said, “We should eat up before everything gets cold.”
“If you know that, then why did you trap Mommy in the restroom with you? Doesn’t it stink in there?” retorted Zachary.
Benjamin arched his brows. He hadn’t noticed it earlier, but now that the kid had mentioned it, he realized that the place really did stink a little.
When did Drawbridge Dining’s maintenance become so terrible?
When Benjamin and Arissa returned to their seats, everyone stared at them while grinning meaningfully.
“That was fast,” teased Kingsley mercilessly and without any regard for his safety.
Glaring at him, Benjamin warned, “Shut up and eat!”
Both Jonathan and Shaun snickered. Their gaze kept shifting between Benjamin and Arissa.
Despite feeling embarrassed, Arissa got the kids in their seats and helped get them food.
“Have the others gone home?”
“Yeah. Forget about them. We’ll enjoy the meal ourselves.”
Kingsley felt a little bad about it. “Arissa, did Rosetta say anything to you? Don’t believe a word she said, okay? That woman is evil and is always playing an angle. You should talk to Boss about everything to make sure that you’re both on the same page. D*mn it! If I had known that she’d show up and cause trouble, I’d never have invited Aaron in the first place.”
“This is not on you,” replied Arissa while grinning.
Kingsley was touched. “Thank you, Arissa. You’re the best!”
Lifting his glass, he aimed it at her in a toast.
“You’re too kind,” replied Arissa. She picked up her glass of juice and took a sip.
“Hey, Boss, didn’t you say that you’d drink in Arissa’s place?”
Kingsley glanced sideways as he teased Benjamin.
The latter picked up his glass and downed the drink without saying another word.
That prompted Kingsley to laugh aloud and compliment, “Now that is cool!”
Jonathan was quick to toast Arissa, too.
Once again, Benjamin drank in Arissa’s place.
Shaun followed suit, and Benjamin had no choice but to drink again.
Arissa could tell that everyone was deliberately ganging up on Benjamin.
“Mrs. Graham, I’d like to drink with you too,” said Ethen while grinning at Arissa.
“Okay,” replied Arissa with a smile. She drank her juice in response.
“Yo, Boss, why aren’t you drinking the wine Ethen offered? That’s discrimination, and it’ll break his heart, you know?”
Kingsley was determined to mess with Benjamin.
Ethen glanced at Benjamin. The former was too scared to force his boss to drink, but extending an invitation to drink together was fine.
“Mr. Graham, here’s to you and Mrs. Graham living happily ever after,” uttered Ethen.
Benjamin murmured a reply before downing his drink.
“We really should learn from Ethen. Notice how kind his words are even when he’s trying to get Benjamin drunk?” teased Jonathan.
Everyone laughed in response.
Not to be left out, Jack swiftly joined in after everyone had gotten Benjamin to drink. He toasted Arissa, then Benjamin. By that point, Jack was already a little drunk, his cheeks flushed.
Kingsley and the others were getting a little drunk as well. Ironically, Benjamin was the only one who appeared fine.
“Come on, you all shouldn’t focus only on drinking. Enjoy the food too,” said Arissa.
She got Benjamin some food, then grabbed some for the kids as well.
“I’m so jealous. What a kind and sweet wife! Benjamin, what’s it like to have your wife feed you?” teased Kingsley.
Shaun chimed in, “I bet he’s all warm and fuzzy inside.”
Jonathan laughed aloud and joined in the fun. “How I wish someone would feed me, too.”
Gavin got Jonathan some chicken. “Oh, here you go, Mr. Patterson.”
Chapter 876 Tim Called Her Mommy
Jonathan was touched, but he found it hilarious as well. He grinned and replied, “That’s so sweet of you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” replied Gavin while smiling.
When Jonathan saw how bright the kid’s smile was, his grin widened. “You’re so cute when you smile, Gavin. You should smile more.”
Gavin put his smile away immediately and looked as serious as Benjamin.
All the other kids turned to look at Gavin. They also thought that he looked good when he smiled.
“Your smile is stunning, Gavin,” said Jesse while smiling brightly.
