Chapter 355 A Sweet Night
Charlotte was floored.
The astrologer grinned. "Life's a wild ride; you never know what's coming next! So, why not just live it up?"
Charlotte got the depth of his words and nodded earnestly.
The astrologer had a soft spot for Kingsley and ruffled his hair for a bit.
'This kid, unlike his folks, is destined for good things,' the astrologer thought.
On the drive back, Frederick glanced at his wife in the rearview mirror.
Kingsley was strapped in his car seat, and Charlotte was showing him some pictures. Kingsley grinned, flashing his pearly whites, looking all kinds of adorable.
At the next light, Frederick checked the time; it was about time to grab Lola. "How about we pick up Lola and hit a restaurant for dinner?"
Charlotte chimed in, "Let's bring Johnny too! Lola mentioned things are pretty rough at his place lately, and that's no good for a kid."
Frederick caught her eye in the mirror and gave a small smile. "If you really can't stand it, why not have him stay with us?"
Charlotte was taken aback.
Frederick smoothly turned the wheel. "I know you have a soft spot for him."
Charlotte stayed quiet. This wasn't just about the kid's choice; Marlowe Collins had a say too!
When they got to the kindergarten, they saw Johnny looking all tense, holding hands with a woman in her early thirties—his aunt, apparently.
Frederick and Charlotte got out and walked over to ask what was up.
Johnny's aunt had tears in her eyes. "His mom lost hope and took her own life. She's at the funeral home now. Mr. Hawkins, thanks for looking after Johnny these past two years. I'm taking him to live in Greenwood City. It's smaller, but it's nice!"
She told Johnny to say his goodbyes.
Lola didn't want to let go. She held Johnny's hand and looked up at her dad.
Charlotte also gave Frederick a silent look.
Frederick crouched down and patted Johnny's head. He said softly, "Charlotte just said she wanted to bring you home with us. How about it?"
Johnny's aunt was stunned. She hadn't expected Frederick and Charlotte to be up for adopting Johnny.
She was torn, but she knew she could only offer Johnny the basics. The Hawkins family could give him the best education and a solid start.
She stayed quiet and let Johnny decide.
Johnny looked at Frederick, then at Charlotte. After a long pause, he asked softly, "Will you guys get divorced?"
Frederick said with a grin, "If Charlotte gets mad, I'll take you and Kingsley to crash on the couch. So let's keep her happy, alright?"
Johnny sniffled and nodded.
Johnny's aunt kept saying, "Thank you, Mr. Hawkins. You're so kind!"
Frederick just smiled. It wasn't about being kind; it was because Charlotte and Lola both had a soft spot for Johnny.
After sorting out the funeral, Johnny inherited over a hundred million bucks. Frederick set up a trust for him and then brought Johnny home.
At the villa, the kids' room was still getting sorted.
Lola took Johnny to her room, and they bunked together for a few days.
Johnny slowly got used to living there.
Today, the family decided to eat out.
Frederick turned the wheel and said, "Let's hit up your restaurant! You haven't checked in for a while."
Charlotte knew he just wanted to see her play the piano.
She whispered, "Wouldn't it be better to save that for when it's just us?"
Frederick shot back, "Mrs. Hawkins, if so, I might be waiting until next Valentine's Day."
Then he mimicked her low voice, "I can't wait!"
The place was packed since it was the weekend.
Lola led Johnny, and Frederick carried Kingsley.
With her hands free, Charlotte picked a cozy corner table and ordered the food.
Charlotte only played three pieces before she was ready to head back to her seat.
Then she spotted Gabriel.
Gabriel was sitting alone at the best table, sipping the priciest wine in the place. A small vase held a single white rose, clearly a special request.
In the light, his profile looked a lot like a young Ethan.
Charlotte paused and smiled at him. "Dining solo?"
Gabriel stood up and invited her to join him.
Charlotte didn't mind a quick chat, so she asked the waiter for a glass of water.
Gabriel looked at her and said softly, "A long time ago, an elder mentioned you to me."
Charlotte was taken aback. She was about to ask but quickly realized the elder was Ethan!
She didn't know what to say.
She hadn't expected Gabriel and Ethan to be related.
Gabriel quietly watched her.
What he didn't tell her was that when the elder spoke of the past, he got curious and came to see her play the piano. The first time he saw Charlotte, he understood why Ethan couldn't forget her.
He had come many times after that, but Charlotte never noticed him.
