Chapter 336 Do You Still Love Me (Part 4)
Charlotte woke up to find Frederick chillin' right next to her.
He was just sitting there, running his fingers through her golden locks. It was kinda sweet but also a bit weird, so she sat up. "How long was I out?"
Frederick pulled his hand back, giving her a look before cracking a smile. "Over an hour."
Charlotte got up to slip on her shoes. "Did I mess up your work?"
He grabbed her hand.
Charlotte glanced at him. "What's up?"
Frederick raised his hand and playfully pinched her nose. "For you, a little work delay is no biggie!"
Charlotte gave a faint smile.
Freshly awake, she was all soft and cozy. He hadn't kissed her in forever. Even though it wasn't the best spot, he couldn't help but lean in and kiss her.
"Frederick," she murmured, pressing against his shoulder, reminding him.
But he couldn't hold back, gently parting her lips and kissing her deeply.
After what felt like forever, he finally pulled back, satisfied.
Charlotte leaned weakly against his shoulder, her face all flushed from the kiss.
Frederick held her slim waist, kinda wanting more, but he didn't dare push it, worried she might freak out. Charlotte sensed his desire and whispered, "Let's do it tonight!"
At his age, holding back all the time wasn't great.
Besides, she wasn't planning on divorcing him and still had feelings for him.
Frederick lazily patted her.
Sitting in the car, Frederick wanted to stick around. He turned his head and said gently, "How about coming to the office? I'll nap with you at noon and leave early to pick up Lola."
Charlotte thought for a moment and declined, "Kingsley still needs care."
Frederick was a bit bummed but still drove her home first. The golden Bentley slowly rolled out of the clinic.
In the clinic's parking lot, a black Mercedes opened its door, and someone stepped out.
Decked out in luxury brands, looking like a total rich lady, it was none other than Tina.
She sneered coldly. She had seen Charlotte at the clinic earlier and thought she was tripping, but it was really her!
Everyone thought Charlotte had the perfect life, but turns out she needed to see a shrink.
The class reunion was coming up soon.
If Charlotte's secrets got out, who would still envy her?
But this clinic was high-end, and getting patient info wasn't easy. Tina dropped a lot of cash to bribe a young nurse in the records room and got the dirt.
Seeing the paper, Tina laughed.
The young nurse was a bit freaked out by her laughter. Tina dismissed her with a few words. After the nurse left, she sat in her car and dialed a number. "Is this the Daily News? I got something juicy for you!"
She hung up the phone and smiled.
Was there any point in a marriage that just ripped open wounds?
Would a guy like Frederick stick with a wife who had mental issues? A guy like him could have any woman he wanted!
There were plenty of women ready to have his kids!
Just thinking about it made Tina happy. She was waiting to see Charlotte crash and burn and to see Lily, that bitch, suffer. Only when both of them were in pain would she truly feel satisfied.
That afternoon, the Daily News dropped the bomb.
They posted pics and a recording of Charlotte.
It was legit medical records from a clinic, full of mentions of postpartum depression, Katherine, Brenda, and marital issues, among other private stuff.
[High Society Marriage in Shambles]
[High Society Doesn't Believe in Love]
[Vertex Innovations Group CEO's Love Secrets]
These juicy headlines quickly blew up, along with the undeniable recording.
Frederick and Charlotte's private life was out in the open.
Everyone was waiting for Frederick's response, as it could directly hit the stock prices of the Hawkins Group and Vertex Innovations Group.
Cherie pushed open the door to the CEO's office, and Frederick was on the phone.
On the other end was Charlotte.
As the people involved, they couldn't ignore the news.
But Frederick didn't bring it up directly. He just spoke gently to her, "I'll pick up Lola this afternoon. You stay home. By the way, is Kingsley's baby food running low? I'll grab some after picking up Lola. Need anything else?"
Charlotte was sitting in front of the piano.
She saw the trending news and got the hint behind Frederick's call.
There was a brief silence on the phone.
After a bit, Frederick spoke softly again, "I'll hold a press conference this afternoon. Charlotte, don't sweat it. Live your life how you want; I'll handle the rest."
Charlotte played a short piece on the piano with one hand, then stopped. "I wanna know who did this."
Frederick nodded.
Then he hung up the phone and got lost in thought.
Cherie's voice was tense. "Mr. Hawkins, I found out it was first dropped by a rag called Daily News, but no shady money trails yet."
Frederick leaned back in his leather chair, gently turned it, and looked up. "Find the editor-in-chief. Have the security team invite him for a 'chat' and get the info out of him. If he clams up, keep him for more 'chats.'"
Cherie knew Frederick well. She knew he was seriously pissed, and whoever was behind this was in for a world of hurt.
Frederick added, "Set up the press conference."
Cherie immediately went to handle it.
After she left, Frederick was about to call Chloe to ask her to hang with Charlotte, but he got a call from Patrick first.
Patrick was fuming.
He ripped into Frederick, calling him useless for not protecting his wife.
After a moment, he softened his tone. "Your mom's already on her way over!"
Patrick then talked about how to handle the mess. Finally, he asked, a bit awkwardly, "Frederick, be straight with me. Did that injection back then mess with your, uh, performance? Otherwise, how could you be so useless?"
Frederick replied, "I got the energy, Dad. But do you want me to do it solo?"
Marital stuff is about both people being into it; that's what makes it work.
If he was the only one turned on, and Charlotte wasn't feeling it, he couldn't handle that.
Patrick was just testing Frederick. Now that he had an answer, he felt relieved. As long as there was no physical issue, there was still hope.
He advised Frederick, "In the future, be more considerate of Charlotte. Do more around the house, so she can chill, drink coffee, and watch movies. If it really doesn't work, your mom and I can take care of Kingsley, and you can take over the Hawkins Group."
Frederick hung up the phone directly.
He wanted to call Charlotte again, but with Laura there, he felt reassured.
Half an hour later, Cherie came in. "Mr. Hawkins, the press conference is about to start. All the major media outlets in Syeattel are here. Don't worry. I've already briefed them; they won't write anything reckless."
Frederick stood up and straightened his shirt.
In the Vertex Innovations Group's Conference Room No. 1, hundreds of reporters with cameras aimed at the podium were standing below, and people inside were all buzzing.
The news was just too juicy!
They were all guessing whether Frederick would announce a divorce or bring Charlotte out to clear the air and act like nothing happened.
The conference room doors slowly opened.
Frederick walked in, looking all dignified.
Before the reporters could fire off questions, he spoke a few words, "First, about the leak of my wife's privacy, I reserve the right to take legal action. Second, I will not divorce Mrs. Hawkins."
Frederick smiled slightly at the hundreds of cameras, his eyes full of affection. "Mrs. Hawkins, whether as a husband or a lover, I will strive to be the best! We have a lifetime to try, and I believe that one day, you'll be interested in me and this body again."
The crowd was in an uproar. Was this Frederick's love confession?
But he was truly shameless!
Could he really say such things?
Frederick kept smiling. "Our marriage has some issues, but so what? I will never fall for anyone else. Mrs. Hawkins, I am transferring all my assets to you. If you're unhappy, even being with me once a year is your right. And I will always be faithful to our marriage."
The Vertex Innovations Group lawyer came over and liquidated all of Frederick's assets. All were immediately transferred to Charlotte.
The reporters were a bit stunned. When they went back to write their articles, they realized that Frederick had said so much, but it could all be summed up in a few words— our marital affairs are none of your business!
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