My Clingy CEO Husband

Chapter 16: She’s Back with a Vengeance!

Benjamin Sterling’s eyes lit up. "What?"

"Have you heard about the Apex Group’s upcoming nationwide bidding for their brand image upgrade?" Maxine Rhodes dropped a bombshell.

Benjamin Sterling’s heart leaped into his throat!

The Apex Group! That was an industrial giant, larger in scale and more renowned than even Cosmos Capital!

Their brand upgrade project was a top-tier contract that every company in the industry was fighting tooth and nail for. He hadn’t even been able to get a foot in the door before this. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"You... you have an in?" An unmistakable urgency crept into his voice.

"Director Young of the Apex Brand was a senior of mine in college."

Maxine Rhodes’s tone was level, but every word she spoke was worth its weight in gold. "He told me in private that the first draft of their internal bid proposal referenced several of my published case studies."

She paused to let him process this, then continued, "In other words, of all the companies currently competing for the bid, I’m the only one who knows exactly what Apex wants. He made it clear that if a team led by me were to handle the project, our chances of winning would be over eighty percent."

Benjamin Sterling’s breathing grew ragged.

The Apex project! If he could land it, not only would it resuscitate his company, but it would also make the Sterling Group’s standing in the industry soar!

He suppressed his excitement. "Maxine, I knew you couldn’t bear to watch the company go bankrupt."

"But I have three conditions," Maxine Rhodes said, her voice calm and clear. "First, the position of Project Director. Second, an independent team. And third, thirty percent of the project’s profits as my performance bonus."

"Maxine Rhodes, are you insane?! This is daylight robbery!" Benjamin Sterling roared.

"Robbery?" Maxine Rhodes let out a soft laugh. "Benjamin Sterling, let’s be clear about who screwed up the Cosmos Capital project."

Benjamin Sterling understood immediately. ’She’s obviously still jealous about Rose. That’s why she’s acting out like this.’

’Women. All you have to do is sweet-talk them a little.’

’After all, she’s been with me for five years. She’s used to me. There’s no way she’d actually leave.’

At that thought, Benjamin Sterling’s confidence surged. He waved a hand dismissively. "Fine! I agree to your terms!"

The lights were blazing inside the apartment at Cloudview.

As Maxine Rhodes pushed the door open, the warm glow of the lamps spilled gently across the sharp lines of her profile.

Ethan Hawthorne was sitting on the living room sofa. The file in his hands had remained unturned for a long time. At the sound of the door, he looked up, his gaze falling upon her.

"You’re still up?" Maxine Rhodes asked, a little surprised.

"I was waiting for you," he said, setting the file down.

Maxine Rhodes took off her coat and chose her words carefully. "I’m going back to my old company. I’ll probably be very busy."

"Back to the Sterling Group?" Ethan Hawthorne’s voice grew heavy.

’Even though he understood her personality and knew she wouldn’t give up so easily, the thought of her having to see that waste of space day in and day out still lit a fuse inside him.’

"That’s my battlefield," Maxine Rhodes said. Her voice was quiet, but it was laced with icy resolve. "They’re going to spit out everything they took from me."

Ethan Hawthorne stared at her. Only after confirming her eyes held nothing but calculation—not a single shred of lingering affection—did his tense jawline finally relax.

"I support you. And the entire Hawthorne Group will be your staunchest backer," he said, his voice steady and strong.

He rounded the dining table and walked toward her, step by step. His tall frame exuded an intangible pressure as he leaned in, his searing gaze locking onto hers.

"But make it quick. You’re Mrs. Hawthorne now. I don’t want to see trivial people or matters taking up too much of your time."

"Hmm?" Maxine Rhodes was a little surprised by his answer.

Ethan Hawthorne’s fingers gently brushed over his wedding ring. "I’d rather not be sleeping alone every night."

They were so close they could feel each other’s breath, and the air between them seemed to solidify.

