Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Um... You’re A Bit Revealing
###Chapter 11: Um... You’re Exposed
However, Ethan Hawthorne wasn’t angry. He took half a step forward, his affectionate gaze landing on Maxine Rhodes’s profile. His voice was gentler than ever before as he said, "Let’s go."
’This woman... was she just jealous?’
The realization put Ethan Hawthorne in a surprisingly good mood.
They looked at each other and began to walk out, side by side.
Suddenly, Ethan Hawthorne remembered a small detail. He stopped, turned his head slowly to look at Benjamin Sterling, and in the calmest of tones, dropped the final bombshell. "Oh, and by the way, President Sterling."
"That treacherous scoundrel you mentioned earlier—the one who sabotaged your Caelus project—despicable, shameless, and what else was it...?"
"And immoral!" Maxine Rhodes added.
"Right, immoral." Ethan Hawthorne paused, savoring the expression on Benjamin Sterling’s face. Then, enunciating each word clearly, he said, "That person... was me."
!!!
The color instantly drained from Benjamin Sterling’s face. His pupils contracted violently, and he froze on the spot as if struck by lightning, his mind a complete blank.
His mouth hung open, but no sound came out. All he could do was stare in disbelief at the man before him, whose smile was ice-cold and whose presence was overwhelming.
Seeing his terrified and pathetic state, Ethan Hawthorne finally broke into a delighted smile.
"It seems, President Sterling, that not only is your judgment questionable, your character lacking, and your morals corrupt, but your luck is also abysmally poor."
His voice was laced with mockery. "I have important matters to attend to, so I must take my leave. Thank you for tonight’s invitation."
With that, he turned sharply, not sparing another glance at the ashen-faced Benjamin Sterling or the pale-with-shock Rose Joyce.
Benjamin Sterling stood there stunned, bearing the pity, ridicule, and schadenfreude cast upon him from all directions.
Rose Joyce was practically dying of shame and indignation, clutching her skirt so tightly she couldn’t utter a word.
"I heard The Sterlings’ funding chain dried up a long time ago, yet they’re still putting on airs..."
"This is hilarious! Tonight’s banquet was definitely worth coming to!!"
"Look at that woman next to him. I bet she’s a femme fatale...."
Following behind Ethan Hawthorne, Maxine Rhodes felt all the grievances she had once swallowed alone transform into transparent bubbles, popping gently in a glass of champagne.
’This is wonderful.’
After leaving the banquet, Ethan Hawthorne had to return to the office for a video conference with his overseas partners.
He leaned back languidly in the rear seat, the shifting neon lights outside flickering in his eyes.
Erza Sinclair glanced at him through the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but ask, "Mr. Hawthorne, aren’t you going home with your wife?"
"To the office first." Ethan Hawthorne toyed with his phone, the screen still open to his chat with Maxine Rhodes.
"I’m heading home first. Thank you for tonight."
The simple words brought a smile to Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes.
He spoke to Erza Sinclair in the driver’s seat. "By the way, that driver, Chris—settle his salary for the month and tell him not to come in tomorrow."
"Understood," Erza Sinclair nodded.
Ethan Hawthorne added, "From now on, you’ll be the part-time driver again."
Erza Sinclair: ???
But seeing that Mr. Hawthorne was in a good mood today, Erza Sinclair boldly shot his shot. "In that case, can I get paid for two jobs?"
"You can."
Ethan Hawthorne agreed so readily that it actually stunned Erza Sinclair for a moment.
Just then, the car was passing a well-known dessert shop when Ethan Hawthorne suddenly sat up straight. "Pull over."
Erza Sinclair did as instructed, watching his boss get out of the car himself. A moment later, Ethan returned carrying a strawberry cream cake and a chocolate lava cake.
Erza Sinclair watched Ethan Hawthorne’s rare, gentle expression in the rearview mirror, and the corners of his own mouth turned up involuntarily. ’Two salaries... life is good!’
Lately, in his efforts to win back his wife, Ethan Hawthorne had neglected a lot of his international work.
He was busy at the office until the early hours of the morning before he finally returned to Cloudview Apartments.
The moment he pushed open the door to his home, warm yellow light spilled out, and the air was filled with a faint floral scent.
He looked up and saw that the bouquet of white tulips on the dining table was in full, perfect bloom.
This feeling of home was something he had never dared to hope for in over twenty years of his life. But now, because of one more person, everything was completely different.
"You’re back?"
A soft voice came from behind him.
Ethan Hawthorne turned to see Maxine Rhodes just coming out of the bathroom. She was wearing a silk slip dress, her long hair draped over her shoulders, with water droplets trickling down her delicate collarbones.
Startled by his sudden appearance, she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, a blush rising on her cheeks. "I didn’t know you’d be back so soon..."
Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze lingered on her for a moment before finally settling on her bare feet.
The air conditioning in the living room was on high, and the marble floor was cool to the touch. He frowned slightly, strode forward, and swept her up into his arms without a word.
"Ah—!" Maxine Rhodes let out a small cry, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.
He gently placed her on the sofa, turned to get her fluffy slippers, and then knelt on one knee. He took hold of her cool ankle and carefully put the slipper on her foot.
"The weather’s getting colder," he said, his voice much softer than usual. "You’ll catch a cold if you don’t stay warm."
Maxine Rhodes looked down at his focused profile, his long eyelashes casting faint shadows in the light.
This was the same man who had been so decisive and formidable just hours ago, and now he was kneeling before her, putting on her slippers. The softest part of her heart was gently touched.
Noticing his tie was slightly askew, Maxine Rhodes naturally reached out to straighten it for him.
However, as she leaned forward, the neckline of her silk slip dress gaped open, inadvertently revealing a flash of fair, delicate skin.
Ethan Hawthorne’s breath hitched.
Almost instinctively, he grabbed the hand she had extended to fix his tie. His grip was a bit urgent, but it softened into restraint the moment he touched her.
Maxine Rhodes froze, thinking he disliked such an overstep of intimacy. She was about to pull her hand back and explain, "I’m sorry, I was just..."
"You’re..." Ethan Hawthorne’s voice was a few degrees deeper and huskier than usual. He tore his gaze away from her neckline and fixed it on her slightly flustered face. "A bit revealing."