Later, Gabriel got into the entertainment biz and even acted in one of her TV shows.
Gabriel couldn't hide his admiration for Charlotte.
When Charlotte came back to the table, her face was off.
Frederick noticed right away.
After a bit, she said, "Gabriel is Ethan's nephew."
Frederick was taken aback.
As a guy, he could sense Gabriel's special feelings for Charlotte. But given Gabriel's age and status, he figured he should be the bigger person.
When they left the restaurant, Gabriel followed them out.
He opened the car door for Charlotte and softly said, "Ms. Russell, good night."
Charlotte gave a faint smile. "Good night."
This ticked Frederick off.
But with the kids in the car, he couldn't blow up.
Back at the villa, Frederick hugged her from behind and playfully tossed her onto the bed. When Charlotte tried to look back at him, he took her right there.
Charlotte bit her lip and held on.
After a long while, he finally held her face and licked the tears off her cheeks. Charlotte raised her hand and gently touched his handsome face.
She wrapped her arms around his back, closed her eyes, and whispered, "You care about Gabriel's face! Once this show's over, I won't have any contact with him. Frederick, I'm not like you; I'm not that sentimental."
Frederick made her open her eyes.
Charlotte resisted, but he had his ways. In the end, she had no choice but to slowly open her eyes, which were glistening and irresistibly alluring.
Frederick held her close and kissed her gently.
His voice was intoxicating. "Charlotte, those things don't matter to me anymore! My future is you and our kids. Let's not argue over irrelevant people, okay?"
As for her passion, he had to learn to accept it.
His concession moved Charlotte.
She looked up at him and softly asked, "Were you angry tonight?"
"Yes! Very! Extremely angry!"
With each word, Frederick kissed the corner of her mouth. After he finished speaking, they kissed deeply and continued their unfinished business!
Afterward, he picked her up and walked towards the walk-in closet.
Charlotte thought he wasn't satisfied yet.
She whispered, "Let's make love tomorrow, please! I'm really tired."
Frederick carried her to the safe, opened it, and took out the necklace on top.
He placed it in her palm.
Charlotte was quite surprised and turned her head to ask softly, "What does this mean?"
He whispered in her ear, "Charlotte, I can't say I don't mind at all! But the priest said this can protect you from harm. Keep it with you from now on; it's his final wish."
Charlotte lowered her eyes. "Frederick, do you trust me?"
He squeezed her hand. "Just take it with you when you go out, okay?"
Charlotte felt a warmth spread through her heart.
She and Frederick had been through so much. Since he lost his memory, she thought she'd never see this side of him again. But right now, Frederick made her feel all the tenderness.
She turned and gently hugged his waist. "Frederick!"
Charlotte occasionally visited the set.
As the end of the shoot approached, there were a few key scenes, and Charlotte decided to check them out.
She watched Grace's playback with the director.
Grace was killing it.
They discussed the scenes, and Charlotte was pretty satisfied.
Grace, with a flirty look, said, "This is my job, so it's naturally easier for me than others!"
As they were chatting, Gabriel walked over.
He looked at Charlotte and greeted her respectfully.
Charlotte didn't want anyone to catch on to their subtle connection, so she just nodded and followed Grace to the backstage dressing room.
Grace made coffee for Charlotte. As Charlotte sipped, Grace glanced outside and said, "Gabriel looks pretty good! I've heard a lot of folks in the industry are into him."
Charlotte had heard the same thing recently.
She just smiled.
Grace said, "He likes you a lot! If you don't want him, I might just make a move!"
Charlotte cut her off, "He's only 24! Can you really go for it?"
Grace held her forehead and smiled modestly. She was already 42!
Charlotte watched a few more scenes on set, including one where Gabriel acted opposite Grace. His acting was solid, no signs of being a newbie.
Charlotte checked the time and left before the shoot wrapped up.
As she left, Gabriel got momentarily distracted.
Grace, usually pretty reserved, bumped into him. "Stop thinking about her! How about me keep you company tonight?"
Gabriel blushed slightly.
Grace covered her mouth and laughed. "Just kidding! Charlotte wouldn't go for that."
She could tell that Charlotte took good care of Gabriel, maybe out of respect for her deceased first love, or maybe because of Gabriel's innocence.
Gabriel was flustered by her teasing.
After removing his makeup, he left, only to see a red sports car in the parking lot. A woman got out when she saw him.
The woman walked up to him, her gaze somewhat infatuated.
She softly said, "I want to talk to you."
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
