Chapter 598 The Last Trump Card
Wooing My Ex-Wife
They arrived at the Jenson residence to see Yael waiting for them in the living room, seemingly anticipating their arrival.
Cedrick, still dressed in his military uniform, exuded a powerful aura as he stepped into the villa, his military boots clicking loudly. Every step he took was imposing and authoritative.
Accompanied by soldiers led by Neville, Cedrick entered the living room of the villa. His entourage surrounded the entire space, making for an intimidating atmosphere.
At his age, Yael had seen and experienced a lot while he weathered storms alongside Valentino.
He might have never been a military officer, but-he-still remained expressionless upon witnessing Cedrickâs grand entrance. Calmly, he savored the coffee he had just brewed.
Cedrick walked over and sat on a couch beside him. Seeing that Yael showed no intention of pouring him a cup of coffee, he took the pot and filled his own cup.
âIs this how you treat your guest, Uncle Yael? Iâm the head of the family, and I donât mind that you donât greet me, but you should at least offer me a cup of coffee,â Cedrick remarked.
Yael averted his eyes and refused to even spare Cedrick a glance.
âWe donât have any premium coffee beans, so the coffee I brewed canât be compared to what you usually have at home. I didnât offer you any because Iâm worried you wonât be used to drinking bad coffee,â Yael responded.
Cedrick took a sip of the coffee and solemnly agreed with him. âIndeed. The taste of this coffee is rather bland, but its bad taste has nothing to do with the coffee beans. Rather, it tastes bad because the person who brewed it lacks the necessary skills.â
Yael finished his coffee and slammed the cup on the table heavily with a thud to vent his anger.
After beating around the bush for some time, Yael, growing impatient, finally cut to the chase.
âXander is my only son. Although he may not be as capable as you and often makes foolish mistakes, he is still my son, a descendant of the Jenson family, and your own cousin. Canât you show him some mercy?â Yael pleaded.
Cedrick tapped his slender fingers on the coffee cup, as though contemplating. âHe made a mistake, so naturally, he should receive proper punishment. You will only spoil him and make things worse by covering for him.â
Yaelâs eyes which were lined with wrinkles turned bloodshot, probably from anger or agitation.
Cedrick noticed the look in his eyes but still remained unfazed. âWhere are you hiding him, Uncle Yael?
Iâll let things slide if you willingly hand him over, but if I have to find him myself, Iâll charge him with the -
crime of escape.â
âHow can you be so ruthless? Do you seriously want him dead?â Yaelâs clenched fists trembled with anger as he glared at Cedrick. âHis life will be ruined if he is sent to prison. People will also mock me and ridicule me. Yes, he did all this behind my back, but his actions didnât result in any particularly disastrous consequences. Dad is fine, isnât he? Do you really have to be this merciless?â
Agitated, he pounded the coffee table to produce a loud sound in a desperate attempt to overpower Cedrickâs aura.
Cedrick furrowed his brows while wearing a cold expression. As soon as Yael pounded the table, Cedrick hurled the coffee cup in his hand.
A crisp, loud sound echoed through the room as the cup shattered into pieces when it hit the wall.
Frightened by Cedrickâs sudden outburst, Yael gave a start and shut his mouth, not daring to complain anymore.
Fuming, Cedrick spoke with an aggressive tone. âIf what he did brought about disastrous consequences, he wouldnât even have the chance to escape and hide. I would have sent him to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for immediate execution. Uncle Yael, please donât test my limits. Thirty whips and a prison sentence of five years is already a compromise on my part after considering Grandpaâs imploration. Thereâs no room for negotiation regarding this matter.â
He stood up and adjusted the cuffs of his military uniform, frowning with cold determination.
âLooks like you have no intention of handing Xander over today. Very well. Donât blame me for personally apprehending Xander and doubling his punishment.â
Cedrickâs thin lips curled into a sarcastic sneer as he turned around and walked away. âNeville, handcuff Mr. Yael and bring him to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a one-week stay.â
Two soldiers immediately hoisted Yael up from the couch and handcuffed his wrists.
