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.

body, it seemed as if he was impervious

her gaze unconsciously shifting to the center

into turmoil, and despite everything, she couldn’t bring herself to

a ferocious kick on his shoulders and threw the leather

those words, Gwendolyn lifted the quilt and, with her back turned to Maverick, nestled

staggered slightly from

his belt, then rose to retrieve

the bandage had been removed, he refrained from wearing the clothes directly to avoid soiling them. Instead,

beheld Gwendolyn lying on her side on the bed, her back facing him. She hadn’t even changed her attire; how could

your coat. It won’t

and replied, “I

bed, his gaze

head. Suddenly, she sat up abruptly, her face inflated with irritation. Seizing the pillow next to

“Get out!”

it steadily and placed it on the dressing table for

grabbed another pillow and threw

once again, and a gentle smile

the bedside table—tissue boxes,

the man caught each item effortlessly, never missing a beat. He then helped her place them

faint smile on his

in Gwendolyn’s eyes, it felt like

any moment. She searched on the bedside table for a while but found nothing. When she looked down, she realized that she had already thrown everything away, except for the table

she extended her hand of guilt toward the table lamp. The lamp was still plugged in, yet instead of disconnecting the power first, she

hands in surrender, saying, “Stop! I was

him fiercely until he closed the door and vanished from her sight. Only then did she place the table lamp back in its original

got out of bed, retrieved her pillow, and took several deep breaths to calm herself before heading to the

long, the

remained silent, not uttering a single word. Regardless

right after finishing her

over to Maverick, so all she had to do was await the

at the office, Gwendolyn first made a phone call

name of the potion that Maverick mentioned last night

response was essentially

from Shadow Bell once again and searched for images of skin damage caused by the