The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

The logistics department remained calm the entire afternoon.

The employees diligently concentrated on their tasks, rarely engaging in gossip or idle chatter among themselves.

Surprisingly, no one made any mention of the mouse incident that had occurred earlier that morning. The

atmosphere was peculiar, with everyone fully immersed in their work.

After cleaning the lab restroom, Charles got off work and drove to his company.

He had contemplated heading straight home, but then the thought crossed his mind that Whitney might be

unfamiliar with the way back home, so he made the decision to go back to the office.

However, he decided against heading to the logistics department that day. He reasoned that frequent visits to the

department might raise suspicions and potentially create unnecessary complications.

He parked his car in the underground parking lot.

Feeling the heat, he rolled down the car window and proceeded to roll up his sleeves. Sensing the discomfort, he

loosened his tie and unfastened the top two buttons of his shirt, allowing his collarbone to be partially exposed.

As he waited, he leisurely lit up a cigarette. Not feeling any rush, he refrained from urging Whitney to finish work

quickly and instead patiently awaited her arrival, adopting the demeanor of a caring husband waiting to drive his

wife home.

Meanwhile, Lana left work punctually, having completed her tasks ahead of schedule.

Recently, she bought a second-hand car. Taking a moment to check her appearance in the elevator and touch up

her lipstick, she arrived at the basement, where the underground parking lot was located.

As she approached her car, her attention was captured by a sight that made her pause in awe. Parked beside her

was a sleek, limited edition black Bentley.

The luxurious vehicle exuded an air of opulence and unmistakable value. Her own car, worth a mere one hundred

thousand, paled in comparison.

Envy flickered in Lana’s eyes as she gazed longingly at the remarkable car.

There are many higher-ups in Newton Group, but only a handful of them can afford to buy a limited-edition car.

Could Mr. Newton be inside this car?

Delight shone on her face as she went around the back of her car.

In the driver’s seat of the Bentley, a man sat smoking, his arm casually resting on the edge of the window. The

striking watch adorning his wrist was a testament to his influence and status.

Lana grew so nervous that her heart began to race. It took several seconds for her to calm down before heading

toward the car.

She approached the driver’s side of the luxurious car and leaned down, intentionally lowering her shirt to reveal a

hint of her cleavage.

With an alluring tilt of her head and a charming smile, she feigned an expression of pleasant surprise.

“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Newton. Fancy running into you at the underground parking lot. I’m honored to be in your

presence!”

Charles puffed out smoke and grunted in acknowledgment. He didn’t react or spare her a look.

Lana was speechless. Is that all? Won’t he say something?

Feeling awkward, she offered a shy smile and introduced herself in a soft, timid voice, “Do you happen to

remember me, Mr. Newton? I’m Lana Anfield from the logistics department. You reprimanded me yesterday for

making a mistake.”

“Lana Anfield?” Charles frowned. “I don’t know who you are.”

He only remembered reprimanding Whitney yesterday afternoon for no reason.

Lana felt utterly embarrassed.

Struggling with her social skills, she mustered a forced smile. “With so many ordinary employees in the company,

it’s understandable if you don’t remember me. Perhaps we’ll have an opportunity to get acquainted in the future.”

Charles’ expression turned icy. He was clearly displeased.

The presence of Lana felt akin to an annoying mosquito buzzing incessantly around him, creating an unwelcome

distraction that he found quite bothersome.

Turning around slowly, he looked at Lana without any expression on his face. “You should head home after work.

Stop bothering me.”

Lana’s smile froze.

He’s indeed as bad-tempered as the rumors claim.

Refusing to give up, she placed a hand on her chest and said anxiously, “I apologize for the interruption, Mr.

Newton, but I’m experiencing a problem with my car. It unexpectedly failed to start. Would it be possible for you to

give me a ride?”

As she spoke, Lana could feel her heart pounding rapidly in her chest.

