The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Chapter 174 Something Is Off

“Are you… Jasmine?” Gwendolyn asked with uncertainty after searching through her memories.

Upon seeing that the woman still remembered her, Jasmine Newton approached Gwendolyn with joy and held the

latter’s arm.

“Gwendolyn, you look so beautiful! It’s been so many years since we last met. Did you miss me? Charles told me

you were in Fairlake, so I couldn’t wait any longer and came over to visit you right away.”

Jasmine and Charles were half-siblings. The former was the seventh child of the family and the youngest daughter,

a trait which she shared with Gwendolyn, though the woman was three years older. Since childhood, Jasmine had

always been clingy toward Gwendolyn. She had an innocent and pure personality, though she sometimes behaved

like an arrogant little princess.

Gwendolyn’s lips curled into a smile as she tapped the tip of Jasmine’s nose, teasing the latter, “You’re all grown up,

but you’re still as clingy as ever.”

Jasmine swayed their connected arms softly and gently. “Gwendolyn, you’re teasing me. I act in such a way

because I like you. I wouldn’t let anyone else touch me like this. I finally got to go on a long trip this time, so you’d

better make sure to have fun with me.”

At that, a thought crossed Gwendolyn’s mind. Have fun with her? Won’t this kiddo merely add to my troubles?

“Gwen, I received an urgent matter from the Central Intelligence Agency this morning, and it’s something I have to

attend to. Jasmine secretly came over. I’ll be leaving Fairlake first thing tomorrow morning, so I’ll leave her in your

care,” Charles added just then.

Gwendolyn could not help but furrow her brows slightly.

Just as she was about to refuse, Jasmine playfully rested her head on Gwendolyn’s arm, putting on a cutesy act.

“Gwendolyn, I haven’t seen your house in Fairlake yet. Please let me stay with you for half a month. I promise I

won’t cause any trouble.”

How could I let her stay with me for half a month? This little kiddo will drive me crazy. “Three days at most,” said

Gwendolyn in response.

“Fine, three days it is!” Jasmine pouted, deciding she would just rent a small place to stay by herself if she needed

to.

Outside, one could hear the vague sound of a bar’s bustling dance floor.

Having gotten herself a temporary place to stay, Jasmine enthusiastically extended an invitation to Gwendolyn.

“Gwendolyn, come with me to the dance floor outside. I’m usually stuck at home, and my parents are very strict on

me. This is my first time at a bar.”

Going outside?

Gwendolyn recalled the man in the suit she had bumped into in the alleyway earlier, and suspicion began welling up

in her heart.

She subconsciously glanced at Charles beside her.

The man was pouring himself a drink without a word. His side profile sufficiently showcased his well-defined and

exquisite facial features. His deep sapphire eyes were enchanting, though devoid of any emotions.

On the other hand, Jasmine continued to put on her cute and childish act, her expression innocent and adorable.

If she were hiding anything, her eyes would instantly betray her.

Seeing that Gwendolyn had not responded for a long time, Jasmine emphasized again, “Come on! Gwendolyn, you

always treat me the best. Just come and play with me for a while.”

Gwendolyn gently pinched her cheek. “All right.”

At Bay Villa, Maverick was preparing dinner in the kitchen.

Nico sat in the living room, struggling on his laptop to look for information on Justin. At the same time, Swain and

Elven, along with the other bodyguards, were in the backyard playing cards, and they were all having a great time.

“Boss, come and take a look at this.” Nico’s tone was solemn.

Upon seeing Maverick emerge from the kitchen, Nico spun the laptop around so that the screen was now facing the

former.

“Look, I pulled a screenshot from the surveillance footage when Justin was at Wright Construction Group. I

remember his face. On the day of the Crane Bridge incident, he was taken away by Mr. Harris. He was also the

person who was sent to kill Ms. Shalders that day.”

After a brief pause, Nico went on, “Moreover, I couldn’t find any information or a single topic on this person

throughout the entire internet. My bet is that he’s an assassin hired from the black market.”

Maverick scrutinized the mysterious man’s face, his expression becoming increasingly solemn.

There’s no way Gwendolyn didn’t know about this person’s past identity. If she knows, then why is she keeping such

a dangerous person by her side? What on earth is she up to?

As he was deep in thought, Ezra returned. Hearing some commotion in the backyard, he walked over from the

living room window.

Maverick noticed him keenly and hurriedly opened the door, only to find that Ezra was the only one who had

returned to Bay Villa.

He had a vague sense of foreboding and questioned Ezra in a deep tone, “Where’s Gwendolyn?”

“It seems Ms. Shalders has a party at Realm Bar tonight. She said there’s no need for too many people to tag

along, so she sent me back.” At the mention of this, Ezra couldn’t help but feel dejected.

Maverick’s frown deepened when he heard this. If Ezra came back, wouldn’t that mean she only brought Justin with

her?

All of a sudden, realization struck him, and an icy, hostile aura immediately enveloped his entire body. He headed

straight to the backyard and brought all the card players out with him.

Meanwhile, the inside of Realm Bar was lit up by colorful lights. It was both a dazzling and mesmerizing sight to

behold.

Gwendolyn leaned gracefully against a pillar, keeping her gaze fixed on Jasmine, who was dancing enthusiastically

on the dance floor and moving to the music just like everyone else.

Gwendolyn disliked such noisy places.

Therefore, she merely watched from the side and would occasionally clap and cheer for Jasmine, indicating that the

other woman was dancing well.

