Chapter 57: I Love You, Frederick

Chapter 57: Chapter 57: I Love You, Frederick

~Author’s POV~

"I called dibs first," Damian shot back. "Frederick, let your boy work for me."

"Let him work for me," Elias countered. "I’ll pay him more than anyone else in the city could offer."

"Will you both shut the hell up?" Frederick snapped, his voice dangerously low. "And no, he’s not working with either of you."

Damian rolled his eyes. "Move on, Frederick. And nineteen is not a child. He’s a legal adult."

"Exactly," Elias agreed. "You have no reason to hold back unless you’re still secretly holding on to Eva."

"I’m not," Frederick said firmly.

"Then nothing is stopping you," Damian pointed out.

Frederick narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Wait a minute... did Lily send you two to interrogate me?"

Damian and Elias instantly looked away, breaking eye contact with suspiciously perfect timing.

"Lily? Please. I haven’t even talked to her in a while," Elias lied smoothly.

"Me neither," Damian added, crossing his arms.

"I don’t trust either of you," Frederick said flatly.

Elias sighed, finally dropping the act. "Look, Fred... you’ve always held yourself back whenever it came to getting serious with someone because Lily never liked the people you brought into your life. You’ve always cared about her feelings, so you never wanted to force someone into her life when she didn’t accept them. But this time is different. She actually likes Reynold. She adores him. Your daughter finally likes someone you’re interested in, so what the hell are you waiting for?"

Frederick let out a dry, knowing scoff. "Now I’m certain Lily talked to you two, because I never told either of you that she likes him."

Damian chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... we figured it out when you brought her up."

Frederick let out a heavy, defeated sigh and shook his head. "Alright. You two need to give me some peace. And tell Lily... tell her I’m on it."

Elias smiled. "Finally, that’s settled. If you ever get married, I promise I’ll gift him the latest car he wants. Don’t worry, I’ll deliver your message to Lily."

Frederick shot him a sharp look. "So now you admit it? I knew she told you something. That’s why you called me out here tonight."

Damian started laughing, raising his glass in a silent toast. "Your daughter is really worried about you, Fred. She only wants her old man to be happy. I hope you finally understand that."

"I get it. Thank you. But I’m not old. I can still handle my little man pretty well," Frederick muttered with a quiet smirk.

Then his gaze shifted past his friends and settled on Reynold at the bar. After watching him for a moment, Frederick turned back to Damian.

"So, what are you going to give my husband if we ever get married?"

Damian chuckled. "When the time comes, you’ll both be surprised."

Frederick looked at both of them and smiled faintly. "Thank you, friends."

At the far end of the marble bar, Reynold sat staring blankly at the glass in front of him. He didn’t want anything light anymore. The dull, heavy ache in his chest had become too sharp and suffocating to ignore.

"Make it strong," Reynold told the bartender, his voice tight.

As the drink was slid across the counter, he took a heavy gulp, letting the burn distract him from the thoughts tearing him apart.

Inside, he was completely broken.

"Frederick will never love me," a voice whispered in his head. "The only person he truly wants is Eva. If she comes back and takes him away one day, what will happen to me? Where will I go?"

Hot tears pricked behind his eyes, but he blinked them back, gripping the glass tighter.

"Hey. Are you out for the night alone?"

Reynold didn’t look up, assuming it was just another passing voice in the crowded lounge. But then a stranger slid onto the stool right beside him, leaning uncomfortably close.

The man let out an arrogant chuckle as he looked Reynold up and down in his tight black leather outfit.

"You look expensive. How much do you charge per night?"

Before Reynold could even open his mouth, Frederick’s bodyguard stepped in like a solid wall, immediately pushing the man back by the shoulder.

"Step away. Now."

The stranger scoffed, brushing the bodyguard off. "Relax. I’m just talking business with him."

He turned back to Reynold with a slimy grin. "So? Name your price."

A cold, fierce anger flared inside Reynold, burning away the sadness. He slammed his glass down onto the wooden counter.

"Did you just ask me how much I charge per night?"

"Yeah," the man purred, stepping even closer, his hand reaching for Reynold’s waist. "Name it. I can pay whatever you want."

Reynold didn’t bother being gentle. "Who the hell do you think you are? What did you take me for?"

In one swift motion, he grabbed the remaining half of his strong drink and threw it straight into the man’s face, followed immediately by a sharp slap that echoed across the counter.

"Get your hands off me, you piece of trash!" Reynold snapped, his chest heaving.

The bodyguard moved in to haul the man away, but the stranger lost his temper, shouting back and refusing to leave. His outburst quickly drew the attention of several nearby patrons.

