Chapter 172

Is it because Boss got a divorce and all this talk about love hurt his feelings?

He instantly felt weak in his knees. He cried out, “Boss, I was wrong! I won’t secretly date again. Please spare me this time… or at least go easy on the punishment!”

“Who said you’re going to be punished?”

Huh?

Swain had been halfway through bending his knee, striking an awkward pose. His expression clearly showed that he hadn’t recovered yet, making him look somewhat comical.

Maverick was expressionless, but there was seriousness in his eyes. “I’ve recently encountered a similar problem, so I called you to Fairlake to ask for your advice.”

Upon hearing his words, Swain felt a wave of apprehension. He observed him for a moment and, noticing that he didn’t seem angry, cautiously spoke up.

“My girl has a good temper and is gentle, but you must not cross her bottom line, or she will get angry. As for making a girl happy, it’s all about small gifts and attitude. Be a little sweeter with your words, and when she needs you, be able to step up decisively.”

Maverick lowered his gaze in contemplation for a moment, his expression growing increasingly solemn. “Gwendolyn is a wealthy woman herself; she doesn’t lack money. She can buy any gift she wants, and she doesn’t care for even the most expensive or rare items. This approach won’t work.”

Uh…

Does this mean that he’s going to pursue Ms. Shalders?

Swain found himself in a difficult situation.

He had previously heard from Nico that Maverick had been suffering quite a bit at the hands of Gwendolyn recently, and suffering was an understatement.

The woman had a tough temperament and showed no mercy.

Simply speaking, Maverick trying to win her back was even harder than plucking stars from the sky.

Swain scratched his head, his face full of misery. “Does Ms. Shalders have anything she wants to accomplish lately? You could secretly help her, then pretend to be exposed, letting her know you helped her, so she’ll be grateful to you.”

Maverick thought about it seriously.

Gwendolyn has been planning to bankrupt Lane Group. I could indeed give it a push from behind, but…

“I’ll help her, but there’s no need to let her know. She doesn’t like being indebted to others, and it won’t change her perspective much.”

“In that case, the significance of you accomplishing this task wouldn’t be that great…”

The two men fell silent at the same time.

The room fell into a brief silence.

Swain had a sudden thought, and he ventured, “Considering the current situation and Ms. Shalders’ temperament, the chances of you reconciling with her are almost zero. Have you ever thought about facing her with your true identity?”

Maverick remained silent, his dark eyes gloomy.

Swain continued, “You know what Mrs. Wright and Ms. Wright did to her before, and how tense the relationship between these three women is. Even if all the previous debts have been settled, there will always be a barrier in their hearts. As long as they are around, Ms. Shalders will never consider remarrying.”

“You have a new idea?”

Maverick looked up and met his gaze. Swain quickly approached him and continued in a low voice, “I think you can take a chance with your life.”

“Life?”

“Yes. Some people are stubborn and only realize their true feelings after a complete loss. But this situation can’t be staged or faked. Ms. Shalders is very astute, and it would take a genuine life- threatening situation to move her. But it’s too dangerous, and if things go wrong, there might be no coming back…” He paused for a moment, then suddenly knelt down and pleaded, “Whether you consider this plan or not, please don’t throw me out! I’m getting married to my sweetheart next month, Boss, I don’t want to die yet!”

Maverick glanced at his pathetic appearance.

“It has nothing to do with you. It’s my own decision, and I’ll think about it some more.”

Swain finally breathed a sigh of relief and got up from the ground.

The two of them discussed the plan for a while longer before finally leaving the room.

The villa was peaceful and quiet, as Nico had brought the Harris family’s bodyguards with him to some unknown place.

Maverick and Swain searched around and finally, in a corner of the backyard, they saw four men sitting on small stools, completely engrossed in playing poker cards.

They were so engrossed in their game that they didn’t even notice when Maverick and Swain walked over.

Quinton declared, “A pair of Queens!”

Nico slammed down two cards with great enthusiasm. “I’ve got a pair of Aces. Bet you didn’t see that coming. Hahaha!”

Quinton was furious. “Damn it! You still had this trick up your sleeve!”

Maverick and Swain stared at them speechlessly.

They couldn’t find neither hide nor hair of these people, and it turned out that they were holed up here playing poker cards. If Gwendolyn found out about this, there was no doubt that she would dock their pay.

Swain, on the other hand, didn’t think about that at all. He quickly ran over with an eager expression on his face. “How can four people play poker cards? Are you still short of players? Count me in!”

“Nico, come out!” Maverick called out and immediately walked toward the trees in the front yard.

Swain’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he waited for Nico to step aside and make way for him.

Nico had no choice but to hand over the cards in his hand to Swain for him to continue before hastily following after Maverick.

They made sure they were far away enough that the card-playing group couldn’t hear them.

Maverick’s face darkened and he asked quietly, “How did you do with the task I assigned you last time?”

Nico habitually scanned the surroundings before leaning in close to whisper in his ear. “Don’t worry, Boss. I’ve caused some trouble for the Central Intelligence Agency using your name. I estimate that within three days, Charles will definitely leave Fairlake and won’t return for a while.”

“All right.”

Maverick nodded, then remembered the new bodyguard who had just arrived today. “Look into that Justin guy,” he said. “I have a feeling I’ve seen him before, like on the day at Crane Bridge. If that’s true, we need to be cautious around him.” Recalling that Gwendolyn had taken Justin out today, he quickly added, “I need the information as soon as possible.”

“Yes, Boss.”

At the CEO’s office of Wright Construction Group, Gwendolyn received a call from Charles after finishing a meeting with Yulia.

She answered and said coldly, “Mr. Newton, was I not clear enough last night?”

Charles hesitated for a moment and let out a soft sigh. “Gwen, the Central Intelligence Agency needs me. I have to leave Fairlake, and I don’t know when we’ll see each other again…”

Gwendolyn showed no expression.

“Business comes first.”

Charles sighed again, his tone heavy as he said, “Gwen, you’re really heartless. Even if we can’t be lovers, based on the relationship between the Newton and Harris families, we’re still friends. Moreover, an old friend of ours came from Salinsburgh last night. Don’t you want to know who it is? I want to invite you out for a gathering tonight, one last time. You won’t refuse me, right?”

Gwendolyn fell silent.

During this encounter, she couldn’t help but feel that Charles was acting quite peculiar, with his behavior being rather odd as well.

How can I know what he’s up to if I don’t go and see for myself?

“All right. Where?”

“Realm Bar. This time, let’s just have the three of us old friends. Don’t bring your little pet along.”

“Okay.”

After hanging up the phone, Gwendolyn spent a long time in deep thought, carefully analyzing everything that had happened recently in a clear and organized manner.

She decided to call in Ezra and Justin.

“I have a gathering tonight, and I don’t need too many people. Just Justin will do. Ezra, you can go back to the villa first.”