The More the Merrier

Chapter 1 My Children Were Snatched

“Help!”

Arissa felt a humid, warm breath at the tip of her ear as a man held her from behind.

Thrashing reflexively, she tried to break free from his forceful embrace but to no avail.

Her eyes brimmed with fear as her body shuddered violently in desperation.

She was sold by her own father!

“Let me go!” she whimpered before her voice was eventually muffled.

“Don’t be scared. I’ll be sure to take responsibility,” the man blurted in a low, husky voice.

Sealing Arissa’s mouth with his strong hand, the man proceeded to do whatever he wanted with his frail victim.

Nine months later, in a derelict house, the cries of a baby were heard.

“Ms. Adams, it’s a boy!”

“Take him out of here!”

Danna Adams, dressed glamorously, stood outside the makeshift delivery room, pinching her nose as she scowled at the gory scene within.

A middle-aged woman who was attending inside suddenly screamed.

“What happened?” snapped Danna. Having been waiting for this child for so long, she couldn’t afford any mishap.

“Ms. Adams, it’s twins!” gasped the woman as she dashed out from the room, clutching a pair of newborns in her arms. “And both are boys!”

Danna threw the newborns a distasteful glance. Still covered in vernix and blood, the babies looked like two squashed potatoes. “Why are they so ugly?”

She wondered if the Graham family would reject them.

“All babies look like this when they’re born. They’ll look much nicer in a few days,” the woman said. She was the midwife Danna found on short notice.

“Hurry up and clean everything. I need to take them away,” Danna ordered, her hand waving dismissively.

“Yes.” The midwife doubled back into the room, put the babies aside, and started cleaning up the place.

After the grueling labor, Arissa York lay on the bed, gasping for air. Her body trembled in indignation at the callous exchange outside.

Who is this woman? Why is she taking my children…

That was when another sharp pang hit her stomach. Gritting her teeth as she started gasping, Arissa felt as if there was something else inside her that was trying to come out. As she drifted in and out of consciousness, her face was now as pale as a sheet.

My children…

“Are you done?” Danna prompted impatiently.

“In a minute!” The midwife hurriedly covered the babies in fresh quilts and was ready to leave the room when she noticed that Arissa looked amiss.

“M-Ms. Adams!” she cried out.

“What’s wrong with you? Take the babies out. I’m leaving now!” Danna, who was on the verge of exploding, felt the urge to gag the midwife.

“Ms. Adams, t-there are four… There are four more babies!” Dumbstruck, the midwife gawked as more babies came out from their mother’s womb.

Danna entered the room. The slimy-looking babies lying beside Arissa made her have a gagging sensation.

“Is she a pig? How could she conceive so many babies at once?” she sneered incredulously, snatching the first two babies from the midwife.

“I’ll only take these two. Get rid of the remaining four. Just burn them or whatever.”

“But we’ll be caught if we burn them…” choked out the midwife in horror. How inhumane would that be?

Danna’s gaze, tinted with a sinister glare, darted around Arissa’s unconscious body. “She must die. Feed her to the beasts. Make sure that she doesn’t come out alive! Here’s five million. When everything’s settled, I’ll give you another five.”

The midwife’s face lit up as her eyes landed on the bank card in Danna’s hand. She accepted it immediately, smiling ear to ear.

“Thank you, Ms. Adams. Don’t worry. I’ll see to it that not a single trace is left!”

“When it’s all sorted out, go back to your hometown in the countryside and never breathe a word to anyone, or else… You know what I’m capable of!” Danna threatened.

Her voice reeked of evilness.

“Yes, yes. I understand!”

When Danna was gone, the midwife called her men over. Together, they shoved Arissa into a van along with the four babies. Soon, the vehicle rattled off toward a remote site where they would dump the unfortunate souls.

They took the precaution of gagging the babies with rags so that their cries would not attract attention. Deprived of their primary form of expression, the babies squirmed uneasily beside their mother with livid faces.

A few hours had passed when the driver turned to the midwife and instructed, “Now, dump them!”

The midwife felt her heart race as anxiety washed over her. “Won’t people notice them?”

“Nonsense—there’s not a living soul here. You better be quick before the beasts appear unless you want us both to meet our makers. Or do you wish to be hunted down by that woman?”

The mention of Danna sent chills down the midwife’s spine. The sense of guilt of killing a woman and four newborns were nothing when compared to the possibility of offending Danna.

Well, they shouldn’t have messed with Ms. Adams in the first place.

“Don’t spite me when you become ghosts. Haunt Ms. Adams. She’s the one who gave the order!” The midwife toughened up and shoved them out of the vehicle.

“Okay. Move!”

Soon, the barren wasteland resumed its silence as the van disappeared beyond the horizon.

Arissa and her four children, half-dead, were now left on their own.

 

Chapter 2 Returning Stronger With Her Kids

Five years later, at Dellmoor International Airport, Arissa inhaled deeply, taking in the familiar air of the place.

Her sharp eyes behind the sunglasses screened the bustling crowd as she immersed herself in the typical liveliness of the country.

She was back.

Though half-shaded by the sunglasses she had on, her dainty complexion looked exquisitely stunning. The onlookers could hardly avert their gazes from her.

After all, beauties were meant to be admired. That rang true to onlookers of all ages and genders. However, what was even more eye-catching than the woman were the four little kids waddling beside her.

Each of them was shouldering a backpack of dissimilar colors with cartoon prints while tugging a mini suitcase in their hand. Moreover, all of them were wearing matching outfits with their mother—a combination of black tees, jeans, and white sneakers, looking simplistic yet chic.

Their brown berets framed their striking eyes and delicate features, all of which incited marvels amidst the onlookers.

Interestingly, their expressions spoke nonchalance, naivety, delight, and curiosity simultaneously as each of them looked around and digested their environment. The adult-like manners they carried themselves with were especially intriguing to the onlookers.

“Whoa! Quadruplets! What beautiful children!”

“I’m so envious of their mom for having such adorable kids. It must be so much fun going shopping with them!”

“They’re all blessed with terrific good looks! I would no doubt giggle in my dreams if I were blessed with those beautiful kids!”

“They aren’t celebrities, are they? The woman is so elegant and pretty. She definitely stands out.”

“Hush, what do you know? She’s no match for Dani. My Dani’s the most attractive woman living!”

These exclamations were nothing new to Arissa. She had encountered countless such episodes when they were abroad. Whenever she was out with the kids, they would immediately become the center of attention.

She continued to steer the four kids toward the exit. Looking back to count heads, she said, “Sweethearts, stay close. Don’t get left behind.”

The kids walked in a single file behind her like a rustling tail. To everyone present, it was a heart-warming scene to behold.

Most onlookers pulled out their phones and started taking pictures. Some even took recordings and uploaded them on video-sharing platforms, giving them catchy titles with a unanimous emphasis on the quadruplets. Those videos soon became viral and gathered a lot of likes.

“Got it, Mommy!” The quadruplets trailed behind Arissa obediently, lowering the edges of their berets when onlookers took photos of them.

The youngest of the quadruplets, Jesse York, was the timidest among them all. Being her first time in such a crowded airport, she nervously clutched the hem of her mom’s blouse and meekly uttered, “Mommy, everyone’s looking at us. They’re taking photos of us, too!”

“It’s okay.” Arissa turned to check on her kids from time to time, making sure that none was missing.

“Don’t be scared. We’re just so good-looking that people can’t help taking pictures of us!” remarked Jasper York, the third-born of the quadruplets, who marched behind Jesse. Being the most narcissistic one among his siblings, he boldly grinned at the adults taking photos of them.

“That’s a violation of our portrait rights!” Zachary York knitted his brows. Being the eldest brother, he marched last in the file and helped to keep an eye on his siblings.

“It’s fine as long as they’re not doing anything bad. They just like us, that’s all!” Not only was Arissa used to people’s attention, but she also knew that the onlookers would stealthily take shots of them, even if asked to stop. Keeping an open mind would make things easier, just like how she would take photos of pleasant sceneries and people just so that she could admire them later.

Zachary, however, thought otherwise. He kept the onlookers away and was offended by the unwanted attention. “Stop taking pictures! My brother is scared!”

