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Novel Catalog
Chapter 243
In the old Chavez manor, Yusef, Jase Chavez’s personal guard, entered the room.
He saw the elderly man sitting upright in his chair, still energetic, and sharp in his suit. After adjusting his clothes, Yusef bowed politely and spoke.
“Mr. Jase Chavez, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez’s girlfriend has just arrived in Betrico. Our staff reports she is already at Skyland. Jeremiah has returned to the military base because the deputy commander requires his immediate attention. Emmett has gone with him, so Ms. Zeller is the only one left at Skyland now.”
Though Jase was eighty years old with graying hair, he still showed no signs of frailty. He was one of the few left who had survived the war-torn era with significant military achievements, and his reputation across Clusia was indisputable. Even at his age, those in power hoped he would not retire anytime soon, for with Jase around, stability was assured.
Jase took a sip of his favorite Grandos coffee and asked, “Any updates on Clifford?”
Yusef nodded and stood respectfully to the side. “Mr. Clifford Chavez doesn’t seem too affected by the situation, but Aurora has been very animated. She was up early, bustling around, and… well, I heard something.”
Yusef hesitated, unsure whether he should continue.
Jase raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharp. “Hmm? What’s wrong?” he asked with a hint of authority in his voice.
Yusef quickly continued, “Mrs. Chavez prepared a whole table of dishes that Mr. Jeremiah Chavez and his girlfriend like, and Mr. Clifford Chavez got a little jealous. Aurora gave him a piece of her mind, and it seems she wasn’t happy. Now, Clifford is trying to make peace, but he’ll probably be sleeping in the study again tonight.”
Yusef’s father had once been Jase’s personal guard, and now Yusef had taken on the same role. He and Clifford had grown up together as childhood playmates, so he knew their relationship dynamics better than anyone. Even Jase could hear the subtle gloating in Yusef’s tone.
Jase put down his coffee cup and glanced at him. “Alright, they’ll probably be like that for a lifetime. Aurora used to worry herself sick over Jeremiah’s marriage. Now that he suddenly has a girlfriend, she’s probably just excited. Clifford’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside. If he really didn’t care, why would he take a day off to stay home with them? He’s just pretending not to care. Let them sort it out.”
Yusef felt a genuine sense of happiness for the Chavez family. He had watched Jeremiah grow up and thought he would never find a girlfriend or settle down. No one expected someone like Yvette to come into his life and win him over.
“Understood, sir. Should we pull back our people? Skyland’s security in Betrico is top-notch, so remote surveillance should be enough,” Yusef suggested.
Jase lowered his eyes for a moment, thinking carefully. “No need to pull back. Stick to the plan. Get the car ready, and prepare that gear for me. I’m going myself. Everything has to look very real. Make sure Tim keeps Jeremiah tied up so that brat doesn’t come back and mess up my plans.”
Yusef couldn’t hide a twitch of his lips. His expression was hard to describe. He thought, Mr. Jase Chavez is like a playful child, going to great lengths to stage this whole show just to test Jeremiah’s girlfriend. And he wants it to look authentic? Who would dare to hit Mr. Jase Chavez?
It was a headache for him, trying to find people who would be brave enough to play along with Jase’s elaborate act. He had even turned to the Goodman family’s daredevil squad to find a few newbies who, with some coaxing and deception, reluctantly agreed to participate.
“Mr. Jase Chavez, are you really sure about this? Do you really want to test Ms. Zeller like this?” Yusef asked.
Jase got up from the sofa, waving his hand dismissively. “Go ahead and set it up. We’ll leave in half an hour.”
Yusef had no choice but to nod and get to work.
Meanwhile, in Skyland, Yvette had just changed into the loungewear Jeremiah had prepared for her when the phone rang.
She walked over and picked up the receiver.
“Hello, is this Mr. Chavez’s home? We have a package that requires your signature. Could you come to the gate? Would you like us to send a shuttle to pick you up?”
Yvette paused, raising an eyebrow, before responding flatly, “No need, I’ll go myself.”
The voice on the other end became suddenly cheerful. “Alright, we’ll be waiting for you.” Then the call ended.
Yusef, in his security uniform, shifted his position slightly. He glanced at the old man nearby—dressed in tattered clothes with a face covered in dirt and ash, his fingers trembling slightly.
He cautiously asked, “Mr. Jase Chavez, she’ll arrive soon. Everyone’s in position. Are you really going to sit by the roadside like this?”
Jase stroked his beard and seriously asked, “Do you see anything wrong with my disguise?”
Yusef confidently responded, “Mr. Jase Chavez, you look real enough. There’s definitely no problem. Ms. Zeller won’t notice anything.”
Jase finally relaxed, opened the security booth door, and walked to the nearby roadside. Baskets of vegetables and a couple of “customers” had already been prepared. Everything was ready; they were just waiting for Yvette.
Ten minutes later, as Jase and his team began to wonder if Yvette would show up, she appeared, walking toward them from a distance.
Yusef recognized her immediately from the photos and signaled to Jase that she had arrived. “Mr. Chavez surely has a discerning eye,” he thought. Yvette was stunningly beautiful, but not in the typical way. She had a unique, cool, and aloof aura. Even as she walked toward them, she exuded a powerful presence.
Yusef began to worry that Mr. Jase Chavez’s plan might have been all for nothing.
When he received the signal, Jase plopped down on the ground, abandoning any pretense of his usual commanding image. Now, he looked nothing like the Marshall of Clusia—just an old, aging farmer. The dozen or so guards hidden around the grove all turned their heads in confusion.
Yvette had one hand in her pocket. She wore a simple white T-shirt and shorts. When she reached the security booth, the door opened before she could knock.
She thought to herself, Yusef’s face, full of wrinkles from smiling, makes him look like a strange uncle. Yet, he seems completely unaware of it.
“Hello, are you Mr. Chavez’s girlfriend? This is his package. Could you sign for it, please?” Yusef asked.
Yvette nodded slightly, her face expressionless but with a hint of coldness between her delicate brows. She reached out her slender hand to take the package and was about to leave.
Yusef was momentarily stunned. She couldn’t leave yet; the act wasn’t over.
Without hesitation, he called out, “Oh dear, Ms. Zeller, look over there! It seems like a fight has broken out!”
The noise erupted suddenly, deafeningly.
Sure enough, as soon as the words were spoken, the quiet outside scene turned chaotic. Yvette stopped in her tracks and turned around. She cast a playful look at Yusef, her lips curling into a faint smile, and her eyes narrowing slightly.
She looked outside, where a roadside vegetable stand had been knocked over by a group of large men. The old man who ran the stand had fallen to the ground, his face covered in dust, standing there in confusion. He looked pitiful.
