Chapter 171

Gwendolyn had known Maverick for so long. Although he had put on the pitiful act a few times before,
this was the first time Gwendolyn had seen him sniffling like an actual child.

Is he genuinely sad?

She sighed helplessly, her tone softening a bit. “We agreed to put on a show. Did you get emotionally
involved?”

Maverick remained silent with his eyes lowered. Within those dark pupils, there was a hint of
vulnerability.

He was indeed emotionally involved, deeply immersed, and completely captivated.

In the end, he was left battered and bruised by the harsh reality, his heart aching intensely.

Gwendolyn didn’t have much to say; she knew that staying alert from beginning to end was the only
way to avoid losing her rationality.

Acting was just acting; the fake could never become real. She had always been able to distinguish
between the two clearly.

He wants me to coax him? Impossible.

Moreover, Gwendolyn couldn’t come up with any comforting words to say.

She turned around to leave decisively. Her tone regained its coldness as she urged, “Hurry up and get
to work. I’m going to sleep.”

Just as she took a step forward, Maverick gripped her wrist from behind.

With a weary expression on her face, she said, “Let go. I’m tired.” She just wanted to sleep.



However, Maverick did not budge, his reddened eyes gazing at her with immense grievance.

“Gwendolyn… Can you occasionally show some concern and consider my feelings too? After all, a
wounded heart will eventually ache.”

There was a touch of imploration in his deep, quivering voice. His Adam’s apple moved gently, and he
held her wrist with force.

Gwendolyn’s back stiffened as she stood still.

Of course, a wounded heart would ache, but these words felt strange coming from Maverick’s mouth.

She retorted, “How ridiculous. It’s natural for someone to choose to let go after feeling totally
heartbroken and utterly disappointed. I’ve experienced that pain before, too. If it hurts so much, you
should let go sooner. The words I said to Charles today were also for you.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she pried Maverick’s hand off and entered the villa without looking
back.

But this time, she didn’t close the door. Maverick watched her figure as she climbed up to the third floor,
eventually disappearing around the corner.

Gwendolyn was right. Once upon a time, she too had her sincere feelings hurt by him.

Now, he was merely experiencing the pain she once endured.

He deserved it.

Maverick didn’t waste any more time. He went to the backyard, grabbed a broom, and carefully swept
up all the fallen leaves in the garden.

The late autumn night was bitingly cold.



Maverick wore only a thin white shirt, his face pale. Even when he was holding a wooden broom and
doing a mundane task, he exuded an air of nobility and dignity.

In the room on the third floor, Gwendolyn did not turn on the lights.

She stood quietly behind the window and watched him with icy eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

After a few minutes, she indifferently withdrew her gaze and went to sleep.

Maverick continued sweeping until two in the morning and finally cleaned the yard thoroughly.

As expected, after being exposed to the cold wind for several hours, wearing only a thin layer of
clothing, he caught a cold the next day.

Gwendolyn woke up to the sound of coughing coming from downstairs.

After freshening up and putting on her makeup, she went downstairs and immediately saw a tall figure
bustling in and out of the kitchen. On the table was a spread of freshly-made breakfast.

Knowing that it was time for Gwendolyn to wake up, Maverick covered his lips with his fist every time
he coughed, trying to keep it as quiet as possible.

Gwendolyn stood in the stairwell for a while and watched his every little move. She pressed her red lips
together and, without a word, quietly descended the stairs.

Upon hearing footsteps, Maverick turned around and saw Gwendolyn in a black velvet long-sleeved top
and a snowy white tulle skirt. Her thin shoulders appeared quite delicate.

He hurriedly grabbed the trench coat from the coat rack by the door and helped her put it on.

“The weather has turned chilly, so even when you’re indoors, make sure to keep warm. You have a
great figure, so you’ll still look good with an extra layer of clothes on you,” he said.



Gwendolyn did not refuse. Instead, she lifted her head to observe Maverick.

He was carefully helping her put on the trench coat. In spite of the calm look in his dark eyes, he looked
visibly sick, and his handsome face and lips lacked color.

