The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Chapter 163 Better To Rise As A Queen Than Be A Caged Pet

Maverick clutched his chest tightly, feeling uncomfortable because of the tightness in his chest.

Nico’s words really hurt his heart!

“You’ve been getting more and more unruly lately, acting on your own without my orders, and it sounds like you

have a favorable opinion of Charles?”

His whole body exuded a strong hostile aura as he coldly pushed Nico away and weakly pulled himself forward.

Nico’s face turned pale with fear, and he remorsefully slapped his own mouth twice for not being able to express

himself well.

It was all because he had never been in a relationship before and didn’t know how to comfort people. He hurriedly

trotted forward, continuing to hold Maverick steady while explaining himself, “Boss, it’s a misunderstanding! I came

here with William because I was worried about you. Besides, Mr. Newton— No! I mean Charles! How could I possibly

think highly of him? Of course, I have higher hopes for you, Boss.”

He leaned in close to Maverick’s ear and whispered, “Although Ms. Shalders was always picking on you, as the

saying goes, ‘sometimes harsh words or deeds can demonstrate one’s love.’ After all, she treats you differently

than the others. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll win her over?”

At last, he finally said something pleasant to the ear.

Maverick felt much more at ease.

Nico chuckled obsequiously, then caught a glimpse of the deep red pinch mark on Maverick’s left cheek and winced

slightly. “However, Ms. Shalders… she really didn’t hold back with her pinch.”

Maverick rubbed his face subconsciously, still feeling a lingering pain.

Again, he thought about Gwendolyn and Charles having a meal together and couldn’t help but wonder what they

would talk about. He remained displeased about this matter, and his expression quickly turned somber.

“Send two people to follow them and find out what they’re talking about.”

Nico’s face wore a horrified look, and he was on the verge of tears. “Boss, please spare me! No matter what,

Charles is still the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. His subordinates around him have top-notch

techniques in preventing eavesdropping and stalking.”

Maverick showed no expression.

At that, Nico pouted his lips and continued to persuade Maverick, “If we get caught, Ms. Shalders will find out, and it

won’t be easy for us to explain. Aren’t you afraid she’ll misunderstand you again? Wouldn’t it be better for us to

return to the villa and wait for her quietly?”

He let out a quiet sigh.

My boss is too stubborn. He acts like a complete fool, especially when it comes to his love life. What should I do?

After pondering for a moment, Maverick eventually compromised and asked, “Among the boys, is there anyone

with a rich relationship experience?”

Nico contemplated earnestly for a while.

“It seems that only Swain has been in a relationship before. However, he’s not in Fairlake; he’s in Salinsburgh.”

“Swain?” Maverick was stunned for a moment, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. “He’s the youngest, but he’s the first

to be in a relationship?”

Nico grinned sheepishly.

“Boss, you don’t understand. Despite his young age, he has high emotional intelligence and plenty of mischief in his

head. From what I’ve heard, his girl is completely smitten with him.”

Maverick fell silent for a moment, his deep black orbs narrowing slightly. “Once he’s done with his tasks over there,

ask him to meet me in Fairlake privately.”

“Yes, Boss.”

Charles had arranged for a well-furnished French restaurant, where he displayed his gentlemanly manners by

pulling out the chair for Gwendolyn and assisting her in ordering the dishes.

Gwendolyn’s expression remained indifferent as she elegantly sipped her water.

The man fixed his stare intently on her, his dark blue eyes sparkling with specks of light. “I remember that you

prefer a quiet dining environment, and I remember your taste preferences too. If there’s anything I haven’t taken

into account, just let me know.”

Gwendolyn nodded. “You are quite thoughtful.”

He softened his voice and continued, “Gwen, ever since my family arranged for me to join the Central Intelligence

Agency, seven years passed by in a flash, and we haven’t met since then. This time, I happened to be in Fairlake,

and Treyton told me you were at the police station. I rushed over immediately and, sure enough, I found you. It’s

great to see you again. I… I’ve missed you so much.”

