The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Chapter 480 The Gulf Between Us Is Unbridgeable

The endless pressure being applied triggered a sense of suffocation in Craig.

His fists alternated between clenching and releasing as the rage within him swelled to its brim.

All the physical punishments that Cedrick had meted out were exercises used during training. Other than the coffee

cup thrown earlier, he had not laid a finger on Craig.

Hence, even if Craig wanted to report Cedrick to their superiors, he had no reasonable excuse to do so.

With that thought in mind, Cedrick calmly tapped on the table and reminded, “You still have fifteen seconds to

decide. Take your time.”

The words sent a shiver down Craig’s spine, vanquishing the thoughts that were previously cycling through his

mind.

Without a moment’s delay, he hurried toward a spot two steps away from the wall. Teeth gritted, he took a deep

breath and pushed himself upright with his hands.

When Cedrick mentioned for it to be done near the wall, he clearly didn’t mean for Craig to lean against it.

Thus, the latter had to support the weight of his entire body with his hands alone.

Although his back was facing the wall, it only acted as a temporary cushion in case he fell down.

This exercise was particularly strenuous due to its technical difficulty, and the fact that Craig was already drained

made it worse for him.

At the two–minute mark, his arms were already trembling uncontrollably.

Thus, he felt as if thirty minutes could potentially torment the life out of him.

Many years had passed since he was reduced to such a pathetic state.

He would never forget the humiliation he suffered and swore to seek revenge one day.

Observing him from a distance, Cedrick could clearly see Craig’s trembling arms.

He then took a sip of coffee before remarking, “Craig, the years I spent away in Fairlake was supposed to be an

opportunity for you to demonstrate your capabilities. Instead, you became full of yourself to the extent of trying to

overthrow me.”

Enduring the massive discomfort he felt, Craig eked out a few words through his gritted teeth. “You must be

kidding, Mr. Jenson. I wouldn’t dare.”

Cedrick let out a snort before pinching his forehead languidly. “You were someone that I have personally groomed

to become deputy director. Therefore, I know better than anyone else how truly ambitious you are. Unfortunately,

you have lost your initial idealism and have become someone I barely recognize.”

Ever since Craig became the head of the Newton family, the power to order everyone around and have them obey

him unconditionally caused him to be intoxicated by power. From then on, his ambition began to grow as he craved

more of it.

Craig was aware of the change within him, yet he didn’t see anything wrong with it, let alone have any

intention of changing.

“Please, Mr. Jenson. I have not changed. You have to reconsider the matter.”

Having used the last of his energy to speak, Craig felt his body tilt toward the back. However, he swiftly bounced

back off the wall to recover his previous position.

In no mood to hear Craig’s excuses, Cedrick continued solemnly, “Do you feel tired? As if your arms are going to

break and you can no longer hold on?”

In spite of Craig’s silence, that was precisely what he was experiencing.

Cedrick added, “When I was trained by my master back in the day, what I had to go through was even more

grueling than this. In fact, I felt like I was going to die. But the truth is, man’s potential is limitless. When faced with

overwhelming pressure, even the proudest of us have no choice but to submit. Moreover, despite knowing that one

is incapable of withstanding the punishment for failure, one would still give one’s all just to endure it. Craig, the gulf

between us is just unbridgeable.”

Craig was slightly stunned by the words even though he didn’t know what Cedrick was trying to convey. Cedrick has

never lectured me about life. Has he gotten carried away from punishing me that he can’t help reminiscing about

his past? Craig wondered in silence.

Staring at the man, Cedrick spoke in a cruel and icy tone. “If you’re unable to keep this up for thirty minutes, it

means that your physical body is too weak. I’ll have no choice but to report it and request that you be sent back to

training camp for three months. Upon your departure, the position of deputy director will be left vacant, and I

intend to let Nico fill it temporarily. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?”

Nico taking over the role might be temporary on the surface, but once he actually did, there was no way Craig

would be reinstated.

As he felt a chill down his spine, Craig bit down on his cracked lips, leaving a bloody print. He then channeled the

anger within him to steady his shaking arms.

“Such an arrangement isn’t necessary, Mr. Jenson. I can still keep this up.”

Cedrick snorted in laughter. “I’m glad to hear that.”

Half an hour passed quickly for Cedrick as he went through his work.

Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for the hand–standing Craig. Every second felt like an eternity to him. All

he could do was focus on maintaining his balance and nothing else.

Half an hour later, the timer began to ring.

Coincidentally, it also signaled the end of the work day.

Amidst a groan of relief, Craig collapsed to the ground, unable to get back to his feet.

With his eyelashes drenched in sweat, he was so exhausted that he couldn’t even open

his

eyes.

At the same time, Cedrick had finished notating the last document with his red pen.

After turning off the heater, he slowly walked up to Craig. “You have managed to pass the test by a whisker. Now,

clean up the floor before you leave.”

“Mr. Jenson,” Craig called out softly upon collecting himself, “can I-”

As if he could read Craig’s mind, Cedrick rejected him outright. “No. That said, if you don’t mind

in the bureau learning of your punishment here, you’re welcome to get someone else to clean it up. Even if you

can’t stand on your feet, I’m sure you can still crawl on your knees. I won’t let anyone enter to disrupt your work.

Now, whether you want to keep the last of your self–respect is entirely up to you.”

everyone

Cedrick stared quietly at Craig with a merciless look in his eyes.

“Understood…”

Upon hearing Craig’s answer, Cedrick put on his uniform before heading for the door.

After taking just a few steps, he turned around and warned, “You had better not have done anything to Jennifer

during her imprisonment. Otherwise, I’ll definitely make you pay.”

The quivering Craig kept mum.

Thereafter, Cedrick let out a snort before leaving the office.

Once he was gone, Craig finally struggled to look up. When he was greeted by the sign on the table with the word

“Director” embossed in gold, his fists clenched subconsciously.

By then, the overwhelming hatred within him was no longer concealable.

Nevertheless, after taking a short break, he resigned himself to getting back on his feet.

Unfortunately, his legs were so tired that the best he could do was crawl on his knees. Under such conditions, he

began to clean the sweat and coffee stains off the floor before gathering the shattered piece’s of the coffee mug.

Once he was done, he called for his close subordinates to carry him back to his office. There, he washed up and got

a change of clothes before returning to xo.com fast updatethe Newton residence.

Meanwhile, Cedrick returned to Harrick Villa to find it crowded with people.

Treyton, Nico, and Summer were there. Sitting on the couch, all of them wore silent yet solemn expressions, as if

they were waiting for Cedrick to chair a meeting of some kind.

Walking over to join them, Cedrick took a seat beside Gwendolyn.

With no care for those present, he threaded his hand around Gwendolyn’s waist, looking for a hug.

However, Gwendolyn slapped his hand away and reprimanded softly, “Keep your hands to yourself. Everyone is

staring.”

Although his wrist had turned red from the slap, Cedrick refused to let go. Instead, he tightened his grip around her

waist and lamented, “I’ve not seen you the entire day, and it sucks.”