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Novel Catalog
Chapter 245
Yvette lowered her gaze for a moment before meeting Jase’s eyes, which were now intense and unwavering.
She smirked slightly, tilting her head and casting a casual glance toward Yusef. Her voice was soft, but deliberate as she spoke, “First off, how would a simple security guard know my last name is Zeller? How could he call me Ms. Zeller the first time we met? Is he psychic, or can he predict the future? There’s only one explanation—he already knew who I was. And when he saw I was about to leave, he rushed to involve me. Isn’t that a little suspicious?”
Yusef rubbed his nose awkwardly.
It was a rookie mistake. He’d been too focused on protecting Mr. Jase Chavez, which caused him to slip up.
Jase kept a stern expression, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “So, based on that, what does his mistake have to do with me? A simple farmer being chased by debts?”
Yvette crossed her legs, leaned back, and met his gaze without a hint of fear. She raised an eyebrow, exuding an air of authority that left everyone else in the room at a loss for words. Her calm defiance was like nothing Yusef had seen before—except when he’d watched Jeremiah, who, even as a child, had never been intimidated by Jase. Now, Yvette seemed to belong to that same rebellious family.
She cleared her throat before continuing. Her eyes scanned the three burly men standing awkwardly in the corner, like children caught in a lie.
“Second,” she said lazily, “that kick you just threw was pretty fake. Were you trying to use a blind spot? Sorry, but I saw it clearly. With the righteous aura those three have, anyone with eyes would notice. Plus, the colors on that dragon and tiger tattoo are fading.”
The three men instinctively glanced at their tattoos and hands. Sure enough, the once-vibrant ink had begun to fade, and some had smudged onto their skin.
Embarrassment spread across their faces. They had specifically gotten the tattoos to make the act seem more real—the dragon on the left, the tiger on the right—but it was obvious the illusion was crumbling.
Jase noticed the fading tattoos, his mustache twitching slightly. His eyes narrowed as he examined Yvette more closely.
“Alright, even if what you say is true, what does that have to do with me?” he asked, the curiosity creeping into his tone.
Yvette clicked her tongue, her voice now deliberate and teasing. “Old man, didn’t you look in the mirror before you put on that act?”
Jase paused, looking perplexed. “Look in the mirror?”
He was utterly confused. What did a mirror have to do with his performance?
Yvette chuckled softly, her voice smooth and indifferent as she continued, “You and Jeremiah share at least a seventy percent similarity in bone structure.”
Jase immediately retorted, “I was way more handsome than that brat Jeremiah when I was young!”
Yvette shot back without hesitation, “I don’t think so.”
With that, Jase seemed to realize the futility of continuing the questioning. The girl’s sharp eyes and keen observations had cut through his act completely. He let out a breath and changed his approach.
“Yvette,” he said, “since you saw through my little performance from the start, why did you just sit back and watch instead of helping? It’s not easy for an old man like me, you know. Why didn’t you cooperate and make a show of saving me? You could’ve earned some goodwill, shown a little kindness.”
Yvette stood up from her chair, her face an impassive mask. She casually shrugged. “It’s not important.”
Jase puffed his mustache in irritation, his eyes wide with mock outrage. The three men in the room fell silent, sensing that Jase was genuinely angry. His reputation as a battle-hardened veteran was well known, and his anger could be a force to reckon with.
“Young lady,” he said, his voice growing serious, “you must have figured out who I am by now, right? Aren’t you afraid I’ll get upset and stop you from marrying into the Chavez family? Maybe I’ll force Jeremiah to break up with you and send you two lovebirds in separate directions.”
Yvette paused, her expression unreadable. She studied him for a moment before speaking, her voice icy and direct. “Do you want Jeremiah to break up with me?”
Jase was momentarily taken aback. His attempt to intimidate had clearly failed. He had only been trying to scare her, but deep down, he knew that breaking up Jeremiah and Yvette was the last thing he truly wanted. After all, if they broke up, his grandson might never find another like her, just as his father had loved only one person in his entire life.
The Chavez family was known for their unwavering loyalty to their partners—once they chose, it was for life. Only death could separate them.
Meanwhile, in the car, Jeremiah’s expression darkened. He lowered his eyes and then suddenly opened them, a glimmer of understanding flashing in his cold, deep gaze.
“Emmett,” he said quietly, “turn the car around. Now.”
Emmett reacted immediately, his hands steady on the wheel as he executed a U-turn without question.
“But Mr. Chavez,” Emmett hesitated, “if we turn back now, we might not make it to the military base in time. Should we inform the deputy commander ahead of time?”
Jeremiah’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest, his face unreadable. “No need. The task has already failed.”
Twenty minutes later, they were back in Skyland.
As they pulled into the yard, they noticed three familiar figures standing by the door—military men, soldiers Jeremiah had personally mentored. They were exceptional at what they did, and their presence raised questions.
Emmett, recognizing them, was perplexed. Why were they here? This was certainly an odd situation.
The three soldiers stood stiffly at attention, clearly more comfortable with guard duty than with any kind of theatrical performance.
As soon as they saw Jeremiah approaching, they stood even straighter, their expressions hardening into military precision. To them, Jeremiah was a hero, someone they revered.
They saluted in unison. “Good morning, Mr. Jeremiah Chavez,” they said, their voices solid and respectful.
Jeremiah, already piecing things together, gave a slight nod, his face as impassive as ever.
Emmett, unable to suppress his curiosity, asked, “Why are you three here?”
The soldiers quickly explained, “Mr. Jeremiah Chavez, Emmett, we came with Mr. Jase Chavez.”
Jeremiah’s expression didn’t change. He simply nodded, already understanding the situation.
Emmett, however, was less composed. “Came with Mr. Jase Chavez, huh? So, where is he now?” he asked, trying to piece it all together.
The soldiers exchanged glances and looked toward the house, the meaning clear. Emmett quickly realized why Mr. Chavez had been in such a hurry to return.
Mr. Jase Chavez had come all the way to Skyland just to meet his grandson’s fiancée.
Emmett’s mind began to work quickly. It was obvious now that Jase and Mitchell had worked together to try and pull Jeremiah out of the picture. The question was, what was going on inside? Given their personalities, trouble could be brewing. Yvette wasn’t easily intimidated, and Jase had a stubborn streak. What if they clashed?
If they did, who would Jeremiah support? His grandfather, who had cared for him for years, or the woman he loved deeply?
As Emmett pondered these questions, Jeremiah had already started heading inside. Emmett snapped back to reality and quickly followed.
Inside, they found Yusef just stepping out of the coffee room, a wide grin on his face.
“Jeremiah, you’re back already! Why so soon?” Yusef greeted him cheerfully.
Jeremiah nodded, his face serious. “Are they inside?”
Yusef nodded. “Yeah, Mr. Jase Chavez is inside, and Ms. Zeller is with him.”
Emmett chimed in with a grin, “Hello, Uncle Gunnell.”
Yusef quickly glanced at Emmett. “You look much stronger than before, kid,” he commented, noticing the marked improvement in Emmett’s internal energy.
Emmett gave a sheepish nod. “Thanks to Yvette.”
At that moment, a deep voice came from inside. “You rascal, back already and still dawdling?”
