Chapter 774


    After jotting down the two series of numbers, Cedrick kept the repaired phone and ced a bank card


    on the table.


    “This is yourpensation. You know the rules; keep this matter to yourself.”


    He sounded so icy that there was not a hint of emotion in his voice.


    Owen nodded anxiously. “Don’t worry, Mr. Jenson. I understand.”


    After retrieving the phone, Cedrick made his way back to the Federal Bureau of Investigation swiftly.


    It had been over twenty hours since Gwendolyn went missing.


    As Harris Group needed to operate per usual, Cedrick had called its personal assistant, instructing to


    have all schedules and contract-signing events postponed.


    To avoid causing a buzz, he told the Harris family nothing about this incident, instead focusing on


    investigations.


    After running a check on the two unsaved phone numbers, the man learned that they belonged to real


    people and came from a hospital overseas.


    The numbers belonged to a female doctor whom the owner of the phone had contacted.


    While this didn’t seem to help much, Cedrick couldn’t help but feel dubious about the two overseas


    numbers.


    Nico and Swain made progress by noon.


    After going through every road’s surveince footage, they saw that the ck vehicle hadst


    appeared on a market street in a certain small town called Quawak.


    There were little to no surveince cameras in that rural area, so the Federal Bureau of Investigation


    could only secure a vague location of the car.


    Furthermore, there was no footage of the vehicle leaving the town.


    Cedrick used a red marker to circle Quawak on the map, then instructed, “Nico, get Team Four ready to


    come with me to Quawak. Also, tell the reserve police in this area to seal off all of Quawak’s roads by


    today.”


    Nico appeared stumped. “I’ll go instead. Quawak’s pretty far from Salinsburgh, so it’ll take a long time


    to get there ande back. If you were to go there personally, you wouldn’t make it back to theb in


    time to keep Benny and Zendypany. There’s no way I’d be able to handle them by myself.”


    Cedrick had to find his wife while watching over his children.


    After a brief pause, he eventually settled with his prior decision anyway.


    “I’ll go. If I don’t get back in time, help me look after the kids. I’lle back as soon as I can,” he stated


    adamantly, showing no room for resistance.


    Aware that he couldn’t convince the man otherwise, Nico said nothing more and did as told so thetter


    could leave and return sooner.


    It was a hectic day for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


    Neville busied himself with investigations before he could even see to the tragic case of the Cloud


    family’s annihtion.


    Due to what had happened to the Clouds, all the upper-ss households in Salinsburgh were now on


    high alert, worried about being the next possible target.


    The skies remained dark after the rain, making the entire city look gloomy.


    Over ten hourster, Cedrick got into his car.


    His trip had beenpletely futile.


    Despite the whole town having been closed off, the suspect had managed to slip away. The more we


    try to go after them, the more they seem to vanish. We couldn’t even find that ck car fromst night.


    They had failed to make any progress from this nket search, and whatever new intel they had


    received earlier was of no use.


    Cedrick gazed out at the dark sky and turned to his watch. It’ll be past eleven by the time I get back.


    How is Nico handling the kids?


    He cast his worries aside and began to analyze all the results of their investigations from the past two


    days, along with how their target had been eluding them.


    Not even a repeat offender would ever know the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s methods—or


    Cedrick’s, for that matter—so well.


    Yet, this person seemed to understand the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Cedrick like the back of


    his or her hand.


    At this point, Cedrick couldn’t help but remember his oldrade on the run—Joe Landon.


    The suspicions in his heart only grew stronger.


    It was midnight when Cedrick finally arrived back at theboratory.


    His longshes unable to conceal the tiredness in his eyes, the man pushed the door open and heard


    no sounds ofughter.


    Instead, he was met with silence and a dimly lit bedsidemp.


    Nico sat next to the bed, watching over the children while on the verge of dozing off.


    Benedict and Zendayay in bed, seemingly having fallen asleep long ago.


    Cedrick was surprised. “You actually managed to get them to sleep? Unbelievable,” he whispered.


    Nico shook his head in slight embarrassment. “You overestimate me. I really have to give it to them for


    behaving so well tonight, though. Zendy threw such a huge fit at first, but after Benny started acting like


    Gwendolyn and read Zendy a story, the girl actually fell asleep. Then, he went to bed with her without


    me having to talk him into it.”


    Cedrick was taken aback upon hearing that.


    Benny actually took up the role of a parent and helped put Zendy to sleep while I wasn’t around?


    Thanks to the little boy, a sense of relief washed over him after a long day of feeling unsettled.


    “You must be tired, Cedrick. Get some rest in the room next door. I’ll watch over Benny and Zendy,”


    Nico offered.


    Yet, Cedrick walked over slowly, pulled up a chair, and sat at the bedside. “It’s fine. I’ll stay here.


    Summer must be waiting for you at home, so you should go. I don’t want to bother your quiet time with


    your wife.”


    Nico lowered his head in shame at the thought of Summer sitting anxiously on the couch waiting for


    him. “In that case… have a good rest. I’lle back tomorrow morning.”


    Cedrick nodded.


    Suddenly remembering that Zendaya onceined about the breakfast here at the Federal Bureau


    of Investigation, he added, “Have Summer make two sets of breakfast. A child’s portion will do. Don’t


    add any peppers to Zendy’s food.”


    “Sure thing.”


    As soon as Nico left, Cedrick leaned closer to the bed and hovered over the children to kiss their


    foreheads.


    Benedict rubbed his eyes and blinked before clinging to his father’s arm. “You’ve been working so hard,


    Daddy,” he muttered in a half-awake state.


    Cedrick froze for a long while.


    Whenever the family of four slept together, Benedict would never cling to him like this.


    Was the little boy finally leaning on him after not seeing Gwendolyn for two days?


    Cedrick caressed his son’s cheek and smiled bitterly.


    Look at that, Gwenny. The boy’s finally growing close to me. If you don’te back soon, I’m going to


    have all his attention, and he’ll never cling to you again.


    When Gwendolyn was abducted during the milk powder incident, she had specifically left him a trail.


    This time, however, she had provided him with nothing to follow.


    It’s been two days since she went missing, but we haven’t heard anything yet. Where on earth could


    she be?


    Owned by N?velDrama.Org.


    His eyes were tired and heart aching, Cedrick suppressed his anguish and pressed his forehead


    against Benedict’s. Then, while remaining seated on the chair, he sprawled his upper body over the


    bed and went to sleep.


    The Federal Bureau of Investigation spent three whole days scouring the entire city of Salinsburgh.


    Yet, every time they received a new update and rushed over, the enemy always seemed to be one step


    ahead.


    Cedrick’s belief that Joe was behind this grew with each passing day.


    He was on the verge of losing his sanity by Day Five. At his wits’ end, he decided to dial one of the


    unknown phone numbers using his own device.


    Someone finally picked up at the tenth ring.


    Yet, while the papers showed that the number belonged to a woman, a man with a deep voice


    answered the call.