Chapter 3

Frederick was able to pick up four to five boxes at a time. With him around, Megan and I instantly became nothing more than beautiful ornaments.

Megan stood to the side, sipping on her tea as she scrolled on her phone, perfectly content with bossing her very own elder brother around.

Meanwhile, I hid in the storage room, pretending to be occupied with stock-taking. Deep down, my mind was racing. I never expected Nicole's biological father to actually be my best friend's older brother.

So, did he still remember me? He probably didn't. After all, so much time had passed…

Just as I was lost in my own head, a man's voice interrupted my thoughts. "I'm done with moving all the boxes outside."

"Oh, thank you!"

There wasn't much space in the storage room in the first place. With Frederick stepping inside, it became even more cramped inside here.

I took a small step back instinctively, accidentally knocking off something next to me in the process. Before I could even react, Frederick bent down and picked the item up.

"You dropped this," he said, holding a black, wireless bra in his hand.

The thin straps hung over his fingertips, pairing bizarrely with his shirt. That night, wasn't I also wearing…

Suddenly, my face flushed crimson red. He stared at me, and his gaze slowly intensified. Then, he leaned in out of the blue. "You seem to be terrified of me. Why is that?"

My breathing quickened as our eyes met. With nowhere to run, I had a brain fart. I simply answered, "Megan said you hit women!"

Before he could even process that, I squeezed through the gap next to him and dashed out. Megan, who had heard the commotion from outside, came over.

"Hit women? Which bastard has the guts to hit women?"

Frederick's expression turned even darker. "Say another word, and I might very well hit you."

Thanks to Frederick, our progress with moving the boxes accelerated. Work that should have dragged on until 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm was all done by 4:00 pm.

Not wanting to get in my way any longer, Megan pulled Frederick out of the store to leave. However, he stood firmly amidst the rows of lingerie on display.

"Are you that petty, Ms. Sawyer? Aren't you going to treat us to a meal?"

Upon hearing those words, I blushed. "I sure will. What would you both like to have?"

Megan widened her eyes in shock. "Frederick, how could you be so shameless? How could you expect my friend to treat you to a meal? Are you not ashamed?"

"Pick the place, you two. It'll be on me," Frederick said.

"That's more like it!"

Finally satisfied, Megan linked arms with me and lowered her voice. "Fred is actually pretty loaded, and he hardly splurges. Have a good think about what you want to eat. Do not hold back!"

Coincidence or not, the place we decided on in the end was located right next to the bar where Frederick and I first met.

Neither Frederick nor myself were the chatty type. It was fortunate that Megan was there to ease the awkwardness by playing the life of the party.

However, I kept sensing Frederick's gaze lingering on me. It was sometimes subtle, sometimes not. There was also an unmistakable, searing intensity in his gaze.

Suddenly, my phone rang.

Megan leaned in immediately to look at the screen. "Is that Nicky? It's been a long while since I've seen her. I miss her."

All of a sudden, the expression of the man across from me shifted. It wasn't until I walked out to answer the call that I heard him asking in a low and deep voice, "Is she… married?"

Frederick's question set Megan off instantly. "What are you trying to say? Can't she have a kid without getting married? You really are such an old-fashioned prude!"

"Oh. So, she's not married?"

Frederick was back to his relaxed self. He leaned back against his chair and took a sip of tea. A smile was playing on his lips.

"Good to know she's not married. Have you met the guy? Who is he?"

Megan observed him intently. Her expression shifted gradually. "Fred, frankly speaking, that smug grin on your face is quite obvious. Just because you can't have your own love life doesn't mean you have to wish for someone else's misery, right?"

Frederick was left completely perplexed.

Megan added, "When Jenna gets back later, do not mention anything about Nicky's father. I suspect that she hasn't forgotten about that scumbag. That's why she hasn't dated again in all these years."

Upon hearing that, Frederick gradually wiped that grin off his face.

I waited until the Hahn siblings were done with their loud gossiping before returning to the table at just the right time.

I had never shared details about Nicole's father and me with Megan. One of the reasons why was that Nicole was already born by the time we met.