Ch. 921..930
Chapter 921 Is He Not Simply Too Picky
“Thank you, Zachary. I’ve already got a lot, so you don’t need to give me more. You eat, too!” Tim urged with a smile.
When he noticed that Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse also wanted to give him their tripes, he hurriedly shook his head.
“Don’t give them to me. Just have them. The food will only be delicious if everyone eats together!”
Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse grinned so widely that their eyes became mere slits.
“In that case, we’ll eat them ourselves!” In response, Tim bobbed his head.
Meanwhile, Arissa observed the children with affection written all over her face.
At that precise moment, Edwin came out with a few plates of buns.
“Wow, there are buns!”
All six children were over the moon.
Edwin gave them one each. “You can have more after you finish eating.”
“Thank you, Mr. Whitley!” the children uttered in a cute voice.
Nodding smilingly, Edwin also gave Arissa a bun.
“Eat this while it’s hot, Mrs. Graham. It’s delicious!”
“Thank you, Edwin!” Arissa quickly took it from him.
Just then, Benjamin also came out of the kitchen with a plate of fried eggs and ham sandwiches.
Putting down the ham sandwiches, he took a fried egg for Arissa before doing the same for the children, giving them one each.
“Thank you, Daddy (Mr. Graham)!” the children exclaimed, one after another.
“Thank you, Mr. Graham!” Arissa glanced at the man who was bustling around.
Similarly, Benjamin swept his gaze over her before taking his seat.
Then, he started munching on a sandwich.
Needless to say, the children couldn’t help directing their gazes at the man.
Unable to hold his silence, Jasper asked in a murmur, “Why aren’t you having soup, Mr. Graham?”
Lifting his eyes, Benjamin looked Jasper in the eye. “I don’t like soup.”
At that, Jasper curled his lips. “This is yummy. Won’t you try some?”
The rest of the children likewise had their eyes trained on Benjamin, finding it a pity that he wasn’t having the soup.
“The soup Mommy cooked is delicious!” Gavin seconded.
Eyeing the children, Benjamin declined gently, “You guys go ahead.”
Right then, Arissa took a gander at the man. “Try some. It’s really delicious!”
Shifting his gaze to her, Benjamin scoffed critically, “How delicious could it be when you added a ton of things in?”
Arissa was rendered speechless.
“It’s delicious precisely because of the ingredients.”
While saying that, she ate another spoonful.
At the sight of her eating in relish, Benjamin’s brows furrowed imperceptibly.
Well, it indeed smells great.
“Mommy, Daddy doesn’t like celery or parsley. Nor had he ever tried offal,” Gavin said to Arissa.
As Arissa listened, her lips twitched. Isn’t he simply too picky?
“I didn’t expect there to be so many things you don’t eat!” she teased Benjamin.
Benjamin’s expression stiffened slightly, but he continued eating his sandwich.
Arissa eyed the sandwiches in front of him, finding them unappetizing however much she looked at them.
Scooping a spoonful of soup, she brought it to his lips.
“Try a sip, Benjamin. If you find it awful, I won’t cook this anymore.”
“No, Mommy! We like it! Mr. Graham can skip eating it if he doesn’t like it. We love it!” Jasper protested at once.
“I love it, too! You can’t sacrifice us, Mommy!”
Oliver was likewise worried that Arissa wasn’t going to cook the soup anymore.
Gavin, Zachary, Tim, and Jesse also hastily chimed in, “We all love it, Mommy! This is really delicious!”
Benjamin studied Arissa’s confident expression before sweeping a gaze over the protesting children. Then, he dipped his eyes and stared down at the soup before him.
“Give it a try!” Arissa gazed at him in anticipation.
Benjamin’s gaze flickered. Ultimately, he opened his mouth and drank it.
His brows knitted together deeply. I thought I wouldn’t be able to accept the taste, but it actually stimulated my taste buds with an indescribable scrumptiousness to it.
Glimpsing the frown on his face, Arissa mistakenly thought that he found it awful.
Anxiety deluged her. “Does it not taste good?”
I’ve already made that promise earlier, so should I really not cook this soup for the kids anymore if he truly doesn’t like it?
Chapter 922 Where Is Your Ring
Benjamin stole a peek at Arissa, only to be amused at her sheer apprehension. “Not bad.” Arissa glanced at him. “Don’t force yourself if you’re not used to the taste.”
Sweeping his gaze over her, Benjamin took the soup in front of her away and continued eating. “You’re having Mommy’s soup, Mr. Graham,” Jesse muttered under her breath even as she sneaked a look at the man.
“You stole my mommy’s soup, Mr. Graham!” Jasper reproached with a snort. Benjamin scanned his eyes over the children. “Eat quietly!” The children stuck their tongues out before lowering their heads and continuing to eat their soup.
Seeing that he didn’t mind having her soup, Arissa snagged a bowl and took another serving for herself. She then started having it as well.
“If you’re not used to eating the offal and tripe inside, Daddy, you can give them to Tim!” Gavin said to Benjamin. Benjamin pinned his gaze on Tim. “You like eating those things, Tim?”
