Chapter 381 Charlotte, I'm Back (Part 1)
Charlotte's heart did a little happy dance at his words.
She had this gut feeling he got his memory back, but he was all about keeping it a surprise.
Grown-ups loved this kind of mysterious vibe.
Even though Charlotte had been hitched to him for years and was rocking a baby bump, she was still all about that romance and mystery. Who could say no to that?
Late nights were perfect for some deep pillow talk.
Of course, they ended up chatting about Chloe.
Charlotte leaned on Frederick's shoulder and whispered, "Another year older! Frederick, you know, I've always hoped Andrew could be happy, but it's too unfair to Chloe."
In the dark, Frederick gently stroked her face.
He didn't say anything.
As a brother, he felt Patrick was right: if Andrew couldn't make Chloe happy, no one else could!
A week later, Heather called personally.
Her tone was low, but it was clear she was not calm. "Charlotte, Gabriel's surgery was very successful! Thank you, and thank Mr. Hawkins too."
Charlotte was at home, surrounded by adorable children.
It was a snowy day, and the kindergarten had given a holiday. Chloe had also sent Gavin over.
At this moment, Gavin was hugging Charlotte's leg, carefully touching her belly.
He also wanted a sister.
Charlotte looked down at him, then gently patted his head and softly said to Heather, "Gabriel saved me; this is what I should do. There are a few more surgeries to go, so please take care of him."
Heather choked up slightly.
Her feelings towards Charlotte were very complicated.
Finally, she whispered, "Thank you for having Grace remind me about Tina!"
Charlotte smiled faintly.
Gavin softly asked, "When the baby comes out, will she be as pretty as Lola?"
Charlotte's eyes were gentle.
She simply sat on the sofa, rubbing Gavin's hair, and said, "She might look like your mom!"
Lola and Kingsley both resembled her.
She thought the third child would probably inherit the Hawkins family's genes.
Gavin thought, 'My mom is also pretty.'
Charlotte kissed him, feeling satisfied. It seemed that the child was bound to be good-looking, no matter what, thanks to their genetic makeup. But she didn't want to tell Frederick this, lest he become proud again.
The children went out to build a snowman.
Charlotte, being pregnant, couldn't take care of them, so she let the servants accompany them.
On Christmas, the weather cleared up.
Frederick was on a business trip and said he would be back that night.
Charlotte was four months pregnant and originally didn't want to go out, but seeing Chloe's recent mood, she agreed to Lily's invitation to attend a party together.
It was still hosted by the lady of the Hughes family, who organized a masquerade ball.
The place was filled with celebrities.
Charlotte sat on a corner sofa with a few acquaintances, enjoying the winter atmosphere.
The movie she invested in had grossed $2 billion at the box office.
Grace had made a comeback.
Several supporting actors had also gained recognition, so many young people came over to chat, hoping Charlotte would give them a chance. Charlotte was there to have fun, so she was a bit lukewarm.
Moreover, in this setting, she thought of someone else.
It seemed like at a similar party, Ethan had sat next to her and said something.
Charlotte thought that if Ethan were still around, she wouldn't think of him.
But since he was gone, she would occasionally think of him and feel a bit regretful.
Chloe saw her expression and guessed she was thinking of Ethan, which made her a bit sad too.
Right then, Celine Coleman, the lady of the Hughes family, strolled over.
She was this super classy woman, known to be pretty sharp, and it was clear she wanted to buddy up with Charlotte.
She leaned in and whispered, "I didn't invite Tina, but she's outside and wants to see you. Do you want to see her?"
Charlotte's lips curled into a faint smile.
She had to hand it to Tina; after all the shady stuff she pulled, she still showed up like she owned the place.
Most people would probably humiliate Tina on the spot.
But that wasn't Charlotte's style.
She didn't give Tina the time of day and softly told Celine, "She's not a close friend. Since she doesn't have an invite, let's not bend the rules."
Celine got the hint.
She had someone go and send Tina packing.
The person, good at reading the room, told Tina outside the banquet hall, "Our lady said no invite, no entry! Miss Anderson, if you want to see Mrs. Hawkins, you'll have to set up another time!"
Tina, in her flashy red sequin dress and clutching a tassel purse, urgently said, "I just need a few minutes."
