The confrontation lasted for several minutes.

Caught in the middle, Gwendolyn glanced from one man to the other.

As the 023 special drug had lost its effect on Maverick, he now looked more imposing than Charles. His eyes gleamed with a chilling and merciless intensity.

Gwendolyn did not know what to say.

They were already eyeing each other with so much hostility in the beginning that she was not sure how the night would end.

She cleared her throat loudly, drawing their attention to her.

Gwendolyn then gestured for Charles to look in the direction of the dining room. "Charles, I've prepared all this food, and I've been waiting for you. I've also prepared two bottles of red wine. It's been a long time since we've had a drink together. Let's all drink and be merry tonight."

"Okay."

Charles shifted his focus from Maverick to Gwendolyn. He looked at her affectionately as they walked into the dining room together.

"Gwen, your culinary skills are amazing. These dishes smell so good. I wasn't that hungry earlier, but now my appetite has been whetted."

"I'm happy as long as you like them."

Maverick stood in the stairwell, observing their interaction keenly.

Even though Gwendolyn had already told him about her plan that night, he was still caught off-guard when he saw her smiling happily at Charles and speaking to him in such a gentle manner. He felt a pang of heartache.

When would Gwendolyn treat him the way she was treating Charles?

Both of them were chatting and laughing in the dining room, oblivious to the awkward expression on Maverick's face.

At the dining table, Gwendolyn pursed her lips and smiled. She took the bottle of red wine that had been decanted and was about to pour some for Charles.

Charles extended his hand, making a gesture to stop her. "Gwen, you have a servant here. You don't have to do this yourself."

Gwendolyn's expression momentarily froze, but she quickly regained her composure.

She put down the red wine and looked in the direction of the staircase.

"Maverick, come here."

Charles' lips curled up slightly with a satisfied look. He was sitting in an upright position as if he had cultivated this habit over the years. His eyes were fixed on Maverick, waiting for the latter to go over and serve them the wine.

Seeing Maverick walk toward them, he turned to look at Gwendolyn. There was a hint of surprise in his voice when he said, "Gwen, there's some dirt on your face. I'll help you wipe it off." Gwendolyn sat in her chair, not moving.

With an affectionate gaze, Charles extended his hands in a gentle and deliberate motion toward Gwendolyn's face.

Before they could come in contact with her face, another pair of hands grasped Charles' wrists tightly.

Maverick's face darkened, and he uttered through gritted teeth, "Mr. Newton, mind your manners. Keep your hands to yourself."

Charles looked up and sneered, "I shall do whatever I wish. Mind your own business."

Charles enunciated the last few words clearly and was about to shake off Maverick's hands in disgust.

Maverick tightened his grip and stared at Charles. The former's eyes bore a malevolent and piercing intensity, radiating a palpable sense of malice.

Charles tried to break free, but his efforts were in vain. He started to look annoyed.

"Gwen, is this how a servant treats his employer? He's so arrogant. Such a defiant servant ought to be taught a lesson."

Gwendolyn was about to speak when Maverick snorted coldly. "My employer is Gwendolyn. Who do you think you are?" The two men locked eyes. Their hands were entangled, their muscles tensing.

There was mounting tension in the room.

Gwendolyn sighed as she held her forehead.

It seemed that there would always be an intense battle between men whenever Maverick was present.

She coughed heavily again, giving Maverick a warning look.

"That's enough. Let go."

Hearing this, Maverick released his grip.

However, he did not move and stood between Gwendolyn and Charles. His glare was fixed on Charles, capturing his every movement like a vigilant surveillance camera.

Charles took out a tissue and wiped his sleeves. He then spoke with a hint of annoyance. "Gwen, it seems like we won't be able to enjoy our meal tonight as long as someone is around."

Gwendolyn understood what Charles meant and looked sternly at Maverick. "Mr. Newton is my guest. You've offended him the moment you got here. Are you trying to make me angry? I think I have been too lenient with you. Have you forgotten who your employer is?"

She turned toward the outside of the villa and called out, "William, Quinton, come in."

William and Quinton quickly walked into the living room and stood at attention.

Gwendolyn appeared indifferent as she disregarded Maverick without even glancing in his direction. "Bring him to the basement to do some soul-searching. Do not release him without my orders." William and Quinton looked at each other and hesitated.

Maverick frowned, his face looking extremely cold. He spoke up with a hurt voice. "Are you punishing me because of him?"

Gwendolyn turned to look at him with a sneer on her face.

"What do you think? Charles and I are childhood friends, and I have always admired him since I was little. I used to hold a grudge against him, but now I've come to terms with it. Let bygones be bygones. After all, he still has a special place in my heart. I gave you a chance to terminate our employment contract, but you stubbornly refused to leave. If you can't stand the way things are here, get lost. Do you think you still mean anything to me?"

Her harsh words cut through him like a sharp knife.

Maverick was so hurt that it took his breath away.

Despite knowing her plan, hearing her speak those hurtful words still caused him great pain and a sense of deep injustice.

He knew that Gwendolyn no longer had feelings for him.

Was Gwendolyn intentionally using Charles to tell Maverick the truth in a roundabout way?

Maverick's eyes were bloodshot. He choked up as he uttered, "I know I've made many mistakes in the past, but aren't you even a little moved by what I've done for you all this while?" Gwendolyn kept quiet.

She noticed that Maverick was slowly tearing up. His gaze revealed a sense of vulnerability and emotional pain.

A sudden jolt reverberated through her heart.

Maverick's acting skills were indeed worthy of an Academy Award for Best Actor since he could make his tears flow on demand.

He looked so sorrowful that she was momentarily stunned.

She withdrew her gaze, and her face remained impassive.

"In the beginning, I was softhearted toward you because you were injured on my account. Your attitude has gotten worse now, and you even offended Charles. William, Quinton, lock him up immediately." Since their employer had repeated her orders, William and Quinton reluctantly went up to grab Maverick.

Maverick forcefully flung their hands away. "I won't tolerate this punishment. I'll leave since you don't want me to stay."

He turned around and walked out of the villa without looking back. His eyes were bloodshot, blazed with anger.

William and Quinton were startled. "Ms. Shalders, what do we do now?"

"Let him go."

"Yes."

William and Quinton knew better than to linger in the dining room and quickly took their leave. Gwendolyn and Charles were now alone. Relieved that Maverick had left, Charles poured some wine for Gwendolyn.

"Gwen, I'm so happy that you defended me."

As Gwendolyn cast her gaze upon Charles, her icy demeanor melted away. She smiled warmly at him.

"Of course. How can he compare to you? Charles, you are the most important person to me. Come, let's forget about this and drink up."

Both of them then raised their wine glasses with a clink.

Gwendolyn downed the wine in her glass without any hesitation.

Swirling the wine in his glass, Charles inhaled the rich aroma of the wine. However, he did not take a single sip of the wine.

He looked at the wine in his glass, and the corner of his lips curled up.

"I remem

Pausing today. W

Gwendo

Charles'

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