The Ex and Her Riches
Chapter 664

Chapter 664

The men waited awkwardly outside the door for nearly an hour before Cedrick finally emerged,descending the stairs at a leisurely pace. He exuded confidence with every step he took.

All eyes observed him curiously as if he were a rare treasure.

He nonchalantly adjusted the cuffs of his shirt, exuding a sense of regality and dignity. Every movementhe made radiated an extraordinary air of refinement.

Jasper and the others from the Federal Bureau of Investigation stifled their chuckles. Cedrick was trulya sight to behold.

Married men are just a different breed. They’re just so self-assured!

Cedrick stopped by the front door and glanced at Channing who stood by the entrance. “Take goodcare of my wife. Make sure she eats well and sleeps well. If even a single strand of her hair is harmed,I’ll make sure both you and your wife will face the consequences.”

Channing’s breath hitched as he quietly cursed Cedrick’s notorious reputation for being ruthless. Therumors are indeed true. He just intensified the gravity of Gwendolyn’s threat tenfold.

Just the hostility in Cedrick’s eyes was enough to send a shiver down Channing’s spine. It was evidentthat Cedrick was serious about his threat.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Jenson. I assure you that I will never let any harm befall Mrs. Jenson, even if it meansputting myself at risk,” Channing assured with determination.

Satisfied, Cedrick averted his gaze and silently led the remaining six members of the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, including Jasper and the trained canine, out of the forest.

As soon as the men were out of sight, Channing immediately released the news of Gwendolyn’skidnapping and declared his intention to kidnap Cedrick’s son as well in an attempt to take revenge onCedrick’s entire family.

The news ignited a wave of excitement among the top players in the underworld. They were all thrilledby the development.

The underworld viewed their relationship with the Federal Bureau of Investigation like that of a predatorand its prey.

Channing, a small fry, was bold enough to go against Cedrick, the long-time leader of the FederalBureau of Investigation, the biggest shark in the sea. Even if Channing were to fail, it was still anadmirable effort.

However, while the entire underworld was buzzing with excitement over the news, the central figure ofthe story, Channing, arranged for housemaids and five-star chefs who were bound by strictconfidentiality agreements, to serve them in the villa.

As Gwendolyn had been taken to the villa against her will, she had not brought any spare clothes orpersonal belongings. To accommodate her, Channing had no choice but to arrange ten sets of designerdresses and comfortable loungewear for her. He also prepared a set of skincare products, including acleanser, toner, and moisturizer, ensuring she had what she needed for her personal care.

The collaboration with Cedrick had only just begun, and he had already spent over five hundredthousand.

Channing glanced at his account statement and sighed to himself, shaking his head. Looks like I’ve gotmyself involved with someone I shouldn’t have.

Gwendolyn held a special place in Cedrick’s heart. If Channing took good care of her, it would beexpected and considered part of his job. There would be no special recognition or appreciation for it.However, if he failed in his responsibilities, he would face serious consequences.

Hence, he didn’t really have a choice.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation closely monitored the developments in the powdered milk case.Whenever Cedrick identified a suspect, he would promptly inform Channing, who would discreetlygather information and deploy undercover police officers disguised as bodyguards to conduct acomprehensive investigation.

That very afternoon, Cedrick identified a major figure who was involved in black market business. Hepassed over the information to Channing.

However, negotiating and arranging a meeting would take some time.

Cedrick did not return to Harrick Villa that night. He felt an emptiness in his heart without his wife by hisside.

Zendaya had Zoey, Nico, and Summer watching over her. Moreover, the security of the Jensonresidence was at its highest, so there was nothing for him to worry about in that regard.

However, at the hospital, Charles was the only one watching over Benedict. Cedrick felt the need tohead there to assist Charles.

After leaving the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Cedrick drove straight to Grand Valley Hospital andheaded directly to the pediatric ward.

Benedict’s room had been tidied up. The director of the hospital had asked to meet Cedrick multipletimes and apologize in person, but Cedrick declined each time.

When he heard footsteps approaching the hospital room, Charles, who was sitting by the baby’s bed,immediately snapped his eyes to the door. He was on high alert.

Seeing that it was Cedrick, Charles stood up and asked impatiently, “How is Gwen? Why did you comealone? Did you not bring Gwen back with you?”

Cedrick chose not to delve into the details and instead delivered a concise update, stating, “There wasa slight mishap. She is still in the custody of the kidnappers, but rest assured, she is safe.”

