Chapter 400

Standing by the door was Gwendolyn. She wore a gentle smile in spite of the fact that her chest rose and fell continuously—obvious signs she came over in a hurry.

Her sudden appearance stunned Valentino, but he said nothing in response.

David, on the other hand, immediately came to his senses and approached his father, pleading, “Dad, Ms. Harris is involved in this. Why don’t we hear her out? Maybe there’s more to this.”

Gwendolyn’s eyes crinkled in a sweet way, making an expression that many elders would find endearing.

After exchanging glances with her, Valentino agreed to stay.

Meanwhile, Cedrick, who was still kneeling in the middle of the ancestral hall, was uncertain whether he could survive the punishment.

He was focused on preparing himself for the excruciating pain his back would receive, so much so that he did not hear Gwendolyn’s voice at the door.

To his surprise, what fell on him after a long while were the shirt and coat he had removed earlier instead of the vicious whip.

A woman’s slender yet warm fingers could then be seen pulling the clothing tightly over his shoulders and covering his honey-colored muscular body.

Snapping out of his daze, Cedrick looked up and turned around to meet Gwendolyn’s starry gaze that was filled with displeasure.

“Why are you here?”

Swallowing her frustration, she helped him up and questioned, “Were you going to keep me in the dark like what you did in Fairlake if I didn’t show up?”

Cedrick hung his head in guilt, not knowing how to explain his intentions.

He just did not want her to worry.

After all, the issue with the shares would be settled when the beating was over.

Moreover, he did not want to cause her more trouble when she already had enough on her plate as it was.

Although Gwendolyn knew exactly what his thought process was, she could not help but get mad at him. She scolded him softly, “I can give you all the beating you want if you like getting beaten up that much, but no one can lay a finger on you other than me.”

Cedrick merely kept his head hung low in silence.

Annoyed by his lack of response, Gwendolyn pinched his waist hard. “Did you hear what I said?”

A sharp pain spread over his skin, causing him to inhale sharply and furrow his brows. At the same time, he nodded in response.

“Put them on,” urged Gwendolyn. As she massaged the affected area, she threw him a warning look as if to say, “Don’t randomly strip yourself naked. Do you have no shame?”

Their interaction sent a warm feeling into Valentino’s heart. In fact, his tone had become softer when he spoke again.

“Gwendolyn, how do you plan to explain the matter on Ced’s behalf today?”

Smiling politely, Gwendolyn fished out a test result from her bag and said, “I think things will clear up when you see this, Old Mr. Jenson.”

Having already returned the whip to the box, Logan quickly took the paper from Gwendolyn and handed it to Valentino.

After giving Gwendolyn a suspicious look, Valentino put on his reading glasses and pored over the contents. Tears began welling up in his eyes as a look of surprise appeared on his face.

“You’re pregnant? And you have not one, but two babies?”

The excitement in his tone was unmistakable, and he immediately burst into hearty laughter.

All the fury he felt minutes ago vanished the moment he learned about his great-grandchildren’s existence.

Logan joined in, “You’re incredible, Mr. Cedrick! Old Mr. Jenson, you’ll be getting two great-

grandchildren in a few months!”

Chortling, the rest of the elders chimed in, “Congratulations, Old Mr. Jenson! You’re so lucky! Soon, you’ll have four generations living under the same roof.”

David, too, piped up, “Congratulations, Dad! Twins bring great blessings to the family. Why don’t we just forget about what Cedrick did?”

The congratulatory messages put Valentino on cloud nine. Giving Cedrick an approving look, the old man said, “Seeing how you’ve brought our family two children, I’ll—”

“Grandpa!” Xander cut in. He refused to see Cedrick walk out of the ancestral hall unharmed. Worked up over the mere idea of it, the former rose to his feet and said, “Ms. Harris’ pregnancy is definitely something worth celebrating, but that’s a completely different matter. If Cedrick gives her Jenson Group’s shares because she’s pregnant, who knows what he’ll do when the twins are born? Will he give her the entire Jenson residence?”

He then proceeded to warn Valentino, “The shares aren’t given to the children but to Gwendolyn. The Harris residence is her home. There’s no telling if she’ll give them to her family in the future.”

When he finished, the atmosphere in the ancestral hall grew tense once again.

Gwendolyn tensed up when she heard the words “her home.” For some reason, they sounded derogatory.

Cedrick’s Harrick Villa is the only home I have now. What other home do I have?

Noticing the change in her countenance, Cedrick hurriedly placed his arms over her shoulders to give her assurance.

Gwendolyn knew her priorities, and her current priority was to deal with the matter at hand. Putting away her complicated emotions, she turned to Valentino and explained somberly, “Old Mr. Jenson, I’m actually here to talk about the shares. It is true that Ceddy gave them to me. Although he wouldn’t take them back, I have the right to determine their distribution. So, I’m planning to come up with an agreement. All the shares I have in Jenson Group will be distributed equally to my twins once they’re born.”

After all, the twins would bear the Jensons’ surname. By giving them the shares, the shares would still belong to the Jenson family.

Moreover, no one could refute if the shares were given to the youngest descendants of the family as gifts.

Valentino gave her an approving look before turning to chuckle along with Logan. “Gwendolyn’s such a sensible child. Ced’s a lucky kid to be able to marry her.”

An affirmative smile crept upon Logan’s lips. “Exactly. Ms. Harris is truly a reasonable person. She even rushed over because of Mr. Cedrick’s matters. It shows how much she cares for him.”

As the two men shared smiles, the atmosphere in the ancestral hall relaxed.

All of a sudden, the tension in the air brought by the issue was replaced with a jolly ambiance thanks to the news of Gwendolyn’s pregnancy.

Valentino was in such great spirits that he was beaming from ear to ear. He even instructed Logan to prepare two monetary gifts and placed them in Gwendolyn’s hands in front of all the elders, including Xander.

Patting the back of Gwendolyn’s hand with his rough, wrinkly hand, Valentino said sincerely, “You’re blessed with great fortune, Gwendolyn. No matter what difficulties you face in the future, your misfortune will surely turn into a blessing.”

Gwendolyn did not bother refusing the gift out of politeness. She accepted them gratefully, saying, “Thank you, Old Mr. Jenson. I believe the twins are the ones protecting me. I’m sure I’ll make a comeback no matter how difficult things get in the future.”

Her eyes flickered with confidence when she uttered the last few words.

Right then, Cedrick wrapped his arm around her waist and asked cautiously, “Grandpa, do I get one, too? I contributed to the twins’ existence, after all.”

The smile on Valentino’s face was instantly replaced with a stern look as he gently hit his grandson’s leg with the cane. “You’re going to be a father. You’d better start behaving yourself! One more thing.

Gwendolyn is now the Jenson family’s most valuable person. You’ve got to be more tolerant and understanding toward her. I won’t let you off if you bully her.”

Cedrick grinned. “I wouldn’t dare to.”

Shifting his attention to Gwendolyn, Valentino reminded, “Don’t be afraid to teach him a lesson if he upsets you. I’ll always stand by your side.”

The old man’s words sent a fuzzy feeling into her heart. She nodded fervently. “Thank you, Old Mr.

Jenson.”

Both Cedrick and Gwendolyn returned to Harrick Villa after leaving the ancestral hall.

Throughout the journey, Gwendolyn did not so much as speak a word to him.

The silence made Cedrick uneasy. Tugging at the hem of her shirt, he asked, “Gwenny, are you mad at me?”

However, she simply marched up the stairs without turning around. “No. I’m the reason you almost got punished,” she uttered calmly.

The feeling of guilt gripped him as he murmured, “But you… You’re so cold to me…”