The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

After Charles spoke his mind, the corridor descended into silence.

Both Cedrick and Nico fell silent.

Charles pondered and continued, “If Joe Landon, who is still at large, is indeed the mastermind behind the

massacre of the Cloud family, then my suspicions would be confirmed. The question that remains is, which

influential family will be targeted next after the Cloud family is wiped out?”

Cedrick’s expression tensed up.

Nico held his breath. “The Jenson family.”

Both the Jenson and Harris families boasted formidable security measures. The individual responsible for the

massacre of the Cloud family demonstrated the ability to eliminate them silently during the night, evading

detection. However, breaching the Jenson family’s security measures and executing a similar attack would prove an

immensely challenging feat for any perpetrator.

Unless…

If the perpetrator’s target was the Jenson family and they were unable to initiate their attack directly from the

Jenson residence, they might seek out a vulnerable spot. What could that be?

The three men raised their heads in unison as the same idea occurred to them.

At once, Cedrick spun on his heels and strode away. He pulled out his phone to call Gwendolyn.

Nico went after him. “Cedrick, I’ll go to the lab to check on Benny.”

The laboratory’s security system was top-notch, but there was still a potential vulnerability once Benedict

completed his IV drip and departed from the lab.

Cedrick nodded in agreement. “Take care of Benny and don’t let him leave the lab. He should wait in the lab until I

pick him up.”

“Got it.”

Charles offered, “I’ll head to the kindergarten to pick Zendy up and ensure her safety.”

Considering that classes at the kindergarten would conclude one hour later, and with Charles needing

approximately half an hour to arrive, it was crucial for him to be present earlier to ensure Zendaya’s safety.

Cedrick carefully contemplated the situation and concurred that the perpetrator would find it easiest to target

Zendaya. This was because the entrance of the kindergarten would likely have only one or two security guards,

while the majority of individuals present would be children and teachers.

“Nico, assign one of your teams to Charles so they can accompany him to the kindergarten.”

Nico expressed surprise at the suggestion. “Cedrick, won’t deploying a large number of personnel to the

kindergarten during pick-up time cause panic among the parents?”

Cedrick, however, remained resolute in his decision. “We don’t have to wait until Zendy’s regular dismissal time.

Charles, to ensure Zendy’s safety, pick her up as soon as you arrive. She can be allowed to leave earlier than

usual.”

The three men left the Cloud residence and went on their separate ways.

Upon delegating the responsibility of capturing photos and organizing tasks to Neville, Cedrick made his way back

to his armored vehicle.

Determined to reach Gwendolyn, he persistently dialed her number, only to be met with disappointment as his calls

couldn’t get through. It wasn’t a case of her phone being switched off; instead, it appeared that a signal jammer

was interfering with the reception in her vicinity.

An ominous feeling occurred to him as he quickly called Swain.

“Find out Gwendolyn’s location now.”

“Got it.”

They both didn’t disconnect the call.

Swain, who was present at the Federal Bureau of Investigation headquarters, frantically typed away at his

keyboard, determined to track Gwendolyn’s whereabouts.

“Boss, her location is in flux. It appears she is in a moving vehicle, making it difficult to pinpoint her exact location.

However, there seems to be an issue with the GPS signal as it keeps flickering. It suggests that the signal strength is

weak.”

Cedrick felt his heart tighten with worry. “Retrieve footage from the roadside surveillance cameras and verify

Gwendolyn’s route. Send it to me as soon as possible.”

“Got it.”

The call ended. Swain typed on his keyboard furiously and called the Department of Transportation to relay

Cedrick’s order.

Ten minutes later, Cedrick received a message on his phone containing Gwendolyn’s real-time route.

The footage captured by the roadside surveillance cameras depicted Gwendolyn driving her luxurious car along the

road.

As Cedrick carefully reviewed the message sent by Swain, a thought crossed his mind. This route… She left Harris

Group and passed by that bridge. Could it be that she intends to pick up Zendy from the kindergarten? It seems she

has anticipated the same course of action as us.

Without hesitation, Cedrick drove to the kindergarten as well.

Half an hour later, when he arrived at the kindergarten, Charles had already picked Zendaya up.

Fortunately, Zendaya was unhurt.

Zendaya was confused as Charles picked her up and strode out of the kindergarten.

“Uncle Charles, I was playing with my friends. Why did you pick me up earlier than usual? Did something happen at

home?”

Uncertain of how to respond, Charles offered a gentle smile to Zendaya and deflected the question, placing the

blame on someone else. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. Your daddy actually asked me to come, so you can ask him

about it later.”

Zendaya sucked on her thumb and frowned, pointing at Cedrick, who emerged not far away. “But isn’t Daddy right

there?”

Charles glanced in the direction she was pointing and quickly realized something was wrong. “Didn’t you ask me to

come pick Zendy up? Why are you here too?”

Cedrick’s expression was grim as he fell into deep thought.

“Sh*t.”

A few seconds later, he paled visibly and returned to his car without answering Charles’ question.

“What happened? Daddy looked terrifying,” Zendaya commented softly as she stared at Cedrick’s back.

Charles was also staring at Cedrick with a stern expression.

There is only one person who could make Cedrick this nervous. Did something happen to Gwendolyn?

He quickly brought Zendaya to his car and buckled her up in the child safety seat. “Sit tight, Zendy,” he reminded

her before speeding after Cedrick’s car.

Cedrick’s car raced along the road, the urgency of the situation evident in his uneasiness.

Considering the distance and time, Gwendolyn’s car should have reached the kindergarten ahead of both Charles

and me. Yet, she’s nowhere to be found, and her phone remains unreachable. She has vanished!

The thought of his wife in trouble made his heart race uneasily. He calculated the distance between Harris Group

and Zendaya’s kindergarten and took the same route back.

Nothing can happen to her!

As both cars raced on the highway, Cedrick connected his phone to the Bluetooth earpiece and called Swain yet

again.

“Find out where Gwendolyn is now! Hurry!” he growled.

His state of agitation had reached its peak.

Swain immediately did as told.

After a series of typing on his keyboard, he drew a sharp breath. “Boss, her location is unknown. We have lost all

contact with her!”

It took Cedrick a while to respond, “Continue investigating her whereabouts!”

“Yes!”

A commotion sounded at the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Swain’s end of the line as though he was talking to

a police officer.

In a trembling voice, Swain soon reported, “Boss, it seems that something has happened to Mrs. Jenson.”

Cedrick gripped the steering wheel and held his breath silently.

Swain continued, “We’ve just received a report from the Department of Transportation regarding a severe accident

in Orchidbay Tunnel. It appears that three small cars and two trucks were involved in a significant rear-end collision,

resulting in casualties and the need for ambulance services. The exact details are still unclear, and the Department

of Transportation has dispatched personnel to the scene for further investigation. The last signal from her device

was detected before she entered Orchidbay Tunnel…”

Cedrick’s eyes turned red as he tamped down his anguish and said calmly, “Send me the exact location where the

accident happened at Orchidbay Tunnel.”

“Yes. Boss, you should calm down… Mrs. Jenson should be fine.”

Without hesitation, Cedrick floored the accelerator. The powerful vehicle deftly maneuvered through the traffic on

the highway.

Cedrick caught sight of Charles’ luxurious car closely following behind.

Before he could call Charles, the latter’s call arrived.

He answered the call swiftly.

Charles demanded, “I’ve never seen you this flustered before. Did something happen to Gwen?”

At once, Zendaya asked in a tearful voice, “Did something happen to Mommy? What is wrong? I want to know,

too!”