CHAPTER 800

“My men found two batches of gold bars under the floor tiles in the room. Where did they come from?”

Megan stiffened, never expecting her well-hidden belongings to be discovered so easily. She had only been away for an afternoon, and yet Cedrick managed to uncover them.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and opted to stay silent.

Cedrick added, “Megan, don’t even think about trying to fool me. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has thoroughly inspected every inch of your property. I’ll find what I’m looking for even if I have to dig to the depths of the earth.”

Upon hearing that, Megan grew even more terrified.

“T-These are all assets earned by my husband and children throughout the years, and they asked me to hold onto it. It’s all legitimate earnings, so I don’t think I broke any law. Is that against the law?” she stammered in her defense.

Cedrick shook his head in response.

Just as Megan was about to let out a sigh of relief, he added, “Well, whether you broke any law or not is still to be determined. If the money was earned through legitimate means, then it’s not illegal. However, if you acquired such a large sum through illicit means, that would be a different story. Given the significant amount involved, imprisonment is almost certain.”

Megan waved her hands frantically. “I haven’t done anything wrong, so please don’t arrest me. I’m just an ordinary woman from a rural village. Please spare me, Mr. Jenson.”

Cedrick sighed in frustration, his patience worn thin by her elusive responses.

Getting to his feet, he walked over to the table and poured himself a cup of hot water. After drinking about half of it, he set the cup down before uttering in an indifferent tone, “Your son has been dead for a long time. He never had the chance to grow up, let alone go to the city for work. Moreover, you and your husband had a strained relationship, and he’s been absent from your life for years. You’ve done nothing but lied to us these past few days. Your usual earnings from selling vegetables and eggs could barely sustain your livelihood, so it’s hard for us not to suspect you when you suddenly have such a significant amount of gold bars.”

As he spoke, he picked up the cup, refilled it, and politely handed it back to Megan.

The latter couldn’t bring herself to take the cup as she was overwhelmed by fear.

Cedrick didn’t push her any further, and when he saw that she was unwilling to take the cup, he simply placed it back on the table.

“I don’t mind taking my time to get the truth out of you. When you’re ready to be honest, you can leave. I just hope that the chickens in your backyard won’t starve during your one-month absence.” He chuckled softly, straightened the cuffs of his coat, and turned to leave.

Megan’s voice trembled with fear as she called out to him, “Mr. Jenson, please don’t do this… I-I can’t tell you the truth because if I do, they’ll kill me. They are ruthless and armed with guns. They won’t hesitate to take my life.”

As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes, and she couldn’t hold back her sobs. “I have an unhappy marriage, and my son never had the chance to grow up. Although my life is dull and dreary, I still don’t want to die. After all, there’s always hope in living, right?”

She continued, “I had hoped that after sending Gwendolyn away, I could take those gold bars to the city’s bank to exchange them for cash and then buy a small two-story villa in the countryside. All I want is to live the rest of my life in seclusion with the remaining money. I never wanted to get involved in the

Federal Bureau of Investigation’s case. Can’t you just let me go? Please, stop pressuring me… I don’t know anything…”

She buried her face in her hands, her sobs echoing in the room. It was obvious that the immense psychological pressure she was under was pushing her mind to the brink of collapse.

Cedrick halted by the door and turned back to face her. He scrutinized her for a moment before saying, “You’ve already been apprehended by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The fugitive who gave you the gold bars undoubtedly knows this. Do you honestly believe that by remaining silent, you’ll be able to stay alive once I set you free?”

If I were to let her go now, death would be the only thing that awaits her. After all, she’s a vulnerable woman living alone in the desolate mountains. If she were to be killed in her home and buried, it’s likely that no one would ever know.

Megan shuddered at the realization, and her sobs grew even more heart-wrenching as she grasped the gravity of her situation.

I don’t want to die… I really don’t want to die!

Cedrick returned to his seat and softened his tone, saying, “Please tell me the truth. I’m the only one who can ensure your safety and well-being. You saved Gwenny, and for that, I’m grateful. I won’t do anything to harm you, so please, trust me.”

Megan stopped crying and slowly raised her head, meeting his gaze.

As the night deepened, Cedrick made his way to the laboratory in the darkness. : text © owner.