“Don’t include them in your shots. Just take photos of me!” Jasper smiled and struck multiple fancy poses.

At Jasper’s words, the crowd who had just put away their phones after Zachary’s objection started taking pictures again. “How lovely! Kids, you’re so pretty! You made my day!”

“Kids, are you quadruplets? You look alike and are extremely charming! Can I take a photo with all of you?”

Chapter 3 Misidentifying The Son

“I’m sorry! We don’t want to take any pictures! Thank you for taking an interest in us, but you better stop taking pictures,” Zachary pleaded.

After turning down the crowd’s request, he approached Jasper and tapped him on the shoulder to warn him not to let other people take pictures of him.

Jasper stuck out his tongue at his elder brother. Nevertheless, he followed Zachary’s advice and ceased his poses obediently.

Not only was the public not angry at the rejection, but they were also impressed by Zachary’s politeness in handling the situation. They continued to watch the quadruplets with interest.

As more curious onlookers began to gather around them, Arissa hurriedly shouted at her children, “Come on, kids! Let’s move faster!” They could not afford to stay any longer to avoid causing congestion at the airport.

The four young children immediately followed their mother’s lead and moved away from the crowd. However, Oliver York suddenly called out to Arissa, “Mommy, I want to pee. I had too much juice on the plane just now.”

Oliver clamped his legs together while looking desperately for any sign of a restroom. As soon as he saw a sign, he wanted to rush toward it.

“Okay, I’ll bring you guys over there!” Arissa prompted.

She also wanted to use the restroom, so she let her children enter first as she watched over their luggage.

“Zachary, I need to poop!” Oliver told his elder brother before rushing to an empty cubicle.

“Ugh, you’re so troublesome. Hurry up!” Zachary admonished him before leading Jasper and Jesse out after washing their hands.

“Mommy, we’re done. You can go in now. Also, Oliver is still inside.”

“Okay, you guys be good and wait for me here. Remember not to wander off on your own!” Arissa reminded her children before entering the ladies’ restroom.

“Gosh! I wonder when Dani will arrive. I’ve been waiting since four o’clock. Yet, there’s still no sign of her!”

“Four o’clock? I’ve been waiting here since last night, just in case I missed her flight!”

“There! Dani’s plane has finally arrived! Come, follow me!”

“What? Wait for me!”

Someone in the crowd exclaimed, and hurried footsteps could be heard coming from outside, heading toward the entrance.

Arissa was baffled by the crowd’s reaction to the repeated mentions of a person called Dani.

Who is she? A celebrity? They sounded like a group of young fans. Well, only fans would be in that kind of frenzy for their idol.

Zachary stood beside the family’s luggage along with his two younger siblings. Suddenly, a group of people dashed out of the ladies’ restroom, and they headed in the same direction. The three siblings jumped back in fright. Some of their luggage was knocked over by the running mob.

Zachary swiftly pulled the other two to the side to avoid getting hit by the rushing crowd.

“What are they doing? They didn’t even bother to apologize for knocking over our stuff! How rude!” Jasper glared at the girls’ retreating form with anger.

“Stupid fans!” Zachary protested. Jesse helped her brother in lifting the luggage and echoed, “I know, right? They’re so stupid!”

“If their parents knew about their awful behaviors, they would surely regret giving birth to them!” Jasper harrumphed while waiting obediently for Arissa.

Jesse stood next to her older brothers while looking at her surroundings curiously. Then, her eyes stopped at the sight of multiple children with cotton candy in their hands. She swallowed and pointed. “Look! They have cotton candy over there!”

Jasper quickly glanced in the direction and found the store his younger sibling was pointing at. He then tugged the hem of Zachary’s shirt excitedly and said, “I’m going over there to buy some cotton candy for us!”

“Mommy told us to wait here. So don’t run off on your own!” Zachary advised despite also wanting to get a taste of the confection.

They did not have cotton candy overseas. They only found out about such a thing from Arissa after seeing it on the internet.

“Come on! I’ll be back immediately once I’ve bought the cotton candy. Mommy and Oliver are still inside the restroom. I’ll be back in a flash!”

With that, he ran over to the store, leaving Zachary unable to do anything to dissuade his brother. “Be careful!”

“I know!” Jasper cheered as he sprinted toward his destination.

On the other side of the airport, a group of bodyguards looked around frantically for someone.

“Oh, no! This is bad. Gavin has disappeared!”

“Hurry up and find him! If Mr. Graham finds out about this, we’ll be skinned alive!”

The bodyguards hastily scattered in different directions, hoping to find Gavin before Benjamin returned.

The airport was of average size. Nonetheless, with it being jam-packed with people, it would be a daunting task for anyone to search for a missing child.

After searching for a while, one of the eagle-eyed bodyguards spotted a familiar figure with cotton candy in hand in front of a store.

“I’ve found him! Gavin is over there buying cotton candy.” The bodyguard excitedly informed the rest of his colleagues.

In less than a minute, they quickly gathered around Jasper.

“Gavin, we’ve found you at last! Please don’t give us such a fright anymore! There are too many people in the airport. It’s too dangerous to run off on your own. Come on, let’s return quickly! Mr. Graham will come out very soon.”

They did not wait for Jasper’s response, nor did they notice the difference in the appearance of the young boy. One bodyguard took the cotton candies, while another picked him up and darted off to another place.

Jasper was rendered speechless as he was stunned by their sudden actions. What is going on?

Regardless, he came to his senses soon enough.

“Hey! What on earth are you doing? Let go of me quickly! Or I’ll scream!” Jasper fiercely warned the group of black-clad bodyguards. He intended not to show them how frightened he was at that moment.

“Gavin, please stop fooling around! Your daddy will be worried sick if he finds out that you have disappeared!”

The bodyguards concluded that the little one was pulling a prank on them. They continued to coax him as they rushed toward the Rolls-Royce without further delay.

Jasper’s eyes widened in fear.

Am I being kidnapped?

“Help! Mmph!”

Jasper struggled to break free as he tried to call for help, but the bodyguard immediately covered his mouth to muffle his voice.

He frantically bit the bodyguard’s palm in return. Unfortunately for Jasper, the guy did not let go of him as he continued to move forward.

“Gavin, please don’t be angry at us. I’ll release you once we’re back in the car.”

The bodyguard was not furious at Jasper for biting his hand as he continued to coax him patiently.

These bodyguards had learned their lesson that day. They would not dare to let him out of their sight in fear that he might run off again.

After all, this was not the first time Gavin had hidden away from them.

“Gavin, there are too many people here. Just let us know if you want to eat anything, and we’ll buy it for you. What if you ran into people and got hurt?”

The other bodyguards kept trying to talk some sense into him.

Huh? Who is Gavin?

Jasper was dumbstruck at the sudden realization.

These men had called him by that ever since they took him away. Furthermore, they mentioned something about a daddy just now.

Jasper silently observed the dozen or so well-trained bodyguards around him. There was not a single hint of malice on their faces. With that confirmation, his anxiety quickly subsided.

Jasper kept his gaze on them as he pondered about the current situation.

These men are behaving as if they are familiar with me. I certainly don’t know them! Perhaps they have mistaken me for someone else?

Jasper heaved a sigh of frustration. He planned to go along with them for the time being.

Even if he was kidnapped by these strangers, the chances of him escaping from their grasp were close to zero.

Meanwhile, Arissa could only see Zachary and Jesse when she exited the restroom. “Oliver still hasn’t come out? Where’s Jasper?” she asked.

“Mommy, Jasper went to buy cotton candy. Oliver is still inside the restroom.” Zachary glanced at the cotton candy store.

However, his sight was blocked by a sea of people. Zachary frowned as he failed to locate his younger brother. Didn’t you promise to return soon?

“Where did he run off to?” Arissa clicked her tongue. Despite her nagging, she was not mad at Jasper.

She knew her third son had a superb sense of direction. Regardless of how unfamiliar the place was, he would always find his way back to her.

 

Chapter 4 The Switch

“How long has Oliver been inside? Zachary, go check if he has diarrhea,” Arissa instructed her eldest son. She was concerned that her children could not acclimatize to the weather back home.

“Okay!” Zachary went off to rush his brother.

