The Ex and Her Riches

The crimson hues of the sunset outside retreated, giving way to the twilight.

The light atop the mountain gradually dimmed, and a chilly evening wind blew.

With an unperturbed demeanor, Charles stood unmoving on the mountaintop, bracing against the breeze.

The engine roars of five helicopters grew increasingly loud, deafening, and intimidating. Yet, Charles remained stationary, silently awaiting the helicopters to land.

Soon, the cabin door opened, and Cedrick, clad in a dark military coat and boots, descended the cabin stairs with a stern look on his face.

Almost instantly, the two men locked gazes from afar.

Immediately afterward, Nico also disembarked from the helicopter. He breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing Charles. Luckily he didn’t flee and obediently came to meet us. I suppose there is more to the situation than meets the eye. Thank goodness. I don’t have to endure punishment when we get back.

“Mr. Jenson, don’t you think this is a little over the top, leading over a dozen armed subordinates here? Others who don’t know better may think I’m a criminal.” Charles smirked.

Cedrick glared at Charles, not bothering to beat around the bush with the latter, and cut to the chase. “Is Gwendolyn here with you?”

Charles smiled faintly and corrected him halfheartedly. “This is not my territory. All I did was locate her.” Toward the end of his statement, he spoke in a knowing tone and arched his brow mischievously. “Cedrick, I got lucky this time, finding her before you did. If she chooses me this time, will you let go of her?”

Cedrick frowned with murderous intent and rage churning in his eyes.

Striding forward in his military boots, he angrily grabbed Charles’ shirt collar and uttered furiously, “If you dare covet her, I don’t mind giving you another taste of the unbearable life in a high-security prison.”

Charles met his gaze, and the two entered a stalemate for a few seconds before Charles gave in by flashing a smile. “I’m just kidding. Don’t take it seriously, Mr. Jenson. If I had genuinely wanted to possess Gwen, I would’ve destroyed all means of contact, cut all ties with all of you, and prepared a large sum of money to take her overseas to a less developed nation. Once we’re out of the country, even Federal Bureau of Investigation, with its mighty abilities, would find it challenging and time-consuming to track us down. Don’t you agree, Mr. Jenson?”

Cedrick narrowed his eyes and fell silent.

Seeing Charles voluntarily receiving the helicopters, he knew Charles didn’t have the guts to hide Gwendolyn.

be the director of Central Intelligence Agency. If he had truly wanted to go into

so Cedrick still thought poorly of

contacted me as soon as you found her and brought her back safely rather than keeping it a secret. Charles, I know exactly

Charles didn’t refute.

indeed had selfish intentions, wanting to

provided Gwendolyn was willing to

and intercepted by Federal Bureau of Investigation, and having to live as an absconder for the rest of his life. He wanted to gamble that once.

hint of disappointment flashing across his eyes, Charles said with a double entendre, “I wanted to bring her back, but I

his brows. “What do you

you see her.” Charles smirked again with an inscrutable, profound look in his eyes. Gwendolyn is different now. She’s reluctant to choose me, but I

rest of the armed personnel were ordered to stay put.

billowing smoke from a cooking fire rising from a simple tiled house a hundred meters away. Err… Have Gwendolyn and Charles been spending time alone in that

inside the humble house. He reached to his lower back and drew his sidearm in

the magazine, chambered a round, and pressed the muzzle against the

of cowering at the sight of the gun, he merely

threateningly through gritted teeth, “I’ll give you one last chance to come clean. Are you sure you didn’t do anything to Gwendolyn during the four

me. I didn’t get the chance to spend time alone with her. Hurry up and put away your gun. Hide

were other people in

significantly. He holstered his gun, hiding it behind his waist under his shirt. Then, he pulled his

the three men stood outside the courtyard

spotted a familiar slender figure sitting under the eaves on a low stool. She held a pea pod in her delicate, fair hands, carefully and gracefully picking out the green peas from inside. Due to her

bore a casual smile as she chatted leisurely with an older woman by the

up in his reddened eyes. I’ve finally found her, the woman I’ve

him, but the feelings quickly turned complicated. She’s not hurt, so why didn’t she come home? She didn’t contact me either. Is she planning to abandon her family? Is she casting

throughout his body, causing even

changes in Cedrick’s mood. He sighed