Charles, in his ignorance of the situation, was outraged. His blue eyes bored into Cedrick with disbelief.

“Cedrick, as her husband, you are responsible for keeping her safe. Even if it costs you your life, youshould have rescued her and brought her back. What’s the matter with you? How could you come backalone?”

Cedrick’s expression remained aloof and distant. “As you’ve said, she’s my wife. Stay out of ourbusiness.”

Charles could not contain his anger any longer. He grabbed Cedrick by the collar and roughly pinnedhim against the wall.

“If you can’t save her, then I will. If you can’t love her wholeheartedly, then I’ll take her back from you.”

The look in Cedrick’s eyes was nonchalant as he sneered and mocked, “Over my dead body. If I’munable to rescue her, what makes you think you’ll be able to do it?”

Charles fell silent, unable to come up with a retort.

Cedrick held a superior position to Charles in terms of status, influence, power, and wealth in Chanaea.Charles could not be compared to Cedrick in any way.

Cedrick even had the strength of the entire Federal Bureau of Investigation backing him. Charles, onthe other hand, had nothing but his unconditional love for Gwendolyn.

He loosened his grip on Cedrick’s collar and slumped down wearily on the chair beside Benedict’s crib.

Cedrick leaned against the wall, his gaze unwavering as he confronted Charles. “I had thought that youwere willing to become Benny and Zendy’s godfather because you had moved on from your feelings forGwenny. But it seems that is not the case. Do you desire to be my love rival rather than my friend? Ifthat’s the case, I’ll grant your wish.”

Love rival? If we were to become rivals, I’m afraid Cedrick wouldn’t allow me to step foot in JensonGroup or Harrick Villa to visit the kids anymore. He would be constantly wary of me.

Charles softened his tone and said, “No, no, I just got anxious when I heard that Gwen was in danger. Imisspoke. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Cedrick said nothing. He calmly walked over, took another chair, and sat down on the other side ofBenedict’s crib, facing Charles.

With both his birth father and godfather guarding him, little Benedict, who was only a few months old,could not yet understand how lucky he was.

However, the strong sense of security provided by the two men enabled Benedict to sleep soundly.

Not wanting to wake his godson, Charles lowered his voice and continued, “I don’t want to lie to you. Ihave loved Gwen for more than ten years, and my feelings for her can’t be easily extinguished.”

Cedrick lowered his gaze. His jet-black eyes were fixed on his wristwatch. He appeared calm anddistant, and his emotions were carefully hidden.

In the silence of the night, Charles spoke candidly, “While I cannot erase my feelings for her, I knowthat I don’t stand a chance. She loves you, and there’s no place for me in her heart. All I want is just tobe there for her whenever she needs me. I may have said that I wanted to fight with you for heraffection, but deep down, I know it’s a futile effort. I can’t help my feelings, but I would never doanything to hurt Gwen or the two children. You can trust me on that.”

Cedrick remained quiet for a moment. Then, he scoffed and said, “Well, it seems you’ve finally come toyour senses.”

“I had to try and fail before I could understand.”

Cedrick smiled, his expression softening.

Charles was now a much more decent man compared to his past self, who was scheming, obsessive,and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Cedrick liked this version of him better, appreciatinghis new-found honesty.

“I hope you mean what you said tonight. Since we’re now friends and you’ve become the godfather toBenny and Zendy, don’t betray my trust. If you try to deceive me…”

Cedrick let his sentence trail off. He casually toyed with his watch, but his unspoken threat was clearand much scarier than any words that he could have said.

Charles acquiesced with a nod. Then, he mused speculatively, “Gwen is a skilled fighter, so if she waskidnapped, it must be because the kidnapper outnumbered her or she willingly allowed herself to betaken. You started investigating this matter in the morning and returned so calmly in the evening. Thatmeans, she must have let herself be taken, right?”

Cedrick raised his dark eyes to meet Charles’. “Since you’ve figured it out, you should know that I hadno choice but to go along with her plans.”

“I’ve only analyzed the situation after I’ve calmed down and realized how composed you’ve been.”

Cedrick decided to let Charles in on the plan since he had already guessed the first half.

Charles listened attentively. The thought of how he had lost his cool earlier embarrassed him greatly.

“So, it seems the children will continue to be in danger until the culprits behind the milk powder caseare caught. You and Gwen just focus on catching the bad guys. Don’t worry about Benny; I’ll keep aneye on him.”