Arissa looked around for the aforementioned store, but she could not find it. “Jesse, where did Jasper go to buy cotton candy?”

“Mommy, it’s over there! The one with a blue plane!” Jesse pointed toward a direction as she spoke with a missing front tooth.

Arissa scanned the surrounding for a bit before finally spotting the cotton candy store. Nevertheless, there was no sign of Jasper, much to her dismay.

She could not see clearly as there was an influx of people moving around the airport. Arissa had no choice but to wait for Oliver’s return before she could start searching for Jasper.

At last, Zachary came out of the restroom with Oliver. After waiting for a few moments, Arissa brought her three little ones along in search of Jasper while hauling their luggage.

When they arrived at the cotton candy store, however, there was no sign of Jasper.

Arissa could not help but worry for his safety. After all, her children were still unfamiliar with this place.

“Where is he?” she asked impatiently.

“Could Jasper have run off to buy something else?” Zachary frowned.

“Let’s wait for him a little longer!” Arissa reassured her children while trying to convince herself that Jasper would return soon.

As time passed, he still did not show up.

Could it be that he went back to the restroom to look for us?

Just when Arissa thought about going back to search for Jasper, a familiar figure suddenly ran toward them. She breathed a sigh of relief and embraced the little boy tightly.

Gavin Graham froze in shock after getting hugged by an affectionate woman who was a complete stranger to him.

“Oh, my gosh! You almost scared your mommy to death! Didn’t I tell you to wait for me? Why are you running around in a place like this?” Arissa reprimanded.

“That’s right! We thought you had disappeared! If you still didn’t return, Mommy was going to use the airport’s public address system to find you!” Oliver chimed in.

Mommy?

This word caused a ripple in Gavin’s heart.

He was shell-shocked when he saw Oliver’s face. That was because they looked like carbon copies of each other.

Furthermore, there were two other children next to him. Both of them looked the same.

Who are they? And why do they resemble me so much? Could they be…

Gavin was rendered speechless at the sight of the three siblings. However, he managed to maintain an expressionless look.

Arissa thought she had frightened her son with her stern words just now. She immediately embraced the boy and stroked the top of his head fondly.

“Mommy was just scared that you had gone missing. Where did you go just now?” she asked in a much gentler tone.

“I-I…” Gavin stuttered in response as he had yet to recover from the shock.

“I couldn’t find it just now…” Gavin had searched for a long time. He only found the location of the cotton candy store after some help from a passerby. Little did he expect to be hugged by an unfamiliar woman as soon as he came over.

Gavin’s heartbeat quickened as he realized Arissa’s doting gaze was on him.

Is she my mommy?

Gavin kept looking back and forth between Arissa and the three siblings, who resembled him. He was convinced that his instinct was correct.

That mom isn’t my real mommy. This lady is the real one—I’m sure she’s the one. Also, it looks like I have several brothers too.

Gavin felt a surge of surprise mixed with excitement within his heart.

Arissa did not notice the difference in the boy as she reached out and rubbed his head again.

“Okay, everything is fine now that you’re back. Mommy will buy cotton candy for all of you!” she stated happily.

Arissa swiveled around and headed off to buy the confection for her children. However, the observant Zachary noticed a slight difference in his younger brother and scrutinized Gavin from head to toe.

Why do I get a feeling that this boy in front of me doesn’t look much like Jasper?

Zachary was shocked as a thought dawned on him.

“Where did you go just now?” he whispered in Gavin’s ears.

Zachary’s suspicion grew ever since Gavin said he could not find the location of the cotton candy store.

“I… There were too many people!” Gavin had not calmed down from the earlier shock.

He was more cold and aloof than Jasper, who had always been lively and energetic.

Therefore, Zachary could not help but distrust the impostor in front of him.

The eldest brother narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Gavin as he noticed the different cartoon print on his shirt.

“You’re not Jasper!” he whispered as he edged closer to Gavin.

Both Oliver and Jesse followed Arissa to buy cotton candy. They were overjoyed to the point that they did not notice the odd conversation between the other two siblings.

Gavin’s heart skipped a beat as he believed Zachary recognized him as a fake.

They must have mistaken me for someone else! This means there is another boy who resembles me, and he has disappeared for some reason. That’s the reason why they think I’m him. We’re quintuplets!

“Kids, come here! One for each of you!” Arissa handed out the cotton candies to the quadruplets.

Jesse immediately took a huge bite and chirped, “This is yummy!” The sticky cotton candy smeared all over the child’s gleeful face.

Oliver could not help giggling at the silly sight of his youngest sibling. “Jesse, your face is a mess right now!” he teased.

“Eat slowly.” Arissa chuckled. She then wiped Jesse’s face before giving the other children their treats.

Each cotton candy was in a different color.

“Hold it carefully!” she advised.

“Thanks, Mommy!” Gavin cheerfully exclaimed as he chose the blue-colored cotton candy.

“You’re still being polite with me?” Arissa asked in surprise. She stroked his head and led them toward the exit.

Zachary glanced at Gavin again.

He knew Jasper’s favorite color was green and that he disliked the color blue.

Why did he let me have the green-colored one?

Nonetheless, Zachary could not tell if the person was really an impostor after seeing the satisfied smile on Gavin’s face.

This was because his smile looked exactly like Jasper’s.

Anyhow, Zachary was still doubtful of the real identity of his brother. He had an inkling that something was amiss, so he approached Gavin while dragging the luggage.

“What happened to your shirt?” he probed again.

“I really like this design, so I exchanged my shirt with another person!” Gavin smiled through his lie.

He realized that all of them were wearing the same clothes. The only difference was the cartoon design. Also, he was the only one not wearing a hat.

“What about your hat?” Zachary continued with his questions.

“I decided to give that person my hat since he liked it a lot! Otherwise, he didn’t want to exchange shirts with me,” Gavin explained.

Gavin took another bite of the cotton candy as he grinned in satisfaction, just like what Jasper would do.

Suddenly, a steely glint flashed through his eyes.

My bodyguards must have mistaken Jasper for me and brought him back home. He should be fine over there. I’ll play along as Jasper for the time being.

Gavin wanted to find out if this woman was his biological mother.

Why did she take my four other siblings while leaving me with Daddy, if that is the case? Is it possible that my real mommy was replaced by that other one? Speaking of that other one, I really don’t like her.

“You can touch my face if you don’t believe me!” he added.

To dispel Zachary’s doubts, Gavin shoved his face right in front of him.

Zachary looked at him intently while trying to sort out his thoughts.

Could I be wrong about him? There should be no other children who look so similar to us. Even his clothes and shoes are the same. This can’t be just a coincidence.

However, looking at Gavin’s familiar face, Zachary’s doubts began to dissipate. And he figured that it would be inconceivable.

 

Chapter 5 This Man Is His Daddy

Zachary chastised his brother, “You’ve been told to return after buying the things. Yet, you wandered off and made us worry. You must not do this again next time, or I will smack you!”

Gavin froze as it was the first time a kid had ever scolded him. Excluding Benjamin, he was always the one who wanted to hit people back at home.

At that moment, cheers erupted in one corner of the airport.

“Dani! Dani!”

“Dani! Ahh! Dani! The most beautiful goddess!”

Arissa turned to look at the fans who were pushing their way to the exit in a frenzy.

“Dumb fans. They knocked over our luggage earlier and didn’t even apologize!” Jesse scolded, looking adorable as she huffed. Jesse’s voice sounded the most feminine out of the four kids.

“I’m genuinely curious as to what celebrity caused these people to act so irrationally!” Zachary snorted.

“Did anyone get hurt?” Arissa was taken aback. If her children remained silent, she would have no way of knowing.

“No. They just knocked over our luggage and ran off!” Zachary grunted and glared over at them.

“They’re truly obnoxious. I’m going to show them a thing or two!” Oliver, who also just found out about it, intended to seek vengeance.

Arissa quickly stopped the impulsive Oliver. “Come back.”

Gavin stared at the fans with a look of disdain. “Mommy, let’s leave quickly. These people are really annoying!”

Gavin was thoroughly annoyed. Most importantly, he did not want to meet the woman because he was frightened of being identified.

“All right, let’s go.” Arissa gathered her children and quickly headed outside. She gave no thought to the celebrity.