The person gave her a once-over and finally smirked. "A few minutes won't cut it! Miss Anderson, you must've ticked off Mrs. Hawkins! She's usually pretty chill and doesn't make enemies easily."
Tina's face twisted in anger.
After the person left, she leaned against the wall, thinking, 'Did Charlotte find out something? No way! I covered my tracks perfectly; no one would know.'
Besides, the stuff Ethan drank was just to get him going. If he chose to leave, that wasn't on her!
Tina really didn't want to let Charlotte keep her down.
But the truth was, Charlotte had made her life hell without even lifting a finger.
Several of her projects had tanked.
And there was something even worse!
On that freezing winter night, Tina was still hanging around outside the hotel.
She was waiting for someone.
Around 10 PM, a sleek black Maybach rolled up to the hotel entrance, and a man stepped out.
It was Frederick, back from his business trip.
He had promised to spend Christmas with Charlotte and had rushed over from the airport as soon as he landed.
Ten hours of flying hadn't worn him out at all.
In fact, he looked fresh and full of energy.
Tina had been with enough men to know the signs.
Frederick looked like he was well taken care of by a woman, both emotionally and physically.
Charlotte had given him a lot sexual satisfaction.
Tina was green with envy.
But beyond the jealousy, she had a mission. She was here to beg for mercy.
She figured men couldn't resist a beautiful woman.
No matter how much Frederick loved Charlotte, if she played the damsel in distress, he'd soften up and let her off the hook. Maybe she could even drive a wedge between them.
Tina approached him. "Mr. Hawkins."
Frederick had spotted her from a mile away. When she called out, he stopped.
He pulled out a cigarette and lit it. "Miss Anderson, do you need something from me?"
He was polite but kept his distance. Tina didn't mind. She put on her best pitiful look and softly said, "Call me Tina! After all, Charlotte and I were classmates."
Under the night sky, Frederick seemed to smirk.
Tina quickly added, "Frederick, Charlotte seems to have some misunderstandings about me!"
Frederick frowned.
He said flatly, "Only Charlotte can call me Frederick! Miss Anderson, please respect yourself!"
Tina felt a bit humiliated.
But Tina was nothing if not persistent. She forced a smile. "You two have a great relationship! Mr. Hawkins, I need a favor. Charlotte seems to have some misunderstandings about me and has been targeting me. She even has people following me when I go out! It's really cramping my style!"
Frederick's gaze was intense.
He chuckled lightly and said, "Is Charlotte really that bad?"
Tina couldn't read him.
Frederick got serious. "Miss Anderson, this isn't my business! If I step in and Charlotte gets upset, it could mess things up between us."
Tina was stunned.
Frederick's gaze deepened. "Miss Anderson, you should first ask yourself what you've done. In the dead of night, haven't you ever dreamt of Ethan?"
Tina's face went pale.
Frederick watched her reaction and sneered.
He flicked away his cigarette and stomped it out, then said indifferently, "Miss Anderson, Charlotte almost died, and the truth hasn't come out yet! Now, let me be clear: if anything happens to Charlotte again, I won't hold back! Watch yourself."
His words were cryptic, but one thing was clear: she didn't dare mess with Charlotte again.
Frederick walked away.
Tina stood there, shivering in her dress.
About ten minutes later, Charlotte came out of the hotel with Frederick.
They looked totally in love.
Frederick's wool coat was draped over Charlotte's shoulders, buttoned up tight.
He even had his arm around her waist.
Tina thought, 'Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder!'
As Charlotte was about to get into the car, Tina called out from a distance, "Charlotte!"
Charlotte turned around.
Tina was genuinely scared now.
Before, she had impulsively wanted to kill Charlotte, but Charlotte had survived, and she had worked hard to clean up the mess.
Now, the Hawkins family had a very poor attitude towards her.
She wanted to make nice with Charlotte.
Charlotte didn't get into the car immediately; she watched Tina walk over, curious about what she had to say.
The night wind was bitterly cold.
Charlotte leaned on Frederick's shoulder, looking at the pale woman.
Tina approached and lowered her stance.
"Charlotte, let's reconcile!" She said it lightly, but it made Charlotte feel nauseous.