Gwendolyn looked up and locked eyes with him, evoking a long-forgotten memory within her.

She smiled. “Indeed, it’s been seven years. You’ve even reached the position of the Central Intelligence Agency’s

director and are still standing strong. Congratulations, Mr. Newton.”

Charles turned pale.

Instead of “Charles,” she referred to him as “Mr. Newton” again.

“Gwen, have we grown distant?”

A faint smile remained on Gwendolyn’s face as she continued, “Mr. Newton, you must be joking. We’ve never been

that close.”

Charles’ eyes trembled, and he instinctively tried to grab her thin hand, but she noticed and dodged away.

“You won’t even let me touch you? I know you still hold a grudge against me for what happened in the past, but I

was so young back then, and I didn’t have a choice…”

“Mr. Newton,” Gwendolyn interrupted him, her expression turning grim when he brought up the past. “If you invited

me out today just to talk about these things, then this meal is completely unnecessary.”

“All right. Let’s not talk about these things.”

Charles sensibly kept quiet immediately.

Right then, the waiter arrived with the dishes, conveniently easing the tense atmosphere between the two.

Except for the sound of their knives and forks clattering, they remained very quiet.

It was Charles who broke the silence once again. “This time, I plan to stay in Fairlake for a while more. I heard from

Treyton that you’ve been gathering evidence lately. Don’t worry, I’ll help you out.”

“All right.”

Gwendolyn was not pretentious either.

This was a different matter. He had volunteered to help, and she had no reason to refuse.

Upon noticing her quick response, Charles was very happy.

Those deep, brilliant sapphire eyes were mesmerizing when they smiled.

As Charles elegantly cut a piece of beef, he casually asked, “I also heard that the man today is your ex-husband.

Did you sign an employment agreement with him and turned him into your butler?”

“Yes.” Gwendolyn spoke candidly.

Charles hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you still have any feelings for…”

Gwendolyn raised her eyes, her expression instantly turning cold. “This is my personal matter.”

“All right, I won’t ask any more questions. In any case, now that I’m here, I won’t let anyone bully you.”

Gwendolyn’s eyes revealed a hint of complexity as she glanced at the half-eaten beef on her plate. She smiled and

said, “People change. It’s been seven years, and you still remember my taste, but you don’t realize that my taste

has already changed a long time ago. Do you understand what I mean?”

Charles’ face stiffened.

How could he possibly not understand what she meant? Yet, he was unwilling to accept it.

It was just a mere seven years that has passed. Weren’t they reunited again?

Gwendolyn ate nonchalantly as she continued, “But you, on the other hand, haven’t changed at all. You were

always domineering, making decisions on my behalf, and you’re still the same today. However, I’m no longer that

naive little girl who used to follow you around and knew nothing.”

“Isn’t it desirable to be a bit domineering? Snuggling up in the arms of a strong man, being a pampered little

woman—isn’t that the happiness many girls in this world are pursuing?”

Gwendolyn simply smiled and didn’t refute.

Perhaps many girls were indeed like this.

However, she had never cared to be a man’s caged pet; she preferred to be her own queen.

As for men and such, as long as she had the money, she was willing to keep a few men as her caged birds.

Throughout the meal, Gwendolyn found her food to be bland and tasteless.

Upon leaving the restaurant, the weather outside had changed. The strong wind blew, bringing a cool sensation to

their faces.

Charles took off his military coat, ready to drape it over her shoulders.

Gwendolyn declined and said, “There’s no need for that. I’m not cold.”

Charles curved his lips into a smile and still draped the dark green fur coat over her shoulders, enveloping her

petite frame.

Gwendolyn’s eyebrows slightly furrowed, showing her displeasure.

It seems that he still doesn’t understand what I told him during the meal.

As she was about to speak again, Elisha suddenly approached and whispered in her ear, “Ms. Shalders, Mr. Harris

sent me to reach out to you. As you guessed, in these past few days, they’ve already sent three groups to hunt

down the released assassin. Unfortunately, one of them died during the escape, but we managed to save the other

one. He said he wants to meet you.”