Chapter 251 I Want to Date You
Frederick strolled into the study, plopped down, and lit up a smoke.
These past three years had been a whirlwind. He barely had a second to think about Charlotte, let alone anything else.
Finally, he could chill.
Forcing Charlotte to ditch Oliver back then? Yeah, that was a major screw-up. That move guaranteed Oliver a permanent spot in Charlotte's heart.
Even if it wasn't love, it was enough to make him green with envy.
Just as Frederick was getting lost in his thoughts, the study door creaked open. A tiny head of golden curls peeked in, followed by bare little feet and a cute floral pajama set.
"Daddy!"
Lola launched herself into his arms, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck.
Frederick placed her little feet in his lap, kissed them, and gently asked, "Why are you up, kiddo?"
Lola, half-asleep, leaned against him, mumbling for her Mommy.
Frederick thought of the woman in the master bedroom, his heart fluttering. No way could he let Lola see Charlotte like that.
He gently coaxed her, "Mommy's sleeping in my room!"
Lola murmured, "I wanna sleep with Mommy!"
Frederick held her with one arm, gently rocking her, and started spinning a bedtime story.
In the dead of night, his voice was a bit raspy but soothing.
Lola slowly drifted off in his arms. Knowing she'd wake if he put her down, he wrapped her in a small blanket and held her for about an hour.
Late at night, Lola was finally out cold.
Frederick sat by the bed, looking at her sweet little face, and couldn't resist planting a kiss.
Lola was his and Charlotte's kid, and he loved her to pieces.
Lola turned over, hugging her carrot pillow.
Frederick couldn't bear to leave just yet and stayed a bit longer.
When he finally headed back to the bedroom, he was stunned.
Charlotte's hair was damp with sweat, her forehead glistening, and the faint blue at the end of her brows was especially noticeable. She looked pretty disheveled.
Frederick walked over, bending down to look at her, his Adam's apple bobbing.
He took off his tie and loosened her up.
Charlotte breathed lightly, her voice soft and misty. "Frederick, you jerk!"
Frederick knew women well.
He knew what she wanted, so he whispered in her ear, "Shower first, or get started?"
Charlotte hugged him and kissed him.
The air got warmer!
The bedroom was heating up, the man kissing her while whispering sweet nothings, "Call me Honey, Charlotte. Or call me Love!"
Charlotte suddenly stopped. She whispered in his ear, "I'm sleeping with Lola! Mr. Hawkins, good night!"
She pulled away and patted his handsome face. "Mr. Hawkins, you should taste this feeling too!"
Frederick didn't stop her. He leaned against the headboard, watching her get dressed with deep eyes, and chuckled lightly. "Didn't know you had such self-control!"
Charlotte cursed him!
Frederick chuckled softly. He was handsome and particularly good at teasing her, making it hard for Charlotte to look at him.
She took a shower in the guest room and went to bed.
Her phone buzzed; it was a Facebook message from Frederick: [I miss you!]
Charlotte looked at those three words and smiled faintly.
She didn't reply, and he sent another message: [Come sleep with me! I won't do anything. I just wanna hold you. In the morning, I'll go for a run and bring you back a rose, and wake you up!]
Charlotte had been tangled up with him for years. She actually knew his intentions. He never forced her, just wanted to start over and date her again.
She gently closed her eyes.
All these years, whether love or hate, it was all about Frederick.
Everything was about Frederick.
She didn't respond to him, knowing he didn't mind whether she did or not. He was enjoying the chase. Living together just for Lola's sake would be pretty sad.
In future relationships, Charlotte didn't want to live humbly anymore.
If Frederick wanted her, he had to chase and ask for it.
But whether to give in and how far to go, that's up to Charlotte to decide.
In the morning, when Charlotte woke up, there was a fresh rose on the bedside table.
She turned over and gently touched the petals.
This took her back to when they were together; he used to give her flowers all the time. She wondered if his feelings had changed since then.
Charlotte didn't want to seem too affected.
After freshening up, she headed downstairs. Lola was already up, munching on breakfast with her dad.
Frederick was casually sipping his coffee and flipping through the morning paper.
When Charlotte walked in, Lola immediately wiped her little mouth clean and started eating more politely.
Charlotte gave her a kiss.
Frederick put down the newspaper and grinned. "She really listens to you!"
That was nice to hear.
But then Frederick added, "I listen to you too. Whatever you say, I'll do. If you tell me not to do something, I won't. I'm all ears for you!"
Charlotte bit her lip and whispered, "Don't corrupt Lola!"
Lola kept eating.
Frederick's face got serious, his gaze a bit intense. "Did you sleep well last night?"
Charlotte ignored him; he knew the answer.
Last night was too close for comfort. She was too embarrassed to join him in taking Lola to school, so she stayed home to tidy up, organizing the rooms upstairs. Since she moved in, she had been doing these chores.
At ten, she called Chloe to set up a shopping trip.
With the Vertex Innovations Group anniversary bash coming up, Charlotte still hadn't picked out a dress. She also wanted Chloe to tag along and take her mind off things.
Laura was a super VIP at Seraph Studio, so when Charlotte and Chloe arrived, the place was cleared out for them.
Charlotte carefully picked out dresses while chatting with Chloe.
They inevitably talked about Andrew.
Charlotte didn't try to persuade her; instead, they swapped parenting tips. Although Charlotte had only been a mom for two months, she had more insights than Chloe, probably because Lola was raised so meticulously.
Chloe gradually felt more at ease.
Charlotte picked out a dress for her, and she went into the fitting room to try it on.
Charlotte sat on the sofa, sipping coffee while waiting.
The store manager came over, looking a bit troubled. "Mrs. Hawkins, a Mr. Cooper is also one of our VIPs. I wanted to ask if you could accommodate him."
Charlotte was chill and agreed.
But when the person walked in, she realized it was Ethan, with a pretty girlfriend in tow.
Ethan was surprised too. He looked at Charlotte for a long time before saying, "You're back?"
Charlotte nodded and smiled at them. "Make yourselves comfortable."
Ethan wanted to chat, so he let his girlfriend pick out a dress on her own. The girlfriend, a second-tier actress, was smart enough to give them space.
Ethan sat across from Charlotte.
He initially wanted to smoke but put down the lighter and cigarette case, smiling faintly. "It's been a while. I heard your kid with Frederick is already four years old!"
Charlotte flipped through a magazine, responding with a casual "Mm."
Ethan looked at her calm face, feeling a bit lost.
For a long time, he had been crazy about her, wanting to have her.
But years had passed, and it seemed everyone had moved on except him. He couldn't even tell if he still loved Charlotte or if he was just nostalgic for Chloe's innocence.
As he was lost in thought, Chloe came out.
She didn't see Ethan at first. She just tugged at the strapless dress and complained softly, "Charlotte, isn't this too revealing? Should I try another one?"
Charlotte didn't respond.
Chloe looked up and saw Ethan, her expression freezing.
Back then, he had cheated and kept a mistress, leading the Hawkins family to forcefully cancel the engagement. Ethan's business took a hit, but years later, he had rebuilt himself and was once again the charming man.
Chloe smiled faintly. She nodded at him.
Compared to her calm demeanor, Ethan was much more shocked.
He had heard rumors about her and Andrew but hadn't believed them. Seeing Chloe now, he believed it.
This once radiant face had been worn down by love.
It had faded a lot.
But it had also gained a certain womanly charm.
He had once thought Chloe would never grow up!
But she had, in a way he couldn't have imagined, and it was for another man!
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