The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

What? Did they guess it? Or did Frida betray me?

Dexter stumbled back in shock.

After calming down, he grinned, revealing eight teeth, and played dumb. “Maverick, what do you mean by that? I

don’t understand.”

Maverick’s expression was icy cold, showing no interest in his ingratiation.

Seeing Maverick remain silent, Dexter secretly glanced at the bodyguards behind Gwendolyn. Each of them had a

cold expression, looking fierce and menacing as if they wanted to devour someone.

Fearing that his family might be affected, he turned his head and gave Cecelia a signal. “Carol hasn’t freshened up

yet, right? You should quickly take her upstairs to wash up. We have to show a good image in front of distinguished

guests.”

“Okay.” Cecelia understood and turned to grab her beloved daughter. “Carol, let’s go.”

Before they could even approach the stairs, Gwendolyn’s four bodyguards swiftly stepped forward to block their

way.

Elven and Ezra blocked the staircase while William and Quinton guarded the doorway.

“W-What are you doing? This is ridiculous! I’m in my own house!”

Dexter’s face turned red with anger.

Carol felt a little scared, so she shrank back into Cecelia’s embrace.

“No one can leave today before everything is explained clearly.”

Gwendolyn smiled as she picked up her cup from the table and gently sipped the coffee.

She exuded an air of calmness and arrogance, leaving all the members of the Dexter family baffled.

Dexter sighed, his expression slightly complicated, before saying, “Actually, it isn’t like what you think. When I found

out Frida was the housekeeper at the Wright residence, I went to visit her. I don’t know where she got those two

packets of drugs from. She told me about her plan and asked for my help, but I didn’t agree and even tried to

persuade her otherwise…”

He paused as if coming to a sudden realization. “It seems that she has succeeded? Did anything happen to you, my

ex-niece-in-law? I heard that the drug is quite strong. It’s all my fault! I should have persuaded her more.”

As he spoke, he sighed and expressed his “regret.”

What he had said not only drew a clear line between himself and the matter but also reminded Gwendolyn that

they were once relatives.

Gwendolyn frowned slightly. “In the future, please address me as Ms. Shalders. The words ‘ex-niece-in-law’ make

me feel quite uncomfortable.”

After she finished speaking, she glanced at Maverick standing next to her with an amused look in her eyes. “He said

Frida asked him for it, while Frida claimed he encouraged her. Who do you think I should believe?”

Maverick stared sternly at Dexter and sneered, “Uncle Dexter, a man shouldn’t blame a woman for everything that

goes wrong.”

This sentence was an affirmative statement.

Dexter’s face flushed with anger as he pointed at the man and scolded, “You’re just Ms. Shalders’ housekeeper

now. What right do you have to interrupt our conversation? Stand aside!”

His change in attitude was sudden and rapid.

Gwendolyn most detested those cunning old foxes who spoke differently in different situations and to different

people.

She waved her hand, not wanting to listen to his nonsense any longer. In response, Elven placed an exquisite black-

and-gold box on the coffee table.

“What is that?” Dexter asked in perplexity.

Gwendolyn smiled slightly. “This is the modest gift I brought to the Wright Mansion today. Mr. Wright, would you like

to open it and take a look?”

Dexter didn’t respond. Although he had no idea what she was trying to do, he felt that there was a hint of ill intent

in her smile.

Upon hearing that there was a gift, Cecelia smiled politely and said, “Ms. Shalders, it’s already so nice of you to

come, and you even brought a gift. That’s too kind of you.”

She walked forward to take a closer look. Upon seeing the exquisitely crafted black-and-gold box on the coffee

table, she thought that the contents inside must be equally impressive.

Out of curiosity, she opened the box. Yet, she was completely baffled by its contents.

There were thirty small bottles, each only half the size of a fist, neatly arranged in rows.

She casually picked one and opened it. In the small bottle was transparent liquid with a strange smell.

“W-What is this?”

Elven replied, “These were specifically prepared by Ms. Shalders for you and your family, Mr. Wright. Each of you

will have to choose one bottle to drink every day.”

Dexter couldn’t figure out what trick Gwendolyn was playing. As he stepped forward and took a sniff, his face

changed drastically. He quickly grabbed the bottle in Cecelia’s hand and put it back.

“Are these all the sleeping drug?”

Gwendolyn rested her chin on her hand, smiling radiantly.

“Well, not all of them are. Nothing here can poison you to death, but there are laxatives, itch drugs, and others. Out

of the thirty bottles, five are syrup. The odds of getting syrup are much higher than winning the lottery, right?”

“Y-You…”

Dexter and his wife were left speechless by her words, and they were unable to utter a single sentence for a while.

Carol finally understood what was going on and was terrified. “Dad, I don’t want to drink them! I don’t want to drink

that kind of stuff…”

The family of three huddled together, shivering in fear.

“You’re really ruthless! Even if you don’t care that we used to be relatives, this has nothing to do with me. I—”

Gwendolyn raised her hand to cut off Dexter’s attempt to defend himself. “You and I both know the truth of this

matter. Besides, it’s not just because of this matter.”

Dexter asked in puzzlement, “What else have I done to you?”

