Chapter 791


    Only then did Cedrick spare a few nces at the steamed buns in Nico’s hands.


    She was so angry just a while ago. Did she really allow Nico to sneak me some food?


    “What was her reaction when you took the buns?”


    Nico pondered for a moment before replying, “Well, she didn’t react in any particr way. I grabbed two


    steamed buns when they hadn’t started eating yet. Cedrick, please have some. You still need the


    energy to get your wife back.”


    Cedrick finally epted the buns, realizing that now was not a good time for him to be mad at


    Gwendolyn.


    As Cedrick was having breakfast, Nico walked over to the stream and ran his fingers through the clear


    water. Breathing in the fresh air of the forest, he asked, “Cedrick, what’s your n now? When are we


    bringing Gwendolyn back with us?”


    Sitting on the rock like a king on his throne, Cedrick lowered his gaze and contemted for a while. He


    thought of the note given to him by Joe, which contained clues provided by Joe, guiding him to


    investigate Charles’ whereabouts.


    Joe clearly knew where Gwendolyn was, and he had deliberately lured Cedrick to where she was.


    If Cedrick’s guesses were correct, Joe should make his move within the next two days.


    Cedrick issued a firmmand, “Prepare ten helicopters, assemble a special forces team, and ensure


    all firearms are ready. Inform Swain to establish a hiding spot in the nearby mountains and encircle this


    area. Also, conduct a thorough check for any other individuals hiding in the vicinity. If anyone attempts


    to sneak up the mountain, do not alert them. Allow them to pass unnoticed. Gwendolyn’s safety is the


    utmost priority for all personnel when the situation demands.”


    Nico nodded. “Understood.”


    Having arranged all that, Cedrick was ready to return to the cottage.


    Knowing how much Gwendolyn disliked the smell of smoke on him, he asked Nico, “Sniff me. Do I still


    smell of smoke?”


    Nico leaned closer and sniffed the cor of his shirt. “I’m not that sensitive to smoke, so I’m not sure,


    but I think the smell is gone.”


    Cedrick frowned in annoyance when Nico got too close for his liking. Lifting his hand, he pped the


    latter’s head away.


    “Stay away.”


    Wincing in pain, Nico rubbed his forehead. “Should I ask Swain to bring us some spare clothes? Who


    knows how many days we will be staying here? We should have some change of clothes.”


    “That works.” Cedrick agreed with the n. He sat back down on the rock, thinking of returningter so


    that Gwendolyn wouldn’t smell the smoke on him and give him another scolding.


    Cedrick and Nico returned to the courtyard just before lunchtime.


    Cedrick donned a crisp white shirt paired with a dark gray coat, which entuated his imposing and


    dominant presence as he walked.


    On the other hand, Nico looked gant and heroic in his camouge jacket, military boots, and pants,


    which added to hismanding aura.


    As they strolled along the country path, their striking appearances resembled that of magazine cover


    models.


    However, there was no sign of Gwendolyn in the house by the time they returned. Megan was the only


    one there.


    They found out from Megan that Gwendolyn had gone to the field to pluck vegetables with Charles.


    Cedrick’s expression darkened considerably as he quickly headed to where Gwendolyn was.


    Upon reaching the field, Cedrick saw two figures plucking vegetables from a distance.


    Despite not being very close physically, Gwendolyn and Charles appeared to be engaged in a friendly


    conversation, exchangingughter. The atmosphere around them was harmonious and pleasant.


    Jealousy instantly surged through Cedrick’s veins, and Nico could almost immediately feel the cold and


    chilling aura emanating from him.


    Tactfully, Nico took the initiative to approach Charles and say, “Charles, can youe over for a


    moment? I have something to say to you.”


    Charles paused in his tracks and turned around slowly, sparing Nico and Cedrick a quick nce.


    “Sure, I’lle after I finish plucking the vegetables,” he replied.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Cedrick’s expression grew even darker when he heard that.


    Nico swiftly leaped into the field and pulled Charles away. “It’s urgent. You need toe with me


    immediately. Someone else can handle your work, and you can’t pluck vegetables that don’t belong to


    you!” he said, his words carrying a subtle undertone.


    Charles grimaced in pain as Nico forcefully dragged him away, for thetter’s movements had reignited


    the pain of his injuries all over his body. Weak from the excruciating pain, he could only allow Nico to


    take him away.