“If you’re sick, take a day off and rest. There’s no need to force yourself to go to Wright Construction
Group.”

Maverick stopped adjusting her collar. Following a second of hesitation, he responded, “All right.”

After putting on her coat, he pulled out a chair for her. Gwendolyn walked straight over and sat down,
silently eating her breakfast.

She was halfway through her meal when the yard outside became lively. It was the sound of laughter
from a few bodyguards.

Elven’s and Ezra’s knife wounds had almost healed, so they were discharged from the hospital that
day. As for Justin, the newcomer, he had also recovered aside from some remaining bruises on his
face.

When Gwendolyn let them in, the three of them stood in the empty space of the living room.

They had similar height, with well-built physiques, long legs, and narrow waists. Justin, in particular,
had slightly tanner skin than the other two. In general, they were quite pleasing to the eye.

Gwendolyn took a sip of oatmeal and smiled contentedly. “This is great. Everyone’s back here, so it’s
going to be lively from now on.”

Maverick stood silently to the side, carefully sizing up the bodyguards one by one before his gaze
paused on Justin’s face.



He furrowed his brows and asked, “Who are you?”

With his head lowered, Justin calmly replied, “Mr. Wright, I am Ms. Shalders’ new bodyguard, Justin
Harris.”

Maverick still had some impression of the incident that day on Crane Bridge. He couldn’t help but stare
at Justin’s face cautiously as he found it familiar.

Upon finishing her meal, Gwendolyn gracefully wiped her mouth with a napkin and calmly stated the
day’s schedule. “Ezra and Justin will come with me to the company, while the other three will stay
behind to guard the villa.”

“Yes, Ms. Shalders,” they responded in unison.

With that, Gwendolyn left for Wright Construction Group. Maverick, on the other hand, did not idle
around even though he was given a day off.

Just because he didn’t have to go to the office didn’t mean he didn’t have to do the housework.

He took two pills of cold medicine and busied himself. During mid-afternoon, he suddenly heard two
crisp bird calls that carried a distinct secret code.

It was Nico again.

Maverick walked downstairs to the living room. As soon as he opened the door, he saw Nico
swaggering over from the yard once again. Behind Nico was Swain, who had just arrived from
Salinsburgh.

Maverick looked at Nico helplessly.



How come he’s treating Bay Villa as if it’s his own home, freely coming and going as he pleases? How
did he get so close to the Harris family’s bodyguards in such a short time?

As Maverick was deep in thought, Nico approached him with a grin. The moment Nico noticed the
former’s pale and weak appearance, his expression turned serious. “Boss, it’s only been a few days
since we last met. How come you look so sickly and frail?”

Maverick’s eyes darkened, and he ground his back teeth together. “I’m doing just fine,” he asserted.

Realizing he had misspoken, Nico quickly hit his mouth twice and apologized with a smile. “I brought
Swain over. Boss, why don’t you have a chat with him? I’ll deal with those bodyguards from the Harris
family. I promise they won’t eavesdrop or pass on any messages.”

Hearing that, Maverick shot him a warning glance.

Nico understood immediately and raised his right hand. “I promise not to use force. I’ll talk it out with
them nicely.”

It was only then that Maverick looked away and led Swain to the room on the second floor. After closing
the window, he sat down on the armchair beside the bed with an icy demeanor.

Swain obediently stood upright in front of Maverick. Noting the latter’s solemn countenance, he quickly
asked, “Boss, is there something important that requires me to go on a mission?”

Maverick gently touched his wristwatch. The words were at the tip of his tongue, but he could not bring
himself to speak them out loud. His eyes were dark, and a troubled look marred his face.

Seeing that, Swain couldn’t help but put on a stern expression as well.

The next second, Maverick inquired, “How did you… win over your wife before?”



“Huh?” Swain’s eyes momentarily widened.

What kind of strange question is this?

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Novel The Ex and Her Riches has been published to Chapter 171 with new, unexpected details. It
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