Chapter 41

Charlotte couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

Serena and Frederick were acting really weird. Even if they had been getting it on, her and Anouk barging in should've killed the mood. But here they were, still all flushed and breathing heavy,especially Serena,who looked downright seductive.

Then,Charlotte caught a whiff of something in the air. She'd been too distracted by the scene to notice it before, but now that things had calmed down, she picked up on a faint, sweet smell. It was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

Serena noticed Charlotte sniffing around and got defensive. "What are you smelling? Did you do something to us?"

Anouk was curious too. "Charlotte, did you find something?"

Charlotte shook her head, unsure. "I smell something familiar, but I can't remember what it is."

Serena's body tensed, and a flicker of panic crossed her face. 'How does Charlotte know this scent? I got it from someone else.

Charlotte didn't miss Serena's reaction. She walked around Frederick and Serena, trying to pinpoint the source. The scent was faint on Frederick,meaning he just picked it up from somewhere. But when she got close to Serena,the smell got stronger. Charlotte moved in closer, but Serena, looking guilty, jumped back. "What are you doing? Are you some kind of pervert?” Charlotte had figured it out. Her eyes were steady. "You smell like an aphrodisiac. Where did you get it?"

Charlotte trusted her nose. This scent was definitely an aphrodisiac because she had made it herself. Back in her student days, her teacher had let them experiment freely. She loved the smell of magnolia and used it as a base, accidentally creating a perfume that could spark desire with just a sniff. Her teacher and classmates had joked that if she didn't become a perfumer, she could be a witch.

Serena hadn't expected Charlotte to recognize the scent. She couldn't admit any involvement. "Are you serious? What do you mean, where did I get it?You just said you know this scent. Stop pretending, you're framing me.

Frederick won't believe you."

Frederick was staring at Charlotte. "Do you know what this scent is?"

Charlotte glanced at him but didn't answer. Instead, she turned to Anouk."

Grandma, they're under the influence of an aphrodisiac perfume. What they did wasn't their fault, but we can trace where it came from."

Realizing what the scent was had shaken Charlotte. Only a few people knew her perfume formula, and they were long gone.

Anouk was shocked. She thought Serena had been lying,but it turned out she really had been drugged.

Anouk noticed Charlotte seemed to know a lot about this stuff and asked,"Is there any way to counteract it besides, you know, making love?"

Charlotte quickly looked over Frederick and Serena. There were a few ways to counteract the aphrodisiac she had made, other than getting it on.She almost wanted to tell them to soak in ice water all night,but seeing Serena's belly, she thought of her own kid and couldn't be that cruel. With a silent sigh, Charlotte walked over to the display wall and picked out a few bottles of balms and candles she had made over the years. She mixed them together and lit them up. A fresh scent filled the room.Frederick couldn't pinpoint the exact smell, but he felt his body and mind start to relax. Even his previously aroused state began to subside.

Serena,not noticing much change, sneered, "You think lighting a random scented candle will counteract the aphrodisiac? I'm not stupid."

Charlotte shot her an impatient look. "If you don't trust me, you can stop breathing."

Serena was left speechless, but soon felt the heat in her body start to fade.She was surprised but also annoyed. She had gone through a lot of trouble and used an expensive aphrodisiac, only for Charlotte to neutralize it so easily. It was frustrating.

Frederick couldn't take his eyes off Charlotte. He could tell the scented candle she had mixed was working. Over the years, he had seen her spend a lot of money on rare fragrances and thought it was just a high-society hobby. He hadn't realized how skilled she was. Remembering the investigation that said Charlotte co-founded a company and was the developer, it seemed true. He had never really known her or how exceptional she was.

Charlotte felt Frederick's gaze and it made her uncomfortable. She walked over to Anouk, her voice a bit pleading, "Grandma, let's go." Anouk spread her hands. "Go where? This is your home. Are you going to let others take over your place?" Charlotte gave a small smile. She knew Anouk was standing up for her,but she didn't want to keep dealing with Frederick. Before she could say anything. Anouk said, "It's late. Prepare a guest room for me. I'll stay here tonight."

Anouk directed this at Serena. Serena looked around in disbelief and pointed at herself. "You want me to prepare a room? I'm pregnant!"

Anouk looked at her with disdain. "It's just preparing a room, it won't tire you out. What? Are you looking down on me? You need to know your place. You're not Frederick's wife or anyone of significant status. If you want to stay here, you must follow my orders."