Gavin looked over in the direction of the Rolls-Royce and vaguely saw a child in it. He exhaled a sigh of relief. As expected, Jasper had been mistaken for him.

“Mommy, there are a lot of people here. Let’s go out that way!” Gavin was afraid of being spotted by the bodyguards. As a result, he took a step forward and tugged on Arissa’s hand to guide her to the opposite side. Arissa noticed that the other exit was busier. She couldn’t decide whether she should laugh or cry. “Sweetheart, there are more people this way!”

“There won’t be too many people! It’s easier to grab a ride there,” Gavin lied.

Arissa saw taxis in the direction her son wanted to go and headed in that direction with the rest of her children.

At that moment, a tall figure, surrounded by bodyguards, walked out from the exit.

His features were captivating, and the sunglasses he wore could not hide his intimidating aura.

His reserved and cold aura attracted a couple of stunned gazes from the crowd.

Ethen Frank stayed by the man’s side and observed the reaction of the onlookers. He was used to this scene.

His boss was the center of attention no matter where he went.

He looked around the area and noticed a couple of children off in the distance, making him take another look at them. Perhaps it was because of Gavin that he thought children of that age were cute.

The four children wore matching clothing, and each carried a backpack as they gathered around a woman.

Out of curiosity, Ethen took a few looks at them again.

Could they be quadruplets?

He took a look at the woman next to them and was stunned by her figure, even just from looking at her from the back.

Gavin peeked over in Ethen’s direction and was alerted to his presence. He turned his head away urgently.

Daddy is here!

Ethen saw the child’s side profile and was shocked. “Mr. Graham, Gavin…”

“Get in the car quickly. Don’t waste time,” the man said and entered the car.

Ethen reverted his gaze to the car and sighed a breath of relief when he saw a familiar face in it.

He smiled and shook his head. I mistook him for someone else.

“Gavin!”

After greeting the child in the car, he walked over to the driver’s side and took another look in the other direction, but he could no longer see the woman and the four children.

Jasper was excited to see a Rolls-Royce when the bodyguards brought him over. All boys loved cars, especially such luxurious ones.

Hence, he did not run away. He ate his cotton candy while he looked and fiddled around in the car.

The bodyguards thought it was strange when they saw his actions. They felt something was different with him as the boy should have been used to it already.

Jasper became aware of their gazes and controlled his expression. He prepared himself to meet this “Daddy” person.

If the bodyguards have misidentified me, then there must be another kid who looks like me. This explains why they didn’t notice their mistake. Yes. This should be the case. Did Mommy not give birth to quadruplets but quintuplets instead?

Jasper finally met Benjamin not long after.

He looked at the man who got into the car. The man was cold and handsome, and his aura was intense. Jasper swallowed his saliva, which had a hint of sweetness in it.

This man is my daddy?

Jasper’s eyes filled with curiosity as he looked at Benjamin.

He looks somewhat like Zachary. This should be Daddy.

Benjamin raised his eyebrows when he saw his son staring blankly at him. “Did you come to pick me up?”

The man spoke in a low voice with a hint of softness in it. It was, however, strict enough that no one dared to defy. He was actually happy that his son came to the airport to fetch him.

Regardless, Benjamin was a stranger to Jasper. The boy felt unsure of himself and did not dare to say anything. He was also worried that Benjamin would learn that he wasn’t the boy whose full name he did not even know of.

However, Jasper thought that this man was not too shabby.

He has looks and riches—that’s super powerful. He can surely protect Mommy!

Jasper felt a surge of excitement in his heart as he took a bite of his cotton candy.

Benjamin was also used to the fact that his son did not like to talk. He patted Jasper’s head, and his eyes lit up when he saw the several cotton candies in Jasper’s hand.

Only children liked these things, but he would not turn it down if his son offered him one. “Is this for Daddy?”

Jasper looked at the cotton candies in his hands before turning to look at Benjamin, who had removed his sunglasses. People were afraid to look into his narrow eyes as if meeting his gaze would betray their secrets.

Jasper froze. The cotton candies were for his siblings and not for Benjamin.

“I’ll… give you one!” He eventually gave one to Benjamin.

Since he bought five of them, he would not be able to finish them himself anyway. They were all starting to melt.

As he saw his son staring at him, Benjamin took the cotton candy and bit into it. The intense kick of sweetness in his mouth made him uncomfortable, so he wrinkled his brows.

This is too sweet. “Don’t eat too much of these sweet things. You’ll get cavities!” Benjamin shot a look at his son.

“Gavin, did you buy one for me, too?” Ethen looked at Jasper with a smile on his face. Jasper blinked and shifted forward to give Ethen two cotton candies. He was now left with two for himself. One of them had already been nearly eaten up.

“Thank you, Gavin!” Ethen sat back in his seat and ate his cotton candies happily.

Benjamin’s face fell when he realized how generous his son was to Ethen. After taking two bites, he was unable to take another. He then stared at the cotton candy in his hand as he tried to figure out what to do with it.

Jasper noticed that Benjamin was struggling to consume the cotton candy as if it were medicine, so he said in a whisper, “Give it back to me if you don’t like it.” It was something Jasper himself would enjoy eating.

Benjamin detected that Jasper was craving them, so he returned the candy. “Next time, if you want to eat something, just buy one. Don’t buy too many!”

“Okay!” Jasper replied. He sat in a corner and ate his cotton candy. His eyes glanced over at Benjamin from time to time.

 

Chapter 6 Daddy Is Married To Another Woman

Benjamin noticed his son’s expression and assumed he was looking for a gift. He then explained, “Daddy was busy this time, so I didn’t get you a gift. I’ll make it up to you next time!”

Benjamin used to bring Gavin a present whenever he went on a business trip. Gavin, on the other hand, never said whether he liked them or not. He did not bring any this time, yet Gavin had come to fetch him from the airport. Hence, Benjamin felt a tinge of guilt in his heart.

Jasper shot him a glance before lowering his head to eat his cotton candy.

Ethen piped up suddenly, “Mr. Graham, it’s Ms. Adams.”

Jasper’s ears perked up. Who is Ms. Adams?

Benjamin’s eyes flickered as he saw the woman walking toward them. He narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Jasper. This boy is not here to pick me up, but his mother instead?

Danna caught sight of the familiar car and hurried over. The bodyguards outside greeted her with respect, “Ms. Adams!”

“Is Benjamin here?” she asked and proceeded to open the car door. When she saw the man in the car, her heart pounded. “Benjamin!” she exclaimed with a smile.

Benjamin’s demeanor remained neutral.

“You came to pick me up!” Danna was filled with excitement.

“I just returned from a business trip!”

Danna was taken aback for a moment and chuckled. “What a coincidence. I’ve just returned from making an announcement too.”

She quickly scooped Jasper into her arms as soon as she sat down next to him. “Gavin, you came to pick Mom up? Your mom is very happy! Was it because you missed me?”

Mom? Jasper furrowed his brows. His face fell in an instant as he stared at Danna. Who would miss her? Who is this woman? Daddy is married to another woman! Was it because of this woman that Daddy did not want Mommy there?

Jasper was furious. This woman is not my mommy, yet she calls herself my mom? Also, her perfume reeks.

Achoo! Jasper choked on Danna’s perfume and sneezed in her direction.

Something splashed on Danna, and she froze. She quickly threw Jasper to the side and grabbed a tissue to clean herself. “You…”

When she remembered Benjamin was present, she quickly tried to suppress her anger and switched her expression to a smile. She pretended to be concerned and reached out to touch Jasper’s forehead. “Gavin, did you catch a cold?” she asked worriedly.

Little brat, how dare you spew nasty things on me?

Jasper brushed her hand away. He hated that she was touching him and shifted himself toward Benjamin. This woman was just about to scold me but turned around and pretended to care about me. She’s just putting on a show that no one wants to watch.

Danna noticed that Jasper shifted away from her and felt enraged. This bastard child. Wait till we get home, and I’ll teach you a lesson. You won’t even save me some pride. How insolent!

Danna saw the cotton candies in Jasper’s hand. She pretended to care for the kid and quickly snatched them away from him before tossing them into the car’s trash can. “Children should not consume this kind of junk food. You’ll get cavities!”