Although it had only been a few hours since he left, he was aware of how lively his two little ones were. He reckoned that they would likely be too excited to sleep that night after not seeing their mother for

such a long time.

I don’t mind if they end up jumping and playing around the laboratory’s ward as long as they don’t tire out my wife.

Filled with genuine concern, Cedrick quickened his pace as he walked along the laboratory corridor.

Just as he was about to turn the next corner and enter the ward, he suddenly caught a shadow running past his field of view.

The other party’s movement was incredibly fast, making it clear that they were skilled.

“Who’s there?” Cedrick asked.

There should only be a couple of frail-looking doctors on duty in the laboratory at this time. Besides, even if it were the law enforcement personnel, I doubt they would be sprinting around during patrol duty.

The only response he received was the sound of a strong gust of wind.

Cedrick hastened his steps, chasing after the figure until he reached the end of the corridor. There, underneath the windowsill, a banana tree cast its shadows upon the white walls of the passage, its leaves swaying occasionally as the streetlights flickered.

Hmm… There’s no one around, not even a single cat in sight.

Perplexed, Cedrick checked the windowsill again.

Could it be that I was just seeing things? The laboratory is a crucial location for military pharmaceuticals in Salinsburgh, after all. During the night, the security personnel will conduct meticulous inspections both inside and outside, checking every corner of the premises. Even if a

butterfly were to fly in, the surveillance cameras would capture it clearly, so I doubt a suspicious person would be able to bypass that… Perhaps my eyes did play a trick on me… There’s a chance that my recent lack of sleep and constant busyness during the day is affecting me physically.

With that thought in mind, Cedrick decided to stop dwelling on the matter and turned around to head back to the ward.

With that thought in mind, Cedrick decided to stop dwelling on the matter and turned around to head back to the ward.

Little did he know that as he was leaving, a masked man was quietly slipping away from another direction. It wasn’t until the man had completely left that the red light on the surveillance camera started blinking again, resuming its normal operation.

Ignoring the little incident in the hallway, Cedrick quietly opened the door to the ward.

The room was dimly lit with no lights on, and the only source of light was the faint moonlight seeping in through the window that offered a vague sense of direction.

Cedrick trod lightly and settled himself by the bedside. Taking in the serene and rhythmic breathing of the two little ones, he could tell they were fast asleep.

As his eyes gradually adapted to the dim light, he could now clearly make out the three figures on the bed—an adult and two children.

Gwendolyn was sleeping by the window, lying on her side with one hand gently resting on the kids’ bodies, protecting and embracing them. Even in her sleep, she was determined to guard her children, afraid that one of them might accidentally roll off the hospital bed and get hurt.

Cedrick tenderly caressed Benedict, who was the one closest to him, and felt the softness of the boy’s fluffy short hair, which had a soothing effect on his heart, filling it with warmth.

There, in that small bed, lay the three people he cherished the most in his entire life. As he watched them, he swore to himself that he would protect them with all his might, even if it meant risking his own life.

In the late hours of the night, as he listened to the soft and steady breaths coming from the bed, Cedrick began to feel a gentle wave of drowsiness washing over him.

He quietly fetched a chair and placed it by the bed before positioning himself in a way that would prevent Benedict from rolling off the bed. Resting his arms on the edge of the bed, he soon dozed off while sitting there.

The night went by peacefully, and he slept until morning arrived.

When Cedrick woke up, he noticed that a white women’s coat was draped over his shoulders. However, both Benedict and Zendaya were not in the hospital bed, and Gwendolyn was nowhere to be found.

The room was quiet, with him being the only occupant in the entire ward.

A sense of unease washed over him, and he hurriedly got up to leave the room in search of his wife and children.

Unbeknownst to him, his legs had become numb after sleeping by the bedside all night.

As he tried to get up, he felt a sharp, needle-like pain shooting through his legs. Although his right knee did end up hitting the floor, he was able to save himself from an embarrassing fall by steadying himself with one hand.

Just then, the door to the ward was pushed open, and Gwendolyn walked in with a breakfast tray in her hands. When she saw the scene before her, she couldn’t help but shake her head with a helpless smile and playfully teased, “Wow, I didn’t think I’d get to receive such a grand gesture from the mighty Mr. Jenson this early in the morning. That being said, it’s a bit too much. There’s no need to be so formal with me, you know?”

Cedrick was rendered speechless.