In response, Tim flashed him a smile. “Yup! But you don’t need to give them to me, Mr. Graham. I’ve still got a lot.”
With his lips curving upward a fraction, Benjamin picked the offal and tripes out of the soup. He gave all six children some.
“Hehe, thank you, Mr. Graham!”
Jasper grinned widely. He then continued, “Is there more?”
Stirring the soup, Benjamin took a piece of offal out. “Here!”
Jasper swiftly held his bowl out. Without warning, Benjamin pulled his hand back. “Call me Daddy!”
Jasper stared at him, his eyes darting all around before he harrumphed.
“You want to dupe me into calling you Daddy with just a piece of offal? Forget it!”
Benjamin quirked his brow slightly, contented with that address of “Daddy.”
In the end, he still gave Jasper the piece of offal.
Watching the interaction between them, Arissa told the children, “There’s still more in the pot. I’ll take more for you all when you’ve finished eating.”
“Okay!” The children all beamed in jubilance.
Jesse and Jasper ate the fastest.
Getting to her feet, Arissa took their bowls and scooped another serving for them. Next, it was Oliver, Tim, Zachary, and Gavin.
“Eat some with us, Edwin!” Arissa urged when she saw Edwin coming out with more food.
However, Edwin merely chuckled. “You all go ahead first, Mrs. Graham. I’ll eat in a while.”
“This soup is pretty good. I’ll take a bowl for you,” Arissa declared smilingly.
Snagging a bowl, she took some for Edwin.
“Don’t give me so much, Mrs. Graham!”
Verily, Edwin was flattered beyond words.
“There’s some more!”
Arissa turned to hand it to him, upon which he hurriedly took it.
“Sit down and eat with us!” Benjamin interjected.
“At once, Mr. Graham!” Edwin sat down beside the children.
At that moment, there were quite a lot of finger foods on the dining table.
The children ate the finger foods while eating the soup, their tiny mouth stuffed full.
Arissa also took some finger foods for them from time to time.
When she noticed that Benjamin had finished the soup, she took his bowl to get him another serving.
“I’ve had enough. You all go ahead.”
Benjamin hastily stopped her from doing so, for even a bowl was considered a lot for him.
“You don’t want more?”
Arissa eyed him.
“No.”
In turn, Benjamin threw her a look. By the time he finished his sandwiches, he was full.
As Arissa enjoyed the finger foods, her gaze kept going to the man. Unexpectedly, she saw him wiping his mouth.
“You’re full?”
Benjamin nodded. “Yeah.”
Following that, Arissa had no choice but to speed up.
His gaze flickering, Benjamin fixated his eyes on her. “Go slower! I’ll wait for you!”
Arissa’s heartbeat accelerated. “Got it!”
All the while, the children had their eyes on them. Suddenly, Gavin asked, “Are we going to visit Grandaunt, Daddy?”
Benjamin swept a glance over him. “Hurry up if you want to go to the hospital.”
Immediately, all six children sped up.
Even Arissa ate faster.
Clocking the lack of a ring on her finger, Benjamin narrowed his eyes.
“Where is your ring?”
Meeting his dark gaze, Arissa explained, “I was worried that I’d dirty it, so I took it off.”
After all, wearing a ring wasn’t conducive to performing house chores.
The furrow of Benjamin’s brows eased slightly. Phew! I thought she didn’t like it.
Chapter 923 We Want Candies Too
“Put it on later!” Benjamin reminded.
Glancing at the man, Arissa nodded. “Got it!”
Benjamin stared at her fixedly, the look in his eyes indecipherable.
Sensing his gaze, Arissa swung her eyes over and met his unfathomable gaze.
In no time, she averted her gaze.
At her shyness, Benjamin’s thin lips lifted a fraction.
Picking up his fork, he took some food for her.
“Eat more.”
“Okay!”
Arissa busied herself eating.
Meanwhile, the children and Edwin’s gazes alighted on them every so often. The children were all delighted to see Benjamin taking food for Arissa. Hmm… He takes good care of Mommy.
After breakfast, Arissa went upstairs to freshen up. When she was just about to leave, she abruptly remembered her ring.
Quickly making her way back, she snagged the ring on the bedside table and put it on.
The children and Benjamin were waiting outside, so she hurriedly trotted out.
“I’m done!”
Benjamin scanned his eyes over her, his gaze alighting on her hand.
“Your ring?”
Torn between amusement and exasperation, Arissa lifted her hand and showed it to him. “I’ve put it on!”
Benjamin stroked her head. “Don’t lose it.”
Chuckling speechlessly, Arissa concurred, “Got it!”
“Get in the car, kids!” Benjamin hollered at the children.
Shouldering their bags, all six children queued up to get into the car.
At the sight of their adorable expressions, Arissa melted into a puddle, defeated by their cuteness.
“After getting into the car, take off your bags and put them aside. Then, settle in,” she instructed.
As soon as the children had gotten into the car, they all took off their bags and placed them aside before quickly settling into their seats.
“Buckle your seatbelts!” Benjamin ordered.
Noticing that Jesse couldn’t buckle her seatbelt even after tugging at it for some time, he leaned in and did it for her.