“Thank you for saying that, Jesse,” replied Gavin. He instinctively smiled once more.
Jesse responded by grinning like a love-sick puppy.
Arissa turned her attention to the kids, and when she saw they all had smiles, she couldn’t help doing the same.
“What do you kids want to eat? I’ll get it for you.”
“Thank you, Mommy, but our plates are still full,” said all six kids simultaneously.
Arissa felt her eyes turning warm with tears as Tim had called her “Mommy” as well. He had spoken softly, but she had still caught it anyway.
Gavin was excited, too. He turned his attention to Tim and asked, “Tim, did you just say ‘Mommy?’”
Zachary had heard what Tim said as well. The former grinned at the latter. “You called her ‘Mommy!’”
Tim blushed for a moment.
“Mommy, did you hear that? Tim called you ‘Mommy’ earlier!” exclaimed Zachary in a bid to share the good news with Arissa.
Arissa smiled and nodded. Her eyes shone with love as her gaze fell on the kids. “I heard that.”
Tim snuck a peek at Arissa but quickly tilted his gaze down shyly.
“Oof, you are really terrible at this, Boss, and Arissa has you beat. Tim has already started calling her ‘Mommy.’ When will we ever hear the kids call you ‘Daddy?’” said Kingsley before guffawing.
“You’ll have to work harder, buddy,” teased Shaun, who was grinning at Benjamin as well.
Jonathan smiled and turned his attention to the kids. Curious, he asked, “Why won’t you kids call him ‘Daddy?’”
“Because he failed,” replied Jasper right away.
Arching his brow, Jonathan pressed on, “Failed? At what?”
After that, Jonathan turned to Benjamin and asked, “Benjamin, do you know what they are talking about?”
“Yeah,” replied Benjamin calmly. He grabbed a few bites and drank with the guys again.
“I guess it all boils down to whether Boss can love Arissa enough. If he can’t, he’ll never be the official daddy,” teased Kingsley.
Benjamin scowled at him.
“Either drink up or shut up!”
“I’ll drink. Hey, can someone get us more wine? We’re running low here.”
Kingsley was quick to get the server to bring them more wine. After that, the former continued drinking away with Benjamin.
Arissa ignored the men since they were having fun. She focused on getting the kids to eat right instead.
All six kids copied the men when they saw how the men were clinking their glasses before they drank.
“Mommy, let’s clink our glasses, too!” offered Oliver.
Arissa couldn’t help smiling at that.
“Okay.”
She grabbed her glass of juice and clinked her glass with the kids’.
“Let’s drink up!”
The kids couldn’t help giggling at Arissa’s words.
“Thank you, Mommy, but we’re just pretending. We don’t actually have to drink,” said Jasper.
Arissa reminded, “Okay. Well, don’t drink too much juice, all right? Drink more soup. It’s healthier.”
“Okay, then we’ll drink our soup as though it’s wine! Cheers, Mommy!”
Zachary picked up his bowl and toasted Arissa before downing everything.
“Slow down! Be careful so you don’t accidentally choke,” reminded Arissa while smiling.
“Mommy, I finished my soup,” said Zachary proudly.
The other kids followed suit and drank their soup with Arissa in place of wine.
“Wait, are you only going to drink with Arissa? What about your daddy?” asked Shaun.
“But he’s drinking with you and the others, right?”
Zachary’s grin was so big that his eyes could barely be seen. “Are you drunk, Mr. Bailey? Your face is all red.”
Kingsley laughed aloud and glanced at Shaun.
“I think Mr. Bailey is about to pass out drunk.”
“Oh, shut up. I can drink more than you at least,” replied Shaun. A short while later, he said, “I need to use the restroom.”
“You’re not going to try to make yourself throw up, are you?” teased Kingsley.
Chapter 877 The Restroom Stinks
Shaun rolled his eyes at Kingsley as he merely wanted to urinate.
He had drunk too much, so it was only natural that he needed to use the restroom.
Benjamin thought about what had happened earlier, so he turned his attention to the server and asked them to clean up the restroom.
“Wow, Benjamin. Your germaphobia is getting worse.”
Shaun was waiting for the restroom to be ready, and he was getting impatient.
