Chapter 380 Sweet Love Between Husband and Wife
Late at night, the villa was dead quiet.
Frederick shrugged off his coat and trudged upstairs. The servants were already out cold, leaving just a night light on.
In the second-floor bedroom, Charlotte was still up, rocking some thick loungewear, lounging on the sofa with a script in hand.
Frederick eased the door shut. "Are the kids out? Did they get their milk before bed?"
Charlotte put down the script and glanced up at him.
Frederick strolled over, aiming for a kiss, but then pulled back and rasped, "I'll hit the shower first."
Charlotte was about to get up to whip him up some food.
Frederick waved her off. "Nah, you chill here. I'll fix something up myself in a bit."
With that, he headed for the shower.
Post-shower, he felt the funk from the rental house lift a bit, and his mood lightened. He plopped down next to Charlotte, wrapping her in his arms for a bit.
He was rocking dress pants and a shirt after the shower.
Charlotte knew him too well; when something was bugging him, he clammed up.
She leaned gently on his shoulder and asked softly, "What's up?"
"Nothing." Frederick said, brushing her cheek.
He went downstairs, cooked up some grub, and brought some up for Charlotte. She had just had milk and wasn't too hungry, plus she was watching her figure, even while pregnant.
Frederick got it.
He sat next to her, munching away, feeling at ease.
Charlotte kept him company, studying his face under the light. He'd be 36 after the new year. Time had been kind, but it had left some fine lines at the corners of his eyes, giving him that mature vibe.
Charlotte reached out and gently touched the corner of his eye.
Frederick paused, then kept eating. "We just did it tonight, and you're already thinking about it again?"
He teased, touching her rounded belly.
Charlotte blushed, her heart racing.
She wanted to push him away, but her fingers clung to his hand, finding it warm and comforting. She murmured, "Cut it out."
Frederick chuckled and finished his pasta.
He cleaned up a bit, then carried Charlotte to the sofa, letting her lean on his shoulder while he combed her hair.
Late at night, the simple actions of a couple were enough to feel cozy.
Charlotte felt at ease.
She leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Frederick, you've changed a lot from before!"
"How so?"
"Just different!"
Frederick touched his wife's face and smiled faintly.
Charlotte buried her face in his chest.
After a long pause, she whispered, "Now can you tell me what happened?"
Frederick didn't want to drag her into the dark stuff.
But it was all tied to Charlotte.
After mulling it over, Frederick finally spoke slowly, "Charlotte, the chandelier falling in the theater that day wasn't an accident. I think it was on purpose."
"You think Tina's behind it?" Charlotte sat up from his embrace.
Her golden hair was a bit messy, and she gently combed it with her slender fingers, looking very feminine.
Even though they were talking serious stuff, Frederick was still distracted.
Frederick touched Charlotte's belly.
Charlotte was both shy and annoyed. "We're talking serious stuff here!"
Frederick reined it in a bit and said thoughtfully, "Tina probably paid off the electrician, but that guy died tonight, during, uh, some adult activities."
Charlotte was tough, but hearing this still gave her the chills.
She frowned a bit. "Tina's so scrawny, even if the guy was caught off guard, it wouldn't be easy for her to take him down. There must be something else going on."
Frederick's eyes lit up.
Charlotte was on the same wavelength.
That kind of unspoken connection was awesome.
Charlotte was about to say something when Frederick's phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen; it was Donovan. Not bothering to step away, he answered. The voice on the other end was low, "The prosecutor's got news. They found something in the guy's stomach, might be what did him in! No way a strong dude gets taken down by a woman otherwise."
Frederick hung up.
Looking at Charlotte, she seemed deep in thought.
"What's on your mind?" Frederick pinched her cheek.
Charlotte looked at him quietly.
She said softly, "Could Ethan's car accident also not be a coincidence? Did Tina have something to do with it?"
Frederick stared at her but didn't say a word.
Charlotte couldn't handle his gaze and spoke first, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're gorgeous!" Frederick said with a gentle smile, "Aren't you afraid I'll get mad?"
Charlotte leaned gently into his embrace.
