CHAPTER 786

Except for him, Charles, Nico, and Megan were all looking at Gwendolyn, waiting for her to make a decision.

Staring at the beans in her hands, Gwendolyn cast her gaze downward instead of replying immediately.

Megan smiled. “Both of them are so handsome. It’s indeed hard to choose. If I were you, I’d choose both of them.”

Although she intended to ease the tense atmosphere, none of the three men laughed along with her.

It was merely a lighthearted joke, yet they seemed to treat this matter with utmost importance.

Awkwardly, Megan stopped smiling and fell silent.

Faced with their stares, Gwendolyn maintained her composure, but a slight pout of unhappiness was evident on her lips. “I won’t choose any of them. I don’t know him, so why should I choose him to be my husband?”

Cedrick’s heart ached, as if a dagger had just pierced it. He gulped, feeling a bitter taste rising in his throat.

He was in so much pain that he felt the urge to tear up. Lowering his gaze, he struggled to suppress his rising emotions.

Nico’s expression was grim, too. He stood quietly beside Cedrick and felt sorry when he saw how pale his employer looked.

Charles’ expression was just as gloomy as the other two men.

His guess was correct. Gwendolyn, after losing her memories, would not choose Cedrick.

However, he wasn’t at all happy. After everything he did for the past few days, Gwendolyn had grown familiar with him and was willing to trust him. Yet, when it came to choosing between Charles and Cedrick, who seemed like a stranger to her, she still did not choose Charles.

The three men stood in the courtyard, stiff as statues.

Megan couldn’t stand the rigid atmosphere and brought out a few stools for them to sit on.

She then turned to Charles and inquired, “Do your guests want to stay for dinner? It’s getting late, and the nights can be quite dark in the mountains. They might need to stay overnight, but…”

Pausing mid-sentence and hesitating for a while, she continued in a troubled tone, “We only have two beds and a wooden couch at home. I’m afraid we can’t fit everyone.”

Remembering the officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation still waiting at the top of the mountain, Charles replied promptly, “It’s fine, Megan. They don’t need to—”

Before Charles could finish his sentence, Cedrick interrupted him hoarsely, “It’s okay. Nico and I can sleep on the floor. We just need two blankets. It’s dark now, so it’s not safe to leave the mountains. Thank you for your hospitality, Megan.”

Though he was trying hard to keep his emotions in check and his frighteningly pale face was concealed by the dim light, his hoarse voice was evidence that he was on the verge of tears.

Gwendolyn paused in her tracks, unable to resist stealing glances at him a few more times.

Megan was the only one who remained completely oblivious to Cedrick’s emotions. She was preoccupied with inspecting Cedrick’s and Nico’s uniforms.

Military uniforms! They obviously have a powerful background. In addition to the unique aura they’re exuding, they must be either from a wealthy or noble family.

“It’s no trouble. I’m just afraid that both of you might be uncomfortable sleeping on the floor.”

Smiling, Nico replied on behalf of Cedrick, “Not at all. The air here is fresh and the scenery is gorgeous. It’s our honor to be able to stay here for a night.”

Sleeping on the floor meant nothing to them. They had experienced much worse during their missions at the border, where they had to sleep on the muddy ground without moving a muscle for twelve hours. They endured that torture without complaint.

Megan laughed along with him, and the atmosphere immediately lightened up.

The joyful atmosphere didn’t extend to everyone. Cedrick’s attention was still fixed on Gwendolyn, who seemed completely unaffected by his distress.

Does she really… not remember me anymore? How did things end up like this?

His gaze fell from Gwendolyn’s face to her slender fingertips. : text © owner.

That familiar ring was still on her left ring finger.

A faint glimmer of hope lit up his eyes as he approached Gwendolyn and squatted down next to her, asking in a trembling voice, “Do you really… not remember me?”

Gwendolyn remained silent before meeting his gaze for a second. She then looked away and calmly corrected him, “I don’t recognize you.”

Cedrick’s heart clenched once again as he continued to ask, “Then what about the ring on your left hand? You’re married. Don’t you remember who your husband is?”

Gwendolyn looked at her left hand, stroking the smooth surface of the ring. With her gaze still cast downward, she shook her head.