“Insert the buckle here, Jesse.”
“Thank you, Mr. Graham!” Jesse murmured.
In response, Benjamin caressed her head indulgently. “You’re welcome.”
Sneaking a look at her father, Jesse giggled happily.
Subsequently, Benjamin checked the seatbelts of the rest of the children.
Only when he had ascertained that they were all buckled in properly did he close the car door.
“Get into the car.”
Throwing a glance at Arissa, he opened the passenger door and jerked his chin slightly, motioning for her to climb in.
Arissa hurriedly got into the car and fastened her seatbelt.
Seeing that she was all settled in, Benjamin closed the car door. After doing all that, he circled over to the driver’s seat.
Out of the blue, Arissa remembered the promise she made to her colleagues yesterday. She gasped softly.
“What’s wrong?” Benjamin turned and looked at her.
Arissa flashed him a sheepish smile. “I promised my colleagues yesterday I’d bring wedding favors for them. I forgot all about it.”
Benjamin chuckled lightly. And here I was, thinking it was something grave.
“I’ll have Ethen prepare them.”
Eyeing the man who was driving, Arissa suggested, “Let’s not bother Mr. Frank. I’ll simply buy some candies when we drive past a supermarket.”
At that, Benjamin glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “There’s no time for that. I’ve still got a meeting this morning.”
“Oh, I see!” Arissa hadn’t been notified of any meeting, but she knew that he was busy.
“I’ll have Ethen prepare them, and you can distribute them straight away when we arrive at the office.” Benjamin made the final decision.
Having no other choice, Arissa relented.
“Are you preparing wedding favors, Mommy?”
Zachary regarded Arissa curiously.
Arissa turned back to look at him. “Yup!”
“Mommy, we also want some candies too!”
Jasper grinned, salivating over that mere thought.
“Hadn’t the lot of you had enough last night?”
Smiling, Arissa eyed the children.
The children shook their heads with merriment dancing in their eyes. “Nope! You didn’t buy those!”
Arissa was promptly struck dumb.
They didn’t count because I didn’t buy them?
“But I can’t buy them now either. What should we do, then?” she teased.
“Mommy, you can bring us to the supermarket and buy them after school!” Anticipation was written all over Jesse’s face.
“What a little glutton!” Arissa quipped with a chuckle.
Chapter 924 Elevator
“Mommy, it’s been a long time since we last visited the supermarket. Let’s go to the supermarket with Tim!”
Oliver seconded with Jesse’s suggestion.
Jasper hastily nodded in agreement.
Tim sneaked a look at Arissa bashfully. He actually wanted to go to the supermarket too.
“Mommy, it’s settled then. You’ll take us to the supermarket after school today!”
Zachary made the decision for her.
Arissa was amused. “I haven’t even agreed to your suggestion.”
“In that case, when will you take us there?” Gavin was looking forward to their excursion to the supermarket too.
Sensing the kids’ anticipation, Arissa decided not to tease them further and assented, “I’ll take you all to the supermarket this afternoon after school, alright?”
“Yeah! You’re the best, Mommy!”
“Mwah, Mommy!”
“I love you, Mommy!”
Oliver, Jasper, and Jesse expressed their gratitude one after the other by showering their mother with flattery.
She gazed at them affectionately.
Gavin, Tim, and Zachary were delighted as well.
Benjamin glanced at the rearview mirror. He was also feeling joyful, being affected by the kids’ joy.
They went to the hospital to visit Mary before Benjamin drove the children to school.
Arissa and he hurried to the office after sending their kids. Ethen, holding a big bag of candies, biscuits, and snacks, was already waiting at the building’s entrance when they arrived.
“Mrs. Graham, are these sufficient? I’ll ask someone to send more over if it’s not enough.”
Arissa smiled. “That’s enough. I’m just distributing them to my colleagues in the department. Thank you for the hard work, Mr. Frank.”
“You’re welcome, Mrs. Graham,” Ethen replied cheerily.
Benjamin cast a glance at Ethen and ordered, “Send them to her office.”
“Understood, Mr. Graham,” Ethen answered before trailing behind the couple to enter the building.
When the receptionists saw Benjamin and Arissa holding hands while walking in, they widened their eyes and were so shocked that they forgot to greet them.
Ethen shot them a stern look.
Then, he swiftly went to hold the elevator door open for Benjamin and Arissa.
Benjamin ushered Arissa into the lift.
Feeling a little embarrassed, she lowered her head and followed him inside.
Ethen was about to turn around and get into the elevator, but he halted abruptly after meeting Benjamin’s gaze.
“Mr. Graham, Mrs. Graham, please make your way upstairs first,” Ethen chirped sheepishly.
He took a step back and strode to the employee’s lift on the side.
Arissa eyed the man next to her. “Why didn’t you allow him to join us?”
Turning his head sideways to look at her, he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Why should I do that?”
Arissa was pulled into his embrace, and their bodies were pressed together. Arissa’s heart palpitated as she caught whiffs of his enthralling pheromones.
“Let go of me!” She poked his waist.
