Chapter 173

Ezra glanced at Justin beside him, feeling a bit worried. He said hesitantly, “Ms. Shalders…”

Gwendolyn waved her hand languidly. “You can leave now.”

No sooner had the two left than she then received a call from Treyton.

“Kiddo, Asher has checked carefully, and there isn’t a man with a similar appearance in the Harris family’s list of members.”

Gwendolyn pursed her lips, deep in thought.

Treyton continued, “It’s possible that your new recruit, Justin, is lying, or maybe this person is hiding something deep. In any case, you can’t fully trust him, and you need to be cautious when dealing with Justin.”

“All right, Treyton. Don’t worry. I know what to do.”

After hanging up the phone, she took out the notebook from her drawer and flipped to the page with the sketch of the person in black. She studied it carefully for a while before immersing herself back into her work.

It wasn’t until close to the end of the workday that she left with Justin to head to Realm Bar.

Justin was driving, while Gwendolyn sat in the back seat.

The atmosphere inside the car was serene, and every now and then, Justin would steal a glance at her through the rearview mirror.

Gwendolyn noticed his gaze.

“What do you want to say?”

Justin hesitated for a moment before saying, “Ms. Shalders, I was the one sent to kill you earlier. The people around you have always been suspicious of me. Why do you trust me? Aren’t you afraid that I might actually do something to you tonight, especially since you only have me to protect you?”

Gwendolyn smiled charmingly, her laughter enchanting and captivating.

“Since you’re already mine, of course, I’ll trust you completely. Besides, my own martial arts foundation isn’t bad either. I could probably take you on by myself.”

Justin also laughed.

She spoke candidly and refreshingly, which he quite liked.

The two of them were chatting quite harmoniously when Justin suddenly felt like teasing her, “What if I conspire with others and it’s not just me trying to kill you?”

Gwendolyn concealed the cold glint in her eyes and casually gazed out the window.

“Would you do that?”

Before Justin had a chance to respond, they arrived at Realm Bar.

Gwendolyn instructed him to hide in the shadows, and only come out when needed.

After giving the instructions, she went into the bar on her own.

Because she was wearing a gentle and classical-looking black velvet dress with a gauze skirt tonight, she seemed a bit out of place with the men and women in the bar as soon as she walked in.

However, Gwendolyn didn’t care about any of that. She walked straight toward the private room Charles had reserved without glancing sideways.

In the hallway, a very tall man wearing sunglasses brushed past her.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks, her expression turning quite serious.

Just a moment ago, she seemed to have caught a glimpse of a mole near the man’s temple under his sunglasses. His appearance looked somewhat familiar.

“Excuse me, Sir.”

She turned around, and as she looked at the man, her beautiful eyes sparkled.

The man stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around.

Beneath his sunglasses, he had a prominent nose and seemingly well-proportioned features. He was tall and sturdy, appearing to be around six feet in height.

Seeing Gwendolyn staring at him with a smile, the man felt a bit puzzled.

“Are you talking to me, Miss?” His voice was deep.

Gwendolyn gracefully pursed her lips and took two steps toward him. “Yes, Sir. Could you please tell me how to get to VIP Room 69?”

The man’s expression remained unchanged. “I’m not familiar with this place. You can ask the bartender for directions, Miss.”

“Judging by your accent, Sir, it seems you’re not a local from Fairlake. Are you here for a visit?” Gwendolyn asked softly, engaging the man in conversation.

The man’s eyes met hers from behind his sunglasses. His expression was cold and aloof. “Miss, if you need directions, please ask the staff. If you’re just making small talk, I have things to do, so I’ll be on my way.”

Gwendolyn smiled and nodded, watching the man’s figure disappear completely down the hallway.

It was only when she turned around that her eyes gradually grew cold.

Upon opening the door to the private room, she saw that it was quite peaceful inside. Charles was the only one there, sitting on the couch and savoring a glass of red wine.

“You wouldn’t have lied to me about meeting an old friend just to get me out of the house, would you, Mr. Newton?”

Charles poured her a glass of red wine with a wry look in his eyes. “Do you really think I’m that kind of person, Gwen? Our old friends are indeed coming. They just haven’t arrived yet. In the meantime, we can enjoy some wine and chat.”

He pushed a full glass of wine onto the coffee table in front of her eyes.

Gwendolyn walked straight in and took a seat, but she didn’t take the glass of red wine.

Seeing that she didn’t seem interested in drinking, Charles laughed and said, “Come on, just one drink to send me off. Surely you wouldn’t deny me this small favor, right?”

After he finished speaking, he downed a glass of bitter wine with a melancholic expression on his face. His deep blue eyes had lost their usual brilliance as if he couldn’t accept it. He poured himself another glass of red wine and raised it toward Gwendolyn.

Gwendolyn picked up the wine glass, elegantly swirling the dark red liquid before bringing it to her nose for a sniff.

She asked tentatively, “I’ve known you for so many years, Mr. Newton. You probably aren’t the type of man to resort to despicable means, are you?”

Charles’ expression gradually turned serious. “Are you suspecting that I drugged the wine?”

Gwendolyn didn’t speak, nor did she deny anything. There was a hint of a faint smile in her eyes.

Charles suddenly stood up from the couch, walked over to her, and picked up her glass of wine, drinking it all in one gulp.

Gwendolyn’s eyelashes quivered gently. Her facial expression remained unchanged.

Seemingly provoked by her distrustful gaze, Charles picked up the half-empty bottle of red wine from the table. His Adam’s apple moved as he poured the wine directly into his mouth.

As he drank too hastily, quite a bit of the liquid spilled from the corners of his lips, flowing down his neck and leaving patches of stains on his snow-white shirt.

After finishing the entire bottle of wine, he hurled it against the opposite wall.

It shattered into pieces.

“Do you believe me now?”

His slender legs stumbled slightly as he gazed at Gwendolyn.

Feeling a burning heat within his heart, he roughly and forcefully tore open the two buttons on his chest, revealing a glimpse of his delicate collarbone. Paired with his face, he looked incredibly attractive.

Unfortunately, Gwendolyn could not be bothered to appreciate his handsome face.

“It was just a joke, Mr. Newton, but it ended up upsetting you. It’s my fault. Since it’s a farewell, of course I have to drink this glass of wine.” Her eyes curved with a smile, and her voice was soft and sweet.

She stood up, opened a new bottle of red wine, and filled a fresh glass. Gracefully, she raised it and gave Charles a toast, and without hesitation, she drank the entire glass. After finishing, she showed him her empty wine glass.

Charles noticed that her gaze was not focused on his subtle movements, and his heart sank. Could it be that ever since she got that little pet Maverick, she has lost interest in looking at other men’s bodies?

He slumped back onto the couch, seemingly unwilling to accept it, and asked one last question, “Gwen, is it really… impossible for us now?”

“Yes.”

Gwendolyn didn’t show a hint of hesitation, her tone indifferent.

Charles lowered his head even more.

Gwendolyn couldn’t see his expression, but she could clearly sense the strong feeling of disappointment and dejection emanating from him.

Heartbreak and disappointment are always there, but she could never offer any comforting words, nor could she give Charles even the slightest chance.

Just as the atmosphere in the private room turned somber, the door was gently pushed open by someone.

A slender figure stepped in, wearing high heels.

Gwendolyn instinctively shifted her gaze.

Upon seeing the appearance of the newcomer, she was slightly taken aback.