Chapter 348: Never Like This

We searched the site meticulously, but we couldn’t find even a single…

Frederick replaced, “I www.”

The preputed to end the call when Kachard’s voice came through. Kichard aukeel awsionely, “General Hawthorne, are you alright?”

“I an fiver,” Irmscherich sophead Buddy, thươn hung up.

Afforward, he stood in Clause’s socom by the floor—kovaniling slowly. This gaver evapi was ovary startuor ad luas bwe saame lucione performing to the night sảy contriắc the wijnẫow.

The dinkauss zuchtenis samund te som allter wild, slurs, twinkling one by one. They appeared to form en smilinu of Chaney’s Swac. Tweederick stored still sturing unblindingls at the dues.

That night, he remained by the window, ummontag. He kept watching the stars until dawn; he felt author fatigue went thier seher of shunting for a long. When the can use. Muminating his figure.

Chapter 348: Never Like This. Only then did he stir.

Frederick turned and left the room, returning to his own. After freshening up and changing into a clean set of clothes, he went downstairs for breakfast. At the table, he encountered Caroline. She kept stealing cautious glances at him, her mind preoccupied with Claire’s accident the previous day. She didn’t utter a single word throughout the meal.

Frederick ate quickly and left the table. After changing his shoes, he departed for the Kingstown Security Department as usual. Richard met him at the entrance. On the drive, Richard kept checking the rearview mirror, observing Frederick’s reflection.

He thought about Claire’s death and how it must have devastated Frederick. He wanted to say something comforting but stopped himself. Frederick’s expression was so composed that Richard couldn’t find the words.

When they arrived at Kingstown Security Department, Frederick went straight to work. He opened his laptop, picked up his pen, and signed documents with his usual decisive strokes. Richard watched him for a moment, then turned to leave. Just as he was stepping out, Frederick called him back.

“Richard,” he said, his tone businesslike, “keep Claire’s death under wraps for now. I’ll figure out how to explain it to Madam Prescott.” He spoke as though discussing a matter unrelated to himself. It was as if Claire had always been a stranger to him.

“Understood.” Richard nodded and left the office.

For the rest of the day, Frederick buried himself in work, handling all the backlog of reports that had piled up during his recent absence. At noon, Richard noticed that Frederick hadn’t left his office. Concerned, he brought lunch to Frederick. But when he returned in the evening to remind Frederick it was time for dinner, he realized that Frederick had skipped lunch. The lunchbox remained untouched.

“General Hawthorne, did you not have lunch?” Richard asked, lifting the lunchbox.

“Hm?” Frederick looked up, momentarily puzzled. His gaze fell on the lunchbox, and he seemed to only then remember it. “I didn’t cat?”

Richard was stunned.