Yael struggled as hard as he could as he turned toward Cedrick, who was about to exit the villa, and hollered, âDo you even have a heart? I am your uncle! How dare you handcuff me and send me to the Federal Bureau of Investigation! What have I done wrong?â
Cedrickâs gaze was frosty. âYou should have been charged with covering for a fugitive because you helped Xander evade punishment. A few days of detention will teach you a lesson.â
Yael stubbornly refused to admit his mistake. âI didnât help him escape. He was already gone when I woke up this morning. I was kept in the dark just like you. How am I supposed to know where he is?â
Cedrick remained unfazed and said mercilessly, âYou can explain all you want in the interrogation room at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.â
Following that, he stepped away elegantly.
Seeing that he was about to leave, Yael bit the bullet and revealed his final trump card. He had nothing left to lose.
âCedrick, I know how the car accident that killed your parents happened!â
Cedrick stopped abruptly in his tracks. His whole body stiffened as he seemingly contemplated the meaning behind Yaelâs words.
After several minutes, he turned around slowly and looked at Yael, who had been handcuffed.
âWhat do you mean?â
Cedrick was very young when his parents passed away, so he had no memory of them. As far as he could remember, he had been raised by Valentino.
He had only seen a photo of his parents.
Valentino had previously told him that his parents had both died in a tragic car accident.
When Yael saw that Cedrickâs interest was piqued, he knew he had regained the upper hand. âUncuff me, and Iâll tell you,â he said slyly.
They locked eyes, and Cedrick glared at Yael menacingly without a single word. He didnât know if Yael was telling the truth.
âFine. I would love to see what youâre up to, Uncle Yael, Cedrick finally replied.
He turned around and reentered the living room. After instructing Neville to uncuff Yael, he dismissed everyone from the villa.
Yaelâs servants were taken to the garden and placed under supervision by Neville to prevent eavesdropping while the soldiers of Team Seven stood guard outside the main gate.
All the doors and windows of the villaâs living room were closed, which was a clear indication of the importance of this matter to Cedrick.
He fixed his gloomy gaze on Yael, determined to expose his true intentions. âSpill,â he demanded.
Yael sneered but responded seriously, âDid Dad tell you that your parents died in a car accident?â
Cedrick pursed his thin lips into a tight line, suppressing his displeasure.
Yael noticed his impatience and struck the iron while it was hot. âActually, they didnât die in a car accident, Iâm the only one who knows the truth. Spare Xander and Iâll tell you.â
Cedrickâs expression grew even colder.
âThatâs a separate matter. Donât you even think of using this secret to threaten me into sparing Xander.
Besides, I can ask Grandpa myself.â
Yael scoffed. âHe wonât tell you even if you hold a knife to his throat because he doesnât know the whole truth either. Iâm the only one who knows as it is related to me.â
Cedrick frowned and narrowed his gaze as he tried to figure out the authenticity of Yaelâs words.
Yael added, âIf you donât believe me, you can go ask Dad yourself and see his reaction.â
As Cedrick calmly analyzed the situation, he retorted, âIf you knew such a big secret, why didnât you mention it before? Why only bring it up today to threaten me?â
âThatâs because Dad has imposed a gag order. This secret is complicated, and if it werenât for Xanderâs sake, I would have taken this secret to my grave. The last thing I want is for him to be tormented in prison and go insane.â
Cedrick began to believe him since he had put it that way.
However, this was not a trivial matter, so further confirmation and careful consideration were needed.
He stood up once again. âGive me a few days to think it through. Before I make my decision, Uncle Yael, you will have to stay in one of the interrogation rooms at the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a few days and provide a statement.â
Yael was momentarily stunned because he didnât expect Cedrick to be so patient and still insist to detain him.
âCedrick! You heartless b*stard!â Yael shouted, but Cedrick had already turned to leave the villa without sparing him another glance.
After he left, Neville immediately handcuffed Yael again. When Yael resisted, he ordered four soldiers to carry him away.
Upon stepping out of Yaelâs villa, Cedrick navigated through the Jenson residenceâs winding paths as he continued pondering the truth behind his parentsâ deaths.
He headed straight for Valentinoâs villa.