“No. I’m a germaphobe,” Charles replied without hesitation.

Is he saying I’m filthy?

Despite the slight blush tinting the tips of her ears, Lana persisted, her determination unwavering. “Mr. Newton,

would you mind taking a look at my car? I’m a new driver and I purchased it just a few months ago. I’m not sure

why the engine suddenly failed to start.”

There was a hint of impatience in Charles’ voice as he replied, “If there’s a problem with your car, you should go to

the car dealership.”

His rejection was curt and clear.

Lana was close to tears as she was nervous and didn’t expect Charles to be difficult.

Her voice was soft as she pleaded, “Mr. Newton… please help me out. I bought a second-hand car, so the car

dealership won’t help me. I tried calling them but they didn’t pick up. I’m out of ideas.”

Charles was growing irritated.

He narrowed his eyes and glanced at his watch.

They both work in the logistics department, so Whitney should be coming soon.

Charles didn’t want his employees to see Whitney getting into his car. He could only swiftly dismiss this persistent

woman.

He opened the door and stepped out of his car. “Where is your car?”

Lana’s heart was filled with surprise as she pointed to her car, her finger trembling slightly. “It’s parked right next to

your car.”

“Give me the car keys.”

“Oh, okay,” Lana responded, appearing somewhat dazed. She quickly retrieved her car keys and gave them to him.

When he went over to her car, Lana pulled out her phone secretly and took a photo of him unlocking her car.

When he went over to her car, Lana pulled out her phone secretly and took a photo of him unlocking her car.

Click!

The shutter sound was clear in the quiet parking lot.

She even forgot to turn off the flash.

At once, Charles gripped her wrist and glared at her in an intimidating manner.

Lana was spooked by his glare.

“M-Mr. Newton…”

“Delete the photo.”

“What are you talking about?” Lana lowered her gaze guiltily and feigned ignorance.

Charles’ expression was cold as he applied more force and pinned her hand to the window. His tone was menacing

as he repeated, “I said, delete the photo.”

“Okay…”

He was too intimidating, and Lana had no choice but to do as told.

As her wrist was being pinned down, it was quite hard for her to delete the photo with one hand. It took her quite

some time to get it done.

Right then, Whitney approached the scene from the elevator just as Charles and Lana were tangled in front of the

car.

From a distance, she recognized Charles’ unmistakable figure standing in close proximity to another woman.

She instinctively hid herself and stopped walking.

Meanwhile, Lana had already deleted the photo. She held up the device, showing it to Charles. “Mr. Newton, please

don’t be angry. I’ve deleted the photo. It was my first time being in such close proximity to you, and I—”

“Don’t attempt to employ such despicable tricks on me,” Charles interjected sternly. “I have no tolerance for

employees with hidden agendas. If you cannot dedicate yourself to your work, then leave the company.”

He shoved her hand away with a disgusted expression.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t do that on purpose. Please don’t hate me.”

Charles sneered as he lifted the car keys and pressed the unlock button.

The headlights blinked twice in response.

He pressed the quick ignition button on the key, causing the engine to burst to life with a commanding roar.

“So, your car engine conveniently failed to start, huh? I’ve seen this trick countless times in the past. If this happens

again, you won’t find employment with any of Newton Group’s subsidiaries.”

Lana gave a polite bow. “Please forgive me.”

Charles tossed the car keys back to her coolly. “Get the hell out of here.”

“Right away.”

Tears welled up in Lana’s eyes as she felt overwhelming humiliation wash over her. Without wasting a moment, she

hurriedly retreated to her car and drove away from the parking lot as swiftly as she could.

Charles calmly returned to his car and wiped his hands clean with a piece of wet tissue.

He was busy cleaning his hands when the passenger seat door swung open.

Whitney eased herself in and fastened her seatbelt. Her head was lowered, shielding her emotions.

Charles glanced at her and scoffed, “Why are you so slow in getting off work? Are you a tortoise?”