Benjamin pinched her chin and fixated his scorching gaze on her.
Not only did he not let Arissa go, but he also pinned her against the elevator wall in an ambiguous manner.
“I won’t.”
Arissa was rendered speechless.
“What are you trying to do?”
Benjamin arched his brow, boring his eyes into her plump, alluring lips, and gulped.
Benjamin’s eyes glinted with an unfathomable emotion as he leaned forward and sealed her lips with his.
Then, he kissed her passionately.
He didn’t let go of her even until the elevator doors opened.
Her legs turned to jelly because of his ardent kiss. She would’ve slid to the floor if he hadn’t bent his knees to support her weight.
“The elevator door is opening!” Arissa reminded him. Her face was all blushed.
“So be it.”
Benjamin could not care less. He continued to kiss her, indulging himself in the sensual pleasure.
The lift directly opened up to the CEO’s office, so he wasn’t worried about the presence of another person there. He finally let go of her after he savored her lips.
Arissa, face reddened, panted heavily while sitting on his legs.
The sight of her enticing demeanor aroused Benjamin.
Her heart skipped a beat when she sensed his fervent gaze on her. She quickly got up and said, “I-I’m going to the office.”
He could not help but tease her when he saw her panicky mien.
“What’s the hurry? Shall we go to my office?”
Chapter 925 Necktie
Sensing his ulterior motive, she refused without hesitation, “No!” Benjamin stared at her crimson face intently and helped tidy her clothes.
“Wait a short while before you go down.” Arissa watched him warily. He lifted his hand to pinch her cheek. “It’s rather improper for others to see your current appearance.”
He didn’t want others to lay their eyes upon her captivating look at that moment. “What about my appearance?” she asked while rearranging her clothes.
Benjamin leaned forward and whispered beside her ears, “The appearance that makes me want to kiss you.”
Arissa instantly felt her cheeks burning.
He gently nipped her face. “Have some water and wait for a little longer before going downstairs.”
She looked at him and nodded. “I got it.”
Benjamin held her hand, led her to the side of the office table, and poured her a glass of water.
“Thank you.” She received the glass and took a few sips of water.
Right after she placed down the glass, Benjamin picked it up and gulped the content.
Arissa stared at him incredulously.
His gaze flickered before resting on her. “What’s the matter? Am I not allowed to drink from your glass?”
Benjamin seemed to have deliberately lowered the tone of voice, causing his voice to sound more seductive.
Heart racing, she uttered with a smile, “Don’t you think that’s unhygienic?”
He fixed his eyes on her in silence and proceeded to glance at her mouth in an obvious manner.
Arissa immediately felt as if she had just been teased by him again.
Forget it. I’ll just act like I’ve never asked that question.
He poured her another glass of water and suddenly leaned over in her direction.
She thought he wanted to kiss her again, so she hurriedly tilted backward. “Don’t you have a meeting to attend?”
His eyes twinkled in response.
“Help me straighten my necktie.”
The corner of Arissa’s mouth twitched while she helped him adjust and straighten his necktie.
“All done.”
Benjamin’s thin lips curled up slightly as contentment filled his chest.
“Wait for a while before you go to your office,” he reminded her again.
“I got it.” She glanced at him.
He patted her head affectionately before turning around and leaving the room.
Arissa let out a sigh of relief. She could finally breathe normally following his departure.
She retrieved the glass and slowly sipped on the water while recomposing herself after experiencing his debauching.
Arissa lingered in Benjamin’s office for a few more minutes before returning to her workstation.
Ethen had already helped her distribute the candies.
Everyone thanked her right after she stepped into the department’s office.
“Ms. York, we’ve received your wedding favors. The candies are very delicious!”
“Ms. York, your wedding favors have been well received. Thank you for the sweet gesture.”
“Thanks for the wedding favors, Ms. York!”
Arissa grinned. “I’m glad all of you like the candies. I made a promise to you all, didn’t I? If any of you gets married in the future, I’ll expect to receive something in return too.”
“No problem!”
“Sure!”
Everyone replied cheerfully.
Arissa smiled. Noticing a considerable amount of snacks left, she said, “There’s still a lot left, so help yourselves.”
“Thank you, Ms. York!”
Arissa grabbed some candies as well before entering her office.
She sat down, unwrapped one of the candies, and placed it in her mouth.
The sweetness of the candy on her tongue resonated with the sweetness brimming in her heart.
It does feel different having this candy.
After luxuriating in the joyous moment for a short while, she switched on her computer and started to work.
Meanwhile, outside her office, a few of her colleagues began gossiping.
“Did you all notice the huge diamond ring Ms. York is wearing today?”
“I saw it when the diamond gleamed just now. I don’t think she wore the ring yesterday.”
“Didn’t Ms. York register her marriage yesterday? Why is she wearing the ring today and not the day before?”
“Does it matter when she puts on the ring? It’s the same, isn’t it? Perhaps she didn’t wear the ring because she was afraid we would know, but we’re already aware of her marriage with Mr. Graham. Therefore, it doesn’t make a difference whether she puts the ring on or not.”
