SWNOVELS Chapter 13
Arissa was on pins and needles when she did not receive any reply from Ethen. Did I offend him for being rude earlier? Is that why he's ignoring me now? In an instant, her mind was awash with all sorts of speculations. After hesitating for a short while, she finally gathered herself to make a call. She felt uneasy as she waited, and the call was eventually picked up before it disconnected. "Ms. York?" Ethen sounded surprised. "Mr. Frank, there's something I'd like to ask you!" Arissa probed cautiously after holding in the jumble of emotions rising in her. "What's it about?"
"What is the full name of Mr. Graham's fiancée?" asked Arissa, holding her breath. "Danna Adams!" Ethen was slightly taken aback by the unexpected question. Doesn't she know Danna? "Oh, thank you. All right then. I was just curious." Keeping her composure, she hung up the call. The next instant, she looked up for Danna on her phone. Danna Adams is the only daughter of Adams Group. Despite being born wealthy, she has expressed her deep interest in the film industry. She's now the hotshot movie star, and her fans call her Dani. Upon reading that, Arissa's brows settled into a frown. Is she the Dani that I heard at the airport? She had her eyes fixed on Danna's photos as she continued to ponder.
Why does she look like a completely different person from what I saw? She looks pretty yet elegant, and her smile is so lovable in the photo. If I didn't meet her in real life just now, I bet I'd be fooled by her appearance too. Staring at the screen flooded with information, Arissa fell into deep thoughts. If she was really the one who did that to me back then, it's going to take me some effort to probe further into the matter. Besides, I'm sure she must've done something to cover up her doings. Where should I start then? If Danna's truly the mastermind behind the scheme years ago, I think I've just exposed myself. In this case, I'll have to be wary from now on. Otherwise, I'd probably be dead before I even get to seek revenge!
"Miss, we've arrived!" the taxi driver reminded as he turned his head. His voice immediately drew Arissa out of her thoughts. After taking a quick glimpse of the familiar neighborhood, she hastily paid the fare before getting off. As soon as she arrived home and opened the door, her children rushed over before hugging her thighs. Jesse was even trying to climb onto her. "Mommy, you're back!" Their sweet voices instantly lightened up Arissa's mood. Smiling, she replied, "Yes. I'm home!" Oliver also climbed, causing Arissa to lose her balance and stumble backward. Instinctively, she held them tight before closing the door. "Hey! Mommy's about to fall down. Get down now!" "No way! I want Mommy to carry me!"
Jesse's front teeth were missing, and she could barely utter a clear word. Regardless, she was cute speaking in her soft voice. Arissa patted Jesse's plump cheeks lovingly as she said, "Sweetheart, come here!" Standing still, she carried Jesse before giving a peck on her cheek. "Hehe! Mommy, I want to kiss you too!" Jesse wrapped her arms around Arissa's neck and gleefully placed a couple of kisses. Within seconds, Arissa's face was all covered with saliva. "Mommy, I want kisses too!" requested Oliver after seeing what Jesse did. While he was trying to climb onto Arissa, his glasses slid down his nose. Arissa could not help laughing at his silly look.
The other two were glad to see Arissa, but they did not do the same. Instead, Zachary and Gavin clung to Arissa's thighs on each side. "Okay. No one will be missed!" Then, she carried Oliver and gently kissed him on the cheek. Oliver pushed his glasses up. After his vision became clear, he dropped a light kiss on Arissa's cheeks. Upon looking at her bubbly children, Arissa's heart melted as she beamed at the blissful scene before her. She squatted down before pulling Zachary and Gavin in her arms to kiss them. Nonetheless, she did not notice that Gavin's cheeks had turned red. "I'm going to the bathroom, and I'll be back to join you in a moment!" She hugged them all before running to the bathroom.
They could not help giggling when they saw her in haste. They were having fun on their own when she came out. The four of them looked exactly the same. Arissa stood at the side as she watched them fondly. They're all my kids. It'd be great if my eldest son could be here too. A hint of melancholy fleeted across her gaze as that idea hit her. I don't even know if my son is doing well. Why did the woman take him away? If she intended to raise him as her own, is she treating him right? Soon, Zachary and Gavin spotted the soppy look on her face. Feeling puzzled, the two exchanged glances. What's wrong with Mommy? Didn't the interview go well? They approached Arissa before asking in concern, "Mommy, how was the interview?"
Arissa swiftly hid her sadness behind a gentle smile. "I failed the interview!" "Huh?" Zachary was shocked as he frowned. That shouldn't happen because Mommy's pretty capable. He turned around and shot Gavin a doubtful look. What's wrong with your daddy? Earlier in the morning, Gavin was overjoyed to hear from Zachary that Arissa was going to Graham Group for an interview. He was confident that she would definitely get the offer. Upon hearing the disappointing news, Gavin questioned anxiously, "Mommy, why didn't you get the offer?" "Mommy, didn't you talk to the assistant?
Why did you fail the interview then?" Zachary stared at her in bewilderment. After a moment's pause, he asked, "Who was the one that failed you?" Was Daddy the one who did that? At the same time, Gavin had his eyes locked on her as he waited for a solid answer that could clear his doubt. Oliver and Jesse went over too. Both of them held Arissa's hands as they comforted, "Mommy, don't be sad. It's their loss they didn't hire you. We'll look for better companies and let them learn their lesson for missing out on a good candidate like you!" Arissa broke into a smile when she heard those words.
She led them to the living room and sat down. "Everything went well without a hitch, and I thought I had a high chance too. Not until I met a woman when I was waiting for Benjamin, and she chased me out!" Little did she expect such a drastic turn of events before she could meet Benjamin. Gavin narrowed his eyes with a scornful expression on his face. "Mommy, who's that woman?" Could she be Danna Adams? Gavin had already taken Arissa as his mommy, and the only feeling he harbored toward Danna was nothing but hatred. "She's Benjamin Graham's fiancée!"
Arissa looked at her children as she expressed her grievance. Gavin's lips slightly twitched as the name rang in his ears. What a shameless woman! She isn't even Daddy's fiancée! Even though she thinks she is, Daddy has never acknowledged her, and he has no plan of marrying her too! If he really intended to do so, he would've done that when she brought me back four years ago. How shameless is she to go around telling people that she's Daddy's fiancée?
"Mommy, don't get fooled! I've never heard about Benjamin having a fiancée!" Gavin certainly did not want Arissa to get things wrong. Zachary took a look at the former before he retorted, "How dare your... How dare that woman say that?" At that moment, Gavin was rendered speechless by Zachary's blunt reply that was so close to exposing him. Grinning, Arissa was touched by their protective acts.