Chapter 282 Women Are Delicate
Frederick strolled back into the office.
An hour later, a file landed on his desk.
Brenda, 22, got dragged to the Rocky Mountains when she was just a kid. By the time she hit 12, her foster folks kicked the bucket, leaving her all alone and relying on the kindness of strangers.
The detective smoothly pulled out a cigarette and stuck it between his lips. "Something real bad went down when she was 16, so even when her family found her, they didn't want her back."
Frederick could probably guess what that "bad thing" was.
Seeing him stay quiet, the detective couldn't help but ask, "What do we do? Bring her over?"
"No need." Frederick said coolly. "Get her a decent part-time gig, but don't mention me."
He was a grown man, and he could see the little spark of admiration in Brenda's eyes. He felt a bit sorry for her but didn't want to get tangled up, especially since Charlotte was already giving him grief.
He'd been hitched to Charlotte for over six months and knew a bit about her personality.
She was super possessive.
After sorting things out, he sat alone in the office, lost in thought.
Outside, light snow was still falling.
He mulled over his feelings for the late Katherine and his current wife, Charlotte. He figured he did like Charlotte to some extent, even if a big part of that was because of her looks and figure.
When he snapped back to reality, it was already nine o'clock.
The black night sky was only lit up by the falling snow.
Frederick grabbed his coat and left the office. On his way back to Hawkins Mansion, he spotted a flower shop still open and stopped to grab a bouquet of champagne roses.
He thought, 'Women always dig flowers.'
At ten o'clock at night, his car pulled up in front of Hawkins Mansion.
The mansion had already turned off the main lights, and the living room was dim. Frederick was unbuttoning his coat, ready to head upstairs, when a low voice came from the hall. "Where've you been? Why are you back so late?"
As the words fell, the lights flicked on brightly.
Frederick had a hard time adjusting, shielding his eyes with his arm, and it took him a while to get used to it.
Patrick was sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, looking pissed. "You still know how to come back? If I were Charlotte, I wouldn't want you either! You bought a bouquet of flowers? Does your wife need that bouquet from you?"
Frederick sighed. "Dad. Let's talk about it tomorrow."
He was about to head upstairs again.
Patrick sneered. "Charlotte didn't come back! If I were her, I wouldn't either! Only you could leave your wife out in the snow! Frederick, let me remind you, your behavior is gonna piss Charlotte off one day. Plenty of folks out there want her, so don't think you're all that!"
Frederick came down the stairs and threw on his coat.
"Where you headed?"
"Back to the villa!"
Frederick didn't know what was up with him. Even though it was snowing, and he knew she was a grown woman with a driver and bodyguards, she wouldn't be in danger, but he just had to see her tonight.
Late at night, the car pulled up at the villa.
He got out and looked up to see the light on in the study on the second floor.
Charlotte was here.
He walked into the hall with the flowers, and Dana came up to take his coat, whispering, "Charlotte's been in the study for a while and skipped dinner."
Frederick nodded.
As he went upstairs, he thought she must be pissed. He had promised to take her to the dinner party but bailed halfway.
Women needed to be sweet-talked.
In the study, Charlotte was holding a file, which was Brenda's background info.
Brenda was Katherine's biological sister.
She smoked, dated, and had an abortion at a young age.
Charlotte lowered her eyes, smiling coldly.
Having had such a wild life, Brenda now pretended to be pure and innocent like a little rabbit. Look, Frederick felt sorry for her and, for Katherine's sake, found her a cushy job.
Charlotte felt oppressed.
She wouldn't let a girl like that get close to Frederick. In a situation similar to Katherine's one-sided love, Brenda might also attempt to win his heart, but end up hurting Charlotte's loved ones.
Charlotte slowly sat down and took a lighter to burn the file.
The ashes burned her hand.
The door opened, and Frederick frowned. "What are you burning?"
Charlotte looked up at him.
Wearing a designer coat, he was handsome and dignified.
This was her beloved husband, but he also felt like a stranger.
After staring at him for a long time, she finally said softly, "Just some old stuff."
Frederick walked over and handed her the flowers. Charlotte took them and smelled them.
"Do you like them?"
"No woman doesn't like flowers." she replied.
Frederick walked around the desk, leaned in, and kissed her. After a long kiss, he pressed his lips to hers. "Are you mad?"
Charlotte murmured a vague "hmm."
Frederick chuckled lightly, amused by her honesty. Sometimes Charlotte's personality was quite endearing.
On that snowy night, the study was warm.
He kissed her, and the kiss grew more passionate.
Charlotte felt a small, square box in his pocket and vaguely remembered that it had been 42 days since she gave birth. He had rushed back tonight, intending to be intimate with her.