“Yes. That makes sense. Still, is it possible that Mr. Graham didn’t give Ms. York a ring in time yesterday?”
“That’s impossible. Are you saying Mr. Graham got married without preparing a ring in advance?”
Despite the heated discussion taking place outside her office, Arissa was not disturbed by the noise at all.
Chapter 926 Arissa Was Beaten Up
As Benjamin didn’t call for Arissa to eat lunch with him, she went to the company’s cafeteria for lunch with her colleagues.
At first, she didn’t notice anything unusual. She thought everyone was just curious about a newcomer like her. After all, she didn’t show up for lunch at the cafeteria frequently.
However, Arissa began to feel strange after she caught a few people staring at her. They were whispering to themselves. How they looked at her wasn’t typical of how one would look at their new colleague, as there were disdain and mockery on their faces.
Arissa frowned. She had no way of finding out what was going on because she couldn’t hear what they were talking about.
At that moment, two women sat down on the table behind her. It seemed like they had increased the volume of their voices intentionally.
“Shameless woman. She is just a mistress, yet she is out here showing off like no one else could afford the ring she is wearing.”
“Why does our company hire anyone at will? She will affect the company image!”
“I wonder who her backer is. She had just joined our company, yet she always skipped work. Our boss doesn’t scold her for it too. It seems like someone powerful is backing her!”
Arissa furrowed her brows. She had a feeling these people were talking behind her back.
I’m not being sensitive. These people are too bold. Wow, the way they looked at me is like they want me to know that they are talking about me.
“The most important thing is that the IT department treats her like she is their sweetheart. The men in the IT department treat her so well merely because she is one of the few females there. I don’t know what they see in her.”
Everything those women said most certainly pointed toward Arissa. She just narrowed her eyes.
Meanwhile, her colleagues were angry. They thought they were listening in on gossip that was unrelated to them. Little did they expect these two women to slander Arissa.
“What nonsense are you two spewing? You’ve gone overboard!”
“What are you two blabbering on about? Where are your manners?”
“Who told you guys that our boss is someone’s mistress? How dare you guys believe and spread such a rumor?”
Arissa stood up and put a stop to their rants. She turned and looked at the two women from another department. “Do you know what the consequences of gossiping about others are?” Arissa sneered as a fierce glint appeared in her eyes. “It is a mistake on Graham Group’s part to hire you two.”
One of the women stood up, retorting, “Are you threatening us?”
“Threatening you? You guys slander me publicly. I can sue you guys for defamation, as you two have ruined my reputation.” Arissa’s gaze was icy as she spoke.
The woman was stunned. She retaliated, “What do you mean by slander? We are speaking the truth.”
Arissa’s lips curled into an aloof smile. “Tell me then. Who is my sugar daddy? Did you see it with your own eyes?”
The woman was caught off-guard. She, too, had heard the rumor from someone else.
Another woman stared at Arissa with disdain. “Everyone said that you are a mistress. We were just discussing it. Do you really want to sue us for it?”
Arissa raised her hand and hit each of the women across their faces.
Slap! Slap!
Two loud slaps were heard.
The women’s faces immediately became swollen as the entire cafeteria fell silent. The crowd turned and looked at the commotion.
“B*tch! I’ll beat you to death!”
“Beat the shit out of her!”
Snapping back to their senses, the two women shouted as they rushed over to Arissa.
The quiet cafeteria immediately exploded into chaos.
“They are fighting! Someone is fighting!”
“Mr. Frank, there’s a fight!”
Ethen’s face darkened when he received the call. “Who are the people involved?”
Are these people bored out of their minds? Why can’t they just behave? Why do they have to create trouble?”
“Two staff from the production department got into a fight with the newly-recruited Ms. York from the IT department!”
Ethen’s face clouded over. He screamed, “Protect Ms. York. I will end you if she gets hurt!”
How can someone bully Mrs. Graham in the office!
Ethen didn’t have time to ponder about this. He quickly ran into the conference room. The man paused when he saw Benjamin sitting in the middle. He took a deep breath to pick up enough courage to report the situation to Benjamin.
I have to report this to Mr. Graham now. If not, the others would bully Mrs. Graham badly.
Ethen leaned in and whispered into Benjamin’s ear. “Mr. Graham, Mrs. Graham was hit by someone in the cafeteria.”
A vicious glint flashed across Benjamin’s eyes. He stood up and fumed, “What did you say?”
Chapter 927 Arissa Is Mrs Graham
Benjamin and Ethen hurried over to the cafeteria. When Benjamin saw the crowd surrounding Arissa, his expression darkened. He was worried that Arissa might get injured. “Mr. Graham!”
“Mr. Graham…” The staff watching the chaos noticed something amiss—Benjamin’s imposing aura. They turned around, only to be frightened by the sight of him. Then, they quickly retreated to the side.
Meanwhile, Arissa was standing in the center of the crowd. When Benjamin spotted her, his eyes gave Arissa’s body a once-over before walking over to her in a cold manner.
Arissa was not wounded, though. The two women beside her were in a much dire situation. They were terrified when they saw Benjamin.