“How could you throw away my things? You ugly freak!” Jasper could tell that Danna did it on purpose and screamed at her, forgetting that he was Gavin’s substitute.

The boy glared at Danna with a face full of rage.

Danna had never seen the child this mad before. She was dumbfounded. She thought it was outrageous that Gavin spoke to her like this.

“I did it for your own good, but you’re calling your mom an ugly freak? Who taught you that? Benjamin, how did Gavin become like this? I only did it for his sake…” While she spoke, Danna’s eyes turned red. She looked as if she was hurt and saddened by her son.

Jasper rolled his eyes. She really knows how to act.

Benjamin had never seen his son so angry before. When Gavin is angry, at most, he just won’t speak and would ignore everyone. I haven’t seen him in only a few days, and his personality has changed.

“Gavin Graham, apologize to your mom!” Benjamin’s face darkened. Danna is still Gavin’s biological mother, no matter how awful she might be. Furthermore, the kid was merely speaking out of anger.

“You want me to apologize to her? No way! She threw away my things on purpose. Why should I?” Jasper was stubborn. He glared at Danna without a care in the world. This ugly freak. Daddy must have abandoned us because of her.

He thought about how Arissa had to struggle to raise him and his siblings. They were also almost killed when they were born. Jasper’s eyes turned red when he thought of this. He felt wronged and angry.

Because of this, he had begun to despise Benjamin. He shifted to the side of the car door. “Stop the car. I want to get out!” Daddy, my butt! Since he asked me to apologize to this ugly freak, I don’t want him anymore.

Benjamin furrowed as he held Jasper in his arms. He scolded in a low voice, “Why are you making a fuss?”

You’re just a kid. How could you scream and shout at adults? Benjamin was infuriated by his son’s actions.

Jasper cried out loud when he saw that Benjamin did not side with him and scolded him sternly instead. He felt utterly wronged. People would feel sorry for him if they heard his cries.

“You are not my daddy! You are a bad person!”

Benjamin’s face was dark as he stared at the crying boy in his arms.

Wah! Wah!

Jasper’s cries were so intense that they were deafening.

“Benjamin, don’t be so harsh. Gavin, come over to Mom. I’m sorry. I will apologize to you. If you like cotton candy, Mom will buy it for you. Okay?”

Danna leaned over to carry Jasper to her side. Jasper was not Gavin. Hence, he definitely would not cooperate. After all, Benjamin had reprimanded him because of this woman.

“Don’t talk to me. You don’t like me anyway, so don’t be pretentious. You are not my mommy! You are a fake!” Jasper shouted at Danna.

The atmosphere in the car turned silent in a second.

Danna was shocked and frightened. How does this bastard child know? Danna suppressed her guilt and peeked at Benjamin. The man stared at the boy in his arms with a dark expression. She could not make out what he was thinking.

“Benjamin, this boy…”

Tears welled up in Danna’s eyes in an instant. She put on a look as if she was incredibly hurt that her son disliked her. Looking over at Jasper sadly, she coaxed him, “Gavin, why would I not like you? I gave birth to you. I was pregnant with you for ten months and almost had a miscarriage. Are you mad because I did not give you a call? I was busy with work. I’ll remember to call you next time, okay? Don’t be mad at Mom. It makes me really sad…”

Jasper watched the drama queen, Danna, while she skillfully acted as if they were blood-related. On the inside, he rolled his eyes.

He peeked at Benjamin, and when he saw that Benjamin was glaring at him, his tears began to pour again. “Both of you don’t like me. You think I’m a nuisance, right?”

Jasper thought that he should not be too obvious. He did not want to lead Danna on with any suspicions. When the time came, he would then have the upper hand to deal with this woman.

His face was full of sadness, and he cried till his shoulders were quivering. However, on the inside, he was thinking up a ploy.

 

Chapter 7 Why Did You Prick My Finger

“Stop crying!” Benjamin had never seen his son cry out loud. He did not know how to calm him down. “No one thinks that!”

“Really?” Jasper buried himself in Benjamin’s embrace and held him tightly. His body was trembling. His pitiful voice could cause others to choke up.

Benjamin could tell from his voice that Jasper was afraid of being abandoned. His heart sank as he patted the boy’s head. “Really,” Benjamin said with confidence.

Danna looked at the father-son duo and secretly sighed a breath of relief.

However, Ethen, sitting in the front, noticed her expression. His eyes flickered with a hint of suspicion. Ms. Adams and Gavin were not like this in the past. Although they were not as close as other mothers and sons, they still wouldn’t have fought like this.

Meanwhile, Arissa had arrived home with the four children and had started cleaning the house.

Gavin hid in the bathroom to watch the surveillance footage of his own home.

He was relieved when he saw that Jasper had returned home with Benjamin. He finally exited and went to help with the chores.

It was dinner time already when they had finally settled down. The mother and children ordered takeout and ate together at the dinner table, making the atmosphere full of life.

Gavin was afraid that he would accidentally reveal himself if he spoke too much. Thus, he would only add a little here and there to the conversation when everyone was talking. In the end, he managed to avoid any suspicions of being the odd one out.

Zachary was the only one who thought his brother was a little different, but he did not question him further on his identity.

After dinner, Arissa instructed her kids to shower and head to bed. She, too, washed up quickly and went to sleep.

On the other side, Jasper had dozed off on the way home to the Graham residence with Benjamin after all the weeping.

Benjamin glanced down at the boy in his arms, who still had tears caught in his eyelashes. He wiped them away and carried him out of the car.

“Benjamin, let me!” Danna wanted to come with Benjamin. However, the man turned around and stated with a distant look, “No need.”

Danna felt slightly helpless. She could tell that Benjamin was angry.

Benjamin carried his son and walked forward a few steps before stopping. He turned on his heel and shot a cold glare. “Next time, if you think that he is in the wrong, keep your attitude in check and speak nicely! You can leave now!” Benjamin spat and signaled the butler to see the guest off before entering the house.

Danna was startled. She watched the man’s silhouette as he entered the house. Her heart was filled with pain. It has been five years. Why is he still so cold to me? Does he still blame me for that drugging incident? But I did that because I liked him. Was I wrong to challenge his boundaries? I know that he dislikes people scheming against him. Was I too desperate?

“Ms. Adams, please get home early and have a rest!” The butler stepped forward as he spoke.

Danna looked at the butler and smiled. “Edwin, I bought this gift overseas for Benjamin. It has calming properties. I forgot to give it to him earlier, so please give it to him for me!”

She reached into her bag and pulled out a delicately packaged box before handing it over to the butler along with another one. “This one is for you!”

“Thank you, Ms. Adams, but this is too expensive. I can’t take it!” Edwin Whitley took over the one for Benjamin but did not take the one Danna intended to give him.

“It didn’t cost much. Just take it. I can’t use it anyway!” Danna forcefully pushed it into Edwin’s hand and turned to get in the car. She then looked at the mansion. Her eyes glinted ever so slightly.

She had already come all the way here. Thus, she thought that Benjamin would ask her to stay the night.

“Ms. Adams, take care,” Edwin said politely, then instructed the driver to drive slowly. He watched the car leave and headed back into the house.

Benjamin carried his son upstairs into Gavin’s bedroom and gently let him down.

“Mommy…” Jasper whined and turned around, putting his feet on the bed.

Benjamin’s eyes flashed. He bent over to take off his son’s shoes and reposition his sleeping posture. As he draped a blanket over him, he noticed a mole on Jasper’s wrist. His gaze became tense. This kid did not have a mole, right?

Benjamin picked up Jasper’s hand to take a closer look. He was still unsure. After all, the father and son did not interact frequently. Thus, he had not paid careful attention to such details.

Placing Jasper’s hand down, he gazed at the boy’s sleeping face and reached to stroke his head before getting up to leave.

When the butler saw that Benjamin had come out, he politely handed the gift to him. “Mr. Graham, Ms. Adams brought this for you. She said it has calming effects!”

Benjamin glanced over and showed no intention of receiving it. He then looked at the butler and said, “Next time, don’t just accept things!”

