You More Than Anything In The World

Benjamin gently tugged her hand over and placed it on his chest, looking at her earnestly. He asked, "Tell me, how will you make it up to me?"

Arissa was at her wits' end. "Isn't giving you six children enough?"

Benjamin raised an eyebrow, his hand resting on her belly. "It's seven!"

Arissa smiled, giving him a sideways glance. "As long as you're aware."

"Honey, the pregnancy has been hard on you. Does it make you feel restricted?"

Benjamin felt deeply sympathetic toward her. During her first pregnancy, she had to endure the hardship of carrying six children. Despite such a challenging situation, she managed to safely give birth to all of them. It was no easy feat.

This time, he is determined to stay by her side and protect her well.

"Of course, I feel restricted. Being a mother is never easy for anyone."

Suddenly, Arissa fell silent, a trace of sorrow flashing across her face. Even though it disappeared quickly, Benjamin still noticed it.

"What's wrong?" Benjamin asked, his voice laced with worry and a hint of anxiety. He was concerned that she might have been feeling unwell.

A warm feeling spread through Arissa's heart, and she smiled. "Don't worry! You're too tense. I was just thinking of something!"

"What's the matter?" Benjamin asked, curious about what she was thinking.

Arissa glanced at him, chuckled, then turned her attention back to the surveillance feed. "How much weight are they carrying?"

In the surveillance footage, both Bradley and Shaun were panting heavily, barely able to lift their feet. Arissa knew about Bradley's physical fitness, but she didn't expect him to be panting like this. The weights had to be very heavy.

Jack seemed to be the most at ease while running, showing no signs of strain at all. Next was Ethan, but he appeared a bit out of breath.

Benjamin shifted his gaze from her face, glanced at the surveillance video, and uttered, "One hundred and ten pounds!"

Arissa's mouth twitched slightly, showing a hint of sympathy for them. "Do you always punish them so harshly?"

"It depends on the situation," said Benjamin mildly. "This is the lightest punishment I could think of."

Arissa's mouth gaped in astonishment. Isn't he being too harsh?

"What's the heaviest?" asked Arissa, glancing at him curiously.

"I'll have them sent to a deserted island," replied Benjamin while pinching her cheek. "Then I'll have them fed to the sharks."

Arissa looked at him in shock. "That bad?"

"What are you scared of? I'm not going to punish you!"

Benjamin was just teasing her. Under normal circumstances, he was not going to punish anyone so severely. Only if someone betrayed him, committing an unforgivable crime, would they be given to the sharks.

"I'm not scared!" Arissa huffed, taking his hand and playfully fiddling with his slender fingers.

"I just think that they are your friends who work tirelessly by your side. This punishment seems a bit too harsh!"

"Do you think I would punish them arbitrarily?" Benjamin retorted, his gaze firmly locking onto hers.

Arissa met his gaze, looking unwavering and resolute. She then shook her head and said, "No."

With a light chuckle, Benjamin looked at her and responded, "Only those who betray me will face the most severe punishment!"

Arissa understood this. She then thought of Kingsley being thrown into the desert and chuckled gently. "Isn't your punishment for Kingsley a bit harsher than theirs?"

"That guy hasn't been disciplined by me for a long time. He's becoming more and more unruly and even thought about escaping. If I don't punish him severely, he'll never learn!" Benjamin snorted coldly.

Arissa looked at him with a smile. "So, how would you punish the children if they misbehaved?"

The children were merely made to stand in a corner, which, relatively speaking, was the lightest form of punishment.

Benjamin raised an eyebrow, looking at her intently. "Do you want to hear the truth?"

"Of course!" Arissa nodded, waiting for his decision.

Benjamin curved his lips into a smile. "Originally, I didn't intend to punish the children this time!"

"Huh?" Arissa looked at him in surprise, unable to believe it.

This man is usually so strict. Why did he choose to hold off their punishment?

"The kids have just started to warm up to me. If I punish them now, they'll start ignoring me again!" Benjamin then sighed worriedly.