Chapter 281 Remember to Keep a Clean Boundary
Charlotte dropped her gaze and flashed a sly grin.
He probably just wanted to check her out.
She purred, "Your offer's super tempting, but I got this business dinner tonight I can't skip."
Total lie.
She figured he knew, but if a guy really wanted a girl, he'd be patient.
And yep, Frederick didn't even flinch.
He murmured, "What about this afternoon? Got time then? Can we meet?"
Charlotte glanced at the light snow outside, her smile fading a bit. This guy was relentless.
But she caved, "At 4:30, I'll be at the company gym for an hour."
'The gym.' Frederick felt a bit bummed, but better than nothing.
Charlotte hung up.
She remembered a Facebook message from Cherie an hour ago: [Mr. Hawkins fired Brenda.]
She should've been stoked, but she wasn't.
She knew Wise Counsel Law Firm still had Brenda's back.
Charlotte traced her fingers along the glass, whispering, "You're so bad. What am I gonna do with you?"
Outside her office, there was a knock. "Ms. Russell."
"Come in."
It was Keith, the VP of Vertex Innovations Group, holding some important papers. "Need your signature, Ms. Russell."
Charlotte took it, read it twice, and signed.
Keith took it back but didn't leave right away. He smiled. "Ms. Russell, if it weren't for that business dinner tonight, you should totally chill. There's a play tonight with your fave actor."
Charlotte's eyebrows twitched.
She could guess Keith's game.
But he never crossed the line, so she had no reason to shut him down.
She just played dumb, smiling faintly. "Frederick also asked me out, but too bad, I can't make it."
Keith smiled and left.
At 4:30, Frederick's car rolled up right on time at Vertex Innovations Group. As he got out, the passing employees nodded respectfully. "Mr. Hawkins."
Frederick nodded back, not saying much.
He found the gym on the second floor.
Outside in Seattle, it was snowing, but Charlotte was sweating from yoga, even her nose had tiny beads of sweat.
Hearing footsteps, Charlotte turned slightly, watching him.
He wore a black turtleneck, black casual pants, and a gray coat.
Under the light, his features looked even more chiseled and sharp.
Compared to him, Charlotte was dressed super light, even her damp hair had this irresistible charm.
She gave a slight smile. "Take a seat."
Then she went back to her workout.
Frederick wasn't thrilled. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it on the bar, asking casually, "Where are your bodyguards and assistants?"
"I don't need a whole entourage following me around the office."
Charlotte finished another set, leaned against the bar, and smiled. "How was last night?"
Frederick's eyes darkened.
She knew he had come over, yet she still played dumb. It was a bit cheeky.
But it wasn't annoying; actually, it was pretty hot!
Charlotte knew men way too well!
Frederick wasn't in a hurry. He figured she already knew about Brenda getting the boot, but she stayed cool.
Was this calmness something he had taught her?
Frederick walked over, wrapped his arm around her slim waist, and gently stroked it.
He leaned close to her ear. "Are you really busy tonight? Charlotte, what do I have to do to get you to come back to the villa with me?"
Charlotte wasn't some naive girl anymore.
Men's words were just for show. His interest in her was purely physical; he probably didn't care about anything else.
She looked bored, patting his handsome face. "Next time. I really have stuff to do."
Frederick knew when to back off.
After all, this was the office, not home where he could do whatever he wanted. Plus, he came here just to see her.
Last night, she had really teased him, making him a bit impatient.
Charlotte had Jenna bring him coffee, magazines, and newspapers to keep him entertained.
But Frederick's eyes were only on her.
Charlotte's dedication to fitness was no joke.
She worked out seriously, and just watching her moves seemed exhausting, but Charlotte never stopped, totally willing to push through.
Time flew by, and an hour zipped past.
Jenna came in, smiling. "Ms. Russell, the car is ready."
Charlotte nodded, then turned to Frederick. "See, what a coincidence. I gotta get ready now, or I'll be late."
Frederick had driven an hour to get here.
They hadn't talked much, and she was already prepping for her business dinner.
Frederick, always the top dog, had never chased a woman. Women always chased him, and he had never heard of anyone needing to chase their own wife relentlessly, with no guarantee of success.
But a man's desire to conquer was strong.
He wasn't mad; instead, he was smooth. "Alright, you go ahead. Make sure to tell the driver to take it slow."
After saying that, he pulled her close and planted a kiss on her lips.
"You look hot when you sweat!"
