Chapter 187 These Were All Done by Frederick!
Charlotte was shaking with anger. "Frederick, will you only be happy if I have no friends or family left?"
Frederick sneered. "What kind of friend is Oliver to you? Everyone knows how he feels about you!"
Charlotte knew Frederick wasn't kidding. When he wanted something, he went all out. If he said he'd deal with Oliver, he meant it.
She couldn't risk it.
Oliver was her friend and had helped her many times. She'd rather distance herself from him than drag him into this mess.
But she was furious!
She hadn't done anything wrong. She had just liked someone, and now even that was a crime. If that's how it was, she wished she'd never loved Frederick!
Charlotte lowered her eyes and smiled softly. "You don't love me. You're just mad because your favorite toy might be taken away! Frederick, love isn't about possession; it's about fulfillment!"
Frederick's face was blank. "Like how Oliver treats you? If you don't want to have it, how can you call it love?"
For Frederick, that wasn't the case. He had to get what he wanted.
Charlotte stayed silent.
Frederick stepped forward and reached out to touch her face, but she pulled away.
"Now you won't even let me touch you?"
Frederick let go and adjusted his shirt in the mirror, meeting her eyes in the reflection.
The elevator doors opened.
Oliver was standing outside, looking at Charlotte with gentle eyes. "I'll take you home!"
Charlotte's body stiffened. She remembered Frederick's warning.
But Oliver gently put his arm around her shoulder and whispered, "You're almost crying! Let's go home!"
Charlotte felt a bit dazed.
She glanced at Oliver and finally followed him into the car.
In the hotel lobby, Frederick stood under the dim light, watching Charlotte get into Oliver's car. He smiled faintly. 'Charlotte, you won't let me come to you! So I'll just have to wait for you to come back to me!'
Charlotte had something to say to Oliver, and he sensed it.
At a red light, he lit a cigarette and took a drag. "What do you want to say?"
Charlotte turned to look at him and said softly, "Oliver, we shouldn't see each other anymore."
"Because of Frederick?"
Charlotte didn't deny it.
She and Oliver hadn't reached that point, and she didn't want him to get involved because of her. He deserved a good life, and she wasn't worth it.
Oliver slowly smoked his cigarette.
When the light turned green, he gently pressed the gas pedal and drove Charlotte back to her apartment building.
He leaned back in his seat and said softly, "Charlotte, I've liked you for a long time! I gave up once, when I fought with Ethan in the restaurant, because I saw that Frederick liked you. I gave up because I couldn't beat him, and the Taylor family couldn't beat the Hawkins family! But this time, I don't want to give up!"
Oliver turned to look at her. "I won't even if I lose everything!"
Charlotte didn't know what to say!
She hadn't even promised Oliver anything, yet he was willing to take such a risk. If she were in her early twenties, she would have stood by him, but she was already 25 and past the age of impulsiveness.
"Oliver!" Charlotte gently closed her eyes. She wanted to say sorry, but she had once liked someone too.
Liking someone wasn't wrong.
Seeing her so burdened, Oliver chuckled lightly.
He said, "Charlotte, this is a man's business! Everything is my choice; you don't need to feel guilty!"
How could Charlotte not feel guilty?
She returned to her apartment and quietly sat on the small sofa.
Her little white dog curled up beside her.
Her phone was right next to her, and she hesitated for half the night but ultimately didn't call Frederick.
In the following half month, she didn't see Oliver.
But in the financial news, she often saw Oliver's "Summit Innovations Group" making headlines, mostly for negative economic news, even involving a broken capital chain.
Charlotte called Lily and asked her out for coffee.
It was 2:30 in the afternoon. Lily looked quite well. She sat across from Charlotte. "It's rare for you to ask me out. Is it about Oliver?"
Charlotte smiled. "Is it that obvious?"
"Quite obvious!"
Lily ordered a coffee, took a sip, and said softly, "I heard from Bradley that Oliver's company is in bad shape. Besides the asset issues, there are also some legal disputes. Oliver is working almost 18 hours a day now."