Charlotte smiled coldly.
She yanked the small item out of his pocket and tossed it on the desk. Under the dim light, she slowly spoke, "Frederick, I've said it before: love involving three people is too crowded. I still stand by that. If you can't let go of the past, we can't be together."
Frederick, being a proud man, felt a surge of anger.
He guessed that Charlotte knew.
Suppressing his anger, he said, "There's nothing between us, and I could never be interested in her."
Charlotte slowly raised her eyes, which were tinged with red.
"You're giving her hope. She'll think you have a special interest in her and you're taking special care of her because of her sister. She might even want to replace Katherine in your heart."
Charlotte's fingers gently slid over his chest, her voice soft.
"Frederick, if you truly don't care, you wouldn't help her. I won't wait for you forever!"
Frederick whispered tenderly like a lover, "What do you want me to do?"
Charlotte was straightforward, "She's already an adult. Withdraw all your support and take back your special care."
Frederick's gaze deepened.
"I think you've already found out about her tragic past. Charlotte, you now have billions of dollars. Can’t you tolerate someone else having a $5,000 job?"
"She's coveting my husband. Should I still sympathize with her?"
Frederick slowly straightened up. He looked at her, and the look in his eyes broke Charlotte's heart.
He pushed the door open and left.
Charlotte didn't chase after him; she didn't want to live so humbly.
She sat quietly for a long time before taking out a diary from the drawer, a diary Frederick had left for her. She slowly flipped through it, her eyes gradually blurring.
She thought Frederick wouldn't be so cruel to her.
When he left, his wife and daughter were the most important people to him, not anyone named Brenda who could make him upset her.
In the morning, when Frederick woke up, he touched the spot beside him; it was empty.
Charlotte hadn't returned to the room.
After washing up, he went downstairs and saw the bouquet of roses in the trash can by the stairs.
Dana looked troubled and whispered, "Charlotte left for the office early this morning."
Frederick said calmly, "Got it."
He slowly walked downstairs, but his gaze fell on the piano. He recognized it as "Morning Dew."
"Charlotte, do you like it? Charlotte, you are my morning dew."
Frederick's head throbbed with pain, so intense it was almost unbearable. That sentence kept flashing in his mind, but then it vanished, and he couldn't remember anything when he was clear-headed.
Seeing his expression, Dana whispered, "I heard this piano was a gift from you to Charlotte. It was very expensive."
She gestured with her hand. "It’s worth six hundred million dollars."
Six hundred million dollars?
Was he nuts?
But Frederick still walked over, lifted the piano lid, and without thinking, played a piece named "Moonlight Sonata."
Outside the window, light snow was still falling.
He played it twice.
Finally, he looked at his slender hands and whispered, "Did I really love her that much?"
Charlotte was giving him the cold shoulder.
She didn't answer his calls or see him. Except for occasionally seeing her at Hawkins Mansion, he could only see his wife in the newspapers.
But that wasn't 'Mrs. Hawkins'.
That was 'Ms. Russell'.
Frederick wasn't idle either. He returned to the legal field, taking on endless big cases.
He was always traveling, and the couple had even fewer chances to meet.
During this time, Brenda came to the office to see him once.
He didn't see her and had Cherie tell her not to come again.
Occasionally, when he had some free time, he would think of Charlotte.
Thinking about their argument that night, it really wasn't worth it for someone like Brenda. But Frederick didn't like being manipulated by a woman, even if it was his wife.
The New Year was approaching.
Charlotte had done a great job with Vertex Innovations Group. She had her own name in Syeattel's high society, not just as Frederick's plus-one.
One night, after attending a banquet, she felt dizzy when she came out.
Outside, it was freezing.
The cold air immediately sobered her up.
The driver, Jared, saw her come out and quickly brought her coat, complaining as he helped her put it on, "You should have worn this inside. Just because you're young doesn't mean you can ignore your health. If you catch a cold, Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins will blame me."
Charlotte was confused for a moment.
She then remembered that Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins referred to Patrick and Laura.
She smiled. "I've been working out recently. I'm in good shape."
Jared said, "But you just had the little master two months ago. women are delicate; don't take it lightly."
Charlotte felt a warmth in her heart.
She whispered, "I'll be more careful in the future."
Jared opened the car door for her, his tone cheerful. "Let's head back quickly. It's almost New Year, and the house is bustling."
Charlotte smiled and was about to get in the car when a pitiful voice called out from behind.
"Mrs. Hawkins."
Charlotte's body stiffened, and she slowly turned around.
Not far away, Brenda stood there in thin clothes, looking pitiful.
As she approached, several burly bodyguards blocked her, not allowing her to get close to Charlotte.
Brenda bit her lip and looked at Charlotte.
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