The Ex and Her Riches

Maverick gazed up at her, a flattering smile playing at his thin lips.

Gwendolyn cast a deep, meaningful glance at the man.

Indeed, he was due to be taught a lesson that night, and Gwendolyn’s anger simply would not subside until the man was crying and pleading for mercy.

She extended her hand toward him. “Belt.”

Without hesitation, Maverick swiftly unfasted the metal buckle and obediently handed the belt to her. Then, he turned around and faced away from the woman.

Gwendolyn felt a shiver course through her entire being. She folded the belt in half, her eyes glinting with resolution and intensity. Lifting the belt high into the air, she readied herself to strike the wounded back before her.

However, before she could swing the belt in her hand, her gaze involuntarily landed on the palm-sized burn on the man’s back.

The vividly crimson flesh and the gruesome wound provoked unease. It was so strikingly conspicuous that it was hard to ignore.

Besides, he’d sustained the injury by shielding her. Otherwise, it would be her face that was bearing such agony.

As Gwendolyn pondered on this, she experienced a surge of conflicting emotions. It felt as though an unseen force held her wrist, preventing her from lowering it no matter what.

She released a silent sigh and seemed to have deflated all of a sudden, for she realized, much to her vexation, that she actually started to feel sorry for him.

This feeling made Gwendolyn very unhappy.

The three years she had spent in the Wright residence were akin to enduring a living hell, devoid of any semblance of warmth. Following the divorce, she had observed some changes in Maverick and his growing sincerity. It would be disingenuous if she said she remained unmoved.

Nevertheless, Gwendolyn refused to tread upon that familiar path again.

No matter how much she attempted to sever the ties between him and herself, in the end, she would be the one to wind up hurt.

At that thought, she tightened her grip on the belt, trembling as though she had made a momentous decision.

Maverick remained motionless, not uttering a single word nor furrowing his brows.

tensing of his muscles throughout his body, it seemed as if

examined the red mark she had inflicted, her gaze unconsciously shifting to the center of his back, where the bloody, blurred wound pained

despite everything, she couldn’t bring herself

a ferocious kick on his shoulders and threw the leather belt back at him. “Hurry up and get lost. I’m exhausted, so

those words, Gwendolyn lifted the quilt and, with

staggered

his belt, then rose to retrieve the shirt

removed, he refrained from wearing the clothes directly to

the bed, her back facing him. She hadn’t even changed her attire; how could she possibly appear as though she was

your coat. It won’t be comfortable to sleep

secretly clenched her teeth and replied, “I don’t care. Just go

stationary at the foot of her bed, his gaze fixed on her the entire

of anger rushing to her head. Suddenly, she sat up abruptly, her face inflated with irritation. Seizing the pillow next to her, she hurled it

“Get out!”

steadily and placed it on the dressing table for

then grabbed another pillow

it once again, and a gentle smile hung on

the bedside table—tissue boxes, ornaments, books,

the man caught each item effortlessly, never missing a beat. He then

his face brimmed with

in Gwendolyn’s eyes, it felt

burst at any moment. She searched on the bedside table for a while but found nothing. When she looked down,

hand of guilt toward the table lamp. The lamp was still plugged in, yet instead of disconnecting

raised both hands in surrender, saying, “Stop! I was wrong. I’ll leave

him fiercely until he closed the door and vanished from her sight. Only then did she place

she quietly got out of bed, retrieved her pillow, and took several deep breaths to calm

long, the next morning

silent, not uttering a single word. Regardless of what Maverick said,

to Angle right after finishing her breakfast in

to Maverick, so all she had to do was await

the office, Gwendolyn first made a phone call to her

the name of the potion that Maverick

essentially the same

for images of skin damage caused by the potent S40 strong corrosive potion. Since