Chapter 585 Middle Ground Between The Punishments

The atmosphere in the master bedroom grew tense after Gwendolyn said that “That’s not true! I did not team up with anyone to hurt Cedrick! He’s trying to set me up, Grandpa!”

Xander protested stubbornly.

Valentino weakly leaned against the headrest and stared at the facial expressions of those around him.

Having dominated the military and the corporate world during his younger days, Valentino could tell that something was amiss even though his brain worked a little slower due to his illness.

The fact that Gwendolyn said that means she’s involved, so this incident has affected the Harris family as well. Therefore, this is no longer a private affair within the Jenson family.

He turned toward Gwendolyn after a prolonged moment of silence and asked, “If what you said is true, how do you plan on handling this?”

“That depends on whether you plan to resolve this privately or publicly, Grandpa,” Gwendolyn replied with a gentle smile.

Xander’s eyes lit up the moment he heard that.

What? We can resolve this privately? So, Gwendolyn is here to help us out, huh?

His face grew increasingly pale from the pain as he had been kneeling with an injured leg.

Yael quickly stepped forward to hold him steady when he noticed that.

As the Jenson family’s medical corps happened to be present, they were able to help bandage his wound.

After obtaining permission from Valentino, Yael helped Xander over to a chair on the side.

Meanwhile, the discussion continued on at the bedside.

“What does each method entail?” Valentino asked.

“If we handle it publicly, we will let the legal justice system decide on Xander’s punishment according to the evidence that Nico has gathered. Xander pointed a gun at the chief of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and tried to kill him, so you can imagine how severe the consequences would be. He will most likely end up in a high–security prison.

Those words had barely left Gwendolyn’s mouth when Xander protested, “Impossible! There’s no way I’d ever go to a high–security prison!”

Annoyed that Xander still had the audacity to speak. Cedrick ordered coldly, “Do not give him anything for the pain. I want him to learn a lesson.”

“Understood, Mr. Jenson.”

Xander’s face was white as a sheet as sweat poured down his cheeks. “F*ck you, Cedrick! Do you want me to suffer that badly? Argh! It hurts!”

Xander yelped in pain the moment the doctor used an alcohol swab on his wound.

Gwendolyn ignored him and continued, “If we settle this privately, then we will do so according to the Jenson family’s rules and punish him with the whip.”

“Give Xander ten lashes of the whip, then! I’m sure he won’t dare do something like this again!” Yael said.

Gwendolyn let out a chuckle. “Only ten lashes of the whip? Have you forgotten what Xander tried to do to Grandpa, Uncle Yael? That alone should be worth thirty lashes of the whip. He got me detained by the police because of this, so that’s an additional ten lashes, Lastly, he had the audacity to pull a gun on the head of the family, so that’s another twenty lashes.”

She then held her hands out and pretended to do a little calculation in her head before continuing. “So, that makes a total of sixty lashes of the whip. We will consider this settled privately if Xander is able to withstand this punishment.”

Xander was hurting so much due to the lack of anesthesia that he was in a daze, so he didn’t even hear what they were saying.

“Xander’s body is unwell, to begin with, and he now has a gunshot wound as well. I doubt he can even withstand thirty lashes of the whip, let alone sixty! Are you trying to get him killed?” Yael protested.

“He was going to punish Cedrick with eighty lashes of the whip for handing me his money and Jenson Group’s shares. Had I not arrived in time, Cedrick would really have been put through that inhumane punishment. Does that mean you were trying to have him killed, Uncle Yael?” Gwendolyn retorted with a smile.

Yael fell silent for quite some time before replying, “These are two very different scenarios.”

“You’re right, they are indeed different. What Xander did is far worse than what Cedrick did, bu double his punishment or anything. I am simply going by the Jenson family’s rules here,” Gwer Yael had nothing to say in response to that.

If we settle this publicly, Xander will be sentenced to at least ten years in a high–security prison. If we settle this privately, he will be whipped sixty times in the ancestral hall Either way, Xander will be done for.

With that in mind, Yael shifted his gaze back toward Valentino as he said, “Well? Say something. Dad!

Xander will most likely end up dead if we go with either option! Are you really going to sit by and watch your grandson die?”

As Valentino had gotten old, he lacked the sharpness and discipline that he had when he was younger.

All he wanted at that age was to watch his descendants live happy lives.

While Xander was indeed at fault, Valentino could not bring himself to watch him die.

After giving it some thought, Valentino shifted his gaze toward Cedrick and said, “Cedrick…”

Cedrick already knew what he was going to say.

“I know how much it pains you to watch your grandson suffer, Grandpa. I am willing to take a step back.”

Yael’s eyes lit up when he heard that. “You truly are a good man, Cedrick! So, how about we just—”

Cedrick cut him off, “There is a third solution for this matter. We can go with a middle ground between the two proposed solutions. We give Xander thirty lashes of the whip after he has mostly recovered from his injury and send him to prison for five years after that. This will allow him to be punished without dying in the process. That is as far as I’m willing to go.”

What? That means Xander will have to suffer both punishments!

“Cedrick, you—”

“Xander is an adult, Grandpa. He needs to take responsibility for his actions. This will ensure that neither punishment is too severe. I will also inform the person whipping him to go a little easier on him so he won’t die.” Cedrick added with a solemn expression.

Valentino knew that was the most Cedrick was willing to compromise.

He let out a sigh and pulled his blanket a little higher as he said, “That’s enough. I will no longer involve myself in this case. You’re the head of the family, so you decide how you will resolve this.”

“Dad!” Yael exclaimed.

Valentino closed his eyes and refused to listen. “I’m tired. Please leave, all of you.”

Everyone, including Logan and the Jenson family’s medical corps, had to leave the master bedroom.

Xander was drifting in and out of consciousness when the doctors carried him out of there with Yael following closely behind them.

Cedrick and Gwendolyn walked alongside each other along the corridor.

It wasn’t until they had all left Valentino’s floor that Cedrick said, “I will fulfill the promise I made Grandpa earlier. Xander will receive thirty lashes of the whip and be sentenced to five years in a high–

security prison. That’s as far as I’m willing to compromise. I will give Xander one week to recover from his injury before we carry out the whipping.

Since there would be a week before the punishment, Yael simply shot the two a fierce glare before bringing the unconscious Xander home.

The sound of cicadas filled the silence of the night.

Whatever feelings of sleepiness that Gwendolyn had was gone after everything that happened earlier.

She reached out to hold Cedrick’s hand and interlocked their fingers.

As the babies were fast asleep, Gwendolyn didn’t want to wake them up, so she and Cedrick left Valentino’s villa with Nico following closely behind them.

Having gotten used to seeing them act all lovey–dovey with each other, Nico no longer felt uncomfortable about it.

The paths of the Jenson residence were dimly lit as the three of them made their way down them.

Nico made sure to maintain a safe distance with the two lovebirds as they headed toward Harrick Villa.

They had just arrived at the front door when Gwendolyn noticed a young girl standing beneath the street lamp.

It was none other than Summer, and she appeared to be waiting for them.

She quickly ran forward when she saw Gwendolyn and Cedrick. “Hi, Gwendolyn! Wow, Mr. Jenson really is back! Then what about Nico?”