Across the lounge, Frederick had been watching Reynold from the VIP booth the entire time. The moment the stranger grabbed Reynold’s waist, Frederick’s dark eyes turned cold. When the man refused to back down, Frederick stood up abruptly.

"I’m leaving," Frederick muttered to Damian and Elias, his voice dangerously low as he strode across the room. Damian and Elias immediately followed behind him, having watched everything unfold.

The stranger was still loudly complaining when a massive shadow fell over him. Before he could even register who was standing in front of him, Frederick’s heavy fist caught him squarely in the jaw, sending him stumbling backward against the bar.

Frederick didn’t give him a chance to recover. He stepped forward, his expression dark and furious.

"I watched everything. And that’s what you get for trying to harass my man."

Reynold blinked, his heart pounding in his chest. Did he just call me his man?

He would do anything to protect me, to care for me, and to make sure nothing happened to me. Then why didn’t he want me? Why, despite everything, did his heart still belong to Eva?

A painful ache tightened in Reynold’s chest. Why does it have to be her? Why can’t it be me?

Frederick glanced over his shoulder at the security team. "Throw him out. If he refuses to leave, make sure he learns his lesson."

Without giving the groaning man another glance, Frederick reached for Reynold’s hand, gripping it tightly as he pulled him toward the exit.

Damian and Elias hurried after them, trying to calm Frederick down, but the raw fury radiating from him was impossible to miss.

Frederick quickly pulled out his phone and ordered the driver to bring the car around to the front entrance.

Within minutes, the car pulled up to the curb just outside the lounge’s entrance. Frederick opened the door, letting Reynold get inside first before climbing in right behind him.

He gave Damian and Elias a curt nod through the tinted window.

"Goodnight," he said sharply.

Damian and Elias waved back.

"Goodnight. See you at your office on Monday," Damian called out.

"Me too," Elias added.

Despite his lingering anger, Frederick managed a faint smile. "Alright. Bye."

The car pulled away before the bodyguards had even caught up, carrying Frederick and Reynold into the night.

Inside the dim, private cabin, the partition was up, isolating them completely. Frederick immediately pulled Reynold against his chest, wrapping his arms around him in a desperate embrace.

"Are you okay?" Frederick asked softly.

Instead of answering, Reynold whispered, his voice trembling as the alcohol and emotional weight finally broke through his walls, "Why don’t you want me... if you protect me this much? Why don’t you want me... if you spend so much on me?"

He looked up, tears shimmering in his eyes as he stared directly into Frederick’s dark gaze. "I can’t pretend anymore, Frederick. My heart is hurting right now."

Frederick frowned, his thumb brushing gently over Reynold’s cheek. "You’re drunk."

"I’m not drunk!" Reynold choked out, a fresh tear spilling over his lashes. "See how you stood up for me? See how you care for me, and how much you spend on me, are you doing all that for charity?"

"Just relax," Frederick murmured, trying to soothe him. "We’ll get home soon."

"No! Can you not take Eva back?" Reynold blurted out, the fear and agony he had been holding inside finally breaking free. "I know I don’t stand a chance, I’m not rich and beautiful like her. But please, don’t take her back. I can’t stop thinking about your answer earlier. Please..."

Frederick stared at him, his chest tightening. "Why don’t you want me to take her back?"

"Because I can’t pretend anymore!" Reynold sobbed, his voice cracking with raw, unmasked emotion. "I love you, Frederick. You might think I’m young, ugly, and poor and don’t know what I’m saying, but I love you... Please, can you just try to love me too?"

Frederick fell completely silent, his breath hitching as he looked down at Reynold, clearly shaken by the depth of the confession.

"We had a contract," Frederick finally murmured, his voice strained.

"I know," Reynold whispered, shaking his head. "I know, but I can’t follow it anymore. I’m sorry... You made it too hard for me not to love you."

"Reynold, I’m much older than you," Frederick said.

Reynold’s voice rose as he looked at him through his tears. "So what if you’re older? I don’t care! I want you."

Without waiting for another word, Reynold scrambled up, shifting until he was straddling Frederick’s lap right there in the moving car. He cupped Frederick’s face with trembling hands, looking straight into his eyes.

"I love you. That’s how I feel. If you don’t feel the same way... I understand."

Frederick looked at him, his gaze lingering on Reynold’s lips. Before he could form a response, Reynold leaned down and captured Frederick’s lips in a desperate kiss.

For a second, Frederick froze. Then, with a low groan, all of his walls completely collapsed. His large hands flew up, grabbing Reynold’s waist and the back of his head, pulling him flush against his chest as he kissed him back with a fierce, burning hunger that matched the depths of Reynold’s heart.

The car sped through the dark city streets...