Chapter 262 What He Did Was Worse Than a Jerk
Frederick called out.
Andrew spun around, pointing at the piano with a smirk. "Sweet piece, huh?"
Under the crystal chandelier, Frederick's eyes had that soft, nostalgic glow. "Got it when Charlotte and I first hooked up. It was in the old apartment, but now that Lola's learning, we moved it here."
He motioned. "Grab a seat."
Andrew strolled over to the couch and plopped down, gently setting a document on the table.
Frederick picked it up and started skimming through it.
It was an internal doc, about seven or eight pages, listing all the major dirt on Charlotte, with the prosecutor's recommended sentence at the end.
It was late at night.
Andrew's voice was low. "It's the death penalty. She's gonna get the needle in two months if nothing changes."
As he spoke, his gaze was intense, emotions all over the place.
He'd dug up some secret info and figured out why Lola made it despite losing so much blood.
He'd totally underestimate Frederick. 'When push comes to shove, the guy could be ice-cold!
After reading, Frederick handed the doc back to Andrew.
He knew deep down that the case had moved so fast thanks to Andrew's help. Even though Andrew usually butted heads with him, they were still family.
Frederick got up, walked to the bar, grabbed a bottle of red wine and two glasses, and grinned. "Want a drink?"
He was hinting that if they drank, Andrew could crash there for the night.
Andrew waved him off.
He glanced upstairs and saw Charlotte standing there. He stood up, brushed off his pants, and smiled. "Nah, got a meeting in the morning."
Frederick didn't push but offered again for him to stay.
Andrew patted his shoulder. "Driver's waiting for me. Frederick, take good care of Charlotte!"
After saying that, he seemed to remember something and frowned a bit.
He couldn't shake it off.
Frederick got it and didn't bring up Chloe. He walked Andrew to the car.
The black Audi slowly rolled away.
Frederick didn't head back to the villa right away. He stood alone in the parking lot, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.
The smoke blurred his face.
He thought about a lot of old stuff.
Good and bad, but all of it would be history with Katherine's confession.
He only smoked one cigarette before heading back.
Charlotte stood at the villa door, her face softened by the dim light. Frederick quickly walked over and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "What are you doing out here? It's freezing."
Charlotte clasped his hand.
She slowly intertwined her fingers with his and then gently leaned into his arms.
Frederick looked down at her, his voice incredibly gentle. "What's up? You're even cuter than Lola. Want me to hold you?"
Charlotte tightened her grip and whispered, "Frederick, don't talk. I just want to hold you for a bit."
Just hugging quietly and doing nothing else.
Frederick gently held her slender waist.
After a long time, he kissed her on the forehead. "Call me Frederick from now on, okay?"
She responded with a soft "mm," being very obedient.
Frederick was a bit emotional.
This was Charlotte; when she was unhappy or angry with him, she wouldn't let him, but when she was willing to be compliant, she was really soft, no matter how he treated her, she wouldn't resist.
If it were any other time, he might have sex with her.
But tonight, they needed each other's warmth to soothe the wounds of the past.
Andrew sat in the car. The driver asked softly, "Mr. Devereux, where to now?"
Andrew closed his eyes to rest.
His mind was filled with major project secrets and that person.
After a while, he hoarsely whispered, "Back to the hotel."
After the meeting the next day, he was supposed to return to Copenhegan. He was really busy, after all.
A few years ago, he took on that task.
Andrew, in his busy schedule, was walking on thin ice, struggling with every step.
To others, he seemed to be in the limelight. Everyone would call him Mr. Devereux respectfully, but who knew that he would also find an apartment to keep the girl he liked, like hiding a treasure.
Even now, he still remembered that when they broke up two years ago, always living a disciplined life, he smoked two packs of cigarettes in one night.
He restrained himself from seeing her.
Not seeing her meant he wouldn't lose his mind, wouldn't fall into love like a young man. After so long, he thought he had moved on, but he hadn't.
Andrew couldn't resist; he drove alone to see her.
But when he saw her, she wasn't alone.
She was with a very young, gentle man, walking out of the cinema, which was recently showing a famous romance movie.
She went on dates and had dinner with another man.
It wasn't until nine in the evening that the man finally took her home.
