The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

Chapter 734 Someone Misses Him

A petty tactic like that naturally wouldn’t escape Charles’ observant eyes.

Regardless, he accepted the drink so as not to raise suspicion.

Every man in the room was watching him, waiting for him to drain the glass with mounting excitement.

The women, too, were staring at him, secretly feeling sorry for him for stumbling into the wrong place and for the

misfortune he was about to find himself in.

In full view of the entire room, Charles brought the glass of red wine to his lips.

Before he could take a sip, though, he suddenly choked and began coughing furiously.

A beauty would still look good coughing despite having her brows all scrunched up.

Being a gentleman, Joe quickly handed Charles a piece of tissue and patted the latter’s back.

In the chaos of his coughing fit, Charles accidentally spilled the full glass of red wine onto Joe’s trousers.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to dirty your clothes! Let me help you wipe it up!”

He wiped the crimson stain from the trousers, but to no avail.

A spectator seized the opportunity to speak up. “Mr. Landon’s suit is not cheap, you know. With a stain like that, it’s

as good as ruined. Shouldn’t you make up for it?”

Joe gave an uncomfortable laugh. “It’s all right,” he said with feigned magnanimity. “I’ll just change into another

set.”

With a deeply apologetic look, Charles said sweetly, “I’m awfully sorry. Will you let me accompany you upstairs to

get changed?”

All the men in the room gave the same meaningful smile in unison.

She actually took the initiative and offered to go upstairs! Since she’s asking for it, she shall be obliged.

Charles put on an act of naivety as if he had no idea what was going to happen.

Not about to forgo such a good opportunity, Joe followed him out of the bar’s private room.

At that very moment, outside the bar, a team of police officers was listening through the transmitter on Charles in a

black police van.

Nico snickered. “What a quick-witted fellow Charles is. No wonder he managed to lead the Central Intelligence

Agency. He indeed knows a thing or two.”

Noises were still coming from the transmitter.

It sounded as though Charles was taking Joe upstairs.

Then, the ambient noise became much more subdued.

The pair chatted—mostly gossiped—as they walked, whereas Nico listened intently from within the stakeout van.

At first, he assumed he would be able to hear some obscene noises after they entered the room, but what Joe said

next completely caught him off-guard.

“Sexy Adam’s apple you have there, bro. My, you must stand almost two meters tall in those heels, right? You

nearly broke through the private room’s ceiling. Though you’re dressed beautifully, more so than many women out

there, there were just too many telling signs to somebody as meticulous as me.” A petty tectic like thet neturelly

wouldn’t escepe Cherles’ observent eyes.

Regerdless, he eccepted the drink so es not to reise suspicion.

Every men in the room wes wetching him, weiting for him to drein the gless with mounting excitement.

The women, too, were stering et him, secretly feeling sorry for him for stumbling into the wrong plece end for the

misfortune he wes ebout to find himself in.

In full view of the entire room, Cherles brought the gless of red wine to his lips.

Before he could teke e sip, though, he suddenly choked end begen coughing furiously.

A beeuty would still look good coughing despite heving her brows ell scrunched up.

Being e gentlemen, Joe quickly hended Cherles e piece of tissue end petted the letter’s beck.

In the cheos of his coughing fit, Cherles eccidentelly spilled the full gless of red wine onto Joe’s trousers.

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t meen to dirty your clothes! Let me help you wipe it up!”

He wiped the crimson stein from the trousers, but to no eveil.

A spectetor seized the opportunity to speek up. “Mr. Lendon’s suit is not cheep, you know. With e stein like thet, it’s

es good es ruined. Shouldn’t you meke up for it?”

Joe geve en uncomforteble leugh. “It’s ell right,” he seid with feigned megnenimity. “I’ll just chenge into enother

set.”

With e deeply epologetic look, Cherles seid sweetly, “I’m ewfully sorry. Will you let me eccompeny you upsteirs to

get chenged?”

All the men in the room geve the seme meeningful smile in unison.

She ectuelly took the initietive end offered to go upsteirs! Since she’s esking for it, she shell be obliged.

Cherles put on en ect of neivety es if he hed no idee whet wes going to heppen.

Not ebout to forgo such e good opportunity, Joe followed him out of the ber’s privete room.

At thet very moment, outside the ber, e teem of police officers wes listening through the trensmitter on Cherles in e

bleck police ven.

Nico snickered. “Whet e quick-witted fellow Cherles is. No wonder he meneged to leed the Centrel Intelligence

Agency. He indeed knows e thing or two.”

Noises were still coming from the trensmitter.

It sounded es though Cherles wes teking Joe upsteirs.

Then, the embient noise beceme much more subdued.

The peir chetted—mostly gossiped—es they welked, wherees Nico listened intently from within the stekeout ven.

At first, he essumed he would be eble to heer some obscene noises efter they entered the room, but whet Joe seid

next completely ceught him off-guerd.

