Edwin had finished preparing breakfast for the family. At the sight of Arissa and the little ones coming down, he warmly ushered them over to have breakfast.
âGood morning, Edwin.â
âGood morning, Mr. Whitley!â The five little ones followed and greeted Edwin.
âGood morning, children!â He rubbed their heads adoringly and carried them onto their seats.
During breakfast, Arissa had only eaten a few mouthfuls when she noticed that the five little ones did not have much of an appetite. Even Jesse, who could usually eat a lot of food, took small bites and even picked on her food.
Puzzlement overwhelmed Arissa. âIs there something wrong with you guys?â
Had it only been one of the children who had behaved that way, she would have thought he was ill. But since they all acted the same way, she figured something was off.
The five kids turned to look at each other, then shifted their gazes back to Arissa.
âNope!â
Arissa knitted her brows together. Nothingâs wrong, yet theyâre behaving like this?
âAre you all feeling unwell?â
With that said, she stood up and reached out to touch their foreheads.
âNo,â Zachary quickly denied.
Finding that their body temperature was normal, Arissa stared at them, who were, by now, all shaking their heads in denial.
âMommy, we arenât unwell!â
Hmm, if theyâre not unwell, then they must be keeping something to themselves.
Intending to query them later, Arissa changed the subject. âHurry and have your breakfast. Iâll send you guys to school after this.â
Only then did the five kids begin to dig into their breakfast.
âMommy, you should eat more!â
They were busy picking some food and offering them to Arissa.
âAll right, all right. My sweethearts, you should eat more too!â
She then passed each of them an egg.
âMr. Whitley, is Daddy not home?â Gavin knitted his brows when he noticed that Benjamin was nowhere to be found.
âWell, something cropped up, so Mr. Graham went out last night. He isnât back yet.â
The pucker between Gavinâs eyebrows deepened. âWhere did he go?â
He didnât come home the entire night?
Zachary and his other siblings also seemed slightly surprised that Benjamin did not return home last night.
âIâm not sure about that.â
It was evident that Gavin grew angry, and upon sensing that, Edwin immediately reassured, âThere might be something urgent. Mr. Graham seemed like he was in a rush when he left the house.â
Arissaâs eyes darted between Edwin and Gavin before she clarified, âSweetheart, your daddy has gone on a business trip. If you miss him, you can give him a call.â
âI donât miss him at all!â Gavin snorted arrogantly.
Arissa could not help but heave a deep sigh.
Zachary turned to Gavin and threw him a look, seemingly attempting to ask if they should tell Arissa about the truth since Benjamin was not at home.
Arissa waited till the kids finally ate their fills before trying to probe them regarding the situation earlier. âSo, whatâs going on just now? Is there something on your mind?â
Conflicted, the kids snuck a glance at her and bit their lips.
Arissa arched her brow and softened her tone. âCome on then. Share with me what happened.â
The More the Merrier ï¤Chapter 439 EX-husband Groveling to Me ï¤Chapter 730 Let Victor Shoot For You âMommy, weâre afraid itâll break your heart,â Zachary explained nervously.
Arissa could not wrap her head around the situation. âWell, what is it? You all have to tell me first!â
At this point, the five kids exchanged knowing looks with each other.
Then, Gavin softly replied, âMommy, we... actually, we...â
âItâs a good thing that you guys are still around! I thought youâd left for school by now!â
Dariusâ sudden appearance interrupted the kidsâ confession.
âOld Mr. Graham.â Arissa stood up to welcome Darius. âHave you had breakfast?â
âNot yet. Iâm actually here to bring you guys breakfast. I decided to make more at the last minute, thatâs why Iâm late.â
Seeing that they had all eaten breakfast, he was relieved that he had prepared food items that were convenient to carry around.
He took some out and passed it to Arissa. âIssa, you should try some too. The kids can bring the rest to eat at school.â
âEdwin always prepares breakfast for us over here. Isnât it too troublesome for you to prepare for us too?â Arissa felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude.
âNot at all. All that matters is that you guys enjoy the food. Hurry up and try some!â
Met with Dariusâ warm hospitality, Arissa could only take a bite of it.
On the other hand, the five little ones shared a look before looking back at Darius, who showed up unannounced. Without any other choice, they ultimately swallowed those words they had wanted to tell their mother.