chapter 2
When Frederick had a cold expression, he gave off a strong sense of oppression.
I got into his car with Hallie, my heart racing. My hand unconsciously clenched the hem of my clothes, wrinkling them.
The hair on his forehead was still dripping water, and he handed me a towel.
Frederick said, "Don't let the child catch a cold."
I was still stunned, but Hallie had already taken the towel and said crisply, "Thank you."
Frederick's expression softened a lot. His gaze fell on my dazed face, and he frowned again.
He asked, "Did you take the day off just to get caught in the rain?"
As soon as he spoke, he seemed to realize his tone was a bit stern. He rubbed his aching temples and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Central Hospital," Hallie answered quickly.
As if defending me, she said, "Mom came to celebrate my birthday today. I've been in the hospital for so long, and it's been ages since I went out to have fun."
Frederick was stunned, looking at the fearless little girl in front of him.
Her face was slightly thin, with a sickly pallor that made her eyes seem even larger and rounder, and unusually bright. As she blinked at him, an inexplicable and strangely indefinable feeling arose in Fredericks heart.
He felt the child looked vaguely familiar and, almost as if driven by something uncontrollable, asked, "Where's her dad?"
"He passed away a long time ago," I quickly said my first words after getting in the car.
Then, as if trying to cover something up, I changed the subject and said, "Thank you, Mr. Thomson. There have been some matters on her side recently, so I've been busy. I won't let this happen again and will complete my work properly."
After I finished speaking, Frederick's gaze shifted from Hallie to me.
His stern face, with those deep eyes, startled me.
I instinctively avoided his gaze. Frederick no longer wanted to say more. He leaned back in his seat, closed his eyes to rest, and simply instructed the driver, "To Central Hospital."
The car quickly arrived at the destination.
Frederick got out of the car before me. He pulled out a black umbrella and lightly tapped the handle with his fingers, signaling me to get out.
"Thank you, Mr. Thomson. You don't need to see us off. I'll return the umbrella to you tomorrow," I said softly, just wanting to leave quickly.
"I only have this umbrella." He stood in front of the car door, his chest broad. His soft voice came from above my head.
He meant that if he lent it to me, he would be without an umbrella.
I had no choice but to give up, then held Hallie and squeezed under the same umbrella with him.
I was very close to him. Frederick could catch a faint scent of laundry detergent lingering at the tip of his nose. For some reason, he found the smell somewhat familiar, and his heart started beating irregularly.
He took a deep breath and started talking to distract himself.
Frederick said, "You've been at work for less than a month, took a few hours off a couple of times before, and now a whole day off today. You're even busier than me."
I felt both ashamed and anxious, keeping my head down without saying a word.
Walking into the hospital, I handed Hallie to the doctor for a checkup. When I turned around, I saw Frederick still standing behind me, showing no intention of leaving.
I stepped forward, smiling awkwardly, and said, "Mr. Thomson, do you have any other plans? I've taken care of my personal matters and can return to work now."
He didn't answer my question, only asked, "What's wrong with her?"
I didn't understand what he meant, so I answered truthfully, "She has a tumor and needs surgery."
Frederick said, "If that's the case, I suggest you find a new job."
I was stunned and looked up at him. His expression was as calm and indifferent as ever.
Frederick suddenly changed the subject and said in a condescending tone, "Being my personal assistant is demanding. I don't need someone who's always distracted and unfocused wasting time here."
His words were very direct, so direct that they were a bit harsh.
A buzzing sound rang in my ears.
The corners of my eyes turned red, and I let out a cold laugh, saying, "I've only been here for a week. Mr. Thomson, what makes you think I'm just here to slack off?"
"I took leave, first because I had a valid reason, and second, after completing my work. I don't think I did anything wrong."
Frederick listened to every word without missing a beat and, unusually, remained silent.
He stared into my eyes, noticing a different emotion in me for the first time.
From the first time he met me, he felt that my quietness was strange, or rather, that I was avoiding something.
Until now, he met my gaze, saw through my evasive eyes, and realized these eyes seemed somewhat familiar.
So, he abruptly said, "Have we met somewhere before?"