Charlotte was stunned.
That overwhelming sense of helplessness surged up again.
She gave a bitter smile. "Is this Frederick's doing?"
Lily didn't answer directly. She gently held Charlotte's hand. "Frederick is too powerful. In terms of resources and connections, Oliver is no match for him. But Oliver is persistent! Charlotte, you should try to talk to him!"
Charlotte had tried, but Oliver had said he wouldn't give up even if he lost everything!
Charlotte gently stirred her coffee. After a long while, she smiled. "I will."
Lily squeezed her hand.
They both knew that talking to Oliver wouldn't help because Oliver's goal wasn't to be with Charlotte; he was just standing up for her.
The only one who could stop this was Frederick!
After finishing her coffee, Charlotte didn't take a cab but walked back to her apartment slowly.
Frederick's gold Bentley was parked downstairs.
He was sitting inside, smoking, with the other car door open, as if waiting for someone.
When Charlotte walked over, he looked up at her, his gaze very focused.
Charlotte got into the car and looked straight ahead, asking calmly, "Frederick, what exactly do you want?"
Frederick stubbed out his cigarette and smiled lightly. "Are you feeling sorry for Oliver? Do you really not know what I want? All I ask is that you promise not to see or contact Oliver. Is that so hard?"
Charlotte was shocked by his shamelessness.
He had nearly driven Oliver's company to bankruptcy just to keep her from seeing Oliver!
"Frederick, don't you think you're going too far?"
Frederick stared at her for a long time before sneering. "I haven't even asked you to come back to me and live with me. Is that too much?"
"Live together with you?"
Frederick kindly explained, "I mean eating and sleeping with me."
Charlotte suddenly became very quiet, sitting next to him in an unnaturally calm manner.
Frederick watched her profile.
He hadn't seen her for many days. If it weren't for Oliver, she wouldn't have gotten into his car or spoken to him.
Frederick felt a strange sense of jealousy!
Charlotte finally moved. She opened the small fridge in the car, took out a can of cold Coke, and opened it. Frederick just watched without stopping her.
The cold Coke poured straight onto his trousers.
The icy Coke made Frederick almost jump up!
He looked up at her, his gaze deep.
Charlotte gritted her teeth. "Frederick, you can live with your own hands!"
With that, she opened the car door to get out, but Frederick grabbed her and locked the door. His voice was particularly hoarse. "You think you can just leave after getting my pants wet? Aren't you going to take responsibility and dry them?"
Charlotte tried to pull her hand away, but he forced her to wipe the spot. As she did, Frederick's Adam's apple moved slightly. "Charlotte, did you do this on purpose?"
Charlotte forcefully shook him off.
Frederick continued to stare at her, his handsome face suppressing some emotion.
Their gazes were both complicated.
Frederick spoke softly, "Charlotte, it's been a long time for me. I really want to..."
Charlotte's eyes reddened. Everyone had needs, but how could Frederick, after hurting her so deeply, still have the audacity to say he wanted to be intimate with her? She once again felt the inequality between them.
She slightly tilted her head back, trying to keep her composure.
Then she used all her strength to say calmly, "Sorry, I don't want to at all."
She thought he would be angry.
Unexpectedly, Frederick wasn't angry. Not only was he not angry, but he also gently brushed her delicate cheek, just like he had done countless times before!
That kind of tenderness pierced Charlotte's heart painfully!
Frederick spoke softly, "This car is tinted; no one can see inside. Charlotte, I really miss you!"
Charlotte was startled.
Then he pulled her over and held her tightly in his arms.
She gritted her teeth. "Frederick, what do you want to do?"
He held her slender waist and coaxed in a hoarse voice, "Don't move, or I can't guarantee what I'll do to you! You were the one who spilled Coke on me. I originally just wanted to come and see you! Charlotte, I really miss you."
Charlotte couldn't escape. She could only turn her face away, choosing not to look or listen.
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