The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Cedrick raised his head and looked at her, his eyes sparkling with delight.

After a moment, he lowered his gaze and said, “Wouldn’t it be better not to do it now? Getting the marriage

certificate at this critical juncture might invite gossip and unnecessary trouble for you.”

“We can have a private wedding first and keep it a secret from others,” she suggested. “Besides, our lives should

be lived for ourselves, not to please others.”

After Cedrick contemplated for a while, his eyes lit up with joy again.

“You’re right, Gwenny. We should live our lives on our own terms.”

He flashed a mischievous smile and continued, “Tomorrow is a good day. Shall we go and register our marriage

early in the morning?”

Gwendolyn playfully tapped his forehead. “All right, as you wish.”

Cedrick stood before her, his heart filled with excitement about their upcoming official union. He hugged her leg

and rested his head against her thigh, reveling in their intimacy.

In return, Gwendolyn tenderly caressed the back of his head, allowing him to nuzzle against her.

Suddenly, her phone on the bedside table rang.

The caller was Ezra.

She had an ominous feeling about receiving calls in the wee hours of the night.

When the call connected, it wasn’t Ezra’s voice that greeted her.

A man’s voice, tinged with a hint of breathlessness as if he had just completed a workout, spoke on the line.

“Hello, Ms. Harris. I work for Boss, and my codename is Midnight. I tried to call him multiple times, but he didn’t pick

up. I had no choice but to use your bodyguard’s phone to contact you and Boss.”

Gwendolyn had put the call on speaker mode, allowing Cedrick to hear their conversation.

He stood up to retrieve his own phone, only to discover that it had been set to silent mode. There were over a

dozen missed calls from Midnight.

Gwendolyn and Cedrick exchanged solemn glances.

The undercover agent, whom Cedrick had sent to keep an eye on Evelyn, made an unexpected call to Gwendolyn

using Ezra’s phone. Something must have gone awry.

“What happened to Evelyn?” Gwendolyn asked.

Midnight quickly reported the details of the incident to Gwendolyn and Cedrick.

After listening attentively to his report, she calmly instructed, “The river current is rapid. Evelyn is injured, so she

couldn’t have gone far. Tonight, I will send members of the Shadow Bell to assist you in the search. We must find

her, alive or dead.”

“Yes, Ms. Harris,” he replied.

The room was engulfed in a solemn silence after the call ended.

Gwendolyn gazed at the raindrops on the windowpane and sneered, “She never learned her lesson; now she’s

trying to escape. Cedrick, do you think Asher has anything to do with this?”

Cedrick’s brows furrowed as he pondered the question. “Asher has recently been devoted to his scripture studies at

the ancestral hall. Ever since you dealt with Evelyn, he hasn’t cared about the woman.”

When he saw that she fell into deep thought again, he gently scooped her up and carried her to the bathroom. He

said warmly, “Gwenny, let’s set aside those thoughts for now. We should wait until we locate her before jumping to

conclusions. Tonight, let’s indulge in a relaxing bath together, and tomorrow, we’ll approach the registry with

renewed vigor. What do you think?”

The woman wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into his chest. “I’m too tired to bathe today.”

Cedrick lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “You helped me to bathe when I was ill. From

now on, I’ll take care of you.”

“You’re referring to that day.”

Gwendolyn looked at him with a mischievous glint, and a playful smirk formed at the corner of her mouth.

“Someone was quite naughty that day and tried to entice and seduce me. Fortunately, I have strong self-control

and gave someone a good scrubbing. Don’t you miss it?”

Her words caused him to stiffen slightly.

These were dark secrets that shouldn’t be brought up or known by anyone other than Gwendolyn.

He remained silent as Gwendolyn leaned closer to his ear and blew a teasing breath. Her seductive voice was

enchanting, and her mischievous smile was wickedly enticing.

“Do you want to test your self-control today, Cedrick?” she purred.

Cedrick hesitated for a moment before saying in frustration, “Gwenny, men easily succumb to temptation. You’re

toying with danger.”

As he spoke, he gently placed the woman onto the toilet seat in the dry area of the bathroom. He then proceeded

to fill the bathtub with water.

“So you mean to say that men can’t resist temptation? Does that mean this can happen to other women too?”

Gwendolyn pouted, feeling somewhat displeased.

Cedrick walked up to her and crouched again; his dark eyes were filled with a wicked allure.

He gently grabbed her hand and placed it on his thigh.

“Gwenny, I’ve no desire for other women. Only you make me feel like this. Moreover, it’s sensitive to you. It’ll

succumb to your teasing. Look at what your touch does, Gwenny. You feel it too, right?”

Gwendolyn pursed her lips and nodded in embarrassment.

“Hmm, it does seem like it wants to be eaten,” she responded with a playful tone.

His deep and lusty eyes fixed on her with anticipation. “So, Gwenny, can you be devoured tonight?” he asked.

She lowered her head and pointed to her abdomen. “What do you think?”

Disappointed by her response, Cedrick let out a long sigh.

“Stop teasing me tonight, Gwenny. Be good and take a bath.”

By then, the bathtub had been filled with water. After Cedrick was satisfied with the water temperature, he took the

bath soap suited for pregnant women and threw it into the tub.

Next, he returned to the dry area of the bathroom to help Gwendolyn remove her clothing. He kneeled on one knee

to help her take off the black lace lingerie.

Gwendolyn remained still, allowing him to manipulate her like a beautiful and delicate doll.

He lifted her gently and placed her in the water, then turned around to start taking off his own clothes.

As she observed him removing his clothes with his back turned, she detected a subtle trace of shyness in his

demeanor.

She considered discreetly using her finger to tease his waistband, just as she had done before, and suddenly pulling

him into the water.

However, midway through the motion, she stopped herself.

During the first three months of pregnancy, it was crucial to be extremely cautious and avoid any vigorous physical

activity. If she had continued with her plan, Cedrick would not be able to resist her temptations.

In the end, he would have to force himself to endure physical discomfort as he could not bear to risk their unborn

baby’s well-being.

So, she decided to let him enjoy his bath undisturbed, choosing to be responsible and patient.

That night, they embraced each other and drifted off to sleep, the sweet scent of their bodies blending together.

Cedrick woke up early the following day.

Today was the day they would collect their marriage certificate. He had been waiting for this moment for a long

time, and the anticipation kept him awake through the night.

He quickly prepared himself and freshened up before heading to the kitchen. Next, he prepared a comforting bowl

of warm oatmeal and personally fed Gwendolyn her breakfast.

Cedrick meticulously planned his arrival at the Civil Affairs Bureau, ensuring he reached the entrance precisely five

minutes before its opening. He couldn’t contain his excitement at being the first couple to receive their marriage

xo.com fast updatecertificate that day.

Twenty minutes later, his wish came true as he held the marriage certificate in his hands.

The significance of this moment overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t help but feel moved.

He had always hated looking at photos of himself. However, he gently caressed their picture on the marriage

certificate, amazed at how perfectly it captured their happiness.

Tears welled in his eyes, and he felt an overwhelming sense of contentment he had never experienced.

When Gwendolyn noticed the tears forming in his eyes, she couldn’t resist teasing him. With a playful tone, she

poked his neck and asked, “Today is a great day! Why are you crying, Ceddy?”