Chapter 200 I want it, Charlotte
The office air was still.
Charlotte's face turned even paler.
After a long pause, she finally spoke, struggling, "Frederick, let's stick to business. Feelings, the future, marriage—let's not go there."
She tilted her head slightly. "You said it yourself, marriage is just a piece of waste paper."
Frederick's expression changed. His voice was hoarse but gentle. "Charlotte, I'm sorry. I made you sad."
He handed her a tissue.
Charlotte suppressed her emotions and spoke softly, "Frederick, you want a chance, so I'll give you one. One year. After that, we're done."
Frederick sat with his back to the window, his figure shrouded in darkness. Hearing her, his eyebrows raised slightly. "What if you fall for me and want to marry me within the year?"
Charlotte didn't answer.
He got the message; she wouldn't let herself fall for him.
For this year, she was willing to give what she had promised.
Frederick leaned back on the sofa, seemingly relaxed but slightly tense. Fine, he had supported her, and now she was negotiating terms with him.
He stayed silent for a long time.
Charlotte watched him, her voice tense. "Frederick, do you want it or not?"
"Sure," he heard himself say.
Charlotte felt a moment of dizziness.
He stood up, walked behind her sofa, and gently embraced her, his lips close to her ear. "Charlotte, I want it. Don't talk about sleeping together out of spite. How could I treat you like that? We're openly dating, so don't say that anymore, okay?"
Frederick's charm and gentleness were his best tools, and he used them seriously with her.
Charlotte knew this all too well.
She calmly said, "We won't live together, and we won't meet each other's parents."
"Okay. But I can invite you over for the weekend sometimes. That's not too much, right? What couple doesn't spend weekends together?"
Charlotte didn't object.
In fact, she didn't want him at her apartment either.
After negotiating, Charlotte was about to leave.
Frederick gently pressed her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her. He was standing, and she was sitting, making the kiss awkward but arousing.
Charlotte neither refused nor responded.
Frederick, not getting a response, chuckled. "We just broke up for half a year, and you don't know how to kiss anymore?"
His long fingers pinched her chin, and with a gentle squeeze, he succeeded in breaking off her defense.
Charlotte involuntarily gave in, opening her mouth, and he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers inside her mouth. What started as a light kiss turned into something unusually passionate after half a year apart.
After the kiss, both their heartbeats quickened.
Frederick leaned on her shoulder, panting, his voice raspy. "Charlotte, you still have feelings for me."
Charlotte felt very embarrassed.
Her hands trembled as she tried to button her shirt.
The kiss had been so intense that Frederick had unbuttoned it in the heat of the moment. Now that she was calm, she felt very ashamed. In her haste, she couldn't button it up, and in the end, Frederick helped her.
He bent down, pressing his forehead against hers. "I really don't want to let you go."
Charlotte's eyes were slightly wet.
He knew that while she might not want him in her heart, it didn't mean her body didn't feel anything.
Frederick didn't tease her as he used to. Instead, he gently helped her straighten her clothes and whispered, "I have something to do later. I'll have the driver take you back to the music studio."
Charlotte couldn't handle his gentleness.
She stood up to face him, trying to maintain her composure. "I'll take a cab, Mr. Hawkins."
Frederick watched her greedily. He smiled. "Don't call me Mr. Hawkins anymore."
Charlotte felt somewhat embarrassed.
He didn't say anything more and pressed the intercom to call Lucy in. "Take Miss Russell downstairs and help her get a cab."
Lucy smiled sweetly. "Miss Russell, this way, please."
Being a sharp assistant, she noticed the affair between Charlotte and her boss and was particularly polite to Charlotte but wisely kept her mouth shut.
A car was parked downstairs at the firm.
But it wasn't a cab; it was Charlotte's champagne-colored BMW. When she stepped out, Brian jumped out of the car, glaring at her fiercely.
His gaze was practically murderous.
Even Lucy sensed something was off. "Miss Russell, should I call security?"
Charlotte didn't want to make a scene and smiled faintly. "He's my driver. Thanks, goodbye."
Lucy, being smart, quickly left.
Charlotte glanced at Brian's hostile eyes and tried to open the car door, but Brian pushed her hand away and slammed it shut.
He gritted his teeth. "Did you sleep with him?"
People were passing by.
Charlotte's voice was cold. "Do you want everyone to know?"
Brian didn't care. He only knew that when he heard she was seeing Frederick, he went crazy. He came to Syeattel just to spite Frederick, and now they were back together before he even had a chance!
But besides being furious, something inside him wanted to break free.
What it was, he didn't know.
He only knew he was very angry now, so angry that he spoke without thinking. "Why don't you like me? Is it because Frederick is more capable? Is it because he's older? Or do you like his pretentious elite demeanor?"
Charlotte was angry.
The half-hour with Frederick had already exhausted her, and now she had to deal with Brian. Her voice grew colder. "My personal affairs are none of your business. Remember your place."
Brian feared nothing and couldn't stand hearing that.
He glared at her fiercely and kicked the car. "You just like him, don't you? What's so good about that pretentious old man? He can't be better than me."
Charlotte didn't want to argue with him.
Just then, a cab came by, and she flagged it down, intending to get in.
Brian grabbed her. "You're not leaving!"
Charlotte closed the car door and apologized to the driver. Then she looked at Brian calmly. "Brian, why did you come Syeattel"
Under her clear gaze, Brian didn't have the courage to lie.
Seeing him deflate, Charlotte softened her tone. "Stop messing around! If you think working here isn't good, you can leave anytime! If you stay, there's only one rule: I won't follow your nonsense."
Brian was young, only 23, two years younger than her.
She had known his intentions weren't pure for a long time, but she never thought he was bad. On the contrary, he took good care of Maria and always worked hard at the music studio, with high professional ethics, at least when facing other coworkers..
Charlotte genuinely treated him like a younger brother.
In fact, she didn't have many people like him around her.
After speaking, Charlotte opened the car door and got in. She leaned back in the rear seat and said softly, "Take me back to the apartment. I'm not feeling well."
Brian stood there stiffly for a long time before finally getting in the car.
Once in, he still couldn't behave. "Hey, did you sleep with him or not?"
"I did!" Charlotte thought saying this would make him quiet down.
Indeed, Brian was silent for a long time after hearing that. His young pride was hurt.
He didn't say another word and drove Charlotte back.
Charlotte didn't get out of the car and told him, "There's a pharmacy up ahead. Go buy some fever medicine."
Brian was in a bad mood and couldn't help but complain. "Why? He wore you out so much that you can't even buy your own medicine? What are you with him for?"
Charlotte was genuinely unwell; otherwise, she would have kicked him twice.
Brian complained but still got out to buy the medicine. When he came back, he opened the back door to call Charlotte out, only to find she had fallen asleep.
Her golden hair covered one side of her face, revealing a fair and delicate half, with particularly attractive features.
Brian's heart suddenly raced.
He didn't know what was wrong with him. He had only wanted to spite Frederick and planned to leave after getting her, but now he couldn't take his eyes off her.
For the first time, Brian felt at a loss.
He chose to flee.
Fortunately, he rembered to throw the medicine into the car and slammed the door shut.
Charlotte woke up startled.
She saw Brian's fleeing figure and felt quite helpless. She took the medicine and went back to her apartment.
Probably because of the night wind, she had a severe cold. Before going to sleep, she called the music studio and gave Jenna a few instructions.
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