Chapter 213 Igniting Trouble
Amelia couldn't help but stop in her tracks, looking towards the man inside the pavilion.
"Mr. Hastings," she spoke up proactively.
Frederick, lost in thought, snapped out of it upon hearing her voice, almost immediately waving away the smoke in front of him with his hand, a hint of fluster in his demeanor, as if trying desperately to conceal the fact that he had been smoking.
Amelia quietly watched him disperse the smoke, raising her eyebrows slightly.
As the smoke cleared, Frederick emerged from the pavilion.
Seeing Amelia in just a thin dress, her damp hair draped over her shoulders, not yet dried, Frederick took off his coat and moved to put it on her.
Amelia hesitated for a moment and instinctively took a step back.
Frederick's hand, about to put the coat on her, paused slightly. Instead of continuing with his previous action, he handed the coat to her.
"It's cooler at night here in Tideport City compared to Kasfee," he said casually. "You're here for others' sake; don't catch a cold yourself."
Amelia was about to refuse, but a breeze suddenly swept by. The chill wind over the artificial lake made her feel cold, despite feeling none just moments before.
She awkwardly smiled and accepted the suit jacket Frederick handed her, thanking him politely. "Thank you."
Frederick looked at her slightly stiff smile, withdrawing his gaze without saying a word.
His suit jacket carried a hint of the cigarette smell from earlier, and for some reason, Amelia found the scent quite pleasant.
As Frederick remained silent, there was a moment of tension in the air.
Amelia lightly pursed her lips and initiated a conversation. "Mr. Hastings, can't you sleep either?"
Frederick nodded. "I was troubled by a question."
His voice was soft, his gaze probing on Amelia, whose eyes avoided his, feeling uncomfortable.
She shifted awkwardly, avoiding further inquiry.
Seeing that she didn't follow up on his words, Frederick furrowed his brow, asking, "Aren't you curious about what problem is keeping me from sleeping?"
Amelia paused, gently shaking her head. "Not really curious," she replied.
For a person of Frederick's status and position, he would encounter many societal issues.
Those issues were not something an ordinary person like her could understand and soothe.
She was just an ordinary doctor, and the problems that could trouble Frederick were naturally not minor issues. Therefore, she was not curious.
After all, she couldn't alleviate his anxious mood.
Frederick was momentarily stumped by her calm and composed demeanor.
He sighed and remarked sarcastically, "They were right. You are indeed warm on the surface but cold inside."
Hearing this, Amelia glanced up at him. She considered responding but decided it wasn't worth it.
When she was warm and enthusiastic towards him before, he never took her seriously.
Now that she appeared cold on the outside, he had complaints.
She did love him before, but she never reached the point of sacrificing her dignity.
If she had truly loved him to the extent of losing all self-respect, she couldn't imagine the kind of life she would be living now.
Amelia sighed inwardly, smiled lightly, and said, "Indeed, many people say that. Perhaps in the past, my thoughts were not mature enough, so I fell into that kind of low mood. Now, I understand that I should never let others control my emotions. If the relationship isn't harmonious, end it early. I shouldn't make things difficult for myself. Life is short, and time is precious."
Frederick furrowed his brows, looking at Amelia with a cold gaze.
'So, she meant that our relationship was not harmonious. She'd rather be with someone less accomplished than stay in an incompatible relationship with me,' he thought.
Frederick felt a bit heavy-hearted.
He remained silent for a long time before speaking up, "Amelia, we've been married for three years. Although not affectionate, we can still be considered harmonious, right?"
They had been married for three years with hardly any arguments.
Their marriage should be considered harmonious.
Amelia calmly looked at Frederick. Seeing a hint of seriousness in his deep blue eyes, she pondered how to answer his question seriously.
She explained, "Although we rarely argue..."
Frederick knew that Amelia wouldn't say anything pleasing to him.
Before she could finish her sentence, he immediately interrupted her, "But it doesn't mean we're not getting along."
Amelia fell silent.
Frederick felt slightly burdened. He glanced away from Amelia and, in a subdued tone, said, "It's getting windy. Go back and rest."
Amelia nodded gently and unconsciously followed Frederick in the direction of the hotel.
In the elevator, Amelia took off the coat she was wearing and handed it to Frederick.
"Mr. Hastings, thank you."
Frederick glanced at the coat and reached out to take it.
When they reached Amelia's floor, the elevator stopped.
"Mr. Hastings, you should rest early, too. Try to smoke less," Amelia advised.
Frederick nodded slightly, watching her step out of the elevator. He reached out and lightly grabbed her arm.
He wanted to ask Amelia why she chose to marry him in the first place and when she started to like him, but the words stuck in his throat.
Under Amelia's puzzled gaze, he slowly released her arm, softly saying, "Get some rest early."
Amelia nodded gently, walked out of the elevator without looking back, and headed toward her room.
Frederick stood in the elevator, his gaze fixed on her retreating figure. It wasn't until the elevator doors closed that he lowered his head and glanced at the suit jacket in his hand.
He tightened his grip on the coat slightly, then lifted it to his nose and took a sniff.
It smelled quite nice.
The elevator doors opened.
Paul and Joe Evans, the head of the Hastings Group branch in Tideport City, were standing at the entrance.
Paul saw Frederick sniffing the suit jacket, looking somewhat intoxicated. He immediately averted his gaze.
He realized immediately that Amelia had probably worn the jacket.
Frederick also noticed his somewhat inappropriate behavior in the elevator mirror, even feeling a bit weird. He cleared his throat to disguise his embarrassment.
Joe didn't notice Frederick's subtle emotions. As Frederick stepped out of the elevator, he immediately respectfully said, "Mr. Hastings, I heard that the manager of the project recently returned to Tideport City. I want to invite him for a meal tomorrow. Do you have time?"
After hearing Joe's words, Frederick's expression turned cold and serious. He scolded, "There has been a complex change recently in Tideport City. It's best to avoid arranging informal meetings and business dinners to avoid giving people a handle. Focus on the project."
Upon hearing Frederick's words, Joe nodded understandingly. Tideport City had been unstable recently, and everyone felt impending danger.
If he were to invite the manager for a meal at this time, he might not agree and even feel that they were causing trouble for him.
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