Chapter 342 Frederick Got Angry (Part 2)
Back in the banquet hall, the place was still buzzing.
Charlotte was the star of the show. Not only was she the Hawkins family's daughter-in-law, but she was also the latest hot topic. Everyone was watching her and Frederick, trying to pick up on any juicy details.
But Charlotte? She was cool as a cucumber, giving no one any ammo.
She was chilling next to Frederick, leaning on his shoulder like she belonged there, listening to him talk shop with the others. She got what they were saying and would throw in her two cents now and then.
Meanwhile, Tina was making waves with the guys.
Feeling pretty smug, she was about to make another move on Frederick when she saw him take off his coat and drape it over Charlotte's legs. "You cold? I told you to bundle up at home. Look at Ms. Anderson; she knows how to take care of herself," he said softly.
All eyes turned to Tina.
Tina, decked out in fur, was sweating bullets and felt a bit awkward hearing that.
Ethan showed up late and caught the comment.
He smirked.
Old flames meeting again always stirred the pot. Tina had plenty of guys, but the one she really had a thing for was Ethan. But Ethan? He only had eyes for Charlotte.
Tina's lips quivered as she forced out, "Mr. Cooper, I got a gift for you today!"
Ethan glanced at Charlotte.
She was leaning on Frederick, keeping a low profile, but Ethan immediately noticed the watch on her wrist.
It matched Frederick's!
He suddenly got why Frederick was so confident.
Maybe Charlotte had mixed feelings about this marriage, maybe she wasn't thrilled, but she stayed because of their shared memories.
As long as Frederick didn't mess up big time, she wouldn't leave.
Ethan's eyes darkened.
He sat down, with two people between him and Charlotte. By chance, those two soon left to take calls. Ethan slid closer, sitting on Charlotte's other side. With Frederick on one side and Ethan on the other, she was caught in the middle.
On stage, the school leaders were announcing the top alumni.
Tina had dropped $10 million, making her the biggest donor, and she was soaking up the spotlight.
Applause broke out from all corners.
Tina stood up and gave a slight bow.
She was feeling on top of the world; this was her ticket into Syeattel's elite. She wanted to make a big splash, eventually making Charlotte look up to her.
As she sat down, her eyes flicked over to Charlotte.
Today, she had a special gift for Charlotte too.
Right then, the main screen started showing the school's history and some major events.
People in the audience were busy talking business. No one was really watching the video.
But about 20 minutes in, someone suddenly shouted, "Isn't that Charlotte and Ethan? They look so young!"
The whole hall went dead silent!
Everyone turned to the screen, where a 20-year-old Charlotte stood under a tree at the school.
The green leaves cast shadows.
Sunlight peeked through, creating golden spots.
The young girl in a white dress stopped an equally young Ethan, her cheeks a bit red, but she boldly said, "Ethan, I like you!"
In the video, Ethan's eyes were intense.
After a long pause, he pushed his bike over to Charlotte and said casually, "Hop on!"
Charlotte bit her lip, then grabbed the bike seat and got on. As Ethan pedaled, she quickly clutched the hem of his white shirt.
The scene then switched to the school library.
It was noon, and the place was dead empty.
Charlotte had dozed off on the table.
Ethan, sitting across from her, noticed and put down his book to quietly watch her.
A minute later, Ethan leaned over and kissed Charlotte.
The whole banquet hall went silent, and someone whispered.
"Isn't that the most famous couple from our schools?"
"Bet it was Ethan who fell for her first."
"Shut up! Frederick looks pissed."
Frederick's face was indeed stormy, but Ethan's was even darker.
These scenes were so old he had almost forgotten them, but now they were right in his face, making him remember.
Everyone could see he liked Charlotte back then!
He liked her without even knowing it.
He was in so much pain his expression twisted, struggling to keep it together.
He always loved Charlotte, but he was obsessed with power.
He also knew these scenes must have disgusted Frederick, but he couldn't feel smug because he was the biggest loser.
Tina raised her wine glass to him, smiling and asking softly, "Do you like the gift I gave you?"
This was a killer gift, one that could make Ethan suffer and drive a wedge between Frederick and Charlotte.
Indeed, these scenes made Frederick super uncomfortable.
Young love was the most touching.
When Charlotte liked Ethan, she was all in. If it weren't for what happened later, he believed they would have been together, married, and had kids. Also, it would have been Ethan and Charlotte sitting close here.
Frederick had always kept his cool, but now he didn't want to anymore.
Cool was for people who had to swallow their pride. He was Frederick; he didn't need to hide his possessiveness over Charlotte!
He pulled Charlotte up. Gently raising his glass, he smiled faintly. "Vertex Innovations Group will donate $100 million, specifically to tear down and rebuild the school's library!"
The whole hall went dead silent.
He was super jealous and didn't hide it at all!
After saying this, Frederick took Charlotte and left.
As they reached the banquet hall door, a hoarse voice called out, "Charlotte!"
Frederick tightened his grip on Charlotte's hand.
But Charlotte still slowly turned her head, quietly looking at Ethan, who was also staring at her. Ten years had passed, many things had happened, and they had gone down completely different paths.
And he still owed her something.
Ethan's voice was hoarse. "Charlotte, if I had another chance, I would only want you."
But not wealth and status; none of it mattered!
Charlotte smiled faintly.
Tina was also a bit stunned; she hadn't expected Frederick to react this way.
Shouldn't he have kept his cool and gotten mad at Charlotte later that night?
How could he be willing to drop $100 million just to tear down the library because Ethan had kissed Charlotte there, and he couldn't stand it?
Did he care about Charlotte that much?
As Tina trembled with anger, Sawyer called, sounding quite anxious, "Tina, you didn't cause any trouble outside, did you?"
The question was strange.
Tina quickly asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
Sawyer gruffly replied, "As long as you didn't cause trouble, it's fine. Someone suddenly came to inspect today, and it scared me. They said they'd come again tomorrow!"
Tina softly reassured him, "I'm in Syeattel; I'll see if I can pull some strings for you."
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