Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Today, the Weather is Nice
###Chapter 42: A Fine Day
The two of them froze in place. Each was holding incriminating evidence, their faces a picture of unconcealed guilt and panic.
Maxine Rhodes’s gaze slid from his obviously uncombed hair, down to the collarbone visible through the open neck of his robe, before finally landing on the bedsheet in his hands—which had clearly just been stripped from the bed.
Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes also swept over her flushed cheeks, her slightly disheveled hair, and the bundle she was clutching—evidence identical to what he held in his own hands.
One second.
Two seconds.
In an instant, Maxine’s face flushed crimson, and she whipped the bedsheet behind her back.
At almost the exact same moment, Ethan also swiftly hid the sheet behind his back. Though he struggled to appear calm, the tips of his ears began to glow red.
’It’s over... It’s over... This is so mortifying...’
’I have to say something, don’t I??’
In the suffocating silence, Ethan was the first to break it, his voice hoarse from sleep. "Um... I think the AC was on too high last night."
He gave the bedsheet in his hand a little shake, trying to sound casual. "I sweated a lot."
Maxine immediately caught on and jumped in, her voice a little shrill with nervousness. "Ye-yes! I thought so too! It was so hot! We really need to adjust the temperature on that AC..."
After they spoke, both of them froze for a moment.
’Sweating? What a lame excuse, Ethan...’
’Hot enough to change the sheets? Maxine, could you be any more fake...’
Another awkward silence descended.
But strangely, after their fumbling, transparent attempts to cover for each other, that overwhelming embarrassment—the kind that makes you want to vanish on the spot—actually began to fade. It morphed into something more complex and subtle: a strange sense of intimacy that came from sharing a secret.
Seeing the way she looked like she wanted to bury her face in her own bundle of sheets, Ethan’s heart inexplicably softened.
He took a step forward and casually took the bundle of sheets from her arms.
"I’ll take care of these."
His tone had returned to its usual calm composure, but his gaze lingered for an extra second on her flushed earlobe. "You should go get some more rest."
Maxine watched his back as he headed to the laundry room, and the tension finally drained from her.
As Ethan walked toward the laundry room, he heard the soft click of her door closing behind him. He glanced down at the sheets in his hands, and a faint smile touched his lips.
’The scent on these... it doesn’t lie.’
Back in her room, Maxine tossed and turned in bed before eventually drifting off into a hazy sleep.
Sometime later, her alarm went off. Sunlight now flooded the room. She got dressed, mentally braced herself, and opened her bedroom door again.
The awkward scene she had been bracing for never materialized.
The living room was silent. She walked out to the balcony and immediately saw the two sets of sheets hanging side by side in the sun, swaying gently in the breeze. It was as if all of last night’s charged emotions and embarrassment were being laundered and dried by the morning sun and wind.
She turned and went back to the dining room. A simple breakfast sat on the table, with a note tucked beneath a plate. On it, written in Ethan Hawthorne’s crisp, strong handwriting, were a few words: "I have an early meeting at the office. Eat breakfast while it’s hot."
There were no unnecessary words, yet his thoughtfulness was evident. By leaving early, he had probably also spared them the potential awkwardness of having breakfast together.
Maxine picked up a warm slice of toast and took a bite. The last vestiges of her unease finally melted away in the face of his quiet consideration.
She pulled out her phone, opened the chat window with him that they had rarely used for personal messages, and after a moment’s hesitation, sent a text.
Maxine Rhodes: Thank you for the sheets. And for breakfast.
After sending the message, she waited for a moment, but there was no immediate reply. She imagined he was probably in a meeting with his phone on silent, or perhaps he wouldn’t bother replying to something so trivial.
Just as she was about to put her phone down, the screen lit up.
Ethan Hawthorne: Mm.
Just one word.
Meanwhile, in the CEO’s office at Hawthorne Group, Ethan Hawthorne, having just finished his morning meeting, stood alone before the floor-to-ceiling windows. He opened their chat again, his eyes lingering on her message: "Thank you for the sheets." He gently stroked the screen with the pad of his thumb.
Then, he opened a three-person group chat he had muted and turned the notifications back on.
Ethan Hawthorne: You don’t have to go to Africa anymore.
Almost instantly, a message from Noah Sutton popped up.
Noah Sutton: BOSS! You’ve finally appeared! I don’t have to go?! I’m on my knees thanking you for this stay of execution!!! [Kneeslide.jpg]
Elias Grant: It seems last night’s "study materials" ended up hitting the mark, producing certain... positive side effects?
Ethan Hawthorne neither confirmed nor denied it, simply replying in a good mood.
Ethan Hawthorne: That depends on your future performance.
Noah Sutton: I get it! I understand completely! I promise to be at your beck and call, to go through hell and high water for you and my sister-in-law! I’ll go find some even higher-quality... oh, I mean, even healthier "study materials"!
Elias Grant: Suck-up.
Ethan Hawthorne put away his phone and looked out at the bright sky.
It was a fine day.
When Maxine Rhodes stepped into the office, she was surprised to find the area unusually quiet.
Coco came over, clutching a file, and lowered her voice. "Maxine, President Sterling and Rose Joyce left first thing this morning. They said they were meeting someone important."
Bubbles poked her head over a cubicle wall with an exaggerated look of relief. "Thank God! With those two walking pollution sources gone, the air feels so much cleaner!"
Maxine just smiled, saying nothing. ’But a client important enough for both Benjamin Sterling and Rose Joyce to meet with them personally must be a big deal,’ she thought.
She focused her mind and threw herself into her work. Without the two of them as a distraction, the team’s efficiency was remarkably high.
She quickly reviewed the latest progress on their upcoming projects, then called a brief meeting with her core team members to lay out the next phase of their work.
Meanwhile, in a stylish coffee shop.
"That’s basically the situation. But maybe I’m overthinking it..."
Rose Joyce clung to Lydia Thorne’s arm. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but she forced a smile. "Maxine probably isn’t targeting me on purpose."
Hearing the name Maxine, Lydia Thorne’s fingers tightened for a split second around her coffee cup, and a sharp glint flashed in her eyes.
’It couldn’t be the same woman I know, could it? The world is really a small place.’
Rose Joyce’s voice grew quieter as she lowered her head. "Maybe it’s just that I’m not doing a good enough job..."
This performance—making it seem like there was more she wanted to say but was holding back—made Benjamin Sterling frown. ’That Maxine really goes too far sometimes,’ he thought.
Lydia Thorne smoothly interjected, looking calmly at Benjamin Sterling. "President Sterling, Rose and I grew up together. I know her character better than anyone. She would never deliberately start trouble. Her problems are my problems."
"I’ve just returned to the country, and The Sterlings’ platform is a good fit. And you,"
She looked Benjamin Sterling straight in the eye. "Seem to need someone to help establish a healthier, more balanced internal order at the company."
This statement both laid out her own desire for a job and precisely targeted Benjamin Sterling’s secret wish to counterbalance Maxine Rhodes.
Benjamin Sterling was even more impressed. ’She’s not just capable, but also incredibly loyal! And she saw right through to the heart of my predicament!’
"As for the position..."
Lydia Thorne elegantly lifted her coffee cup, her tone modest but brimming with absolute confidence. "I would like to be the Deputy General Manager of the Project Department, reporting directly to you. In that role, I can optimize management processes from a higher level and also better motivate Director Rhodes to reach her full potential. I’m confident that with my help, we can not only improve overall efficiency, but I can also bring unexpected resources and prospects to the company."*****