But Charlotte didn't show it.
She smiled faintly. "Tina, we've never had a conflict, so what is there to reconcile?"
Tina's face twisted. "You won't forgive me?"
Charlotte stared at her face.
In those eyes, she saw all the bad things Tina had done!
Ethan, Gabriel, Lily, and Charlotte herself had all suffered because of her. This woman would stop at nothing to get what she wanted.
Now, with one word of reconciliation, she wanted to erase everything. Charlotte suddenly smiled faintly. "I'll think about it! Actually, Tina, you're right. It's better to have one more partner than one more enemy."
Tina was quite surprised.
Charlotte gently wrapped her arm around Frederick's waist, smiling faintly. "But don't try to steal my husband!"
Her tone was gentle but icy. "Otherwise, I will get very angry!"
Tina did admire men like Frederick, but she knew he didn't care for her at all.
She had no more thoughts about him.
Now, this kind-hearted to the point of foolishness woman, Charlotte, was willing to reconcile with her. She wasn't afraid of not having the chance to use her. Once she had used Charlotte's connections, the past conflicts wouldn't matter.
Inside the car, it was toasty, and Charlotte slowly shrugged off her coat.
Frederick gently touched her belly and said softly, "Why put up with her?"
Charlotte gently shook her head.
After a moment, she whispered, "I heard you on the phone that night; it's tough to gather evidence!"
Frederick touched her belly again. "The case will be solved eventually!"
Charlotte looked at the lights ahead, lost in thought. "I'm just afraid of the 'what ifs.'"
If the law couldn't nail Tina, she'd find another way!
She and Frederick were on the same wavelength; he could guess what she was thinking.
He drove while they talked it over.
When the car stopped, Charlotte looked outside in surprise. "Why did we come here?"
It was the apartment they used to live in.
Her expression was one of surprise and delight.
Frederick unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to kiss her.
His voice was husky. "Didn't we agree to spend Christmas here? I've arranged for the kids at home; Mom and Dad took them early. We can stay here all night."
Charlotte had been married to him for a long time; she knew his thoughts well.
She was a mature woman and had the same thoughts, but she was concerned about the kids.
Besides, there were some things he hadn't told her yet.
Thinking about it, her expression became fragile and emotional.
Frederick cupped her face and kissed her deeply.
He always liked to say intimate things that made her blush and her heart race. "Anything particular you're hoping I'll reveal? I'll be ready to 'give you all of me' tonight, in every way possible."
Charlotte's face was burning.
She was still wearing her dress, and he was already being improper.
Her voice was sweet and alluring. "Men at your age should restrain yourself."
Frederick laughed lightly.
He whispered in her ear, gentle and seductive, "Charlotte, isn't this like revisiting old haunts?"
He was speaking in double meanings.
How could Charlotte not understand?
She tilted her head slightly, looking at him with affectionate eyes, and called, "Frederick!"
Frederick was a bit impatient.
But Charlotte was pregnant, so he couldn't do it in the car.
When they got to the apartment, they could hardly wait.
The lights were dim, and they embraced and kissed as if they wanted to merge into each other. Frederick felt Charlotte's passion, his blue eyes locked on her, breathing heavily. "Charlotte, it's been a long time since you were like this!"
Charlotte unbuttoned his shirt.
The dark blue shirt, with two buttons undone, revealed a patch of firm muscle.
He had a good face and an even better body.
Charlotte couldn't help but feel passionate, kissing his chin and murmuring, "Frederick, all your goodness is known only to me, right?"
Frederick looked down at her.
At this moment, he seemed to see the former Charlotte, the one who had just moved in with him.
Back then, she always longed for his embrace.
She loved his body.
This greatly satisfied his male pride. He cupped her face and whispered, "Yes! Charlotte, I only have you!"
Charlotte kissed him more passionately.
Frederick picked her up and carried her to the piano.
The piano trembled.
After a few days apart, the couple's intimacy happened naturally. Frederick finally fulfilled his wish, holding Charlotte again in this apartment.
In the heat of the moment, they were both silent because they understood each other.
He was the same Frederick as before.
He was back.
Finally, Charlotte was overwhelmed. She caressed her husband's face and whispered, "Frederick, is it really you? Are you really back?"
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