    Meanwhile, Gwendolyn paid them no heed. She focused her attention on selecting the well-grown


    vegetables, plucking them, and cing them into the basket.


    Cedrick observed her for a while before treading over to her, his military boots stepping on the soft soil.


    Upon reaching her side, he crouched down beside her to admire her attentive side profile as she


    focused on the task at hand.


    Sensing his piercing gaze on her, she turned to meet his eyes.


    “I see you’ve changed your clothes. This outfit suits you well,” Gwendolyn said gently with a faint smile


    on her face, as if she hadpletely forgotten how she had beaten him up earlier in the day.


    Cedrick didn’t mind what happened in the morning, either. It’s normal to be beaten up by my own wife.


    All is well as long as she doesn’t hate me.


    “You have been observing me, haven’t you?”


    Gwendolynughed. “You think too much of yourself. I have to be blind to not notice that you’re


    wearing apletely different color.”


    Cedrick was speechless. Is it really that hard for her to admit she’s been paying attention to me?


    However, he was not discouraged. As he helped Gwendolyn pluck one of the vegetables she had set


    her sights on and put it into her basket, he asked, “Gwenny, do you remember when I said that I have


    our marriage certificatest night?”


    “Yes.”


    He continued, “The marriage certificate is safely stored in a drawer at home, and I possess the only


    key. It’s tucked away in an inconspicuous spot alongside other essential documents I can’t entrust to


    others. Unfortunately, I cannot retrieve it at the moment. Can you pleasee with me? I will show you


    the proof you want.”


    To his surprise, Gwendolyn snickered. “Why do you guys have the same lines? Charles said exactly


    what you said a few days ago. He insisted that I go with him, and when I refused, he stood in the yard


    all night.”


    Cedrick’s expression froze.


    Gwendolyn sighed, her expression serious as she spoke, “I don’t remember much, and everyone here


    is a stranger to me. If it weren’t for Charles, I wouldn’t even know my name is Gwendolyn Harris.


    However, that doesn’t mean I’m naive. I don’t have any personal belongings like a phone or


    identification to prove who I am, and being in this remote mountainous area, I wonder how you


    managed to find me. Who revealed my location to you?”


    She emphasized thest sentence, hinting at something.


    Cedrick’s eyebrows furrowed as he suddenly grasped the implication of her words. It dawned on him


    that she was suspecting that someone had been secretly monitoring her and leaking her whereabouts.


    “I’ll look into this matter. This ce is too dangerous, surrounded by woods, making it an easy spot for


    criminals to hide. I’m genuinely concerned about your safety, and my priority is to get you out of here


    first.”


    Only when he knew for sure that she was safe could he have the capacity to deal with Joe’s mischiefs.


    Gwendolyn shook her head firmly. “I’m not leaving, and if I have to, I’ll take Megan with me. She must


    —”


    Bang!


    Before she could finish her sentence, a deafening gunshot that came from a sniper rifle suddenly


    echoed through the field.


    “Watch out!”


    Cedrick reacted swiftly, pulling Gwendolyn into his arms and rolling across the field with her.


    The bullet grazed his arm, ripping through his gray coat and drawing a trickle of blood.


    Gwendolyn stared at his arm, her pupils constricting. “You’re injured.”


    Under such an emergency situation, she didn’t show any signs of embarrassment being in close


    proximity to an absolute stranger. Instead, she stared at the blood on Cedrick’s arm.


    Cedrick was focusing his attention entirely on searching for the shooter, so he did not notice the


    change in her expression. Unfazed, he smiled nonchntly and replied, “It’s just a scratch. It’s nothing


    serious.”


    There weren’t any suitable ces for them to hide in the vegetable field.


    Luckily, there was a wheat field in front of the vegetable field which shielded them as theyy t on


    their bellies.


    The bullet was fired across the wheat field. Having sensed something amiss in advance, Cedrick was


    able to dodge in time and avoid being shot in his vital spot.


    Shielding Gwendolyn with his own body, he could almost hear her thumping heartbeat.


    However, Cedrick couldn’t be bothered to relish the moment under such circumstances. He quickly


    took his phone out from his pocket and called Nico.


    “There’s a sniper in the mountains, firing from the two o’clock direction in the wheat field, approximately


    three hundred meters away in the forest. It appears there’s a potential hiding spot. Investigate it right


    away.”