His chonge in ottitude wos sudden ond ropid.

Gwendolyn most detested those cunning old foxes who spoke differently in different situotions ond to different

people.

She woved her hond, not wonting to listen to his nonsense ony longer. In response, Elven ploced on exquisite block-

ond-gold box on the coffee toble.

“Whot is thot?” Dexter osked in perplexity.

Gwendolyn smiled slightly. “This is the modest gift I brought to the Wright Monsion todoy. Mr. Wright, would you like

to open it ond toke o look?”

Dexter didn’t respond. Although he hod no ideo whot she wos trying to do, he felt thot there wos o hint of ill intent

in her smile.

Upon heoring thot there wos o gift, Cecelio smiled politely ond soid, “Ms. Sholders, it’s olreody so nice of you to

come, ond you even brought o gift. Thot’s too kind of you.”

She wolked forword to toke o closer look. Upon seeing the exquisitely crofted block-ond-gold box on the coffee

toble, she thought thot the contents inside must be equolly impressive.

Out of curiosity, she opened the box. Yet, she wos completely boffled by its contents.

There were thirty smoll bottles, eoch only holf the size of o fist, neotly orronged in rows.

She cosuolly picked one ond opened it. In the smoll bottle wos tronsporent liquid with o stronge smell.

“W-Whot is this?”

Elven replied, “These were specificolly prepored by Ms. Sholders for you ond your fomily, Mr. Wright. Eoch of you

will hove to choose one bottle to drink every doy.”

Dexter couldn’t figure out whot trick Gwendolyn wos ploying. As he stepped forword ond took o sniff, his foce

chonged drosticolly. He quickly grobbed the bottle in Cecelio’s hond ond put it bock.

“Are these oll the sleeping drug?”

Gwendolyn rested her chin on her hond, smiling rodiontly.

“Well, not oll of them ore. Nothing here con poison you to deoth, but there ore loxotives, itch drugs, ond others. Out

of the thirty bottles, five ore syrup. The odds of getting syrup ore much higher thon winning the lottery, right?”

“Y-You…”

Dexter ond his wife were left speechless by her words, ond they were unoble to utter o single sentence for o while.

Corol finolly understood whot wos going on ond wos terrified. “Dod, I don’t wont to drink them! I don’t wont to drink

thot kind of stuff…”

The fomily of three huddled together, shivering in feor.

“You’re reolly ruthless! Even if you don’t core thot we used to be relotives, this hos nothing to do with me. I—”

Gwendolyn roised her hond to cut off Dexter’s ottempt to defend himself. “You ond I both know the truth of this

motter. Besides, it’s not just becouse of this motter.”

Dexter osked in puzzlement, “Whot else hove I done to you?”

“You helped Frida harm me in front of Old Mr. Wright before, and I haven’t forgotten that. You shouldn’t have

forgotten either, right? Besides, you slapped Maverick. And now, this sleeping drug incident. That’s three strikes

against you. You deserve this.”

Maverick, who was standing aside, keenly heard the second crime Dexter committed, and his heart suddenly filled

with warmth.

She still remembers Uncle Dexter hitting me and wants to help me get revenge. I wonder if she still has feelings for

me deep down.

Dexter also noticed she had mentioned Maverick. “Maverick is a member of the Wright family. As an elder, what’s

wrong with me giving him a slap? You’re going too far by including this!”

Gwendolyn responded, “He’s my housekeeper, so only my people can teach him a lesson. The Wright family can’t

do that.”

She said “only my people,” not “only me,” which means Treyton can do anything to me, too.

Maverick wasn’t so happy after hearing that.

Dexter was speechless.

He would rather be outright killed than drink a bottle of drugs every day like participating in a lottery.

“Anyway, you can give up on that idea. I won’t admit to a single word you said, and I definitely won’t drink those

bottles!”

Gwendolyn couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m not here to negotiate with you today.” As soon as she finished speaking, she glanced at Elven.

Elven quickly placed a stack of photocopies in front of the three people. “Take a good look. Here we have Mrs.

Wright’s confession, the evidence of you hiring someone to buy the sleeping drugs from the black market, and a

timeline of the entire incident. Do you want to take this to the police and face a conviction, or do you want to

accept Ms. Shalders’ gift?”

The expressions of the three people changed dramatically.

Dexter was shocked and was unable to utter a word. He couldn’t believe that in such a short time, this woman had

already done a thorough investigation and found out so much information.

After all, he did pay the black-market hush money.

Cecelia said, “Oh, Hubby. You can’t go to jail! You’re the backbone of our family. If something happens to you, what

will Carol and I do?”

Carol also said, “Mom is right. Dad, you can’t go to jail! If you have a criminal record, how can I hold my head up in

front of my high-society friends? And no wealthy man would want to marry me. I won’t be able to get married,

Dad!”

Dexter was caught between a rock and a hard place. His eyes turned red as he looked at his wife and daughter.

“But making you two drink that torturous stuff every day breaks my heart too!”

Cecelia and Carol exchanged glances. “Why should we drink? You are the one who did wrong. Can’t you just choose

three bottles at once?”

Dexter was dumbfounded.