The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Chapter 490 Charles Defends Himself To The End

Charles panted heavily, easing the pain in his back. Struggling, he mumbled, “I didn’t take the key from Karl, break

into the top floor or steal anything…”

“How dare you still try to defend yourself!”

The cane slapped hard against Charles’ back. five times consecutively, giving him no chance to catch his

breath.

The flesh underneath his blood-stained shirt didn’t bleed but was swelled up and purplish. There was no spot

unscathed.

Each hit cut his swollen flesh deeper while bright red blood splattered gruesomely.

“Um…”

A muffled grunt escaped from Charles’ mouth. His straightened back collapsed. As he propped himself up with one

hand, his arm trembled uncontrollably from the pain.

“Craig, I really didn’t do it…”

Fear rose in Lucas’ heart. Standing beside the pillar, he couldn’t bear to see Charles’ badly-injured back.

Jasmine covered her mouth and shed tears as her heart ached.

Being forced to witness such a cruel punishment was torture to them.

Only Craig remained nonchalant. His ruthless glare was void of sympathy.

He then analyzed the situation in detail.

“You were the only one there tonight and got close to Karl when you almost ran into him on your way. I checked the

top floor earlier. Someone opened the cabinet, and a bottle of very important serum was missing! Before the

welcome party started, you waited and didn’t leave the floor. I asked the housekeeper to get you to hurry up, but

you weren’t in your room and were nowhere to be seen. I bet you were stealing on the top floor at that time. Am I

right?”

As he reached the end of his sentence, he raised his voice in rage and whipped Charles’ bruised back ruthlessly

before the latter could straighten his back.

“Tell me! Where is the stuff? Why did you steal from your own family? Did you conspire with Gwendolyn Harris to

deceive me? Tell me!”

The howling of wind continuously sounded.

Blood splattered on his white shirt as the blood-stained cane swung.

Charles couldn’t straighten his back anymore from the agony and curled into a ball on the ground, “I

didn’t…”

The bodyguards searched every nook and cranny in the villa several times, particularly in Charles’ room.

Charles Defends Himself To The End

Despite so, Craig didn’t let Charles off the hook. He was sure that Charles tried to sabotage him based on the fact

that Charles had gotten close to Karl.

However, no matter how hard he hit Charles, the latter denied everything until the end.

Craig’s anger spiked, and he swung the cane in his hand harder.

Starting with spanking Charles’ back, Craig went further and whipped the former’s arms and waist. ruthlessly. The

torturing sound sent chills down everyone’s back.

“Charles, don’t think I don’t know you did this if you keep denying it. I will send you to hell before you can take me

down!”

Thwack!

The sound of lashing resonated in their cars and sounded hellish.

Gritting his teeth and bearing the pain. Charles almost lost consciousness from the agony and started grunting

weakly.

It had been so long since he suffered such a harsh beating after hiding abroad and barely living a peaceful life

abroad for a year. The torture was beginning to take a toll on his body.

After a smack, the second cane snapped after several consecutive hits.

Craig was exhausted after caning for a long time and tossed the broken cane to a corner.

Panting faintly, he rolled up his sleeves.

“Guard.”

The bodyguard outside the door immediately walked in and replied respectfully, “How can I help you, Mr. Craig?”

Pointing at the new canes soaking in a bucket, Craig ordered with a stern look, “Keep hitting him until he spills the

truth.”

“Yes.”

With both his palms on the ground, Charles could see the bodyguard beside him picking up a cane despite his

blurred vision. His body shivered in fear instinctively.

“Craig, even if you beat me to my death, I will never admit what I never did.”

“I’d rather be wrong than letting you get away with it.”

A smirk stretched across Craig’s face. He reached for a sharp dagger on his waist, tossed it to Charles, and said

coldly, “Since you wouldn’t say anything, prove your innocence with your life then. I will believe that you’ve been

wronged if you do it.”

Looking at the dagger with quivering blue eyes, Charles slowly picked it up and held it tight.

“No! Craig, please let Charles go. Look at him. He’s badly injured but still denies everything. I believe he is

innocent!”

Jasmine dashed forward to hold Charles and stop him from taking his life with the dagger while tears streamed

down her face.

Craig snorted. “You don’t know him. Those who went through training at the Central Intelligence Agency are strong

and wouldn’t easily tell the truth. It won’t work if I am not harsh enough.”

“No, Craig. Charles is a nut case. He would prove his innocence with his life. I don’t wish to see him kill himself. We

are family, after all. Even if Charles is only our half-brother, he is still a Newton. Please stop being so cruel to him.”

The close sight of the bruises on Charles’ back shocked her as she sobbed sorrowfully.

Seeing Charles almost losing his life, Karl quickly stepped out and pleaded, “Mr. Craig, please spare Mr. Charles. It

might just be a coincidence…”

“A coincidence?”

Craig narrowed his eyes and shot him a piercing gaze. “You safe-keep the keys to the top floor all the time. It could

only mean Charles stole it if you didn’t lose it by mistake.”

“But…”

Karl found himself in a tight spot. Craig would vent his anger on him if he admitted it was his mistake to have lost

the keys.

As he was old, he certainly couldn’t withstand the punishment.

Craig shifted his gaze back onto Charles, who lay pathetically on the ground. Tears streamed down Jasmine’s face,

who was holding Charles tightly to stop the bodyguard from caning him.

“Charles, I will spare you if you hand me the keys and the serum you stole.”

Jasmine piped up, “Charles, hand them to him if you took them. Otherwise, Craig will beat you to death!”

Charles’ pale lips curved into a bitter smile. Overwhelmed by the excruciating pain, cold sweat dripped from his

chin onto the ground, leaving a small stain.

How am I supposed to hand him something that I don’t have? Besides, I will surely die if I admit that I stole them.

“I didn’t do it. I didn’t steal the keys or the serum. Craig, you searched my body and my room yourself. No means

no. How am I supposed to give them to you?”

He threw the dagger in his hand to the bodyguard’s foot, who was holding the cane, and grinned pathetically.

“Prejudice is so scary. No matter what I say, you will never believe me. Craig, you should just ask someone to kill

me right away. Why did you have to torture me like this? You hurt my feelings.”

“I can’t believe you see me as your family.”

Craig snickered.

What Craig only believed was his judgment and presumption. However, after the beating, the rage in his heart

subsided, and he could think straighter now.

“All right then. After all, I have recently announced your return to the Newton family, so it’s better not to cause a

scene now. I will spare your life for now. If I find the evidence to prove your crime later, I will make you beg for

death!”

Gritting his teeth sinisterly, he snorted and left the ancestral hall without looking back after threatening Charles.

The interrogation was over after Craig left.

Bearing the pain, Charles heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed his tensed body.

His vision became blurry as he descended into darkness and fell into Jasmine’s arms.

“Charles! He has passed out! Someone call the doctor!”