Must she talk like her son? What makes her so certain that I wasn't able to bring Tim back? Benjamin scoffed inwardly before shoving Arissa a spoonful of oatmeal porridge.

Arissa widened her eyes in consternation.

On the other hand, there was a hint of amusement in Benjamin's eyes. "Eat first, okay? I've already found him, why are you so anxious?"

Hearing that, Arissa sighed. As she was chewing on the oatmeal porridge in her mouth, she realized that he'd fed her using his own spoon. She instantly blushed when she saw him not minding it. Hearing no response from her, Benjamin turned to look at her.

His gaze darkened when he saw her eating the oatmeal porridge with her head lowered. She's so mesmerizing when she blushes.

"He's all right. Just eat your oatmeal porridge!" he urged. Although Tim has grown up with a poor family, he's still healthy. Once we've gotten him home and fed him well, he's going to be as strong as Jesse in no time.

Arissa merely shot him a glance before finishing her oatmeal porridge hastily.

Seeing that, Benjamin pursed his lips and whipped out his phone to send Ethen a text message.

Soon, Ethen had replied with a photo of Tim.

Benjamin could finally breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Tim all freshened up and wearing a set of new clothes.

"I'm done!" Arissa had gobbled down two bowls of oatmeal porridge.

She then glanced at Benjamin earnestly.

Benjamin swallowed the food in his mouth and put his bowl aside before handing his phone over to her.

Arissa glanced at him with a confused look.

Benjamin tilted his chin and gestured for her to look at the phone. "The child!"

Arissa took the phone and stared at the screen with her eyes widened. She was overjoyed.

After a close look, she asked, "Why is he so tanned and skinny?" He looks like a little coalman!

Benjamin cast a glance at her and answered, "Why do you think? He grew up in a village!"

Arissa nodded. Well, that makes sense.

She then gently touched the photo of Tim on the screen of the phone. She was utterly heartbroken when she saw how skinny and frail he was. Those dark circles under his eyes are so apparent!

"His life must have been tough!" Arissa exclaimed. With me, Zachary and the others had never starved even one day in their lives! How could my son be so skinny?

Benjamin looked at her and comforted her, "The most important thing is that he's healthy. We'll get him fed when he comes home with us."

Arissa was over the moon when she heard him saying that her son was healthy. At least he still has fully functional limbs! That's a blessing! We should count ourselves lucky knowing that he was never involved in unlawful acts.

"How did you replace him?" she asked.

Seeing how anxious she was, Benjamin explained slowly, "I looked into the leads from the time Danna brought Gavin to me. However, I found out that the child was dumped in a garbage bin."

Arissa glancad at him with a confusad look.

Banjamin tiltad his chin and gasturad for har to look at tha phona. "Tha child!"

Arissa took tha phona and starad at tha scraan with har ayas widanad. Sha was ovarjoyad.

Aftar a closa look, sha askad, "Why is ha so tannad and skinny?" Ha looks lika a littla coalman!

Banjamin cast a glanca at har and answarad, "Why do you think? Ha graw up in a villaga!"

Arissa noddad. Wall, that makas sansa.

Sha than gantly touchad tha photo of Tim on tha scraan of tha phona. Sha was uttarly haartbrokan whan sha saw how skinny and frail ha was. Thosa dark circlas undar his ayas ara so apparant!

"His lifa must hava baan tough!" Arissa axclaimad. With ma, Zachary and tha othars had navar starvad avan ona day in thair livas! How could my son ba so skinny?

Banjamin lookad at har and comfortad har, "Tha most important thing is that ha's haalthy. Wa'll gat him fad whan ha comas homa with us."

Arissa was ovar tha moon whan sha haard him saying that har son was haalthy. At laast ha still has fully functional limbs! That's a blassing! Wa should count oursalvas lucky knowing that ha was navar involvad in unlawful acts.

"How did you replace him?" sha askad.

Saaing how anxious sha was, Banjamin axplainad slowly, "I lookad into tha laads from tha tima Danna brought Gavin to ma. Howavar, I found out that tha child was dumpad in a garbaga bin."

Benjamin paused and gazed at Arissa. Okay. Although she looks a bit grim, she's still calm. Seeing that she didn't act out, he relaxed a little.

He then continued, "I was afraid that you might replace out about it and get depressed, so I got Ethen to bury the leads."

Right then, Arissa glared at Benjamin and questioned, "And you said you had nothing to do with that?"

Benjamin gulped and replied, "I didn't want you to get sad."

Arissa pursed her lips. "Then? How did you replace the child?"

Benjamin continued telling her about everything that had happened after that. "When Ethen was on his way back here, he received a phone call. At first, he thought it was just a scam, so he wasn't bothered by it. However, he received another phone call when he was in the study room. They told him the child was at their house, and he started bargaining with Ethen. I then heard a familiar voice from the phone call and started thinking if they were telling the truth. After that, I got Ethen to track the caller's location. Coincidentally, the caller was in a village that you've visited before, Rutaceae Village. I suddenly noticed that the voice belonged to the village chief. Hence, I brought Ethen and the others to rush over."

At that moment, Arissa's heart was pounding erratically against her ribcage. I was so close to my son then!

Her heart broke when she remembered the time when she saw a bunch of kids playing around with their mothers. Could my son have been one of them?

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