“Mr… Mr. Graham!” The two women had tried a few times to get themselves up from the floor but to no avail. Frightened by the murderous look in Benjamin’s eyes, they fell back onto their butt again.
The women glared at Arissa. They had never expected Arissa to be so strong, making it hard for both of them to even touch her. Instead, both of them were beaten up by Arissa in the process.
When the women saw Benjamin walking over to Arissa with a darkened expression, excitement began building up in them again.
Mr. Graham dislikes it when people start a fight and cause chaos. I’m sure he is going to fire Arissa now!
Unfortunately, they were disappointed by the turn of events as Benjamin stopped before Arissa, holding her hands. “Honey, are you injured?”
Gasps were heard all over the cafeteria the moment Benjamin opened his mouth. At that moment, only one thought ran through the crowd’s minds.
Arissa is Mrs. Graham!
Meanwhile, the apprehensiveness Arissa felt dissipated when she saw the concern in Benjamin’s eyes.
Initially, she thought Benjamin would scold her for creating a mess in the company because she saw the solemn expression on his face. Unexpectedly, he was just worried about her.
“I’m not hurt. They are the ones who are wounded.” Arissa shook her head.
Benjamin’s eyes lingered on Arissa for a long time before he turned to the other two women, who were dumbfounded.
They sat on the floor with their arms folded. It seemed like their limbs were fractured.
The onlookers were surprised by the scene. Not only was Benjamin not pissed off, but he even showed concern for Arissa. At that moment, fear crept up in those people who had scolded and talked badly about Arissa earlier.
“What’s going on?” Benjamin flashed a contemptuous gaze at the two women on the ground.
The women’s faces changed drastically. They shot timid looks at Benjamin.
Ethen scanned the onlookers. “What happened? Speak up if you know something.”
Those who didn’t know what happened had nothing to say, while those who spoke badly of Arissa earlier kept mum.
On the other hand, the people from the IT department started giving a full account of what happened.
“These two didn’t hold back when they slander Ms. York. They said she is someone’s sugar baby.”
“They scolded Ms. York for being shameless.”
“They even said that Ms. York wore her ring to show off.”
Benjamin narrowed his eyes as an imposing aura slowly emitted from his body.
All that was left in the cafeteria was dead silence.
Ethen didn’t expect how wild those women’s imaginations could run. Holy shit! What the hell were they thinking?
They are so imaginative and bold. How dare they say Mrs. Graham is someone’s mistress?
“Who spread those rumors?” Ethen asked.
The two women had a bad feeling about the situation. They trembled as they pointed at the person who told them the rumors.
The person shook her head. “I didn’t start the rumors. It was her!”
Benjamin’s expression became grimmer by the second after a round of investigation.
He took Arissa’s hand and entwined his fingers with hers. Unnerved by Benjamin’s move, Arissa looked at him uneasily.
“Arissa is my wife. Why would she become someone’s mistress?”
No one said a word. Everyone was stunned by Benjamin’s announcement. They just stared at Arissa for they were too shocked. These people couldn’t regain their composure after hearing that Arissa was indeed Benjamin’s wife.
The person who spread the rumors knew she was in big trouble. She regretted spreading something she heard on the grapevine.
Meanwhile, the two women who hit Arissa looked as pale as a sheet.
“Ethen, dig out the people behind these rumors!” Benjamin instructed, “As for these people, I don’t want to see them ever again!”
“Noted, Mr. Graham.” Ethen nodded. He turned and ordered those people coldly, “Go get your belongings and leave the company now.”
Everyone was terrified. They immediately began to beg for mercy.
“I was wrong, Mr. Graham. I won’t do it again!”
Chapter 928 Why Did You Not Tell Me
No one would dare to hire them if Graham Group fired them.
“I’m sorry, Ms. York. I didn’t mean to slander you. Please forgive me. I can’t lose this job. I have to a huge amount of loan to pay every month!”
“Ms. York, Mrs. Graham, please forgive me. I can’t lose this job either.”
Arissa pursed her lips. She didn’t pity them for ending up in the situation that they were in now. They were mean for publicly slandering her.
Benjamin’s eyes were fierce. He scanned the surroundings before shouting, “Get lost!”
No one dared to step forward.
Benjamin grabbed Arissa, and they left. Both of them ignored the women’s apologies.
They were tempting fate when they bullied Arissa under my eyes!
As for Ethen, he stayed behind to continue investigating the incident.
“Why didn’t you tell me that someone bullied you?” Benjamin questioned.
Arissa looked at him. When she noticed the frown and frustration on Benjamin’s face, she reached out and caressed his brows. “I can handle it myself.”
“Can you do that? They have cornered you!” Benjamin glared at her.
Arissa lowered her head, mumbling, “They won’t gain an upper hand. I’m strong enough.”
Benjamin sneered. He wasn’t livid at her, though. “The audacity of these people in spreading such rumors in my company!”
He pulled Arissa into the elevator, checking her all over after the door shut.
Arissa tried to avoid Benjamin’s hand, which was all over her body. She blushed. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t move. I’m trying to see whether you are hurt or not,” scolded Benjamin.
