Chapter 54: Chapter 54: It’s Over, It’s Confirmed
###Chapter 54: It’s Over, It’s Confirmed
Maxine Rhodes called Coco and Bubbles into her office to deploy a silent battle plan.
"Lydia Thorne’s arrival might actually be a good thing."
A corner of her mouth lifted, her expression calm, as if she had everything under control. "The more waves she makes, the more she’ll draw the attention of Benjamin Sterling and the board of directors. That gives us the perfect cover."
"She wants to check the data, so let her check all she wants. Bubbles, package up all that messy old data with potential risks. Make it look nice and present it to her proactively. Let her use that ’evidence’ to take credit with Benjamin Sterling and win his complete trust. That way, she can draw more fire for us."
"Coco, while everyone is focused on the storm Lydia’s kicking up, transfer our curated core client data and important tech backups. Do it safely, in batches, according to our plan. Remember, priority and confidentiality are paramount."
"Finally, before the transfer is complete, we need to outwardly maintain a hand full of high-value projects to keep the team running normally and preserve my authority. So, for the existing projects that can generate quick results and boost team morale, we need to speed them up and create some highlights. This is both for Benjamin Sterling’s benefit and to secure our own foundation."
She put down her pen, her sharp, clear gaze sweeping over her two capable assistants. "Remember, what we’re doing now isn’t running away. It’s moving our most important assets to a safe place before the storm hits."
Coco scratched her head, smiling sheepishly. "Maxine, why are we just handing her the data? And making it look so good for her? Aren’t we just helping her?"
Maxine chuckled, not answering directly. "Coco, what would you do if robbers broke into your house? Would you charge in and fight them head-on? No. The smartest thing to do is to toss them a box full of fake jewels. They’ll naturally be at each other’s throats fighting over the shiny trinkets. Who would even notice your real gold and silver being safely moved out the back door?"
The office was silent for a moment.
Coco slapped her thigh. "Brilliant! Maxine! I get it now!"
Bubbles also gave a thumbs-up. "Max Darling is just so smart!"
Meanwhile, Rose Joyce followed Lydia Thorne into her office and couldn’t help but ask, "By the way, Lydia, did you know Maxine before? The way she was acting just now..."
Lydia was jabbing at the coffee machine buttons as if venting her frustration. Amid the swirling aroma, her expression was sour.
"Know her?" she scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain. "Someone who needed student loans just to get through school? Is she even worthy of knowing me?"
She turned around, arms crossed, her eyes contemptuous. "You have no idea. In college, she was such a show-off. It was bad enough that a flock of guys was always hovering around her, but even the professors gave her special treatment. On what grounds? She always acts so high and mighty. Just looking at her annoys me!"
Rose Joyce got the hint immediately, her eyes glinting with the excitement of someone who loved to watch drama unfold. She lowered her voice, "Well, you’re her boss now, so this is the perfect opportunity..."
Lydia stirred her coffee, a cold smile she thought was profound playing on her lips.
"In the workplace, if you want to crush a subordinate, you don’t need to make a big scene. I have plenty of ways to deal with her!"
She paused, then added in the tone of someone imparting wisdom, "Remember, real management is about making a disobedient person’s life difficult in subtle ways they can’t even complain about."
"Lydia, you’re amazing!" Rose Joyce offered timely flattery, her eyes filled with the admiration of someone who had just learned a valuable lesson.
The compliment was music to Lydia’s ears. She sank into her leather chair, smug and satisfied. "I have to make her understand that here, being capable isn’t enough."
She delivered her conclusion airily, "You have to know the rules and how to pick the right side."
－
That evening, as work was wrapping up, Ethan Hawthorne received a call from Claire Sinclair, who insisted he come home for dinner.
Ethan Hawthorne gave Maxine Rhodes a quick heads-up and then drove home.
The Hawthorne family estate.
The dining table was laden with all of Ethan Hawthorne’s favorite dishes, but the atmosphere was subtly tense.
After Claire Sinclair and Lawrence Hawthorne exchanged a look of tacit understanding, Lawrence cleared his throat and began, "Son, have you been busy with work lately?"
