Chapter 26: Chapter 26: Bear With It, I’ll Be Gentle
###Chapter 26: Hang in There, I’ll Be Gentle
「That night, at Cloudview Apartments.」
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Susie Summers’s unrestrained laughter burst from the other end of the line. "Priceless! Absolutely priceless! He tried to bust you for cheating and ended up crashing an actual married couple’s anniversary party? Did Benjamin Sterling feed all his brain cells to Rose Joyce?! It’s a crime I wasn’t there! I would’ve gotten right in his face and taken a ten-shot photo burst!!!"
Maxine Rhodes had just removed her makeup and was now wearing a green mud mask. Looking like a leisurely little turtle, she spoke with a cute, stuffy-nosed tone. "You should have seen the look on Benjamin Sterling’s face. It was like he’d swallowed a live fly..."
As she spoke, she subconsciously rubbed her sore neck and shoulders.
Just then, Ethan Hawthorne approached without a sound.
He had just showered. The belt of his dark gray bathrobe was tied loosely, its collar gaping slightly to reveal the smooth lines of his collarbones and a sliver of his firm chest. Seeing Maxine frowning and rubbing her shoulder, he moved behind the sofa with practiced ease.
"Let me help."
His low, magnetic voice grazed her ear, carrying with it the fresh steam from his shower. An instant later, his warm, dry hands—fingers long and distinct—found the tense muscles of her neck and shoulders with pinpoint precision.
The sudden, pleasant sensation caught Maxine completely off guard, and she let out a soft moan. "Mmm..."
On the other end of the line, Susie was still in the middle of her passionate rant. "If you ask me, a low-tier green tea like Rose Joyce—"
Susie’s voice came to an abrupt halt when she heard the ambiguous-sounding moan.
"Right here?" he asked, leaning down to whisper in her ear. The collar of his bathrobe grazed her back, a fleeting touch.
"Ah... yes..." The pressure was a mix of pain and pleasure, and Maxine couldn’t stop another soft sound from escaping her lips.
A sharp inhale came from the other end of the line. "Wait... what are you two... doing right now?"
Just then, Ethan’s fingertips found a particularly tight knot. Maxine sucked in a breath through her teeth. "Sss..."
Hearing her hiss, Ethan eased his pressure. His voice was laced with amusement and a hint of indulgence. "Hang in there, I’ll be gentle."
The other end of the line fell completely silent...
Three seconds later, Susie’s words came out in a panicked rush: "Hello? Can you hear me? Oh, wow, my stupid phone’s breaking up all of a sudden! I can’t hear you, right? Okay, great, we’ll talk later! It’s getting dark and stormy over here, thunder and lightning, feels like an earthquake’s coming, I gotta go hide in the basement, bye!!!"
The call ended abruptly.
Ethan, however, continued his work as if nothing had happened. His fingertips slid gently to the skin behind her ear, lingering on the sensitive spot.
"Your friend..." he murmured, his voice laced with a faint, almost-there smile, "seems to have gotten the wrong idea."
It was only then that Maxine realized what had happened. Her whole face flushed bright red—thankfully hidden by the mud mask. She instinctively tried to pull away from his embrace, but he held her shoulders gently in place.
"Don’t move," he breathed against her ear. "I’m not finished."
The position was practically an embrace from behind. Maxine could clearly feel the warmth of his chest, her senses filled with his fresh, post-shower scent mixed with a uniquely masculine musk. Together, they wove a net around her, leaving her feeling utterly flustered.
Her heart was beating unconscionably fast. In the overwhelmingly intimate atmosphere, she had to force herself to stay calm and find a distraction.
Maxine reached for a nearby tablet and turned on the screen. Ethan happened to catch sight of the response plan she had written.
His gaze swept over the title on the screen. "Is this about what happened today?" he asked.
Maxine nodded. "Yes. Benjamin Sterling’s little stunt has objectively cast a shadow over our partnership—though it’s a shadow we can use."
Her fingertip calmly tapped the screen. "A corporation on the level of Apex Group has very little tolerance for drama. But by the same token, they appreciate a partner who can handle a crisis perfectly."
Maxine turned her head slightly to look at Ethan, the corners of her lips curving into a strategic smile. "As for Young, I need to send him a stronger signal. I need him to see that even with an idiot like Benjamin Sterling trying to drag me down, I, Maxine Rhodes, can still keep the situation firmly under control. I can even turn this crisis into an opportunity to deepen our partnership."
Ethan looked on with admiration at the ambition and intelligence shining in her eyes. He leaned in closer, bracing his arms on either side of her and completely enveloping her in his presence.
"So, how do you plan on turning that shadow into a stepping stone?"
Maxine frowned slightly. "I haven’t quite figured that out yet..."
"I seem to recall," Ethan said slowly, "that Apex Group has been pushing for a digital transformation. What they really need isn’t just a brand design firm, but a partner who can help them achieve online-offline integration."
He tapped the screen lightly. "Couldn’t your proposal include some innovative concepts for smart retail and digital marketing? Show Young that you and your team can deliver value beyond his expectations."
Maxine’s eyes lit up, but she quickly gave a rational shake of her head. "That’s a great angle, but implementation would require significant technical support. The Sterlings’ company currently..."
"You can outsource the tech," Ethan interjected. "I know a company called Innovatech Dynamics that’s quite good. The founder was my junior in university; he’s very reliable. You could contact them."
As he spoke, he picked up his phone. "I just sent you his contact info. I’m only making the introduction; the rest is up to you."
’This man always seems to appear at the perfect moment to open a door for me,’ she thought, staring at the contact card that popped up on her screen as everything clicked into place. ’But he always leaves it to me to walk the path beyond it.’
"Thank you," she said sincerely. "This approach is much better than just repeatedly apologizing and explaining things away."
Maxine thought for a moment, then said, "You’ve helped me so much. I don’t know how to thank you."
Ethan was about to say, ’Don’t mention it,’ but the words took a different turn on his lips.
"A fair point." His warm breath ghosted over the stray hairs on her forehead. "Since I’ve helped Mrs. Hawthorne solve such a major problem..."
He leaned in, closing the distance between them. "How does Mrs. Hawthorne intend to thank me?"
Maxine froze.
’What could I possibly give him?’ she wondered, looking at the man before her. He commanded a business empire and seemed to want for nothing.
Maxine blinked, her confusion genuine. She asked tentatively, "Well... how about I give you a point from the project’s profit share?"
At her words, Ethan almost laughed in exasperation.
He raised a hand, his long fingers tapping lightly at his temple. A look of fond exasperation filled his eyes. "Maxine Rhodes, is it possible that I might want for something other than money?"
His gaze was too focused, like a fine net cast over her. Maxine felt her heart skip a beat. She instinctively looked away, but the honest blush creeping up her ears gave her away.
"Then..." She subconsciously bit her lip, her voice softening without her realizing it. "What do you want?"
