“Absolutely, I assure you. This time, your daddy definitely won't punish you. If you guys get punished, I'll be with you. Could you please help me get through this tough time?”
The somber tone in Ethen's voice made the little ones' hearts ache. They couldn't help but sympathize with him.
Ethen had indeed been covering for them, keeping it from their father. If they didn't allow him to tell their father, their father would surely find out from other sources that they were the ones responsible.
“Let me tell you this. When you see your father, put on a sincere show of remorse. Act pitiful and reflect on your mistakes. He'll soften up and won't punish you—” Ethen thought the little ones wouldn't agree, so he continued teaching them to first adopt an attitude of admitting their mistakes when facing Benjamin.
“Mr. Frank, just tell Dad!” Gavin interrupted him.
Ethen was about to persuade them when he was suddenly interrupted by the little one. His words got stuck in his throat, neither coming out nor going down. It took him a moment to regain his composure.
“Thank you, Kids. I'll take you out for some delicious food tonight,” Ethen said, brimming with excitement.
At this point, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Seeing that the time set by Benjamin was approaching, he hurriedly called Benjamin to report the matter.
After a short wait, Benjamin finally answered the phone. “Speak!”
Hearing the familiar voice that was succinct and imposing without anger, Ethen couldn't help but feel his nerves tighten.
For a moment, he couldn't discern what Benjamin was feeling at that instant.
With a cautious tone, he said, “Mr. Graham, I've found out who attacked Julian.”
From the other end, Benjamin's voice didn't come through, as if he was waiting for him to continue speaking.
With a sense of reluctance, Ethen reported, “T-The kids did it.”
Over there, it was still quiet. Ethen's heartbeat quickened with anxiety. He wondered if Benjamin would lose his temper.
“Mr. Graham?” Ethen tentatively asked, wondering if Benjamin was too angry to respond or hadn't heard his report clearly.
“Okay,” Benjamin finally responded indifferently.
Ethen blinked nervously. It seems that Mr. Graham is feeling rather calm, right?
He continued to tell Benjamin about how the kids had taught Julian and Justin a lesson. Benjamin only responded with a single sentence.
“Send more people to protect them secretly. If the incident from the day before yesterday happens again, I'm sending you to a deserted island!”
“Yes!” Ethen responded loudly, without a hint of hesitation.
“Take care of it. Don't let Gavin and the others be exposed,” Benjamin issued the order seriously.
“Yes, Mr. Graham!”
After finishing his call with Benjamin, Ethen immediately ordered the bodyguards to secretly protect the little ones. In addition to the covert bodyguards, there were also personal guards, all scheduled and arranged.
“What happened the day before yesterday?” Arissa's voice came from behind Benjamin, causing him to stiffen.
He turned around, meeting her probing gaze without a hint of guilt on his face.
Benjamin walked over to Arissa. “Why did you come down?”
He bent down, scooped her up in his arms, and walked toward the hospital bed.
Arissa naturally wrapped her hands around his neck, her gaze fixed on the man who was changing the subject.
“Are you hiding something important from me?” she asked. The day before yesterday? I was restless all day, always feeling like something bad was about to happen. But in the end, it was as if nothing had happened at all. If there was anything amiss, it was the children. That day, Tim didn't come over with everyone else to see me. He was with Dad.
“Did something happen to Tim? You lied to me, saying he was going out with Dad!” Arissa complained. How could Dad possibly go to a gathering with his grandchildren and only bring Tim? He would surely bring everyone else with him! The more I think about it, the more something feels off.
She stared at the man calmly, wondering if there was any truth to the matter.
Benjamin gently laid her back on the bed and sat by her side. Seeing her anxiously glaring at him, he let out a sigh.
Just like that, he decided to tell the truth. “You're right.”
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