His hand naturally rested on her small belly. In this snowy weather, it was actually pretty warm and cozy. Charlotte didn't need to think about anything, leaving it all to Frederick.
She murmured, "I've got your kid in my belly, and you're still getting mad about other guys!"
Frederick chuckled softly.
He rested his chin on her hair and said, "Just thinking about the dumb stuff I did before, I can't help but worry. I'm scared you'll leave me!"
Charlotte also smiled faintly.
As she was about to drift off, she said, "Grace called this afternoon, saying Gabriel is going for his second surgery! Frederick, I want to see him."
Frederick didn't object.
Even though Gabriel had a thing for Charlotte, he had saved her.
He wanted to go with her, but Charlotte, leaning softly against his neck, said, "No need; you're so busy. I'll have Jenna go with me, and there are bodyguards too."
Charlotte was an adult.
Frederick couldn't keep her locked up at home because of one incident.
He agreed. The next day, Charlotte arranged to visit with Grace.
Seeing Charlotte in good spirits, Grace was relieved. She said cheerfully, "Even though Gabriel's face was messed up, Mr. Hawkins got foreign doctors for him. He can recover to seventy or eighty percent."
Charlotte stayed quiet.
Even if he recovered to seventy or eighty percent, it'd be tough to be an actor again.
Grace patted her lightly. "Actually, his dream isn't to be an actor."
Charlotte forced a smile.
Jenna opened the hospital room door for them, and they saw Tina inside.
She was good at schmoozing, comforting Gabriel's mom. The worried mom occasionally wiped her tears, and the two women seemed very sad.
Grace frowned.
She whispered in Charlotte's ear, "I don't think she's up to any good!"
Charlotte knew.
She knew Tina guessed she would come and deliberately came to mess with her. Actually, she didn't mind Tina hanging with the Cooper family, but this chick was too dangerous.
Charlotte lowered her eyes, hatching a plan.
She called Grace over and whispered a few words in her ear.
Grace laughed and teased, "You could come up with such a cunning plan, no wonder Mr. Hawkins is wrapped around your finger."
Charlotte just smiled faintly.
She played it cool, which made Tina drop her guard.
Sure, Tina had caused Charlotte and Gabriel a lot of grief, but so what? Tina thought Charlotte didn't know, and Gabriel's mom was naive enough to spill family secrets to her.
Tina had clearly won Heather's trust.
Heather was a respectable woman, but her son had saved Charlotte and ended up with a scarred face. She felt uneasy about it.
The vibe was tense, and after a few words with Heather, Charlotte went to chat with Gabriel. This was the first time Gabriel had seen her since the incident, and his feelings were all over the place.
He was happy, but also blamed her for being so heartless to come only now.
The young man had feelings for her, so Charlotte had to tread carefully.
Jenna opened a lunchbox, and a delicious aroma filled the room.
Charlotte smiled. "You probably have plenty of fruit supplements, but this is porridge I made myself. The kids at home love it, especially Lola."
Her words were intimate, also emphasizing her role as a mom.
Heather's face softened a bit. "Charlotte, you're so thoughtful."
Charlotte stepped aside. "Heather, you should feed Gabriel."
Gabriel had been eating little lately, and Heather, feeling sorry for her son, quickly went over to feed him. Seeing him eat well, she couldn't help but say, "If I had such good cooking skills, Gabriel would surely gain some weight soon."
Charlotte smiled. "I'll make it every day and have the driver bring it over."
Heather felt a bit embarrassed and repeatedly said it was too much trouble.
After all, Charlotte was pregnant.
And considering her status, it was one thing to be grateful and make a couple of meals, but expecting her to do it long-term was too much. Heather had that much self-awareness.
Charlotte didn't push it.
She occasionally glanced at Gabriel, whose face was covered with gauze, revealing only his eyes. He was much quieter than usual.
Only when Charlotte was about to leave did he say softly, "I don't regret it."
Charlotte stood by the door.
She felt a bit sad.
Being loved but unable to reciprocate was a burden. Especially when the person was young Gabriel, Ethan's nephew.
