The Ex and Her Riches novel (Gwendolyn and Maverick)

“Coming.”

Whitney intended to collect the dishes after he had finished his meal. Hearing him, she sped up her actions,

hurriedly piled them up, and took them downstairs to the kitchen for the housekeeper to wash.

Charles, with his long legs, walked briskly and reached the car quickly. He waited for Whitney inside the car for two

minutes.

But during those two minutes, he grew increasingly impatient and resorted to smoking to pass the time.

Whitney trotted over to his luxury car and was about to open the door to the rear seat when Charles swiftly rolled

down the window and tersely said, “Take the passenger seat.”

“Okay…”

Whitney nervously took her place in the front passenger seat and quickly fastened her seat belt.

Charles extinguished the unfinished cigarette and swiftly drove Whitney to the company. Along the way, he

reprimanded her in a cold tone.

“Can you imagine the assumptions the bodyguards at the gate of the Newton residence might make if they see you

sitting anywhere other than the passenger seat while riding in your own husband’s car? Do you want them to

speculate about our relationship?”

Whitney squeezed the cushion in her hands nervously and lowered her head in apology. “I’m sorry, I didn’t consider

the implications and have caused you trouble. I will be more mindful next time.”

Charles had a stern expression on his face, seemingly still carrying the morning’s anger.

“You don’t need to collect the plates on the coffee table next time. The housekeeper will take care of it. As the

mistress of the Newton family, you should not engage in such tasks. It diminishes your status. Behaving in this

manner will only result in the housekeepers having a low opinion of you.”

His words might have been blunt, but his reasoning made sense.

Whitney nodded. “I understand. I won’t do it next time.”

She lowered her head even further, her face filled with worry.

Mrs. Newton, the mistress of the Newton family.

She couldn’t fathom such lofty titles and didn’t dare to associate herself with them.

After all, their marriage was based on an agreement, and she had to remain aware of her position at all times to

avoid any future embarrassment during the inevitable divorce.

She feared that if she took their marriage too seriously, she would face a harsh reality that could potentially hurt

her deeply.

It was better not to expect that position from the beginning.

When she lowered her gaze in a dejected manner, Charles occasionally cast glances at her.

Realizing that his previous words might have been too harsh, he softened his tone and explained earnestly,

“Although we will be divorced after a year, I want to assure you that you will be treated with the privileges and

status befitting a member of the Newton family during this year. You don’t need to worry about the consequences

of the divorce. Whether you choose to start your own business in Salinsburgh or return to Tayhaven, financial

matters will not be a concern for you.”

Whitney forced a smile and replied, “Mr. Newton, did you forget that I explicitly stated in the agreement that I

would leave the marriage without any claims or compensation from you? I simply don’t want to end up feeling

regretful…”

She nervously twisted the hem of her skirt with her fingers, her voice barely audible. “I wanted to see if I could

make you genuinely like me. If I could leave a lasting impression in your heart, if you could remember me fondly,

then this year wouldn’t be in vain. But if I fail, then I will accept the reality that I’m not good enough. You don’t owe

me anything.”

Although her voice was very soft, the car was quiet, and Charles could hear every word clearly.

There was a strange feeling stirring within Charles, but he pushed it aside and offered his advice in a calm tone.

“Emotions are the most unreliable thing in the world. I can’t offer them to you, and it will be the same after a year.

It’s better for you not to rely on emotions for anything. Be more practical and consider how much you want in

terms of compensation.”

Whitney’s face was pale, and she stopped talking.

Charles also remained quiet.

The car fell into an eerie silence for a while.

After more than ten minutes, the luxury car came to a stop about one hundred feet away from the company.

Charles said, “There’s a lot of employees at the main gate. As a newcomer, it won’t create a good impression if you

get off from a luxury car there. Just walk through this intersection, and you’ll reach the company.”

Whitney had wanted to ask him to drop her off earlier, but to her surprise, Charles had the same idea.

“Thank you, Mr. Newton, for sending me to work,” said Whitney politely.

She reached for the door handle, but suddenly a strange thought crossed her mind.

“Something seems off. Mr. Newton, I just realized that I forgot to inform you of the address of my workplace ever

since I left the house. How were you so sure of where I had to go?”

Charles smiled faintly. “While I was waiting for you earlier, I made sure to ask Issac for the address in advance. I

knew there was a chance you might forget, and I didn’t want you to be late because of your forgetfulness.”

It’s embarrassing to have my shortcomings pointed out this way!

Whitney felt a sense of dejection. “Thank you, Mr. Newton. I’ll get out of the car now.”

“All right.” Charles took out a cigarette, lit it, and answered her casually.

She was almost late. Whitney quickly got out of the car and ran toward the building not far ahead.

Charles watched her walk away and shook his head with a mix of amusement and bewilderment. “Sometimes she

surprises me with her intelligence, but there are other times she leaves me puzzled with her moments of

foolishness. She truly is a paradoxical woman.”

After finishing his cigarette, he promptly headed toward the laboratory.

The maid costume was placed in the back seat. Upon reaching the open-air parking lot of the laboratory, Charles

swiftly changed into the costume inside the car.

Today was a working day, and Charles checked the time on his watch.

Zendaya was likely on her way to kindergarten by now. With her not around to interrupt their work or ask for a

photo, Charles anticipated having a relatively easy day assisting Nico with hygiene-related tasks.

At the same time, Gwendolyn personally sent Zendaya to the kindergarten.

In the car, Zendaya excitedly shared some gossip and secrets with Gwendolyn.

“Mommy, you won’t believe it, but Uncle Charles actually went on a date with Whitney!”

Gwendolyn was intrigued. “Who is Whitney?”

“She is the administrator of the dolphin house in Benny’s aquarium. Whitney saved me when I was little, and she’s

really nice and pretty. I really like her, Mommy, but you’ve never met her before.”

Gwendolyn gently pinched Zendaya’s little nose but changed the subject. “I remember your father telling me that

you caused some trouble during Charles’ blind date with Ms. Cloud. Is that true?”

“Yes, I did it,” Zendaya replied unabashedly. “That old lady was mean and bossy. She hadn’t even started dating

Uncle Charles, and she already wanted to control him. I couldn’t tolerate it, so I decided to help Uncle Charles get

rid of her.”

Gwendolyn nodded approvingly. “You did the right thing, that Cloud family girl is not suitable for Charles at all.”

Besides, the Cloud family was now on the verge of collapse, and their reputation in the field of business had

significantly declined.

Gwendolyn caught wind of some rumors suggesting that Charles might have been involved in the downfall of the

Cloud family.

She heard that the daughter of the Cloud family had mistreated a woman, which infuriated Charles. As a result, he

caused severe consequences for the Cloud family.

Thinking of this, Gwendolyn was a little curious about the Whitney that Zendaya was talking about.

“If Charles and Whitney are really meant to be together, I will definitely make an effort to get to know her in the

future.”

“Oh?” Gwendolyn rolled her big doe eyes and asked mischievously, “Mommy, do you want to meet her because of

Uncle Charles or because of me?”

Gwendolyn gazed at her astute daughter, a smile playing on her lips as she remained silent.

Zendaya tugged at her mother’s wrist, urging her for an answer. “Tell me quickly, Mommy! But you need to think

carefully before answering, or else Daddy will get jealous.”