The butler froze and acknowledged, “All right!” Mr. Graham’s relationship with Ms. Adams was good in the past. After they had Gavin, he became colder and colder. No one knows why for sure. Everyone expected Mr. Graham to marry Ms. Adams. However, their relationship did not grow deeper in the past five years. Instead, they grew further apart.

The butler looked at Benjamin’s indifferent face and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He wondered who could enter Benjamin’s heart and make him smile.

Benjamin turned to return to his bedroom. He stopped in his steps and turned around to look at the butler. “Edwin, does Gavin have a mole on his wrist?”

“Mole?” The butler was dumbfounded. He looked at Benjamin with confusion. “I don’t think so!”

As he was the one who always cared for Gavin and frequently helped him get dressed, he did not notice any mole.

Benjamin furrowed his brow. No mole. Then what I saw earlier…

Edwin was puzzled when he saw that Benjamin was serious. He rushed into the room and looked at Jasper’s wrist, finding a noticeable mole there.

He rubbed it but it did not come off. The butler furrowed his brows. “This… wasn’t here before! Unless it grew recently?”

As Benjamin wanted Gavin to be independent, he did not let the butler help him get dressed anymore and wanted Gavin to get dressed without help. Thus, it had been some time since the butler had taken care of Gavin in close proximity.

Benjamin narrowed his eyes as his heart surged with worry. “Get the doctor!” There was no mole previously. Now suddenly, there is one. This is not a good sign.

“Yes!” Edwin rushed to give the family doctor a phone call. He instructed the doctor to come to the Graham residence immediately.

Shaun Bailey rushed over as he assumed something had happened. But it turned out they were asking him to look at Jasper’s mole. He performed a quick check and found that there was nothing wrong with it. “You guys are making a fuss over a minor issue. This kind of mole would grow later in life, too. Gavin is still young. Growing a mole is very common!”

“Give him a blood test!” Benjamin did not trust his quick checkup.

The corner of Shaun’s mouth twitched. Under Benjamin’s pressure, he was forced to take some blood from Jasper’s fingertips.

“Ouch!” Jasper was awakened by the pain and saw that someone was pricking his finger. With a glare, he kicked the man.

Shaun was caught off guard and was kicked directly. He stumbled back and fell to the ground.

“Gavin, it’s me…”

“Why did you prick my finger!” Jasper shouted in rage while he clasped his hand tightly. This guy is horrible for poking me in my sleep.

Shaun was speechless from Jasper’s question. He got up and turned to Benjamin.

Chapter 8 Fussing Over The Mole

He had a puzzled look on his face, but he remained quiet.

Tch. Like father like son. Shaun thought the boy had lost his temper.

“Your daddy asked me to check your body because he was worried about the mole on your hand. He said it wasn’t there before. That’s why I need to take some of your blood,” Shaun explained quickly.

“A mole?” Jasper blinked and raised his arm to look for the mole. “Oh. This…” he trailed off as he frowned.

Suddenly, he realized that he might have given himself away, so he quickly changed his expression and looked at them with a pout.

“What’s the big deal! It’s just a mole, isn’t it?” he exclaimed.

Benjamin remained silent.

Shaun couldn’t help but let out a small laugh when he compared Jasper’s calm expression to Benjamin’s. However, he stopped smiling when Benjamin glared at him.

“Gavin, it’ll be over really quickly. Dr. Bailey will only take a little of your blood and check on you for a bit. Don’t you want to give your daddy peace of mind?” Edwin said gently to Jasper.

Jasper turned pale when he saw the little ball of blood on his tiny finger. He couldn’t stand the sight of blood.

Benjamin furrowed at Jasper’s reaction toward blood. What’s the matter with him? He would endure the pain in the past, so why is he acting so timidly now?

“Hurry up and stop his bleeding already!” Benjamin shot Shaun a glare, making the latter hurry toward Jasper.

“Gavin, hang in there! Let me get a little bit blood… and you’re done!” he remarked after squeezing Jasper’s finger. After getting enough blood samples into the blood collection tube, Shaun quickly put a cotton swab against the wound. “Good job! You’ll be fine soon!”

On the other hand, Jasper squeezed his eyes closed the entire time. Anyone would feel bad for him when one saw how mad and afraid he seemed.

Edwin quickly hugged him as he applied some pressure against the swab so that Shaun could pack his stuff more easily.

“Gavin, I’ll be leaving now. I’ll drop by and play with you some other time!” Shaun said and left in haste after seeing how Jasper ignored him. To be honest, he was also worried about Jasper and wanted to run the tests as soon as he could.

“Gavin, why don’t you sleep for a little while longer?” Edwin continued to coax him.

Could it be that Daddy knows something is wrong? Jasper withered.

Suddenly, he felt someone’s hand touching his head gently. He lifted his head and saw Benjamin’s expressionless face without a second thought.

“Does it hurt?” Benjamin asked awkwardly. He wasn’t good at comforting others.

Is Daddy always like this? How cold… No one would feel comforted if you acted like that, okay?

“What do you think? Do you wanna try getting pricked?” Jasper huffed, acting like he was unwilling to converse with him any longer.

Benjamin glanced at Jasper for a brief second without saying anything.

“Gavin, are you hungry? I’ll make something for you, okay?” Edwin volunteered quickly out of worry after noticing the silence between them.

Jasper didn’t reply, but his growling stomach did.

Edwin patted Jasper’s head like a doting grandpa and removed the swab from Jasper’s finger. Once he was sure that Jasper’s bleeding had stopped, he brought Jasper to the bed. “Rest a bit more, Gavin! I’ll make something delicious for you!”

Jasper lay on Gavin’s bed as he blushed. He turned to the other side of the room to avoid looking directly at Benjamin, only to see that Gavin’s room was filled with many of his favorite robot figurines.

Wow! There are so many figurines here!

Suddenly, a thought came to his mind. It was a serious question.

If I am here in Gavin’s place, then where is he? C-Could it be that he’s gone missing? No, that’s not possible. If I can find my way home, I’m sure he can do it too! I’m sure my brother is not a dummy! But, if he comes home, I’ll be exposed!

In the short time when Jasper was still acting innocent in front of Benjamin, ideas and strategies ran in his little mind.

Benjamin seemed to notice Jasper’s gaze on the figurines, so he said, “I will get you whatever you like, okay?” He usually wouldn’t coax his son like that—it was a rare sight.

Truthfully, Benjamin only got those figurines for Gavin because he noticed Gavin staring at them on the TV screen last time. Fortunately, the boy loved his presents.

Jasper was shocked to hear him say that. That’s right. These belong to Gavin, not me.

“Really? Anything?” Jasper asked as he peeked at Benjamin.

“Of course.” Benjamin wasn’t one who would go back on his word.

Jasper briefly grinned before he stopped smiling so that Benjamin wouldn’t see through him. “Daddy! I want another set of this!” Jasper declared. Yay! I can play it with Zachary and the rest when I switch back!

Jasper’s heart sank when he didn’t get a response from Benjamin. Could it be that Daddy’s angry with my request? Well, the figurines do look expensive, though… He turned toward Benjamin cautiously.

“Are you sure you want another one of that?” Benjamin looked at him with a puzzled expression. Don’t people usually want different things? Why would he want the same thing?

Seeing that Benjamin wasn’t angry, Jasper nodded while sneaking glances at him. Benjamin’s ice-cold heart softened up when he saw how adorable Jasper was acting.

“Okay. But some of these are one-of-a-kind items, and some are limited editions, so it might take some time for me to get them,” Benjamin said dotingly. As long as he loves it, I can also get the manufacturer to make another one.

“Thanks, M—” Jasper coughed before he corrected himself, “Daddy!”

Seeing how happy Jasper looked, Benjamin’s eyes flickered as a warm and fuzzy feeling rose in his heart.

“How’s your finger? Let me see,” he asked at the side of Gavin’s bed.

In that instant, Jasper’s body stiffened. Despite his fear, he extended his hand.

Benjamin gently took Jasper’s hand to look at it before blowing his little finger.

Jasper’s heart pounded at his action, feeling elated. Huh? This feels… nice. Even though Daddy is as cold as ice and always looks scary, he seems to be caring.

At that moment, Benjamin’s phone rang.

“Mr. Whitley still needs some more time to prepare your food. Why don’t you take a short nap?” Benjamin suggested before he left the room to pick up the call.