“The restroom was a little stinky,” replied Benjamin calmly. A strange glow flashed past his eyes.
Kingsley and Jonathan laughed.
“That can’t be right. Drawbridge Dining’s hygiene has always been on point.”
Kingsley found that to be strange, so he called one of the servers over.
“Your restroom hygiene is not up to standards. Do you want to be closed down?”
The server showed up and stammered in fright, “Mr. Graham, everything is clean. May I know what it is that you’re upset with?”
“It stank!” complained Benjamin.
Arissa turned her attention to Benjamin and inched closer to say, “How fragrant can a restroom be? We’re having a meal here, so let’s not talk about that anymore.”
Benjamin glanced at her. A person’s appetite would be affected if the restroom stunk, so he felt his complaint was valid.
“It really stunk earlier.”
Arissa paused. She thought about it for a bit before smiling and pointing out, “Jesse went to the restroom earlier, so maybe that’s why the place smelled a little weird. It’s not the restaurant’s fault.”
Benjamin frowned when he heard that. Jesse used the restroom earlier?
He shifted his gaze to the little one.
Jesse was focused on eating and wasn’t bothered. Her tiny mouth moved non-stop as she chewed away. It was an adorable sight.
Benjamin waved his hand and dismissed the server. “You may leave.”
Shaun quickly hurried to the restroom. He didn’t notice anything wrong and thought the place was as clean as any five-star hotel’s restroom.
“Boss, now that you are upset with Drawbridge Dining, does that mean we won’t be coming here again?” teased Kingsley while grinning.
Arissa giggled. “Jesse went to the restroom earlier, so that’s why he thought the place didn’t smell too good.”
Kingsley understood what was going on right away.
Jonathan figured it out as well, and that got him to chuckle.
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Here, eat up.”
Arissa rotated the turntable to get the dishes to them.
“Thank you, Arissa,” replied Jonathan.
“Then we’ll chow down without holding back,” said Kingsley before laughing aloud.
“Oh, like you’ve ever held back before,” replied Arissa.
Jack and Ethen laughed at that. “It’s true. Mr. Watts has never been one to say no when it comes to a free meal.”
“Oh, shut up.” Kingsley ate away happily but paused to glare at the men and retort, “If you guys are so righteous, why are you here?”
Both men merely snickered and turned their attention back to their food.
“Let’s drink!” said Kingsley. He topped off everybody’s glasses and urged them to drink.
Arissa smiled.
“You should eat more.”
Benjamin placed some more food onto her plate.
“Okay,” replied Arissa. She tilted her head down and dug in.
A little after Shaun returned, Kingsley went to the restroom.
Then, it was Jonathan’s turn.
Jack and Ethen had to go a few times as well before Benjamin even went once.
Soon, Arissa and the kids were full.
The mother and her six kids sat together to have dessert and fruit after that.
“Mommy, are we still going to the hospital to visit Great-grandaunt?” asked Oliver.
Arissa checked her watch, then asked, “Do you kids want to talk to her?”
The kids grinned and nodded. Everyone wanted to visit Mary.
“Your daddy and the others are still drinking, and it’ll be quite late soon. Your great-grandaunt will be asleep by the time we reach the hospital. If you miss her, we can video-call her now,” suggested Arissa.
Everyone knew each other well, so Arissa made that suggestion because she thought that Kingsley and the others wouldn’t mind.
The kids nodded and sat close to each other for the video call with Mary.
Arissa kept her eyes on the screen until the line was established.
Mary hadn’t gone to bed, so she chatted with the kids.
After that, Arissa sat at the side and would chat with Kingsley and the others every now and then.
She would also place food on Benjamin’s plate, and that had Kingsley feeling envious beyond measure.
Their meal lasted over two hours, and the only thing Kingsley and the others were upset about was that they had failed to get Benjamin drunk.
On the contrary, they were the ones who ended up inebriated instead.
Chapter 878 Are You Drunk
Despite having a considerably higher tolerance for alcohol than Kingsley and the others, Jack’s and Ethen’s faces were still bright red.
The six children were dumbfounded at the sight.
