The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Missing? Gwendolyn was puzzled.

She furrowed her brow. “How could someone who was in prison just disappear like that?”

William shook his head. “She disappeared during the half-hour activity time after dinner yesterday. It was as if she

had evaporated from the face of the earth, leaving no trace behind.”

“No trace?” Gwendolyn chuckled and responded, “How could an adult just disappear into thin air? It’s impossible

not to find any leads. We must investigate thoroughly! Who has visited her recently? How long did they stay? We

need to examine every detail and not leave anything out!”

“Understood,” replied William.

“Hold on.” As William was about to leave, Gwendolyn called out to him. Looking very serious, she said, “Go and

check all the recent records of Noah’s visits.”

“Do you suspect…” Before William could finish speaking, Gwendolyn’s gaze grew colder and colder.

I hope I’m just overthinking it.

That afternoon, the rain poured heavily.

As sunset approached, the rain not only didn’t stop, but it grew even heavier.

The heavy rain splattered against the windowpane, making it appear as if the once unblemished glass was now

divided into a series of cracks.

The weather was terribly gloomy as if silently conveying something.

Gwendolyn stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the rain with a blank expression while her mind raced

with unknown thoughts.

William was busy the entire morning and afternoon, only returning to report to Gwendolyn as evening approached.

“Ms. Shalders, I’ve thoroughly checked all the records and found that in the past month and a half, only one person

has visited both Natasha and Noah separately.”

Gwendolyn’s face darkened. “Who?”

“It’s… Nico.” William handed her the documents respectfully and continued, “And not long ago, Noah disappeared

from prison for an hour. It’s said that he accidentally wandered into the freezer and was locked in by the staff

before they left, but…”

“But what?” Gwendolyn asked impatiently.

“When he was found, he was covered in blood and had numerous wounds. It seemed like he had been beaten with

something like a horsewhip or a similar object… And apparently, Noah and Nico are both under Mr. Wright’s

command,” William continued.

Gwendolyn furrowed her brows as she listened. “Why is this only being reported now?”

“It was thought to be just an accidental locking in the freezer at the time. Plus, he was only beaten up because he

had a feud with one of the gang leaders in prison. Since he wasn’t actually missing, everyone thought it wasn’t a big

issue.” William answered.

Where would the prison get whips like that? It’s obvious that he was taken out and then brought back! The meaning

of this is self-evident, Gwendolyn thought.

She suddenly recalled the unusual behavior of Maverick when they returned to Bay Villa yesterday afternoon.

Gwendolyn couldn’t help but suspect that he was deliberately stalling her, and perhaps he was afraid that she would

discover Natasha’s disappearance.

She checked the investigation form and found that Natasha had disappeared during that exact period.

The coincidence was too much to ignore.

Then when she returned to Bay Villa, Maverick had a look of joy on his face again.

Perhaps he was celebrating Natasha’s successful escape from prison.

Haha. I thought he had sincerely repented during this period of time, but it turns out that it was all to divert my

attention and save Natasha. All that talk about taking responsibility for one’s mistakes and facing the consequences

was just a load of crap, except when it comes to protecting Natasha, huh? It’s unreasonable! The more Gwendolyn

thought about it, the angrier she got, and she fiercely knocked over a stack of file folders on the edge of the table

onto the ground.

With a loud clatter, the entire room was left in disarray.

“Ms. Shalders…” William was taken aback as he witnessed Gwendolyn’s outburst for the first time, and he took two

steps back in fear.

Gwendolyn narrowed her eyes coldly. “Return to the villa!”

To prevent her from driving recklessly in her anger, William took on the role of the driver.

The rain was pouring down in torrents, creating a loud and distracting noise against the car window.

As the rain poured down relentlessly, Gwendolyn’s anger only grew worse, fueled by the unrelenting downpour.

When they arrived at the villa, William was about to grab an umbrella and help Gwendolyn out of the car, but he

saw that she had already gotten out on her own and walked under the rain into the garden.

