The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Charles furrowed his brow as he listened to her increasingly audacious demands.

“Newton Group is a large enterprise. Do you know what it means to hold a five percent stake in the company?”

“Yes, I’m aware,” came the woman’s nonchalant response. “A five percent stake holds considerable value, but my

family’s also well-off. As the cherished daughter of the esteemed Cloud family, plenty of men from the city and

beyond are willing to go to great lengths to marry me. With such a dowry, you should consider yourself fortunate to

have the opportunity, shouldn’t you?”

Charles’ eyes grew distant and cold, his discontent visibly etched on his face.

The blind date had reached an unprecedented level of disappointment, tarnishing his mood for the entire day.

Even so, he remained unresponsive to the woman’s words and merely reached for the silver fork on the table,

casually picking up a few nuts from the exquisitely laid-out banquet.

After she waited for what seemed like an eternity without a single word of flattery from him, Jessamyn’s impatience

got the better of her. She couldn’t help but ask, “Why are you silent? Do you honestly believe that any other

woman, apart from me, would be willing to give their attention to a man with a tarnished past like yours? In fact,

Charles Newton, I am willing to be with you, to give our relationship a chance, and even consider our future

together. You should feel honored,” she declared, her tone growing more intense.

A sense of urgency permeated her words as if she anticipated his immediate submission and heartfelt appreciation

for her so-called generosity.

Just then, the door to the diamond suite creaked open.

A small head poked through the opening. With round and lively eyes, the child surveyed the scene within the room.

Upon spotting Charles, the little figure darted into the suite and, with a voice as melodious as silver bells, sweetly

called out, “Daddy!”

Both Jessamyn and Charles were caught off guard.

As the latter turned his head, he was greeted by the sight of five-year-old Zendaya, bounding toward him on her

tiny legs, her arms outstretched in a warm embrace.

“Carry me, Daddy!”

Charles’ earlier somber mood dissipated instantly as he bent down, scooped her up into his embrace, and seated

her on his lap.

The little girl reached up with her tiny hands, tenderly brushing her cheek against his. “Hugs, Daddy!”

Charles gazed at the precious little one before him, unable to resist the urge to affectionately ruffle her soft locks.

Confused and bewildered, Jessamyn watched their interaction for a while, her disbelief evident on her face.

“Charles Newton, you haven’t even been married yet, and you already have an illegitimate daughter of this age!

How can you have the audacity to go on a blind date with me?”

Zendaya pouted, turning to give her a defiant look. “I’m not an illegitimate daughter! I’m Daddy’s little princess. My

mommy is more beautiful, more gentle, has a better temperament, and is even wealthier than you!”

With a slight smirk, she continued, “Ms. Cloud, it seems like the mirror in your house is playing tricks on you. You’ve

never truly seen your own face. Compared to my handsome daddy, you’re so old and ugly. You two are not a match

at all!”

“How dare you call me old and ugly? You are such an ill-mannered little brat! And, Charles, aren’t you going to say

something?” Jessamyn thundered.

A smile played on his lips as he kept his eyes fixed on Zendaya, opting to ignore Jessamyn’s words.

The little girl continued, “Daddy, isn’t there a trendy term to describe such ladies? Something that starts with the

letter ‘D’?”

“Delusional?” Charles tenderly chimed in.

“Yeah, a delusional lady! Ms. Cloud, I think the term suits you perfectly!” Zendaya exclaimed with a mischievous

grin.

Her lively and mischievous nature reminded him so much of young Gwendolyn from years ago, and her little face

bore a striking resemblance to her mother’s.

A sense of fulfillment washed over Charles as he observed the little girl bravely standing up for him.

Jessamyn’s fury threatened to unravel her poise as a refined lady, and her glare pierced Charles with intensity. “You

have a child with your lover, yet you have the audacity to present yourself as unmarried and pursue a blind date

with me? Charles Newton, your behavior is utterly disrespectful! It seems that you hold no regard for the Cloud

family. You have treated me as nothing more than a mere spectacle!”