Seeing that Benjamin had left, Jasper started to look around Gavin’s room in admiration. He occasionally picked up a few figurines to look at them more closely.

What he didn’t know was that Benjamin was still outside of the room and could see in between the gap of the door. What’s Gavin doing? However, the thought disappeared as soon as it emerged. Without giving much thought to it, Benjamin walked toward his study.

After Jasper was done exploring Gavin’s room, he walked out of the room and started to roam around the mansion.

Whoa! This place is enormous and pretty, like a castle! It wouldn’t feel cramped even if Mommy and the rest came to live here together!

Jasper was behaving like a curious kitten as he explored upstairs before noticing a little light reflected off a smooth surface. His body stiffened a little. The next instant, he was rushing downstairs. Shoot! A hidden surveillance camera! Wait, there is more than one! Oh, no. I didn’t give myself away, did I? I should be more careful before Gavin comes home.

 

Chapter 9 They Are Brothers

That’s weird. I’ve been gone for so long, but they haven’t called me yet. Usually, they would be scrambling around to look for me already. Aren’t Mommy, Zachary, Oliver, and Jesse worried about me at all?

With that thought, Jasper checked his phone, which resembled a watch.

Uh-oh. The battery died.

“Gavin, your food’s ready!” Edwin called out when he noticed Jasper as he was about to bring the food over to Gavin’s room.

“Okay!” Jasper responded as he ran to take his seat at the dining table.

Seeing that the table was full of delicious-looking dishes, he quickly grabbed a fork and happily dug in.

“Gavin, pace yourself. Please chew your food more slowly!” Edwin urged as the way Jasper ate shocked him. What’s going on? Usually, he would chew more slowly before swallowing.

“Mm-hmm!” The boy was beaming with delight as he ate. Oh my gosh! These are heavenly! Jesse would definitely love this!

Suddenly, Jasper slowed down as he felt guilty. Did Mommy, Zachary, Oliver, and Jesse eat yet?

“Mr. Whitley, these are really good!”

“Hehe! I was afraid that you’d get tired of eating the same thing every day! Have some more if you like it!” Edwin suggested as he put more food on his plate.

Jasper caught sight of Benjamin walking toward them and started to eat quietly.

“Mr. Graham!” Edwin quickly prepared cutlery for Benjamin while the latter took his seat to eat with Jasper.

His brows furrowed deeply when he saw Jasper swallowing the food without chewing.

“Chew for thirty times before swallowing!”

“B-But I’m hungry!” Jasper exclaimed in surprise. Thirty times? That’s too tiring!

“Don’t eat too quickly! No matter how hungry you are, you must chew your food thirty times before you swallow!” Did he not eat well while I was away?

Benjamin glanced at Edwin. “Mr. Graham, Gavin’s been taking his meals properly in the past few days! Maybe he’s eating so quickly today because he was hungry,” Edwin explained respectfully with his head lowered.

Meanwhile, a small pair of eyes were looking at Benjamin and Edwin. Jasper paced his chewing. What’s up with this rule? He’s too strict! Mommy has never been as fussy as him!

In the next few minutes, Benjamin would reprimand him whenever Jasper didn’t chew at least thirty times. This is the hardest meal that I’ve had! Ugh. The food doesn’t taste that good anymore.

After he was done, he quickly ran toward Gavin’s room and locked the door. Once that was done, Jasper continued to search the room as he looked for clues or ways to contact Gavin.

Phew. Luckily they didn’t call Gavin. I’ll definitely be exposed if they do. No, I must find a way to call Gavin to see if he’s okay.

No matter how hard he looked, Gavin’s number was nowhere to be found. In that instant, he heard someone knocking on the door. Jasper beamed when he knew that it was Edwin.

“Yes, Mr. Whitley?” he asked as he opened the door.

“Gavin, your dad asked me to make this for you! Let me know any time if you want to eat it in the future!” Edwin informed as he passed the cotton candy to Jasper.

“Thank you, Mr. Whitley!” Jasper took the cotton candy merrily and took a bite. Yay! I get to eat this every day now!

“Oh! Mr. Whitley, can I borrow your phone for a little while?” he asked out of the blue when Edwin was about to leave.

“Here you go!” Edwin reached for his phone in his pocket and passed it to Jasper without question.

“Mr. Whitley! Your font’s too small! I’ll make it bigger for you!” Jasper tilted the phone to an angle where Edwin couldn’t look at the screen and quickly looked for Gavin’s number in the contact list.

Since Gavin had done the same thing before, Edwin smiled and waited patiently at the door without the slightest bit of suspicion.

Without much difficulty, Jasper found Gavin’s number after scrolling for a while. After that, he quickly memorized Gavin’s number and changed the font size before returning Edwin’s phone to him. Good thing Mr. Whitley doesn’t have many contacts in his contact list.

“This cotton candy is delicious!” Jasper exclaimed with a huge grin on his face.

“Gavin, make sure to brush your teeth before you sleep!” Edwin reminded with a doting smile.

“Yeah! Okay! I’ll do that! Good night, Mr. Whitley!” Jasper waved and closed the door.

Edwin looked in the direction of Gavin’s room before he went downstairs.

Jasper quickly plugged the cable in to charge his phone. He took a few more bites of the cotton candy and finished it as he waited for his device to be fully charged. After that, he went to brush his teeth and took a bath. Once he was out, the indicator showed that it was fully charged, and he started composing a message on it to Gavin.

I wonder… Is Gavin with Mommy, or is he stranded somewhere?

Jasper texted him: Are you Gavin? I’m Jasper!

Gavin, who almost fell asleep, reached for his phone when he heard the familiar sound of an incoming message on his phone. When he read the message, his eyes widened.

It’s Jasper! He contacted me!

Almost instantly, Jasper received a reply from Gavin. Gavin texted: Yeah. That’s me. Are you at my place?

Jasper furrowed his brows. Huh? How does he know that I’m at his home?

Jasper replied: Yeah. But how did you know that? Where are you now? Are you safe?

Gavin texted: I’m with Mommy. Daddy hasn’t found out about you yet, right?

Jasper was shocked at his reply, but he quickly let out a breath of relief. So he really is with Mommy! That was quick. It sure didn’t take him long to call someone he had just met Mommy.

Jasper asked: Are we quintuplets?

Gavin replied: I guess so? We look exactly the same! Does Daddy know that you’re not me?

Jasper responded: Nope, but he noticed the mole on my wrist. It’s best for you to put on a fake mole when you come home. If he sees that you don’t have one, he’ll surely find out!

Gavin replied: Mommy, on the other hand, didn’t suspect a thing! I don’t want to go back yet. Could you pretend to be me for a while longer? Daddy is very busy with his work, so you should be okay if you don’t stay in the same room as him for too long. Oh, and you shouldn’t talk too much.

The two of them continued to chat and exchange information about themselves.

“What are you doing, Jasper? Stop using your phone! Hurry up and sleep!” Zachary said when he saw Gavin still using his phone.

“O-Okay!” Gavin hastily kept the phone and went to the bathroom.

Zachary thought that something was up, so he reached for Gavin’s phone.

When Gavin returned, he saw that Zachary was going through the messages he had with Jasper.

“You’re not Jasper!” Zachary stared at him.

“I’m Gavin,” Gavin admitted with a nod. Since he found out, there’s no need for me to lie anymore.

Zachary continued to read the messages. I can’t believe that Jasper really did go missing. And it seems like he’s with Daddy!

You… Why did you contact Gavin and not me? I’m the eldest, remember?

Zachary scrutinized Gavin more closely. He really does look exactly like us.

At that moment, Zachary knew for sure that they were quintuplets.

But, why didn’t Mommy tell us?

Gavin was worried that Zachary might dislike him from all of Zachary’s staring.

He walked toward Zachary and said, “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to lie to you. I-I just wanted to get to know you better and find out why Mommy didn’t want me…”

However, the longer he was with Arissa, the more he felt that Arissa wouldn’t do such a thing.

Mommy is really gentle and kind. There must be some misunderstanding!

“There’s no way Mommy would abandon her child!”

 

Chapter 10 Chased Away By His Fiancée

Zachary stared at Gavin angrily. “Why didn’t you admit it previously?”