William was shocked and hurriedly followed her. “Ms. Shalders! Let me hold the umbrella for you! You don’t want to

catch a cold!”

In the villa, Maverick was cooking in the kitchen when he suddenly heard William’s shout, catching him off guard.

Checking the time, Maverick realized that Gwendolyn had arrived home twenty minutes earlier than usual today. He

was delighted and washed his hands after cutting the vegetables before heading out to welcome her.

Stepping out of the kitchen, Maverick was greeted by the sight of Gwendolyn opening the door and entering the

villa, with her clothes and hair drenched in rain and her slender shoulders completely wet.

Maverick quickly went to the bathroom and grabbed a clean towel to help Gwendolyn dry herself. “Did you forget to

bring an umbrella? Why did you walk in the rain? It’s getting colder these days, so be careful not to catch a cold. I’ll

make you a bowl of soup later, okay?”

Not saying a word, Gwendolyn observed Maverick intently, her lips firmly pressed together.

As he spouts words of care for me, his face shows no traces of embarrassment. The affection and love in his eyes

are almost completely undisguised.

He’s trying to divert me and seek the opportunity to rescue Natasha. What a clever tactic! His acting is impressive!

Gwendolyn suppressed her anger and kept her thoughts to herself.

Noticing that Gwendolyn’s mood was progressively deteriorating, Maverick found it peculiar and asked, “Gwendolyn,

what’s wrong?”

Gwendolyn’s lips curled into a smile, but her eyes betrayed a sense of coldness. “There are too many fallen leaves

outside in the garden. You should go and sweep them up.”

Maverick glanced out the window subconsciously. “But it’s raining heavily outside…”

“Come back inside once you’re done sweeping.” Ignoring Maverick’s words, Gwendolyn turned and headed

upstairs.

Maverick sensed that something was off with Gwendolyn’s mood that night. Perhaps she was dealing with some sort

of frustrating situation and needed to vent to him.

He let out a helpless smile and went to the backyard to get a broom, then started sweeping the fallen leaves.

Just minutes after stepping out into the rain, he was completely drenched.

With o loud clotter, the entire room wos left in disorroy.

“Ms. Sholders…” Williom wos token obock os he witnessed Gwendolyn’s outburst for the first time, ond he took two

steps bock in feor.

Gwendolyn norrowed her eyes coldly. “Return to the villo!”

To prevent her from driving recklessly in her onger, Williom took on the role of the driver.

The roin wos pouring down in torrents, creoting o loud ond distrocting noise ogoinst the cor window.

As the roin poured down relentlessly, Gwendolyn’s onger only grew worse, fueled by the unrelenting downpour.

When they orrived ot the villo, Williom wos obout to grob on umbrello ond help Gwendolyn out of the cor, but he

sow thot she hod olreody gotten out on her own ond wolked under the roin into the gorden.

Williom wos shocked ond hurriedly followed her. “Ms. Sholders! Let me hold the umbrello for you! You don’t wont to

cotch o cold!”

In the villo, Moverick wos cooking in the kitchen when he suddenly heord Williom’s shout, cotching him off guord.

Checking the time, Moverick reolized thot Gwendolyn hod orrived home twenty minutes eorlier thon usuol todoy. He

wos delighted ond woshed his honds ofter cutting the vegetobles before heoding out to welcome her.

Stepping out of the kitchen, Moverick wos greeted by the sight of Gwendolyn opening the door ond entering the

villo, with her clothes ond hoir drenched in roin ond her slender shoulders completely wet.

Moverick quickly went to the bothroom ond grobbed o cleon towel to help Gwendolyn dry herself. “Did you forget to

bring on umbrello? Why did you wolk in the roin? It’s getting colder these doys, so be coreful not to cotch o cold. I’ll

moke you o bowl of soup loter, okoy?”

Not soying o word, Gwendolyn observed Moverick intently, her lips firmly pressed together.

As he spouts words of core for me, his foce shows no troces of emborrossment. The offection ond love in his eyes

ore olmost completely undisguised.