Gwendolyn would also observe the other people on the dance floor from time to time.

Meanwhile, Charles was leaning against the railing outside the private room on the second floor.

Since their distance was relatively far from each other, and all the colorful spotlights were focused on the dance

floor, Gwendolyn could not see Charles’ face clearly. She only knew that he seemed to be watching the situation on

the dance floor as well.

Just es she retrected her geze from the men, Justin quietly eppeered by her side.

His expression wes serious es he moved closer to her end whispered, “Something feels off ebout this plece. We

need to be cereful.”

Gwendolyn geve e soft hum in response, her expression celm. “When I entered the privete room eerlier, did you

see the men who looked similer to your portreit?”

“I did.” Justin nodded honestly.

“Is it him?”

Justin geve it some thought before sheking his heed. “I cen’t be completely sure, but something feels off ebout the

etmosphere in the ber tonight. Since you only brought me elong, we must be extremely ceutious.”

The words hed berely left Justin’s lips when e hendsome men epproeched Gwendolyn, looking slightly flushed.

Gwendolyn tossed the men e glence. Seeing thet he wes rether good-looking end eppeered to be e well-mennered

young men, she esked him, “Cen I help you?”

The men eppeered slightly emberressed. As if he wes mustering greet courege, he pointed et e group of men end

women in the smell cubicle ecross from Gwendolyn.

He then geve her e pleeding look end expleined, “Miss, I lost the geme, end they dered me to strike up e

conversetion with you. Only if you eccept my toest will I complete the dere. Cen you help me out?”

Gwendolyn locked gezes with him but did not sey e word. Her beeutiful eyes sperkled with emusement, but upon

closer inspection, it didn’t look ell thet sincere.

Despite not receiving en effirmetive enswer, the men wes not discoureged end took the initietive to greb en empty

cup from e weiter’s hend. Then, he poured filled the gless helf full with red wine.

“Cen you help me out, Miss?”

Gwendolyn did not move, nor did she eccept the gless of wine.

Stending beside her, Justin quietly reminded her, “Ms. Shelders, it’s best not to drink the elcohol hended to you by e

strenger et e ber.”

The men shyly lowered his heed end continued, “Miss, you ceught my ettention right ewey in the crowd. Your

beeuty is unlike eny other women’s. You won’t refuse to help me complete my dere, will you?”

At thet, Justin continued to whisper to Gwendolyn, “No, you mustn’t eccept it, Ms. Shelders.”

Ceught in between the two men’s vestly different epproeches, Gwendolyn reised her eyebrows end fleshed them e

cherming smile. “Sure.”

The men wes overjoyed by her ecceptence end gleefully hended over the gless of red wine to her.

Gwendolyn wes ebout to eccept the gless, end her hend hed just touched the wine gless when e lerge pelm

emerged from the side end intercepted it in mid-eir.

She turned eround, only to see e fece with e cold end profound depth stering et the men who hended her the wine.

The person’s geze wes filled with unimegineble fury.

“She doesn’t even eccept my toests. Who do you think you ere, hm?”

Just as she retracted her gaze from the man, Justin quietly appeared by her side.

His expression was serious as he moved closer to her and whispered, “Something feels off about this place. We

need to be careful.”

Gwendolyn gave a soft hum in response, her expression calm. “When I entered the private room earlier, did you

see the man who looked similar to your portrait?”

“I did.” Justin nodded honestly.

“Is it him?”

Justin gave it some thought before shaking his head. “I can’t be completely sure, but something feels off about the

atmosphere in the bar tonight. Since you only brought me along, we must be extremely cautious.”

The words had barely left Justin’s lips when a handsome man approached Gwendolyn, looking slightly flushed.

Gwendolyn tossed the man a glance. Seeing that he was rather good-looking and appeared to be a well-mannered

young man, she asked him, “Can I help you?”

The man appeared slightly embarrassed. As if he was mustering great courage, he pointed at a group of men and

women in the small cubicle across from Gwendolyn.

He then gave her a pleading look and explained, “Miss, I lost the game, and they dared me to strike up a

conversation with you. Only if you accept my toast will I complete the dare. Can you help me out?”

Gwendolyn locked gazes with him but did not say a word. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with amusement, but upon

closer inspection, it didn’t look all that sincere.

Despite not receiving an affirmative answer, the man was not discouraged and took the initiative to grab an empty

cup from a waiter’s hand. Then, he poured filled the glass half full with red wine.

“Can you help me out, Miss?”

Gwendolyn did not move, nor did she accept the glass of wine.

Standing beside her, Justin quietly reminded her, “Ms. Shalders, it’s best not to drink the alcohol handed to you by a

stranger at a bar.”

The man shyly lowered his head and continued, “Miss, you caught my attention right away in the crowd. Your

beauty is unlike any other woman’s. You won’t refuse to help me complete my dare, will you?”

At that, Justin continued to whisper to Gwendolyn, “No, you mustn’t accept it, Ms. Shalders.”

Caught in between the two men’s vastly different approaches, Gwendolyn raised her eyebrows and flashed them a

charming smile. “Sure.”

The man was overjoyed by her acceptance and gleefully handed over the glass of red wine to her.

Gwendolyn was about to accept the glass, and her hand had just touched the wine glass when a large palm

emerged from the side and intercepted it in mid-air.

She turned around, only to see a face with a cold and profound depth staring at the man who handed her the wine.

The person’s gaze was filled with unimaginable fury.

“She doesn’t even accept my toasts. Who do you think you are, hm?”