Maxine could clearly smell the crisp, clean scent on him and see the dark undercurrents swirling in his eyes.

’She understood his concern. He was probably worried she and Benjamin Sterling might get back together, which would affect their contractual marriage arrangement.’

Maxine Rhodes’s lips curved into a slight smile. "Don’t worry. I have no interest in recycling garbage."

Staring at her, Ethan Hawthorne finally let a small smile show. "It’d better stay that way."

He pulled back slightly but maintained an ambiguous distance. "If you need anything, just let me know."

Maxine nodded and turned toward the bedroom.

Just as she was closing the door, she heard his voice from behind her. "Don’t forget, you have someone waiting for you at home now."

「8:40 AM, Sterling Group.」

"Huge news! Maxine is officially back!"

"And President Sterling himself appointed her as the Director of the Project Department!"

First thing in the morning, Coco was flitting about the office like a little sparrow, telling everyone she ran into the wonderful news.

She even made a point to lift her chin smugly at a few senior employees who hadn’t gotten along with Maxine. "See? I told you Maxine would be back!"

Before anyone else could react, Coco had already skipped back to her desk. She pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from her drawer—a promotion gift she had prepared especially for Maxine.

Maxine’s old desk in the corner was now empty. In its place, at the end of the hall, was a spacious, brightly lit private office with a nameplate that read: "Project Director."

Maxine had just settled in behind her brand-new desk when Coco came in, her eyes sparkling. With a flourish, she produced the gift box from behind her back as if by magic. "Maxine! This is a little something to celebrate your promotion to Director!"

Maxine accepted the gift with a warm smile. "You shouldn’t have. Thank you, Coco. I’ll treat everyone to dinner tonight!"

"Yay!" Coco was so happy her eyes curved into crescent moons.

Coco was like a little ray of sunshine in the office.

Maxine remembered when she first joined the Sterling Group as an unremarkable, entry-level employee.

Even though her skills allowed her to quickly distinguish herself, with her proposals repeatedly resolving corporate crises and winning major projects, Benjamin Sterling had always kept her confined to the background role of a "supportive partner," refusing to give her the title and authority she had earned.

All the credit for her work was then cleverly redirected to his name.

Back then, Coco had been a timid intern who knew nothing, assigned to Maxine for training.

From the first time they worked together, Coco had been in awe of Maxine’s clear, logical thinking and her calm, decisive manner when facing emergencies.

What touched Coco even more was that Maxine put on no airs. From the most basic industry knowledge to complex project workflows, whenever Coco had a question, Maxine would generously share everything she knew.

Under Maxine’s hands-on guidance, Coco grew by leaps and bounds. She knew in her heart that she wouldn’t be where she was today without Maxine.

Because of this, she also saw, earlier and more clearly than anyone else, how Benjamin Sterling suppressed and exploited Maxine.

Countless times, she had felt it was unfair to Maxine. Privately, she’d fume, feeling that Benjamin Sterling was nowhere near good enough for her.

And when Maxine began to doubt herself, Coco was always the first to jump to her defense, telling her with unwavering conviction, "You’re amazing, Maxine! They’re the blind ones!"

Just then, Coco seemed to remember something, and her cheerful expression faltered. "Oh, right, Maxine. Mr. Vaughn from Apex Construction Materials is here again. He’s in the conference room making a huge scene, saying he won’t leave today without payment. And the admin department said the expense reimbursements for several projects are all held up with you..."

Maxine’s expression didn’t change as she began flipping through a file. "Tell Mr. Vaughn I can give him ten minutes. Have him bring the contract and delivery receipts to my office."

"As for the reimbursements," she said, picking up a pen and signing several compliant forms with a fluid motion, "approve the ones that follow procedure immediately. Send back the ones that don’t to be redone. You don’t need to ask me about it again."

"Yes, Maxine! I’m on it!" As if she’d received a direct order from a general, Coco straightened her back and scurried out, bursting with energy.