"It’s been fine." Ethan Hawthorne’s reply was concise.
Claire Sinclair placed a piece of food into her son’s bowl with her chopsticks, then casually broached the main topic. "Son, Mom recently came across a really interesting little psychological test. They say it can reveal a person’s truest subconscious thoughts! It’s just a few questions, quick, help me fill it out."
Claire Sinclair held out her phone, leaning in with a wide smile, but a hint of nervousness was hidden in her eyes.
Without looking up, Ethan Hawthorne answered distractedly, "Mom, you still believe in this stuff?"
"It’s just for fun! Hurry up, it’ll only take a minute!" Claire Sinclair shoved the phone into his hand.
Pestered into submission, Ethan Hawthorne set his chopsticks down. His eyes were still fixed on the sweet and sour pork ribs in front of him. ’Maxine would definitely love this,’ he thought. ’I’ll have to ask Ms. Sinclair how she makes it later.’
Lost in thought, his fingers tapped randomly at the questions on Claire Sinclair’s test.
Each question had four options. Question one: What’s your favorite color? Ethan Hawthorne chose pink. Question two: Which face shape do you prefer? He chose "round face with a full beard." Question three...
He finished tapping randomly and handed the phone back. "Done."
Claire Sinclair eagerly tapped to see the results. A conclusion popped up on the screen:
[Test Result]: Based on a comprehensive evaluation, there is an extremely high probability that you are attracted to the same sex.
Claire Sinclair’s vision went black, and she almost dropped her phone. Lawrence Hawthorne leaned over to look, and his face changed too.
After dinner, Ethan Hawthorne walked out to the balcony. He had intended to call Maxine Rhodes to ask if she’d eaten, but he caught a glimpse of his parents furtively watching him from the living room. Instead, he dialed Noah Sutton.
The call connected. With his back to the living room, Ethan Hawthorne asked in a relaxed tone, "What are you up to?"
In the living room, Claire Sinclair’s ears perked up.
On the other end of the line, Noah Sutton was probably in a nightclub. The background was noisy, and he had to shout to be heard. "Babe! Miss me? What else would I be doing? Checking out the market for you! The scenery here really isn’t much to look at. Not a single one can compare to you!"
Ethan Hawthorne cursed with a laugh and lowered his voice. "Get lost. Stop talking nonsense. I need to talk to you about something serious..."
Before he could finish, a wave of jeering erupted from Noah’s end, and the call was cut off by the interference.
However, to Claire Sinclair, this conversation sounded completely different:
All she heard was her son making a call in a relaxed tone. The person on the other end affectionately called him "babe" and said, "not a single one can compare to you," and not only did her son not object, he even flirted back!
And to top it off, he lowered his voice to talk about "something serious"...
The call disconnected at the perfect moment, leaving endless room for imagination!
The fruit fork in Claire Sinclair’s hand fell onto the plate with a CLANG.
Her face was ashen. She grabbed Lawrence Hawthorne’s arm with a trembling hand. "Hawthorne... it’s... it’s confirmed! The man on the phone called him ’babe,’ and your son just laughed... He’s never even spoken to me that gently!"
Ethan Hawthorne frowned at his disconnected phone, thinking that Noah Sutton was as unreliable as ever.
He turned around only to see his mother looking at him with an expression of utter despair, while his father looked like the sky was falling.
Ethan Hawthorne: "...?"
’How bizarre,’ he thought.
"Dad, Mom, something’s come up at the office. I’m heading back," he said, taking his leave concisely.
In Claire Sinclair’s ears, those words were automatically translated into: ’He can’t wait to go find the person who called him ’babe’!’
She watched as her son’s back disappeared through the door without a hint of reluctance. She slumped onto the sofa, clutching her chest, and said weakly to Lawrence Hawthorne, "It’s over, Hawthorne. Your son won’t even stay home an extra minute for that ’babe’!"
In reality, as Ethan Hawthorne strode quickly away from the family estate, he had only one thought in his mind: ’Time to hurry home and be with my wife!’*****