“Their faces are so red!” Jesse widened her eyes in shock as she gazed up at the men.
“They’re all drunk!” Arissa explained to the little girl.
“It’s not good to drink too much,” Tim reminded softly.
“You’re right. Drinking too much is bad for your body.” Arissa nodded with a smile.
She then turned toward the man beside her and asked, “You all right?”
Benjamin supported his head with one hand and stared right at her.
Seeing his reaction, Arissa couldn’t help but chuckle. “Benjamin, are you drunk?”
Benjamin mumbled an acknowledgment of her words, catching Arissa off guard at how he so easily admitted to it.
Kingsley and the rest, too, were surprised.
Although struggling to maintain his balance on his chair, Kingsley still grinned and teased Benjamin, “Boss, you’re getting weak now! How could you be drunk after only having a couple of shots with us?”
Benjamin raised his head and glared at Kingsley. “Kingsley Watts, are you not done drinking?”
When he said that, his tone was unfazed, and he definitely did not look intoxicated.
“Of course not. Let’s keep going!” Kingsley tried to pick up his glass but to no avail.
Arissa was both amused and exasperated at the scene. She suggested, “Let’s stop, shall we? We can always have a drink anytime we want. Drinking too much will hurt your body eventually. You all should have a little more food before we end this dinner.”
With that, Arissa had the servers heat up the dishes again, and she ordered another dish that could help relieve drunkenness.
“Eat some food. Having something before you drink will make you feel better during and after your drinking.”
Reclining against his seat, Kingsley smiled. “Arissa, you’re really caring and gentle. Don’t worry; we’re not drunk!”
The corners of Arissa’s mouth twitched in response.
“We should listen to Arissa and have some food!” Jonathan picked up his fork and started eating.
As for Shaun, he took several attempts to finally pick up his fork.
Jack and Ethen were amused by that.
“Mr. Watts, do you need me to help you?”
Kingsley waved his hand. “No! I can walk myself!”
With that said, Kingsley staggered toward the restroom. Even after he bumped into a chair, he insisted he was fine.
Everyone burst into a fit of giggles at the scene.
“Mr. Watts, just admit that you’re drunk!” Jasper giggled.
“Zachary, I’m not drunk. As a matter of fact, I can still keep this going with your daddy!” Kingsley refuted, refusing to admit that he was drunk.
“Come on. Stop denying it. You’ve even got the wrong person!” Jasper rolled his eyes.
Their silly antics made everyone burst out laughing again.
Even Benjamin’s lips twitched a little. In response, he gestured to Ethen. “Go help him.”
“Yes, Mr. Graham!” Ethen hurriedly walked up to Kingsley and supported him. “Be careful, Mr. Watts!”
Kingsley turned around, and after staring at Ethen for a brief moment, he nodded and said, “Ethen, I’m letting you help me not because I’m drunk but because I’m feeling dizzy. I’m not feeling well today.”
“Yes, yes. I understand.” Ethen nodded in response while the others laughed.
Zachary curled his lips in disdain and commented, “And that’s some false sense of pride right there, Mr. Watts. There’s no shame in being drunk. It’s not like we will make fun of you!”
“That’s who Kingsley is. He’s a man that values his pride and dignity the most!” Shaun could barely stifle his laugh.
In the meantime, Jonathan shook his head with a smile and chimed in, “That guy is always the first one to get drunk despite being the one hollering us for a drink!”
Ugh!
Then came the voice of someone puking from the direction of the restroom, to which everyone’s lips twitched.
“How disgusting!” Jasper pinched his nose.
Seeing that, Arissa glowered at her son and said, “What are you doing? It’s not like you can smell it from here!”
Jasper simply chuckled in response.
Retch!
The puking noise sounded again, and this time, it quickly affected the appetites of everyone.
With a grim expression, Benjamin glanced at Jack and gestured. “Shut the door!”
“I’ll do that right away.” Jack hurriedly closed the door while Shaun and Jonathan chuckled once more before digging into the heated dishes.
Chapter 879 Good At Drinking
“Mr. Watts is forcing himself to puke, isn’t he? And here he was making fun of Mr. Bailey just now!” Zachary shot a glance in the restroom’s direction, amused.
