Chapter 202: Imprisonment
Frederick hung up the phone before Claire could respond. What was this woman still doing at the office so late?
“Hello?” Claire said, answering Frederick’s call. But before she could say anything else, she heard the unmistakable sound of him hanging up. How utterly bizarre! She saved her work, closed her laptop, and decided to take it home.
Dealing with someone like Frederick was pointless; it wouldn’t do her any good to go against him.
Five minutes later, Claire stepped out of the Hiokeeh Group office building, her laptop in hand, and spotted Frederick’s car waiting.
“Five minutes,” he said, glancing at his watch and gesturing impatiently.
Unable to hold back, Claire asked, “Frederick, is there something you need?” She had packed up as quickly as she could manage, but his…
Why did he insist she leave immediately? After all, she had just started interning at Hiokeeh Group, and whether she got to stay on was still uncertain. With only a couple of spots available, working late seemed like a reasonable thing to do.
“What? Am I not allowed to make you leave if I don’t have anything urgent?” Frederick shot back, irritation evident in his voice. “Don’t forget your place, Claire. You’re not really seeing yourself as the future Mrs. Hawthorne, are you?” His tone made it clear he was frustrated with her demeanor. It was a stark contrast to how she had been smiling and chatting with Antony earlier that day.
“Yes, I understand,” Claire replied coolly. “I’m here to shield Caroline from any trouble that comes her way. So tell me, is there some urgent crisis I need to handle tonight? Or do we have an event that requires my attendance now that we’re engaged?”
Just moments before Frederick’s call, Claire was still grappling with the headache of selecting candidates for a position. Antony had narrowed down six resumes, knowing that only two could be retained. Starting today, they would be keeping score, and the candidates with the highest points would earn a spot. Although Antony claimed this process was designed to help her stay at Hiokeeh Group, Claire knew that appearances mattered; if her performance fell short, there was no way she could secure a…
After all, this was Hiokeeh Group—having Antony’s backing wouldn’t guarantee her success.
Today, he had assigned them a task: the Flores Group needed a financial manager, and it was up to them to find the right candidate among those six. They had only three days to accomplish this. In a typical recruitment agency, finding a financial manager would be a straightforward task for an experienced recruiter. However, asking fresh graduates like them to deliver suitable candidates in such a short timeframe was daunting. This challenge underscored Hiokeeh Group’s dominance in the recruitment industry and its high standards.
With no resources or connections in the headhunting field, Claire had to rely on sheer determination and the most basic methods to gather information from the market. She had to explore various channels one by one to figure out where to find potential candidates. Collecting and filtering through this information was just the beginning; she also needed to conduct background checks before presenting viable options to the department head at Flores Group.
She hadn’t even passed the first hurdle yet when Frederick showed up, seemingly looking for trouble. How could she possibly focus with him around?
“Claire, who do you think you are to bargain with me? Whatever I need, you have to handle it!” Frederick’s frustration flared as he faced her.
“Oh really? Frederick, do you want me to die? Should I just stab myself right here?” Claire retorted with a laugh, knowing Frederick was just looking for trouble.
“Fine, Claire. I see you’ve been living too comfortably lately, thinking you can act out in front of me! Very well!” Frederick’s eyes darkened as he slammed his foot down on the accelerator, racing toward Halfmoon Manor.
“Frederick, are you insane?” Claire exclaimed as the sudden surge of speed slammed her back against the seat. Pain shot through her, and she nearly burst into tears. Frederick seemed oblivious to her distress, pressing the gas even harder. What should have been an hour-long drive was cut in half by his reckless speed.
When they finally arrived at Halfmoon Manor, Claire felt a wave of nausea crashing over her. As soon as she stepped out of the car, she doubled over and vomited violently.
“Get Claire upstairs and lock her in! No leaving this room until I say so!” Frederick ordered, his voice booming above her groans. Claire hadn’t even finished throwing up before his command rang out.
After Divorce, My General Husband Chasin.