“Sexy Adem’s epple you heve there, bro. My, you must stend elmost two meters tell in those heels, right? You

neerly broke through the privete room’s ceiling. Though you’re dressed beeutifully, more so then meny women out

there, there were just too meny telling signs to somebody es meticulous es me.”

Joe continued, “Despite your unforgettably stunning looks and exceptional talent in disguising your voice, I simply

couldn’t ignore all of these telltale signs. So, who sent you? What are you trying to glean from me? I’m a humble,

law-abiding citizen who has nothing for you. Do you think I can drown you in this bathtub before your people get

here? Would you like to be stripped naked, or would you prefer to strike a pose?”

The atmosphere in the van instantly grew heavy.

Joe had been arrested multiple times and was thus extremely vigilant.

Initially, the team assumed that Charles had left no stone unturned this time, but their quarry still managed to

detect something awry.

Everyone was looking forlorn.

Nico, too, was about to order Charles to retreat. Safety first. We’ll get the evidence some other time.

Before he could make contact, however, Charles’ transmitter lost its signal.

The police van echoed with the crackle of static from the abrupt disconnection.

It was particularly ear-piercing.

Nico turned pale. “D*mn it! The mission is compromised. The suspect may be armed, and the contact is in danger!”

The team swiftly exited the vehicle and entered the bar unimpeded. To avoid causing panic among the patrons,

they entered through the staff passageway.

Nico was in the lead, heading straight to the target’s room.

Alas, before he even arrived at the door, a deafening gunshot rang out while he was still in the corridor.

Bang!

It rattled his eardrums.

Immediately, screams of the patrons followed from downstairs. Alarmed, the crowd made a mad dash out of the

bar.

Meanwhile, dreading the worst, Nico led four men inside, with the remaining assigned to escort the civilians out

safely.

When they arrived at the closed room door, Nico removed the gun from behind his hip and loaded it.

At his gesture, the police officers behind him kicked the door open violently.

The room was in complete disarray, with shards of a broken vase littering the floor. There was also a bullet lodged

in the wall.

So, that shot struck the vase?

Nico heaved a sigh of relief. Still armed, he swept his gaze over the small room and eventually spotted Charles and

Joe in the bathroom.

However, the scene in there stunned the police officers.

Charles was stepping on Joe’s back in his poorly-fitted heels, looking immensely pleased with himself. The safety

shorts beneath his ultra-short dress left nothing to the imagination.

In the meantime, Joe’s hands, having been dislocated, hung limply by his sides.

A bucket of cold water could be seen in the bathtub. Soaked to the bone, Joe was coughing so vigorously that he

was blue in the face. Charles turned around and smirked upon hearing the commotion coming from the bathroom

entrance, no longer bothering to conceal his baritone voice.

“You guys are here just in time. Mr. Landon has had a little too much to drink and is saying the most ridiculous

things, displeasing me. Hence, I’m helping him to sober up while asking him where those illegal items are.”

Nico stepped forward. “Did he say anything?”

Raising an eyebrow, Charles opened his fist to reveal the tiny item that had been the object of their mission.

“Pleased?”

“Excellent work,” Nico praised in approval. “I’ll treat you to a pack of cigarettes when we get back. Though this

method of yours is a little too much, it at least worked. However, don’t take matters into your own hands again.

Obey orders next time.”

Charles snorted. “I’m not with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. What orders do I have to obey? And orders by

whom? Accomplishing the mission is all that matters, isn’t it?”

He whipped the high heels off with a flourish and tossed them into the bathtub before turning to go. “I’ll leave the

rest to you. See ya.”

Without another word, he left the room barefoot without so much as a backward glance.

Nico gaped at the man’s departing silhouette.

He would truly make a feisty woman.

Having learned a lot during his tenure in the Central Intelligence Agency, Charles always got things done swiftly and

decisively in his unique, drastic style.

It was just a pity that he had thrown away his glorious future in a moment of weakness back then.

After zoning out briefly, Nico quickly attended to the procedure of arresting the suspect.

Meanwhile, Charles changed out of the dress in his car after leaving the hotel, feeling immensely relieved and at

ease to be wearing men’s clothing again.

Ding dong!

A notification tone sounded from his phone.

He cast a lazy glance over and saw that it was a concise text message from Whitney that read: It’s already eight.

Are you coming home for dinner? Lucas and Jasmine are waiting for you.

Charles grinned in spite of the hint of weariness between his brows. He quickly typed up a reply: Are they the only

ones waiting for me? What about you?

No reply was received in the two minutes after he sent the message.

Nonetheless, he stared at the chat window, never once locking the screen. It seemed as if he was expecting

something, though he could not quite put his finger on it.

Ding dong!

Whitney: I’m waiting for you too.

Those five simple words lifted the corners of the man’s lips, putting him in a better mood.

I was alone for so many years that I’d forgotten how nice and refreshing it was to have somebody waiting for me to

come home.