“I’ve forgotten many things, including how I got this ring. But it seems like I’ve been wearing it for such a long time that I can’t take it off. Maybe… I have a husband. He probably treats me very well too and never lets me do any household chores. That’s why my hands are so fair and clean. I probably love him a lot as well because I keep wearing this ring,” Gwendolyn said with a mixture of uncertainty and introspection.

Charles listened quietly on the side, concealing the look of sorrow in his eyes.

Cedrick’s eyelashes fluttered as tears brimmed in his eyes, blurring his vision. However, he stubbornly refused to let his tears fall, his pride keeping them at bay.

His thin lips quivered, and his face became a canvas of regret and self-blame.

At that moment, he seemed to have lost a precious treasure dear to his heart. Even his broad shoulders trembled, making him appear utterly helpless.

“He’s not a good man at all. He failed to protect you and made you suffer so much.”

Gwendolyn rebutted seriously, “It’s not his fault. My husband is definitely the best husband in the world! Besides, I’m not suffering at all. Megan treats me very well.”

Why is she insisting that her husband is the best despite not remembering anything?

For a moment, Cedrick did not know if he should feel sad or fortunate.

He felt a familiar urge, almost habitual, to place his trembling hands on her knees. The yearning to touch and embrace her overwhelmed him.

However, he was afraid that she would think of him as a perverted hooligan and have a bad impression of him.

Withdrawing his hands, Cedrick swallowed his tears and introduced himself earnestly, “Gwenny, my name is Cedrick Jenson and I’m your husband. We’ve been married for five years, seven months, and eleven days. We even have two children, both of whom are five years old. Do you really… not remember anything?”

Charles furrowed his brows as he watched from the side, his expression solemn and nervous at the same time.

Gwendolyn glanced at Charles first before laughing. “What’s up with you guys? Why are all of you claiming to be my husband? I can’t possibly have so many husbands.”

A cold expression immediately settled on Cedrick’s countenance.

Nico was shocked as well before shooting a fierce glare in Charles’ direction.

Charles lowered his head awkwardly. Rising to his feet, he grabbed the basket of beans in front of Gwendolyn. “I’ll help Megan with the cooking. You guys can continue chatting.”

The frostiness in Cedrick’s eyes dissipated, and he couldn’t be bothered to interrogate Charles at that moment. Instead, he raised his head and fixed his gaze on Gwendolyn. “What did he tell you?”

A mischievous grin spread across Gwendolyn’s lips. With a hint of playful complaint in her tone, she proceeded to reveal what Charles did a few days ago.

“Well, he suddenly appeared here four days ago. Just like you, he was teary-eyed and so earnest. When he realized that I don’t recognize him, he claimed to be my husband and wanted me to go back with him. I was reluctant to do so. When I asked him for the marriage certificate, he couldn’t produce it. That’s when I asked Megan to chase him out. However, he refused to leave. He stood in the courtyard the entire night. Megan said he didn’t seem like a bad person, so we allowed him to stay for a few days.”

Nico, who was also listening, got even more agitated than Cedrick himself. The former declared indignantly, “No one would make it obvious that they’re bad people! He’s cunning and malicious, with no good intentions in his heart. He’s taking advantage of you when you don’t remember anything!”

Furious, Nico sprang from his seat and rolled up his sleeves aggressively. Despite looking as though he was about to beat Charles up, he said, “I’ll go to the kitchen and help him wash the vegetables!”

His tone was filled with ferocity, as if he was primed for a confrontation.

Gwendolyn did not stop him.

Fearing that things might spiral out of control, Megan immediately got up as well. “I should go and cook. You two go ahead and talk.”

Gwendolyn quickly held Megan back, making the latter sit back down. “Let them cook tonight, Megan. Stay with me.”

“But it’s not appropriate to have our guests cook.”

“They don’t consider themselves as guests, so just leave them be.” Gwendolyn leaned closer to Megan’s ear and whispered, “Here’s another one claiming to be my husband. Can you help me assess him?”

Cedrick was at a loss for words. He wasn’t deaf, after all, and at such a close distance, he could hear everything clearly. There was no need for them to act all mysterious.