No wonder something felt off about him. He wasn’t Jasper. Tsk. Can’t you just come clean when you blow your cover?

“I was afraid that you would tell Mommy the moment you realized I wasn’t Jasper. Would you guys still bring me back with you if you knew?” Gavin asked. He felt conflicted as he also worried that Arissa might not like him.

“Of course not!” Zachary asserted bluntly, indirectly hurting Gavin’s feelings.

“But why?” Gavin asked.

Zachary began to panic when he realized the hurtful look on Gavin’s face. He quickly explained, “Well, you have to understand, you’re supposed to be with your daddy now, and we’re supposed to with Mommy. If all of us were to follow Mommy, including you too, then your daddy would seek high and low for you, and that would expose us. Who knows if he’ll come after us for this!”

Gavin felt relieved upon learning that it wasn’t because Zachary despised him.

“In that case, let’s figure out why we got separated in the first place and then inform Daddy about this!” Gavin suggested.

Although Gavin was only a young child, he expressed himself in a calm and collected manner. Strangely, he also seemed to possess an innate ability that could make others yield to his request.

Zachary furrowed his brows. Nevertheless, he agreed that Gavin had a point.

“Agreed! Let me call Jasper then to caution him from exposing himself,” Zachary declared.

Immediately, Jasper received a phone call from Zachary, where the latter lectured him for causing them the present mess they were in now.

After Zachary finished lecturing Jasper, he turned to ask Gavin a crucial detail. “By the way, what is your daddy’s name?”

“Benjamin Graham!” Gavin answered casually. His eyes stared steadily into Zachary’s before curling his lips into a smile. “Who is also your daddy!” he continued.

Zachary gasped in shock. Wait, what? Our daddy is Benjamin Graham? That Grim Reaper whom no one dared to offend in the whole of Dellmoor?

“Oh, I have a picture of Daddy. Here you go.” Gavin took out his phone and searched for Benjamin’s photo before showing it to Zachary.

Zachary only took one look at the picture before he was sure that the man was unquestionably their daddy.

The man in the picture stood tall in a proud posture where his nobility clearly distinguished him from others. Furthermore, his defined features were almost identical to Zachary and his siblings, so much so that they were practically the spitting image of him.

Didn’t Mommy say that she didn’t know who our daddy was?

Zachary couldn’t believe that Benjamin was their daddy. He had heard of this man’s name before, but he never could find his pictures online in the past. Upon comprehending this newfound truth, he was amazed that he found his daddy after only being back in the country for a few days.

Zachary was beyond delighted to learn this because Benjamin was none other than the boss of the Graham Group. As a famous and influential individual, he had a lot of power over others. Thus, as long as he was willing to protect them, Zachary was sure that their mommy would never be bullied by others ever again.

“Does your daddy treat you well?” Zachary asked Gavin cautiously, hoping to fish out more information about Benjamin.

“Yes, he does, but perhaps not as gentle as how Mommy treats me!” Gavin really did look up to Benjamin. However, it was also undeniable that the relationship between them was a bit awkward and distant.

Upon hearing this, Zachary immediately heightened his senses. He sized up Gavin from head to toe. With his brows furrowed, he asked, “Are you sure that he treats you well? Please don’t tell me that he hits you when you’re bad.”

Sensing that Zachary misunderstood him, Gavin immediately shook his head and clarified, “Daddy never hits me, but if I were to make a mistake, he would make me face a wall and place me under time out!”

Zachary nodded his head. That’s pretty normal. Mommy would make us do that too. Not to mention, she’ll get mad at us.

The two young boys continued to chatter away quietly, discussing other details, mainly about Benjamin.

The next day, Arissa woke up early to prepare breakfast before waking her children up.

After enjoying her breakfast with her children, she instructed them to stay home before rushing to Graham Group.

She managed to arrive at the office earlier than agreed. There, Ethen personally escorted her to Benjamin’s office so as she could wait for Benjamin’s arrival.

“Ms. York, please wait here for a moment. Once our CEO arrives, he will proceed to interview you,” Ethen communicated.

“Sure, no worries. I’m the one who arrived earlier than agreed. You guys have a waiting room, don’t you? Let me head over there and wait for Mr. Graham instead,” Arissa replied. She was dressed in a white-collar suit, looking classy and professional.

After all, this was Benjamin’s personal office. It did not feel right to her to be waiting for him here while he was away.

“No, it’s fine. Just take a seat,” Ethen replied politely with a smile. He then instructed a secretary to make Arissa some coffee before informing Benjamin of Arissa’s arrival.

Arissa sat on the couch in the guest area. She looked around Benjamin’s office and realized that its design had a grey tone focus, making the space look sophisticated and sleek. One of the walls had a bookshelf filled with business-related books.

She was astounded by the sight of this office. Indeed, it matched the image of an office owned by the world’s richest man. Although it was spacious and grand, there was an indescribable sense of superiority in the space nonetheless. Arissa even felt that she had to place her cup down cautiously.

Suddenly, a series of clacking sounds made by heels could be heard from the direction of the door. Arissa immediately turned her head to seek the source of the noise.

Right then, Danna walked into the office. The two of them locked gazes and were startled by each other’s presence.

In no time, Danna began to recognize who Arissa was. Gradually, a look of shock and panic glazed her eyes.

She’s alive! What is she doing here? Has Benjamin met her already?

Danna was absolutely petrified. She immediately scanned the room for Benjamin’s presence. Realizing that he wasn’t here, Danna quickly recollected herself and put on a stone-cold expression. With much pride and arrogance, she walked over to Arissa’s side.

“Who are you? And what are you doing here?” Danna questioned.

Arissa, who was taken aback by the woman’s tone, was stunned.

She quickly stood up after that and politely said, “I’m here to attend a job interview, currently waiting for Mr. Graham.”

Danna felt immensely relieved upon learning that Arissa had not met Benjamin. She proceeded to size Arissa up disdainfully. Realizing how beautiful Arissa was, Danna quietly clenched her teeth.

Immediately after, she tried to chase Arissa away. “There is no need for you to wait for him. You already failed to demonstrate a basic understanding of etiquettes. Don’t you know that Benjamin hates strangers waiting in his office, especially when he is not around? Leave already!”

Arissa was baffled by Danna’s criticism. She immediately tried to explain herself, “But it was Mr. Frank who asked me to wait here!”

Who the hell is this woman? Why is she deliberately targeting me?

Danna continued to scrutinize Arissa with her contemptuous gaze. She then scoffed, “So what if that’s true? If I don’t like you, Benjamin won’t like you either. So get lost now and stop being an eye-sore!”

Danna was determined to chase Arissa away before Benjamin got back.

“Also, I was just on a phone call with Benjamin earlier. He told me that he has other matters to take care of today and won’t be coming in anymore, so leave already! The Graham Group will never take in a candidate like you who knows no manners!” Danna roared.

Seeing how arrogant and rude this woman was, on top of the fact that she kept insisting that Arissa did not know her manners, Arissa was bewildered.

Jeez. Aren’t you the one who knows no manners? I’m here at the Graham Group today to attend an interview, not to be humiliated by an individual like you.

Feeling offended, Arissa immediately fought back. “Since it was Mr. Frank who asked me to wait here, I shall continue to wait here! I’m here to meet Mr. Graham, not you. Who are you even? If Mr. Graham couldn’t make it to the interview today, his assistant would naturally inform me of it. Why should I leave just because you say so? If I really were to leave, then that would truly be rude of me!”

A sinister look flashed across Danna’s eyes. She tossed her hair over her shoulders before curling her lips into a sardonic smile. “Who am I? I’m his fiancée. How dare a mere candidate like you talk back at me? Do you know the consequences of offending me? Now, seeing how you’re probably just ignorant about how things run here, I’m going to let you off the hook. Just get lost!”

Arissa was pissed to the brim. Why would Mr. Graham fancy a fiancée like her? How could such a powerful and influential person like him have such bad taste?

Arissa proceeded to pick up her stuff. With a cold gaze, she stared straight into Danna’s eyes before uttering, “Please convey this to Mr. Graham. The Graham Group is way out of my league. Please have him find someone more competent and fitting for this position instead!”