Shaun and Jonathan snickered again before they focused their attention back on the dishes. They knew they would end up in a horrible state if they left their stomach empty after imbibing so much alcohol.
“Stop talking about it. We’re still eating!” Arissa reminded the little boy.
Zachary giggled. He looked exceptionally adorable and handsome as he blinked innocently.
In the meantime, Benjamin leaned back in his chair while Arissa delivered him a cup of sour plum juice. “Here, have some of this.”
Benjamin glanced over her and took the cup from her.
After sipping on the juice, he turned around and said, “Kingsley, come out!”
“You should go in and hurry him up!” Shaun smiled. “If you don’t give him a push, he’ll probably just hide in the restroom.”
As he talked, Ethen walked out, and Benjamin asked, “Where’s Kingsley?”
“He said he needs to use the restroom,” Ethen replied with a smile.
Benjamin responded with a snort and got to his feet before heading toward the restroom.
Arissa, who wanted to help him, retracted her hands after seeing how he remained rather steady without showing any sign of tipsiness.
Upon noticing her actions, Ethen and the rest chuckled and said, “Mr. Graham has a high tolerance for alcohol!”
“Didn’t he say he was drunk just now?” Arissa muttered after glancing at Benjamin’s silhouette.
“Then Benjamin is most likely lying,” Shaun happily assented. “At the very least, this amount of alcohol isn’t enough to take him down. He can even down several bottles of mixed alcohol effortlessly without flinching. We’d long be inebriated, but he would still be fine, so red wine is nothing to him. He’s fine!”
Arissa gaped in disbelief. Benjamin is that absurdly good at holding his alcohol?
“Back then, when we followed him to business meetings, those people would always try to get Benjamin drunk, but they would end up being inebriated themselves instead. From that time onward, no one dared to challenge him anymore!” Jonathan brought up their proud past again with a face full of admiration.
Arissa, too, smiled at that. Her worry was no more after being reassured by them about how good Benjamin was at drinking.
“But he has gastric problems, so it’s not good to drink too much.”
Upon this thought, she found herself troubled by worries again.
“Even so, he can still drink us under the table!” Shaun did not mind admitting to it. After all, he was indeed not as good as Benjamin at drinking.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Graham. Mr. Graham is all right!” Jack burst out laughing.
Arissa nodded at his remark. She turned around with a smile to look at Benjamin, who was now standing in front of the restroom and knocking on the door.
“Kingsley, come out here!” Benjamin shouted.
“Boss, this restroom is occupied. Find another one for yourself!” Kingsley yelled back.
Benjamin’s brows snapped together. “Get out at once!”
After all, he knew what kind of a person Kingsley was.
It took another few moments before Kingsley finally came out. “Hehe, Boss, your turn!”
Benjamin shot him a glare and walked into the restroom.
“Come, have some food!” Jonathan shouted toward Kingsley.
Feeling much better after emptying the contents of his stomach, Kingsley walked over to Jonathan.
“Mr. Watts, you’re looking better than just now!” Jasper teased.
Kingsley responded with a wink and smile. “I always look good!”
At that, the corners of everyone’s lips twitched.
“Hurry up and have some food, Mr. Watts!” Arissa said.
“Thank you, Arissa!” Kingsley thanked with a smile.
After taking a seat, Kingsley picked up his cutlery and dug in.
At this moment, Arissa’s phone vibrated and rang. Upon seeing it was Darius calling, Arissa hastily answered the phone. “Dad!”
Hearing that, everyone lowered their voice and started eating quietly.
“Are you having your dinner?” Darius asked.
“Yeah, we’re still eating. What’s the matter?” Arissa replied.
“Nothing, I was just asking. You’d better not drink, all right? Let the boys have their fun. Remember to come home early once you’re done eating!” Darius reminded.
“Dad, could it be that you’re in Yaleview right now?” Arissa smiled.
Darius cleared his throat and replied, “We came over to eat because Edwin said he’s prepared dinner for us.”
