Chapter 221 Causing Trouble
After Zachary got the address, he personally took Lucas to find Kevin. Kevin was hiding in a three-story building around the slums.
"Mr. Jennings, you shouldn't go up there. This area's complicated—let me handle it," Lucas said. But Zachary insisted, "I'm coming with you. I can help if anything happens."
They climbed the grimy staircase all the way to the third floor. There was an ordinary-looking small room there. Zachary quickly scanned the layout and positioned himself at the stairwell while Lucas went to knock on the door. After three consecutive knocks, no one answered.
"Susan sent me to bring you something."
Lucas had a flash of idea and used Susan's name, deliberately pitching his voice to disguise it.
"Leave it at the door."
Kevin's voice echoed from inside. Lucas replied, "Okay," then stepped aside. After about two or three minutes, the door opened. Kevin peeked with a full beard, cautiously poking his head out to look around. The moment his face shown, Lucas grabbed him by the throat.
"Kevin."
Realizing it was Lucas, Kevin attempted to run. But Lucas had him by the neck, so escaping was impossible. However, what Lucas didn't expect was that Kevin had grabbed a stick. He pierced it at Lucas's head. Lucas couldn't dodge in time and fell to the ground.
Kevin knew his location had been exposed. He bolted for the stairwell without hesitation. But just as he was about to rush down, Zachary swept his leg out. Kevin tumbled down the stairs, his head hitting the wall. He passed out.
After subduing the unconscious Kevin, Lucas staggered over, clutching his head.
"Damn it, playing dirty with me."
Lucas kicked Kevin in the lower back. Zachary shot him a cold look.
"Kick him awake and see if you can catch him again."
Together, they hauled Kevin to the car. The fall had knocked him out pretty hard that he remained unconscious. When they arrived at Maple Estate, Kevin was still out cold. Lucas had Kevin taken to the basement. Dr. Brown came to examine him and found he had only sustained a head injury, nothing serious.
"How did he end up like this?"
When Quinley saw the unconscious Kevin, she was shocked. Lucas had a bandage on his forehead and looked embarrassed.
"Mr. Jennings, if there's nothing else, I'll head out."
"Have Dr. Brown check you. The next time you go out without using your brain, you'll end up worser than this."
Lucas didn't dare argue and left immediately. Zachary recounted to Quinley what had happened when they went to capture Kevin. She remained calm throughout.
"Then my guess was right. He definitely knows the truth."
Quinley's certainty was soon confirmed. A few hours later, Kevin finally woke up. He was shocked to find both Zachary and Quinley sitting in front of him. His hands were tied behind his back, the basement door was closed—there was no chance of escape.
"Mr. Jennings, what's the meaning of this?"
Kevin turned the tables, asking with apparent confusion. Zachary didn't beat around the bush.
"Whose child is Cheese?"
Kevin froze for a moment before he quickly recovered.
"He's my child."
Zachary was about to say something when Quinley stopped him.
"Mr. Young, Susan is my biological sister. Did you know that?"
Kevin looked surprised. He shook his head.
"No, she never told me. How could you two be sisters?"
"It's a long story. Less than a month after we were born, we were separated from our biological parents. I was adopted, and she was sent to an orphanage. We only found each other recently."
Kevin lowered his eyes.
"Where is she now?"
Quinley didn't hide it.
"In detention. She's implicated in the car accident."
Kevin let out a heavy sigh.
"I told her not to do it, but she wouldn't listen. She became obsessed."
Whether Adela was truly obsessed, no one could say for certain. But she had broken the law and had to face the consequences.
"Let me ask you again—whose child is this?"
This time, Kevin didn't answer. He stayed silent.
"Mr. Young, you're also an orphan who was separated from your parents as a child. I'm grateful for how you've taken care for my sister all these years. Cheese is innocent. He's only five, yet he's being kept away from his biological parents. That's not fair to him. If you were him, wouldn't you want to see your real parents?"
Kevin sighed deeply.
"I can't say."
He looked pained, as if hiding something.
"Harold?"
Zachary asked. Kevin immediately denied it.
"The child isn't his."
"Of course I know he's not Harold's. The child's mother is Alicia."
"How do you know that?" Kevin was shocked. He hadn't expected Zachary and Quinley to already know so much.
"Just tell us who the child's father is."
Kevin was silent for a long while before slowly lifting his head to look at Zachary.
"His last name is also Jennings."
"Landon?"
Quinley blurted out. Kevin nodded.
"Yes, him."
But Zachary flatly denied it.
"No, that's impossible."
"This child really is his. I know you're going to say that Landon can't have children, but what you don't know is that this child wasn't conceived naturally. Five years ago, Ms. Davis was studying in England, and Landon happened to be there too."
"Mr. Davis ordered Ms. Davis to land Landon, but Landon only wanted sex. To force his hand, Mr. Davis used other methods. That's how Ms. Davis got pregnant with Landon's child. But when the baby was born, Landon refused to acknowledge him. At that time, you had just broken up with Susan, so Mr. Davis had me send the child away."
These sordid details that had never come to light were disgusting to hear.
"Then why didn't you send him away?" Zachary demanded. Kevin explained, "I was planning to, but Susan said the child could still be useful. After all, he's Jennings family blood. She figured he would come in handy someday."
"Useful how?"
Zachary pressed. But this time, Kevin didn't answer. The purpose was obvious enough.
With this child, Susan could pretend he was Zachary's. After all, Cheese was Jennings blood, so he naturally share some resemblance with Zachary. And even if Zachary didn't buy it, there was still Landon. A tiger doesn't eat its cubs. With a son this big, surely he couldn't refuse to acknowledge him.
"Mr. Jennings, that's all I know. Please, don't be too hard on Susan. She was forced into doing these things."
"Forced? Who forced her?"
Zachary scoffed. Kevin's eyes lowered.
"She grew up in an orphanage. At ten, she was adopted, but her adoptive parents treated her terribly—constantly hitting and yelling at her. She has her pride. She just wanted a better life. There's nothing wrong with that."
"A better life should be earned through your own hard work, not through schemes and tricks."
Zachary said angrily. He had Lucas release Kevin, but as Kevin was leaving, he wanted to take Cheese with him.
"That's not happening. Since he's Jennings family blood, you have no right to take him."
Kevin said nothing and left. But Cheese, who learned Kevin had been there, cried for hours. Zachary, unusually patient, picked him up and tried to soothe him.
"Cheese, from now on, you can call me Uncle."
But Cheese refused. He kept crying for his mommy or daddy. Only Elise could calm him down.
"Maybe we shouldn't tell Landon about the child. He didn't acknowledge him five years ago. He certainly won't now."
Quinley was angry. This was his biological son. Though the circumstances were absurd, as the father, Landon refused to acknowledge his own child. If he wouldn't acknowledge him then, better to never tell him.
Besides, Quinley remembered William's bizarre will. If Landon acknowledged Cheese as his son, he might aggressively fight for the position of Apex Global Group CEO.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this."
Zachary wrapped his arm around Quinley reassuringly.