Finally, Charlotte sighed softly. "I'll come see you again in a few days."
After she left, Tina followed her out.
Grace, however, stayed behind.
Her charming eyes darted around, and then she sat by Gabriel's bed. Bold and flirtatious as always, she didn't hold back. "Come on, you were eagerly waiting for her, and now that she's here, you don't say a word! Let me tell you the truth, even if Charlotte gets divorced, she won't be with you! Think about her relationship with your uncle."
Gabriel knew this deep down.
He said softly, "That's not what I mean."
Heather was grateful to Grace. "Charlotte coming to see Gabriel makes me feel much better! Although Frederick's compensation was generous, you know what Gabriel hopes for."
She sighed again. "That Miss Anderson is quite enthusiastic."
Finally, they got to the point.
Grace covered her mouth and laughed. "Tina is quite something! And she's still single. She pursued Gabriel passionately before; I think they might have a chance, despite the age difference."
Heather was stunned.
Tina pursued Gabriel?
She didn't believe it and quickly asked her son, "Is that true?"
Gabriel thought back to when Tina handed him her business card and offered to support him, and he stayed silent.
Heather was livid.
She tossed the stuff Tina had brought into the trash, fuming. "I thought she was decent, but who knew she was so shameless! She's been with so many men and still has the nerve to pursue Gabriel!"
Gabriel never liked his mom hanging out with Tina.
But given the earlier situation, he couldn't say anything.
Now, with Grace's maneuvering, their friendship was completely severed, which suited him just fine.
He said softly, "Thanks, Grace."
Grace, always enthusiastic, said softly, "It was Charlotte's idea! She knew you were annoyed by Tina."
Gabriel clenched his fist lightly.
Grace adjusted his blanket and said softly, "She actually cares about you, but she's a married woman and can't come here often. Understand her situation! Take good care of yourself and don't let her down."
Gabriel responded with a hum.
Grace patted his head and teased, "If I didn't have a man, I'd definitely be with you."
With that, she swayed her hips and left.
She was truly full of charm!
After leaving the hospital, Grace went to a coffee shop.
Charlotte was already sitting and waiting for her.
Grace sat down, took a sip of coffee, and said cheerfully, "I followed your plan, and sure enough, Heather doesn't like Tina anymore and wants to cut ties with her."
Charlotte, being pregnant, couldn't drink coffee.
She gently stirred her drink and smiled faintly. "Gabriel's injury made Heather eager to find someone to confide in. Whether Tina's private life is clean doesn't matter. But if Tina has designs on her son, no mother could tolerate that."
Grace praised her for being smart.
Charlotte forced a smile.
There were some things she couldn't discuss with Grace, so she had to act quietly.
Tina was very likely the one hiding in the shadows, harming her and Gabriel. She couldn't let that person stay around Gabriel.
That young boy was someone Charlotte wanted to protect.
Charlotte's protection was subtle; she arranged for a few bodyguards to stay in the hospital.
She used Frederick's men.
This couldn't be hidden from him.
Frederick called to ask, and Charlotte told him about the situation at the hospital. She thought he would be angry, but he just laughed, "Follow Ms. Russell's instructions!"
Whenever he was agreeable, Charlotte felt something was off.
Sure enough, after putting the kids to bed and handling some matters after work, he was trying to turn her on.
Frederick was always domineering in bed.
But that night, he held her in his arms, gently stroked her delicate face, and teased her, "Ms. Russell, tonight I'll follow your lead."
Charlotte thought, 'He really has no shame!'
Frederick continued to be tender with her, lightly nibbling her soft neck, and said in a low voice, "What man isn't jealous? But Charlotte, don't make me too sad."
Charlotte leaned on his shoulder.
Having gone through life and death, their relationship was better than before.
But there were some things he still hadn't told her, and Charlotte wasn't in a hurry.
She reached out her slender fingers, tracing his handsome features, and said in a low voice, "Frederick, we've been together for so long, and you're still jealous!"
His blue eyes were deep.
When her fingers touched his lips, he gently bit her.
"As long as I love you, I'll always be jealous!"
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
