Female Novel
Chapter 167
A sudden sharp pain coursed through Maverick’s body as a gunshot sounded.
The pain didn’t come from his chest, but from his right arm.
His eyes shot open, and he looked down to see a streak of blood on his white shirt. A bullet had grazed
his arm.
All of a sudden, the clamor behind him ceased.
He glanced back and saw Natasha still in the same aggressive stance, ready to attack. Her expression
gradually turned from ferocious to numb as a bullet had pierced through her chest.novelbin
Blood bloomed like a vibrant poppy flower and stained her dress crimson.
Natasha paused for a moment. At the sight of blood on her chest, she turned deathly pale. Her eyes
rolled back, and she collapsed and fell unconscious.
Slow, loud claps could be heard from the doorway just then.
Charles looked at Gwendolyn with admiration shining in his eyes. “You’re too modest, Gwen. You still
have such accurate aim even though you haven’t touched a gun in years. You truly are my student,” he
praised.
Gwendolyn tossed the revolver in her hand aside. Her expression was stone cold under the dim light of
the kerosene lamp, and she didn’t respond to Charles at all.
Maverick remained in the same spot and met Charles’ gaze.
Charles laughed sarcastically, but it was unclear whether he was laughing at Maverick or himself. “You
win. We just played a game where Gwen had to choose between you and this woman. Even after you
came to the suburbs this late to meet your ex-lover behind her back, she still chose you. It’s making me
envious,” he remarked.
“A game?” Maverick repeated, feeling a chill run down his spine.
He pursed his thin lips and scrunched his brows as he looked at Gwendolyn.
She didn’t look at him but instead stared at Natasha, who had fallen to the ground. “Is this what you
wanted to see? Is it fun?” Gwendolyn asked Charles.
“It’s not fun, because I’ve upset you,” Charles replied.
His eyes revealed a touch of desolation, and his voice softened slightly. “Gwen, you’re still young, so
it’s understandable that you want a plaything. But I can also play with you for as long as you want. The
bond we’ve had for so many years, isn’t it deeper than your relationship with this man?”
Maverick’s brow furrowed even more when Charles mentioned his long-time bond with Gwendolyn.
Both men’s gazes were fixed on Gwendolyn.
She stared straight ahead, not looking at any of them. As she turned to leave the cabin, she said, “It’s
getting late, and I’m tired. Mr. Newton, since you requested this game, I’ll leave you to deal with
Natasha.”
Gwendolyn took a few steps forward before noticing Maverick wasn’t following her. “Are you coming?
Or do you want to walk back on your own?” she called.
Maverick scrambled to catch up.
When he passed by Charles, their gazes clashed, sparks flying from the intensity. Their disdain for
each other was obvious.
The atmosphere was extremely tense on the way back to Bay Villa. No one took the initiative to break
the silence.
Maverick carefully turned his head to glance at Gwendolyn.
She was watching the passing scenery outside the window with a blank expression and cold eyes. It
was unclear what she was thinking.
The streetlight cast a warm halo on her profile, etching her breathtakingly beautiful face into his heart.
Earlier, when Maverick realized that Gwendolyn was aiming for Natasha and not him, he felt a sense of
relief.
However, the pressure in the car was too much at the moment as it was evident that Gwendolyn was in
a bad mood. William, who was driving, didn’t even dare to move.
Maverick tentatively reached out, crossing the invisible boundary between them, and gently tugged on
her sleeve.
Gwendolyn showed no reaction, still staring out the car window and lost in thought.
In an attempt to catch her attention, he let out light coughs and complained, “Gwendolyn, I’m injured…”
Still, he was met with silence.
“You’re the cause of the injury,” he tried again.
The air remained serene and quiet.
Maverick looked at the wound on his right arm dejectedly. It wasn’t a big issue, just a minor scratch.
Yet it seemed like Gwendolyn was still angry.
The tension was so thick that William felt he could cut through it.
Oddly enough, Maverick was completely unaware of it and began to speak honestly. “After the charity
gala last time, I had Neville keep an eye on her. Tonight, I followed Natasha’s trail. I didn’t go there to
have a date with her; there’s nothing between us. I just wanted to get some clues from her to find out
who harmed you last time.”
Gwendolyn narrowed her eyes but continued to purse her lips without a word.
She was actually thinking about Charles.
She had admired him and always followed him around as a child.
However, some unpleasantness occurred between them later on. Charles then joined the Central
Intelligence Agency for training, while she was met with misfortune the following year and ended up in
Fairlake.
Charles seems so unfamiliar this time… There’s something strange about him.
While Gwendolyn was deep in thought, Maverick quietly watched her from the side.
They soon arrived at the villa. Gwendolyn promptly opened the car door and walked to the front door.
Suddenly, she remembered something and turned back to Maverick.
“If you’re mostly recovered, return to work at Wright Construction Group. The deadline of the oath you
made has not yet passed,” she instructed.
“Understood.”
Maverick followed closely behind her. The moment he returned to his room, his expression gradually
turned cold.
That Charles has got some guts.
It was evident from the events from earlier that Charles had sent someone to follow him, messing up
his plans at a crucial moment.
Maverick would not be able to quell his anger if this grudge was left unaddressed.
Since Gwendolyn had previously lifted the surveillance on him, he sent a command to Nico through his
phone.
Everything was calm and peaceful for the next few days.
After having breakfast, Gwendolyn headed to Wright Construction Group. Maverick also left after he
was done washing the dishes.
With Natasha’s situation settled, Gwendolyn set her next target on Lane Group.
Her money had been with the Lane family for too long. It was time for her to take it back.
Lane Group was also involved in the real estate and construction industry. Although its reputation and
market value were incomparable to that of Wright Construction Group, it was still considered a leading
figure in Fairlake’s industry.
Furthermore, the eight point eight billion from Gwendolyn’s previous acquisition of Wright Construction
Group’s shares went into Samantha’s pocket. As a result, Lane Group didn’t suffer significant damage
during this period. To revise their plans, Gwendolyn called Yulia over.
Meanwhile, Maverick quietly slipped away from Linderson Constructions’ worksite and went to the
private room he had booked to meet Charles.
Charles had already changed out of his military uniform into a casual black shirt. His top two buttons
were undone, revealing his enticing collarbone and chest muscles.
When Maverick entered the room, Charles was lounging on the couch, leisurely sipping red wine.
Without further ado, Maverick picked up the bottle of wine from the table, poured himself a glass, and
downed it in one gulp.
“That hits the spot,” he remarked.
Charles clapped his hands lightly. He lifted his eyes to meet Maverick’s gaze and spoke without
reservation. “I’ve liked Gwendolyn since we were children. We might already be married if it weren’t for
those years I spent at the Central Intelligence Agency. I know you like her too, but you two are already
divorced. She’s just using you as a pet for her revenge now. Are you really okay with that?”
Maverick remained silent, his dark eyes resembling a dark abyss.
“I looked into your background but couldn’t find anything. There’s clearly more to your identity than just
being a member of the Wright family from Fairlake. Who exactly are you?” Charles questioned.