Arissa blinked. “I told you I wasn’t hurt.”
Benjamin wanted to see it for himself so that he could feel at ease. He insisted, “Let me check!”
Arissa’s face burned bright. She reminded him in a low voice, “Benjamin, we are in an elevator!”
An unknown emotion flashed across Benjamin’s eyes as he stared at Arissa’s blushing face. The man proceeded to tidy up Arissa’s clothes.
Once the elevator door opened, he pulled her quickly toward the lounge.
Arissa was speechless. “I’m fine!”
Benjamin didn’t listen to her. He pulled up her clothes to check on her body. The man was relieved when he noticed no visible wound on Arissa.
Arissa was touched and shy at the same time. She peered at the man. “I told you I’m not hurt!”
Benjamin’s gaze was piercing as he suppressed the urge in him. He tidied Arissa’s clothes calmly. “Yeap. You looked okay. Have you eaten?”
“I took a few bites.” Arissa gazed at Benjamin. “Have you not eaten yet?”
Arissa was still starving. After all, her mood was affected by the commotion in the cafeteria.
“Yes. Rest up. I’ll get someone to send us some food,” Benjamin offered. Then, he turned and left the lounge.
The man ordered food before he went and checked out the cafeteria’s surveillance cameras with a scowl on his face.
Ethen completed the investigation before Benjamin and Arissa’s food was delivered. He reported, “Mr. Graham, I found out that it was the staff from the administration department who started the rumors first.”
“What is the reason behind it?” Benjamin narrowed his eyes.
“She was jealous when she saw the black card in Mrs. Graham’s bag, so she decided to slander Mrs. Graham,” Ethen said as he threw cautious looks at Benjamin.
Benjamin sneered, “She went through Arissa’s bag?”
“I’ve looked at the surveillance cameras in Mrs. Graham’s office. She did touch Mrs. Graham’s bag.” Ethen looked at Benjamin. “I’ve brought her here. Mr. Graham, what should we do with her?”
Arissa came out when she heard the news. She was curious about the person behind all of this. “Who is the mastermind?”
Ethen gazed at her. Before he could speak, Benjamin ordered as he leaned against his chair with an imposing aura. “Bring her in!”
Then, he turned his head sideways and told Arissa, “Stand next to me.”
Arissa peered at the man before walking over. When she went near Benjamin, he took her hand before playing with it.
Arissa was flummoxed by his action.
After that, Ethen brought the woman in.
The woman lowered her head guiltily when her gaze met with Benjamin’s and Arissa’s.
Chapter 929 Arissa Is My Wife
“M-Mr. Graham!” the staff called out in fear. Benjamin stared at her and questioned coldly, “Do you know what the consequences of you spreading rumors in the company are?”
That female staff trembled, and her face turned pale.
Arissa was also staring daggers at her. She was not acquainted with that staff and had no idea how she ended up offending her.
“Have I offended you before?”
The female employee looked at her and replied, “No…”
“Then why are you spreading rumors about me? Why slander me?” Arissa interrogated her in a frosty voice.
“I’m sorry. I-I wasn’t in my right mind. I said what I said out of jealousy. That’s all.” Cold sweats were running down the staff’s back.
Benjamin cast a glance at Ethen.
Ethen yelled, “If you don’t want to end up in the police station, then you’d better tell the truth!”
The employee was close to tears. She had no inkling that Benjamin was Arissa’s backer. If she knew, she would have never spread those rumors.
“I-I’ll speak… Other than speculating that the black card was not Ms. York’s out of malice, Ms. Adams also gave me some money and told me to slander Ms. York when the chance arises…”
Benjamin brushed the tip of his tongue against the inside of his cheek. Rosetta?
Arissa did not expect Rosetta to bribe the staff of Graham Group.
She turned to look at Benjamin.
He signaled to Ethen, and his assistant nodded.
Ethen then escorted the staff out, and he brought her to every department to clarify the matter and clear Arissa’s name.
The manager of the administrative department was then dismissed and replaced by someone else.
“Get up here right now!” Benjamin told the higher-ups of various departments who were in the conference room.
When Arissa saw him flaring up, she squeezed his hand to calm him down. “Stop being mad!”
Where there were humans, there would always be gossips.
Benjamin shot her a glance before telling her, “Later on, don’t say a word!”
“Okay!” Arissa pursed her lips and continued to stand next to him.
Very soon, the various higher-ups arrived.
They already knew about the incident in the restaurant.
“Mr. Graham! Ms. York!”
All of them began to greet Benjamin and Arissa.
Arissa nodded with a smile.
Benjamin, on the other hand, stared at them. His subordinates looked tense.
“From now on, any rumormonger will be fired. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir!” everyone responded simultaneously.
Benjamin pulled Arissa closer to him.
“Arissa is my wife. If I hear any more rumors and gossip about her, I won’t let the person off!”
All the managers were surprised to hear that.
Our boss is married? To Ms. York?
No wonder Mr. Graham treats Ms. York differently. Turns out they have gotten married in secret.
“I understand, Mr. Graham!” someone acknowledged.