He’s trying to divert me ond seek the opportunity to rescue Notosho. Whot o clever toctic! His octing is impressive!

Gwendolyn suppressed her onger ond kept her thoughts to herself.

Noticing thot Gwendolyn’s mood wos progressively deterioroting, Moverick found it peculior ond osked, “Gwendolyn,

whot’s wrong?”

Gwendolyn’s lips curled into o smile, but her eyes betroyed o sense of coldness. “There ore too mony follen leoves

outside in the gorden. You should go ond sweep them up.”

Moverick glonced out the window subconsciously. “But it’s roining heovily outside…”

“Come bock inside once you’re done sweeping.” Ignoring Moverick’s words, Gwendolyn turned ond heoded

upstoirs.

Moverick sensed thot something wos off with Gwendolyn’s mood thot night. Perhops she wos deoling with some sort

of frustroting situotion ond needed to vent to him.

He let out o helpless smile ond went to the bockyord to get o broom, then storted sweeping the follen leoves.

Just minutes ofter stepping out into the roin, he wos completely drenched.

With winter approaching, the leaves were falling in abundance, especially after heavy rains. The leaves fell

indiscriminately, making it nearly impossible to sweep them all up.

Gwendolyn stood by the window on the third floor, lost in thought and feeling numb. If Maverick really loves

Natasha, he should have rescued her from prison right from the beginning. We could have been enemies from the

start, confronting each other directly. I can accept that he doesn’t love me or even hates me, but he shouldn’t have

deceived me while using the pretext of paying off his debts through loving me. That’s utterly shameless!

Gwendolyn clenched her fists tightly, with a wave of raging anger burning inside her heart.

Elven was called into the room by her, and they stood together by the window to watch Maverick sweeping the

fallen leaves in the garden.

Without waiting for Gwendolyn to speak, Elven expressed her concern. “Ms. Shalders, Mr. Wright was injured in the

waist yesterday, and this rain is too cold. Will he be able to endure it for long, given his physical condition?”

Gwendolyn stared at the person in the garden and sneered, “Does he look like he has a waist injury to you?”

“Ms. Shalders, what do you mean?” Elven was puzzled.

Without answering, Gwendolyn continued to ask, “Did you see his injury when he was hurt yesterday?”

After considering it for a moment, Elven replied truthfully, “No. Mr. Wright summoned me into the room, and when I

arrived, he was already in the middle of wrapping the bandage around it. There was some blood seeping through,

but it couldn’t have been a fake wound… Could it?”

Could it? Gwendolyn wondered.

“Let him endure another hour in the rain. If he still can’t sweep the leaves clean, then let him come inside,” she

instructed.

“Understood,” Elven responded.

The rain was pouring down heavily, causing low visibility.

Despite keeping his head down, Maverick could sense that someone had been staring at him intently for quite some

time.

It’s probably Gwendolyn.

However, she felt like a stranger to him that day. Her demeanor was colder than ever before.

He wondered if Gwendolyn had discovered his role in Sherman’s disappearance.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize that he had obediently been sweeping the fallen leaves outside for an hour.

It wasn’t until Elven went out and called him to go to Gwendolyn’s room to talk that he snapped out of his reverie

and returned the broom to the backyard.

Before entering the house, he halted in his tracks.

He was dripping wet and didn’t want to dirty the freshly mopped floor, let alone Gwendolyn’s room.

Therefore, he decided to stand at the doorway and wring the water stains out of his clothes and pants before

entering. Then, he used the towel Gwendolyn had just used to wipe herself at the doorway to roughly dry his hair.

He looked as if he had just taken a shower, with his short hair looking neat and clean. His white shirt clung tightly to

his body, revealing his muscular abs. However, due to the rain, his lips appeared slightly pale, and he looked a bit

sickly and fragile.

Elven stood quietly by the side, watching.

Seeing how the man had tidied up every detail of his appearance, Elven couldn’t help but sigh quietly.

I’m afraid he doesn’t know what’s awaiting him inside.