Chapter 796
Wooing My Ex-Wife
She suppressed the faint smile at the corners of her mouth and gestured with her eyes toward the Lego pieces on the ground.
âAre you asking me to kneel before you?â Cedrick asked.
âNo.â
Cedrick swiftly took off his gray coat and casually threw it behind him. The coat landed perfectly on the coat rack in the corner of the wall.
His pure white shirt fit snugly, outlining his waist perfectly, displaying his impeccable figure.
Without hesitation, he tucked a ruler into Gwendolynâs hands, bent his knees, and knelt steadily on the Lego pieces.
His eyebrows and eyes narrowed in pain. However, he quickly regained his composure. Gazing up at Gwendolyn with his handsome face, he said, âIt is I who should kneel before you.â
Nothing could convey his apology better than kneeling before his wife.
Gwendolyn was taken aback. She hadnât expected him to suddenly drop to his knees and reached out to pull him up. âWhy are you suddenly kneeling? Donât your knees hurt? Get up.â
Cedrick shook his head. There was a hint of remorse in his eyes. âIâve made a mistake.â
âWhat mistake?â
âI shouldnât have lost you. I shouldnât have deliberately smoked to provoke you,â Cedrick admitted.
Gwendolyn sighed. This incident was not his fault. Besides, the smoking matter had already been addressed back in the courtyard.
She suddenly felt a sensation around her calf as she was lost in her thoughts.
Lowering her gaze, she saw Cedrickâs arm encircling her leg. He bent his waist and gently rested his head on her leg.
âYouâ¦â
âGwenny, donât move. Let me hold you for a while.â
His usually steady voice now carried noticeable hoarseness. Gwendolyn was stumped. She put away the ruler that he had handed her and gently patted his head to comfort him.
âIâm sorry. I wasnât vigilant enough. On the day of your accident, I was even unhappy because you spoke up for Charles. Knowing that Joe has been on the run for so many years and is likely to seek revenge against you, I failed to protect you in time, causing you to get injured and⦠lose your memory.
Iâm sorry. Iâm really sorryâ¦â
His voice trembled uncontrollably.
He was overwhelmed with frustration and self-blame.
Cedrick was eager to atone for his mistakes. Letting Gwendolyn punish him in accordance with the family rule was his way of seeking solace.
With reddened eyes, he desperately tried to control his emotions, only allowing his choked sobs to be heard before Gwendolyn, who had lost her memories. He didnât wish to show his miserable self to Gwendolyn, afraid she might be disdained to see him in this manner.
The emotions he had been trying to hold in for the past ten days broke free in a single, powerful instant.
There was nothing he could do but sob helplessly, causing his broad shoulders to tremble slightly.
Gwendolynâs eyes also turned teary. She opened her mouth several times but couldnât find the right words to say.
After a moment of hesitation, she patted Cedrickâs back to soothe him and chose to speak the truth.
âCedrick, you are no saint. There will always be things that you might overlook. Youâre not at fault for this incident. Donât put too much pressure on yourself.â
âCan I⦠can I hug your waist?â he asked tentatively, still caught up in his emotions.
Gwendolyn had changed the way she addressed him.
Gwendolyn smiled wryly. âOf course.â
He released her calf and shifted his upper body. However, he didnât move his knees away from the Lego pieces. His forearm firmly held her waist as he took in her familiar scent.
After regaining his composure, Cedrick suddenly remembered what Gwendolyn said and quickly raised his head to look at her.
Their eyes met.
There was an unmistakable hint of tenderness in her eyes.
Cedrick furrowed his brows. âW-What did you just call me? Why arenât you calling me Mr. Jenson anymore? Have you recalled the incident already?â
Gwendolyn nodded.
âYou havenât lost your memories?â
Gwendolyn nodded again.
âAnd what of the diagnosis from Fairlake Hospital?â he asked again.
A chuckle escaped her lips. âHave you forgotten what Kieran does? Heâs the major shareholder of all the hospitals in Salinsburgh. Besides, the neurologist at Fairlake Hospital is Kieranâs former apprentice.â
It was a simple matter of a few words to have a diagnosis altered.
A frown pulled Cedrickâs features tighter. He cast a wary glance at her and said nothing.
Gwendolyn continued to explain herself, âIt wasnât my intention to deceive you. A hospital is a place filled with gossip, and I thought it best to have them believe I genuinely had amnesia. This would lower their guard and aid you to better track down the culprit.â
She had planned to continue with the deceit, but Cedrickâs anguished manner tugged at her heartstrings, and she decided to reveal the truth.
Darling hasnât lost her memories and forgotten about me! The revelation that Gwendolyn hadnât forgotten him brought a wave of relief to Cedrick.
âSo, you remember everything about the incident ten days ago?â
Gwendolyn nodded and started to recount the incident, âI was on my way to pick up Zendy from kindergarten when I ran into Tanya, Kieranâs former patient. I told you about her. Do you remember that?â
âYes.â
âShe flagged down my car near the bridge, asking for a ride. She was alone and seemed like a fragile woman, so I agreed. As we drove through Bluebay Tunnel, she removed her hat and mask. To my astonishment, she looked identical to me. I realized that this was likely a plot against you and immediately tried to contact you. However, she surprisingly had a signal jammer and was reporting my location to her accomplice. Suddenly, several large vehicles sped up and tried to corner me. Left with no choice, I veered off the road, plunging down a slopeâ¦â
Cedrick tensed up and tightened his grip around her waist. âAnd then?â
âThanks to the airbags, I was unscathed and came to quite quickly. I ran along a small canyon path, but the culprit had already blocked all the routes out. I had to go the other way, heading for the cover of the countrysideâ¦â
Cedrick listened quietly as he mentally calculated the distance between Bluebay Tunnel and the mountain where Megan lived.
Since there was not a clear path, it would be quite far if one was driving.
However, if she had been on foot, the distance of crossing the two mountains would actually be considerably shorter.
âBut then there was a torrential downpour, and someone was doggedly pursuing me. The country paths turned into slippery mud, and I stumbled, rolling from the mountain down to a brook in a forest, where a rock hit the back of my head, knocking me out. When I woke up, I had been rescued by Megan, but I was soaked through and feverish from spending the night in the rain. I slipped in and out of consciousness and lost my voice. After a couple of days, I woke up to see Megan hiding a bag of gold bars under the floor tiles, which was really strange for a woman living in such a modest house. It quickly dawned on me that I had been betrayed, and my location had been exposed. To ensure my safety, I decided to pretend to have lost my memories to keep them off guard,â Gwendolyn said.
Cedrick was horrified by what she had gone through. âSo thatâs what happened.â
He pulled out his phone to call Swain, who was still searching the mountains.
âCheck out the old house on the mountain, especially the bedrooms. Pry open the floor tiles. Check if Megan has any family photos around. Donât overlook any suspicious evidence. Photograph everything and bring them back to me personally at Federal Bureau of Investigation.â
After giving his instructions, he hung up, nestling his head in Gwendolynâs lap like a languid, pampered cat.
âGwenny, so you didnât choose Charles because you didnât lose your memories?â
Gwendolyn ran her fingers gently down the back of his neck and chuckled softly. âCharles was too quick to arrive. Even you couldnât find my location. Given that heâs only involved in business matters now, and yet he was the first to locate me, surely something is amiss. I suspected he might be in cahoots with him, so I tried to sound him out a few times.â
âSo, what did you find out?â he asked.