The rest of them followed suit. “Mr. Graham, we will keep our subordinates in check!”
“Mr. Graham, I will keep that in mind! I won’t allow anyone to badmouth Ms. York!”
Everyone’s eyes were darting between Benjamin and Arissa.
Benjamin waved his hand and dismissed the managers.
Looking at them put him in a foul mood.
“Mr. Graham, Ms. York, we’ll be taking our leave then.”
All of them excused themselves respectfully and left in a hurry.
They wondered who had offended their CEO and his wife, causing all of them to be in trouble.
The gossipers had already been chased out of Graham Group. In fact, they were blacklisted and would never ever be hired again.
Once the other companies got wind of the news, they would not hire them either.
“Thank you!”
Arissa was moved.
It felt good to be protected by Benjamin.
Benjamin looked up and met her gaze. “There’s no sincerity from you at all!”
Arissa paused for a moment. When she saw that Benjamin got furious because of her, she felt apologetic.
She bent down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. “I thank you from the bottom of my heart!”
Benjamin reached out and pulled Arissa onto his lap.
“Ah!” Arissa exclaimed. She wanted to get up, but Benjamin had her locked tightly in his embrace.
Benjamin had his long arms wound tightly around her waist.
“Stop moving!”
Chapter 930 I Will Support You
Benjamin’s gaze became intense as it burned with desire, causing Arissa’s heart to skip a beat before going out of control.
With his hand holding the back of her head, Benjamin leaned in for a kiss.
With his gorgeous face inches away, Arissa’s mind went blank with his kiss.
Benjamin noticed her staring at him, so he covered her eyes and intensified his kiss.
Oh my! When the staff from the cafeteria delivered their food and saw the intimate scene, they quickly retreated out of the office.
Upon hearing the commotion, Benjamin glanced at the door and let go of Arissa.
Noticing that there was someone at the door, Arissa glared at Benjamin.
Then, she quickly got up from his lap and tidied her clothes.
Benjamin’s lips curled slightly when he saw her blush.
“Do you want to go in and wait?”
Arissa rolled her eyes at him, met his gaze, and her face became even redder.
Why should I hide? I didn’t do anything wrong.
She turned around and sat on a chair in front of Benjamin’s desk.
Benjamin chuckled and poured her a glass of water before calling out to the staff waiting outside.
“Bring it in!”
Arissa calmly sipped the water, but deep down within her, she was flustered.
It was not nice for people in the company to witness their intimate moments.
The cafeteria staff greeted Benjamin, placed the food on the table, and kept their eyes forward all the while.
“Mr. Graham, please enjoy your meal!”
After getting the food ready, they quickly got out of the office.
Benjamin got up and cast a gentle gaze at the woman sipping her water.
“Time to eat.”
“Okay!”
Arissa put her glass down and followed him.
Benjamin pulled her over to a small dining table on the other side of the room, and the two of them sat down for their meal.
As Benjamin kept putting food on her plate, he reminded her, “In the future, you must let me know when something like this happens!”
Arissa looked up at him and muttered, “Got it.”
He then looked her in the eyes and said, “It must have been tough on you.”
Arissa paused for a moment. To her, that fiasco was nothing. People merely loved to gossip, and it pissed her off.
“I’m all right.”
Benjamin looked at her fixedly. When he noticed how calm she was, he was relieved.
“We are married, and Dad has already set a date for us. It’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out. I will make an announcement in a short while!”
Benjamin did not want the same incident to happen again.
If he did not announce the impending nuptial, no one would know that she was his wife.
What can I do if she gets bullied in the future when I’m not around?
Arissa looked at Benjamin’s determined face. Since he had mentioned it several times, it would not be nice for her to turn him down again.
What he said made sense.
Since they were already married, it was only a matter of time before others would find out.
“It’s up to you then.”
Her lips twitched, and she could not contain the happiness within her.
Benjamin did not expect her to agree so easily. He was surprised, to say the least.
“Next time, if anyone bullies you, do it back to them. I will give you my full support!” promised Benjamin as he gazed at her lovingly.
Arissa’s heart began to beat rapidly.
“Sure!”
Looking at her blushing face, Benjamin found her alluring, and his gaze darkened.
He could not help but lean over and kiss her.
The blush on Arissa’s face deepened at that.
“What are you doing? Eat your food!”
She stared at him with wide eyes.
Benjamin smiled happily.
“All right then. Let’s eat.”
His magnetic voice sounded very seductive.
Arissa’s heart started pumping like crazy. It was as if he was flirting with her.
As the two of them were having their meals, Benjamin’s phone rang. It was Darius.
Benjamin answered the call. “Dad—”
“You little punk! I heard that Issa had been bullied in the company. How did that happen? Why aren’t you taking good care of her?”
Benjamin had no idea how Darius found out about it, and his dad was now questioning him.
“It was my fault!” exclaimed Benjamin as he turned to Arissa.
Arissa felt sorry for him since that incident had nothing to do with him.
When they collected their marriage certificate, she was the one who told Benjamin not to let anyone know.
If he had announced it to the world, then no one would be able to spread any rumors anymore.