Charlotte's cheeks turned a bit red.
Frederick was pretty pleased. As he walked out of the gym, he passed a guy at the door—it was Keith.
"Mr. Hawkins!"
Frederick noticed Keith was all dressed up, clearly ready for the business dinner, and felt a weird pang of discomfort. He frowned slightly and just nodded.
Charlotte didn't catch the tension between them.
She said casually, "Keith, wait for me in the car."
Frederick's fingers tightened a bit. She always called him 'Mr. Hawkins.'
But she called Keith by his first name.
Charlotte took a quick shower and changed into a dress, throwing on a white oversized coat.
Jenna walked her downstairs.
In front of the black Maybach, Frederick was leaning against it, smoking. When he saw Charlotte coming, he put out the cigarette and said calmly, "The snow's getting heavy. I'll drive you."
Charlotte glanced at the other car, where Keith was probably waiting.
Then she looked at Frederick.
She gently touched her forehead. 'Was he jealous?'
Snowflakes were gently falling from the sky.
Charlotte walked to the car, her hand on the door handle. "I'll take the company car. You should head home early and spend time with Lola and Kingsley. Kingsley's started recognizing objects more than 7 inches away now. You should practice with him."
Frederick's hand covered hers.
His blue eyes were intense. "I asked the driver; it's on the way."
Charlotte smiled, tilting her head slightly, her smile soft and faint. "Mr. Hawkins, everything is on the way for you."
Frederick knew she was saying it on purpose.
He didn't fake it anymore and leaned in to whisper, "From now on, don't share a car with him. Mrs. Hawkins, remember to keeping a clean boundary."
Charlotte agreed.
His gallantry deserved a little reward now and then.
She got into his car, sitting next to him. Frederick glanced at her and said in a low voice, "You look stunning in that outfit."
Charlotte lowered her eyes. "Frederick, you used to say that a lot."
Frederick's gaze deepened. After a moment, he smiled faintly. "Guess my taste hasn't changed."
Charlotte turned her face away. "I've always been beautiful."
There was a hint of playfulness in her words.
Frederick felt a slight flutter in his heart. He just smiled and didn't respond.
Snow falling from the sky always felt romantic.
Sitting next to him, Charlotte couldn't help but think, if that incident hadn't happened, and if Frederick remembered everything, how awesome things would be now.
She didn't realize her eyes were getting misty.
Suddenly, the car came to a screeching halt.
Frederick cursed under his breath, opened the door, and walked towards the front of the car.
Charlotte, startled, also got out.
The car had hit someone—a young girl, wearing only a thin cotton jacket in the cold, her long hair covering most of her face.
Frederick helped her up.
The girl stammered, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to run into the car."
After speaking, she lifted her face.
Both Frederick and Charlotte were stunned.
It was Brenda!
At this moment, she truly looked pitiful, having run into Frederick's car without serious injury, just a few scrapes.
Charlotte wasn't a harsh person. She smiled slightly. "Brenda, you have good luck!"
Brenda shrank back. She bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Hawkins. I didn't mean to."
Charlotte didn't want to deal with her and softly said to Frederick, "She's fine. Let's get back in the car."
But Frederick didn't move.
His eyes were fixed on the light green necklace around Brenda's neck, shaped in a very unique way. He had seen an identical one on someone else before.
That person had said she had a sister who was taken to the mountains.
Seeing this, Frederick was reminded of that person.
Charlotte turned to look at him and saw a trace of nostalgia in his eyes, quickly replaced by disgust.
His emotions were complex.
At that moment, a young girl ran over and helped Brenda away.
The gentle snowflakes continued to fall, silently.
Frederick turned and said gently to Charlotte, "You take the driver's car. I have some business to attend to at the firm."
Charlotte stood in the gentle snow, smiling slightly.
Her face was even paler than the snow.
But Frederick didn't notice. He helped her, opened the door of the black car for her, and then got into his own car.
In the back seat, Keith hesitated. "Ms. Russell."
Charlotte sat quietly, speaking softly, "I'm fine."
The car started slowly, and she saw Frederick sitting inside, looking confused.
She could more or less guess and couldn't help but mock herself.
How could she forget? In the past, Frederick's most frequent words were "Charlotte, I won't let you down again."
'Frederick, you asked me not to give up. But have you ever thought that I can still bear so much now?'
Charlotte lowered her eyes, her tone cold. "Investigate Brenda's background thoroughly."
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