Chapter 118: How Should She React
Charlotte's tone was calm. "Did you have fun?"
Frederick tossed his coat on the sofa and walked over to her, fiddling with a glass of red wine, his gaze intense.
Charlotte rarely drank; she was usually very disciplined. Frederick figured her drinking meant she was upset, probably because of him.
"Are you mad?" he asked, his voice rough.
Charlotte didn't answer. She didn't want to lie, but she also didn't want to tell the truth.
After a long silence, Frederick smiled faintly. "Charlotte, we agreed to stay together until it didn't work anymore. What's happening now?"
Charlotte looked up and softly asked, "Frederick, are you tired of this?"
Frederick got the hint; she wanted to end things. Was it because of Katherine?
He suddenly lifted her onto the piano, which let out a low, mournful note. Charlotte struggled, feeling humiliated. She was only in a black silk robe, and with a few movements, her skin was exposed. The sight made Frederick's throat tighten.
He swallowed hard, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Are you really that bothered by Katherine, Ms. Russell? Aren't you overreacting?"
Charlotte was momentarily stunned, her temples visibly throbbing. But she held back.
She looked up gently, her red lips slightly parted. "Frederick, tell me, how should I react?"
Before he could answer, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. Frederick's body trembled; Charlotte had never been like this before.
He enjoyed being close to her, and now he was even more reiled up, forgetting their argument and getting lost in the kiss. The piano kept making soft sounds.
"Mr. Hawkins, is this what you want me to react?" Charlotte's voice was calm.
Frederick looked at her, and she smiled.
"Sorry, Mr. Hawkins, I crossed the line tonight. I'll be more careful in the future," she said. "I'll react as you want."
Frederick squinted, gently caressing her face. He couldn't describe his feelings. He wanted her to be sensible and stick to their agreement, but her obedience made him think of her affectionate gaze with Ethan earlier.
Had she given all her emotions to Ethan, leaving only a bit for him? Here he was, all smug about her feelings for him, worried that showering too much affection on her when he couldn't offer what she wanted might hurt her.
Frederick smiled coldly, leaning over her with determination. The methods he had been reluctant to use on her, he would use them all tonight!
Charlotte let him kiss her for a while, then calmly said, "I have my period."
Frederick looked at her. "What did you say?"
"Frederick, I have my period."
Frederick stopped, his face slightly red, his breath chaotic. He even pulled Charlotte into his arms to check.
"Frederick! Frederick, you bastard!" Charlotte exclaimed.
Frederick let her go, slid down to sit on a chair, took out a cigarette, lit it, and smoked quietly. Charlotte adjusted her robe.
Her body was still trembling, unsure if it was from arousal or anger.
Frederick held the cigarette between his fingers, slowly exhaling. A thin layer of smoke quickly enveloped them, obscuring their faces. He flicked the ash and smiled.
"Charlotte, I'm not tired of you yet! I quite like your body!"
Charlotte smiled faintly. Katherine's return had changed everything. Frederick didn't even bother to pretend anymore. He used to call her "baby," but now it was just "I like your body." What a jerk!
He was ready to drop all those gentlemanly pretenses, wasn't he? This was the real Frederick.
Charlotte was exhausted and didn't want to argue. "Can I go to sleep now?" she asked seriously.
Frederick, with a mature man's smile, held the cigarette in one hand and gently caressed her face with the other. "Alright then," he said hoarsely.
Charlotte knew their relationship had hit rock bottom in that short half-hour. She didn't care much. She realized Frederick was beyond her control and decided to protect her heart. She'd play along until he got tired. Katherine wasn't her problem; she was his old lover, not hers.
Charlotte slept well that night. Frederick didn't return to the master bedroom. She guessed he was in the study, reminiscing about his first love, which was fine by her.
Deep down, she understood her bond with Frederick. If he didn't declare it was over, then it wasn't.
In the following days, Frederick became busy. He rarely came back for meals and sometimes didn't come back overnight. Charlotte never called to ask him. They were like strangers living in the same house. The sweetness they once had was gone. Sometimes Charlotte even doubted if they ever had such sweetness.
She didn't interfere with his private life. She was busy too. The groundwork for the music studio was nearly complete. She and Ms. Garcia had chosen a good day and were now just waiting for the opening.
One day, Charlotte was on her way back from the music studio. She had just gotten into the car when she received a call from Lily. Lily's tone was hesitant, as if she had something to say but didn't know how.
"Is Robert bullying you again?" Charlotte asked, worried.
Lily immediately got angry. "Robert is a bastard; I gave up on him long ago! But Charlotte, why don't you keep an eye on your man?"
Charlotte's heart skipped a beat. She smiled gently. "What's going on?"
Lily couldn't hold it in and spilled everything. "Frederick has had several social events recently, and Katherine attended all of them! That's not all; Frederick went on a business trip to Lumina, and Katherine managed to go with him! I can't explain it; Charlotte, you should check the newspapers!"
Charlotte listened in a daze. So Frederick had gone to Lumina a few days ago, and she hadn't even known. Was their relationship that bad already, or were they both too busy to even say a word?
Charlotte smiled faintly. She confessed to Lily, "That's just how it is between us. If he wants to be with someone, it's up to him. Why should I stop him?"
Lily was stunned. After a long while, she finally spoke, "Charlotte, you are something!"
Charlotte joked, "Mr. Hawkins taught me well!"
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