The man remained silent, but it was little Zendaya who fired back first on his behalf. “The Cloud family? Which

corner did they crawl out from? I’ve only heard of the Harris, Jenson, and Newton families. They’re the top three

families of Chanaea, so where does the Cloud family even fit in?”

Charles responded with a chuckle, “It appears that the Cloud family hasn’t quite made it to the top ten of the

wealthy elite.”

The exchange left Jessamyn bereft of words.

“Oh, then why should Daddy even bother to consider the Cloud family?” Zendaya’s obsidian eyes sparkled with

mischief. “Daddy, I don’t want this old, ugly, and mean lady to be my stepmother. She’s like a stinky pile of poop.

She can’t possibly be a good match for you!”

Her words continued to outrage Jessamyn, whose anger reached its boiling point.

As the cherished daughter of the prestigious Cloud family, she had never experienced such humiliation before.

Being compared to a repulsive pile of excrement by a mere child was unbearable.

Rising to her feet, she declared, “Charles, your tolerance of your daughter’s disrespectful behavior is a clear

indication of your family’s lack of proper upbringing. In that case, I’ll teach her a lesson on your behalf!”

Zendaya immediately nestled into Charles’ embrace, her voice filled with a sense of helplessness. “Daddy, protect

me. This mean lady wants to bully me!”

Holding the little girl in his arms, Charles locked his intense gaze onto Jessamyn. “If you even dare to lay a finger on

her, tomorrow, the entire Cloudington Group will crumble into bankruptcy. Consider the consequences carefully,”

he warned.

Jessamyn hesitated, noticing the chilling seriousness in his expression.

While the Clouds had a business partnership with the Newtons, severing it would undoubtedly cause considerable

harm.

However, the idea of bankruptcy seemed a bit far-fetched.

Despite her lack of knowledge about Zendaya’s status as the precious daughter of the Harris and Jenson families,

Jessamyn’s confidence wavered. She emitted a disdainful huff and mustered a façade of resilience. “Charles

Newton, do not assume that this matter is settled. We shall see how things unfold.”

“Goodbye, then,” Charles responded coolly while doting on the little treasure in his arms.

Seething with frustration, Jessamyn stormed out of the room, her dignity in tatters before the father-daughter duo.

Once the woman had departed, Charles tenderly released his hold on Zendaya and took a seat on a nearby chair.

He raised his finger and playfully tapped the tip of the girl’s nose, his voice carrying a mixture of tenderness and

seriousness. “Zendy, you haven’t been behaving properly. You disrupted an important matter for me, and

moreover, if Cedrick discovers that you’ve been calling me ‘Daddy’ instead of ‘Uncle Charles’ in public, he won’t be

very happy. You might find yourself in a bit of trouble.”

Zendaya’s lips turned downward as she instinctively rubbed her soft little bottom, complaining about her father,

“Daddy is the meanest! If he finds out, he’ll surely spank me again. Daddy’s spankings hurt a lot. He’s so strict and

fierce. I’m scared…”

Charles’ heart ached for her, and he pulled her back into his embrace. “Don’t worry. I’m here for you, Zendy. If

your daddy ever spanks you again, you can run away from home and come to the Newton residence. I’ll protect

you, all right?” he assured her.

With her mischievous eyes shining, Zendaya giggled happily. She leaned in close to Charles and whispered, “You

know, whenever Daddy spanks me, I go crying to Mommy and tattle on him. Mommy is like Daddy’s arch-nemesis,

and she always drags him by the ear and takes him back to their room for a good scolding!”

A triumphant expression adorned her cherubic face as she asked, “Am I clever, Uncle Charles?”

Charles struggled to contain his laughter as the image of Gwendolyn scolding Cedrick and him meekly apologizing

played in his mind. It brought him an inexplicable sense of satisfaction, and he wholeheartedly commended

Zendaya, “You’re amazing, Zendy. If your daddy ever tries to mistreat you again, you should definitely give him a

taste of his own medicine.”

He leaned closer to Zendaya’s ear, and his voice hushed as he shared his mischievous strategies for exacting

revenge on Cedrick.