The Ex and Her Riches

Nico belatedly looked up, only to find a pair of bloodstained hands with slender fingers tightly gripping his wrist.

Maverick had woken up.

That was not all. He had also recovered most of his strength after receiving the 023 antidote injection earlier.

He lay on the chaise lounge and turned his head to look at Nico. A faint smile curled on his bloodstained lips as he chuckled and said, “I’m not going down so easily, so pull yourself together.”

“Boss!” Nico’s eyes flashed with shock and delight, but then he continued to cry, “You scared me to death! I really thought you were gone!”

Swain, who was considerably younger than Nico, had been scared witless, too.

At that moment, the two men burst into tears in front of Maverick, completely dispensing with their image. After a while, they started laughing with relief as tears continued to stream down their faces, making for a rather comical sight.

Maverick gently patted Nico’s shoulder, comforting him, “I was just exhausted. The S404 RNA virus caused my heart and pulse to go into temporary cessation, but I heard everything you said.”

“Then why didn’t you answer me?” Nico was furious and angrily pounded on Maverick’s arm.

Stupid boss! He made me cry like a baby! I completely humiliated myself!

Maverick furrowed his brows and let out a pained grunt.

“Sorry, sorry, I shouldn’t have hit you!” Nico looked distressed. To punish himself, he hit his own right arm with his left fist.

Maverick sat up and said, “All right, tell me what’s the deal with this suppressant.”

Nico wiped the tears from his face and turned to look at Swain.

Swain nodded, sniffed, and reported earnestly, “Professor Yancey was shocked to learn that you were infected with the S404 RNA virus. This suppressant cannot cure the disease, but it can temporarily inhibit the virus, thereby allowing the body to recover for a short period of time. The effects of the medication can last up to a week at most…”

One week. Maverick considered this. That means I can stay in Fairlake for another seven days at most.

Nico chimed in, “Boss, you must go back for treatment this time. Professor Yancey has already started working on the antidote, and they need you to return for blood tests. Don’t you want to recover and have a long and happy future with Ms. Shalders?”

Maverick pursed his lips and made no reply.

He had promised Gwendolyn to disappear from her world after a year, and she still had evidence of this in her phone. To stay by her side forever was no easy endeavor, and it required some forethought.

this and remembered the plan Swain had come up

suddenly felt someone tugging on his clothes. He

you doing?” Maverick

Yancey has provided a healing ointment for S404 burns. The

That makes sense.

his dark suit jacket, then proceeded to shrug off his blouse to reveal his perfectly-chiseled

lines of his muscular

ghastly shade of red even though it had been three days since the viral infection. At this point, the wound had already festered, and

could not help

using a towel, he first wiped the bloodstains off Maverick’s back, then used tweezers to remove

in a cold sweat, his

they had brought with them. “Boss, should I give you a sedative? This can hurt

023 antidote is working. I

choice but to grit his teeth and apply the ointment on

not remain idle, either, and seized the opportunity

caught a glimpse of several figures outside the

time. Then, his eyes widened

Maverick frowned. “So soon?”

again. “She came back here

choice but to speed up in applying the

just about to step through the iron gates

dramatically as he remembered something. “Oh, no! The bodyguards are still lying in the garden!

Bay Hill, her

Maverick ever since he rescued her

be estranged in the future. She would

not mean she was prepared to watch

way into the garden, only to stumble

and Justin were

villa been

examine the scene, and through his keen observation, he noticed

were all knocked out by tranquilizers,” he concluded

expression grew somber. Whoever did this had been able to make Elven and the other two put their guards down and lure them out of their hiding spots,

room first. Find a way to wake them up, then ask them what happened,”

the villa, headed up to the second floor, and pushed open Maverick’s bedroom

bed. He was

walk in, his eyes widened in surprise. He quickly fastened the last two buttons at his collar and asked, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be having

her breath. She was a little worn out from running all the