Chapter 880 Come Here
Arissa chuckled and replied, “We won’t be coming home anytime soon. You should take a rest if you’re tired.”
Right then, Benjamin, who had exited the restroom, glanced at Arissa after realizing she was on the phone.
“Who’s that?” He sat down beside her.
“It’s Dad,” Arissa whispered softly.
“Is there anything he needs from you?” Benjamin furrowed his brows when he heard that.
“No. He’s in Yaleview now,” Arissa replied briefly and finally hung up the call after exchanging another few words with Darius.
“Is Old Mr. Graham waiting for you?” Kingsley asked and ate at the same time.
“It’s all right. Take your time,” Arissa replied with a smile. She reckoned that the outcome was the same no matter if they returned later or earlier.
Eyeing them, Kingsley then suggested, “Let’s have another round of drinks at Yaleview once we’re done here. We shouldn’t let Old Mr. Graham wait for too long.”
Hearing that, Benjamin glanced at the others, who voiced no objections.
“I still need to head back to the hospital!” Shaun glanced at Kingsley, who returned the look.
“And what do you think you can do when you’re back in the hospital? You’re drunk, so you shouldn’t set a bad example!”
Shaun’s lips twitched. “Then let’s go and have a drink at Boss’? I mean, might as well, right?”
“Then hurry up! Let’s go!”
Seeing as the children were already full, Benjamin reckoned they should head back and let the kids have a good rest.
They then started devouring the rest of the dishes while Arissa helped the kids to clean up.
When they finally left Drawbridge Dining, it was already past nine o’clock.
Benjamin, Arissa, and the kids shared a car while the rest got into another car.
On their way back, seeing how Benjamin was resting with his eyes closed, Arissa took a blanket and covered the man’s body with it, to which Benjamin opened his eyes.
“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” Arissa turned to him.
“No. Come here and let me lean against you.” Benjamin grabbed her hand and tugged her toward him.
Arissa began to blush in embarrassment.
The six kids stared at Benjamin, wondering if their father knew they were around.
Jasper and Oliver heaved a sigh before moving away. “Mommy, you better quickly go over.”
At once, embarrassment inundated Arissa.
She then dragged herself toward Benjamin’s side and reminded the six kids, “Sit tight!”
The six children smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.
“Mommy, just take care of Daddy. We won’t be sleeping anytime soon,” Gavin said with a grin.
In the meantime, Benjamin wrapped an arm around Arissa and rested his head on her shoulder.
The breaths he took were long and steady but also heavy with exhaustion.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Arissa asked.
“No,” Benjamin murmured. “I just don’t feel like moving after drinking.”
Arissa laughed in response. “Then why did you drink so much?”
“Because I’m happy.” Benjamin’s thin lips curled up slightly.
In truth, Arissa, too, could tell that he was in a good mood, and it made her smile sweetly.
“Are you still going to drink with them later?”
“Just for a bit, I guess.” Benjamin tilted his head and eyed her beautiful face.
Unable to control his urge, he leaned over and kissed her on her ear.
Arissa froze and shuddered at the kiss. She hurriedly shot a warning glance at the man before turning toward the kids.
After realizing that they were enjoying the scenery outside the windows, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, she moved herself away from Benjamin and sat with the kids again. The kids are right beside us, yet he’s getting frisky!
Benjamin’s brows snapped together at what she did.
Sitting down, Arissa turned around and glared at Benjamin. “Stay there alone!”
She then joined the kids in enjoying the night scenery.
“Mommy! That’s so beautiful!”
“Yeah.”
Arissa’s smile remained glued on her face as she watched the happy children.
Feeling like she was about to burst with joy, she said, “I’ll take you all to various places to enjoy the night scenery on the weekend. How about that?”
“Okay! Sure!” The kids were overjoyed, and they celebrated happily.
After all, they had not had the chance to spend time with their mother ever since returning from Rutaceae Village.
Benjamin’s thin lips also curled up slightly as he looked at the happy kids.
If it weren’t because of the late time, he would’ve granted the kids their wishes right now.
“I’ll take you all out tomorrow night.”
Hearing that, the kids and Arissa turned around and looked at him in unison.