At the entrance of Hawkins Mansion, Andrew's car was parked not far away. He quietly watched them, feeling all sorts of complicated emotions; he thought he was jealous.
If he were younger, if he weren't so tied down by responsibilities, he could get out of the car right now, grab that guy by the collar, and roar, "Stay away from my woman."
But now, he could only stay in the shadows, quietly watching.
Chloe got out of the car and watched the man leave.
The guy was actually pretty decent, and Chloe was willing to give it a shot. She had dinner and watched a movie with him. It felt neither great nor terrible.
Maybe if they kept seeing each other, they could get married.
In the dark night, she stood there, and for some reason, her eyes welled up with tears.
Andrew walked over and called her, "Chloe."
Chloe took a step back.
Her expression was dazed, a bit lost, and more defensive.
Andrew slightly raised his chin, indicating his car. "Let's talk in my car."
Chloe refused.
She took a couple of steps towards the gate to call the guard, but Andrew was quick, grabbing her arm and half-forcing her into the car.
The car door slammed shut.
He quickly got in, turned to look at her. "Is he your date?"
Chloe didn't deny it, her tone was very calm. "Yeah. He's a good guy. He's even met Gavin, and he likes Gavin."
Andrew's Adam's apple bobbed twice.
He held a high status; if someone had told him before that his son would call someone else "Dad," it would have been a joke. But now, this could really happen.
The girl he once had was going to be with someone else.
His son was going to call someone else "Dad."
Andrew lit a cigarette, slightly tilting his chin as he took shallow puffs.
He was good-looking.
Even smoking, he was more pleasing to the eye than most men.
There were so many times when he had her pinned beneath him, fucking her fiercely, and afterward, he would lean against the headboard and smoke. His feelings were actually complicated then, included a hint of guilt.
After all, she was 16 years younger than him, and what he did was worse than a beast.
Once, she leaned over and took a light puff from the cigarette between his fingers.
He almost burned his hand.
Maybe he was stimulated, he didn't let her go all night, feeling that he was no different from a jerk.
In the car, the smoke slowly dispersed.
Chloe couldn't help but cough, her voice soft and weak. "Let me out of the car."
Andrew stubbed out the cigarette. His gaze was deep as he asked the question he had always wanted to ask, "Do you like him?"
Chloe's eyes turned red. She said softly, "He's okay."
Andrew could understand her mindset; she didn't spitefully say she liked him, she just said he was okay, but this "okay" was more terrifying than spite.
She was settling.
She was really willing to marry someone else, as long as that person was decent and could be good to Gavin.
He had hurt her, and she had worn down her edges.
Andrew felt a bit heartbroken, his emotions even more complicated, and he didn't even know who to blame.
He stared at her for a long time, then handed her his phone, his voice calm with a hint of barely noticeable gentleness. "Call your mom and tell them you won't be coming home for now."
Chloe's body stiffened. "I won't go out with you."
Andrew said softly, "I have something to discuss with you. If you don't want to, I'll make the call myself. Chloe, don't be so stubborn."
Chloe's eyes filled with tears, feeling humiliated.
But she still made the call. She called with Andrew's phone, so she couldn't lie. She could only tell the truth, saying she had something to discuss with Andrew about the child and might be home late.
On the other end, Laura was silent for a moment. "Let me speak to Andrew."
Chloe handed the phone to him.
Andrew took the phone, and Laura said something on the other end. Andrew replied in a low voice, "I know. I won't overstep."
After a few more words, he hung up the phone and tossed it into the glove compartment.
The car slowly started.
Chloe leaned back in the seat, whispering, "Andrew, aren't you very busy?"
He held the steering wheel, smiling faintly. "You know my schedule?"
She said with some sarcasm, "The news is everywhere. The dashing Mr. Devereux is the focus wherever he goes; it's hard not to know."
Andrew didn't say anything.
He quietly drove in the dark, with the girl he once cherished sitting beside him.
At this moment, he wished time could stop.
Then, they would truly be together.
Half an hour later, he drove into a quiet road, the scenery on both sides very familiar.
Chloe recognized it.
She reacted intensely, pounding on the car window. "I won't go. Andrew, I won't go."
What was this?
They had been apart for almost three years, and now he wanted to take her to the apartment where they once tangled. What did he want to do? What did he take her for.
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