My Clingy CEO Husband

Chapter 21: Who Was That Man Last Night?!

The realization sent Ethan Hawthorne into another brief, internal struggle.

He carefully checked to make sure she was wearing a camisole underneath before breathing a small sigh of relief and gently sliding the jacket off her body.

With the jacket gone, the smooth skin of her shoulders and the elegant line of her collarbones were exposed to the air. The camisole clung to her curves, accentuating the fullness of her chest.

She must have felt a chill, as she curled up slightly in her sleep. The movement caused the neckline of her camisole to shift, and an alluring glimpse of pale cleavage and the curve of a full breast startlingly burst into view.

Ethan Hawthorne’s breath caught in his throat, and all the blood in his body seemed to rush to one particular spot in an instant.

An uncontrollable heat flushed his cheeks. He fumbled for the soft duvet, pulling it over and swiftly tucking her in from neck to toe.

He stood by the bed, gazing at the woman cocooned in the blankets. She slept so vulnerably, her cheeks still flushed from the alcohol, long lashes resting on them like butterfly wings, and her red lips slightly parted.

A familiar heat, more intense than ever before, coiled uncontrollably inside him and shot straight to his loins.

He shut his eyes, his Adam’s apple bobbing violently as he forced himself to tear his gaze away from her, a gaze that felt practically glued to her body.

Finally, as if resigned to his fate, he turned away. Flustered and hurried, he headed back to the bathroom.

...

The next morning, Maxine Rhodes awoke in a soft bed.

Instead of the expected hangover headache, she felt surprisingly refreshed.

She sat up and rubbed her eyes as memories of the previous night slowly came back to her.

The car that had appeared just in the nick of time, the sobering tea Ethan Hawthorne had handed her, and the image of herself falling peacefully asleep in his car.

’But... how did I get into bed?’

She looked down at herself. Her jacket was gone, leaving her in a comfortable camisole. Even her makeup had been completely removed.

’Was it him?’

A complex, warm feeling washed over her heart.

She got up and left the bedroom. The apartment was silent; Ethan Hawthorne had clearly already left for work.

On the dining table was a glass of honey water at the perfect temperature, with a note tucked underneath it that read: "Finish this."

Beside it, a small plate held a perfectly fried sunny-side-up egg, bacon, two slices of whole-wheat toast, and a bowl of washed strawberries.

Everything was arranged with a thoughtful precision that was typical of the man’s silent yet effective way of doing things.

Maxine Rhodes picked up the warm honey water and slowly drank it all, the sweet, soothing liquid spreading from her throat down into her stomach.

She ate her breakfast as the morning light streamed, exceptionally bright, through the window.

Sterling Group, Project Department.

The moment Maxine Rhodes walked into her office, Coco followed her in, excitedly clutching a thick folder.

"Maxine! The invitation to bid and preliminary documents from Apex Group arrived this morning!"

"This is one of the biggest projects in the industry this year! I hear all our competitors are top-tier firms!"

Maxine Rhodes quickly flipped through the hefty bidding documents, issuing crisp commands. "Pull all our previous market research and competitor analyses. Notify the core project team members we’re meeting in Conference Room One in half an hour."

"You got it!!"

At noon, Benjamin Sterling was just about to use the lunch break to find Maxine Rhodes and demand to know about the man from the previous night, when his office door was gently pushed open.

Rose Joyce swayed in on stiletto heels, carrying a food container.

She had deliberately walked through the main office area, making sure everyone saw the "homemade" lunch in her hands.

"Benjamin, I made your favorite dishes," she said, placing the container on his desk.

Out in the cubicles, Bubbles watched the scene and rolled her eyes, muttering to Coco beside her, "Tsk, just a ’little sister,’ but she acts like the queen of the harem staking her claim every single day. ’I made it myself,’ yeah right. More like she ’personally’ picked it up from a Michelin-star restaurant. Only a fool blinded by love would believe that."

Coco didn’t even look up. She just snorted. "One’s blind, the other’s a master manipulator. A match made in heaven. As long as they stop bothering our Maxine, I wish them a hundred years of happiness. Good riddance for the rest of us."

Inside the office, Benjamin Sterling looked at the exquisitely plated dishes on his desk. "Rose, you’re not well. You shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble."

Rose Joyce immediately lowered her eyes. "I know... but I’m not capable like Maxine. I can’t help you negotiate big projects. All I know how to do are these insignificant little things..."

Benjamin Sterling put down his phone, his tone softening unconsciously. "Who said that? You’re already wonderful, Rose. This is very thoughtful. I know that."

As he ate, Rose Joyce massaged his shoulders, fanning the flames as if by accident. "Oh, by the way, Benjamin, you know... with such a huge project from Apex, how could Director Young just give Maxine insider information so easily? Are they... really just friends from school? I heard that Director Young is young, successful, and apparently, single."

Her words were like a poisoned dart, striking Benjamin Sterling’s most sensitive nerve.

He suddenly remembered the mysterious man who had picked up Maxine Rhodes the night before, and her own uncharacteristically assertive and confident attitude lately.

"Could it be... him?" Benjamin Sterling’s expression turned grim.

A furious cocktail of betrayal and jealousy rushed to his head.

「A few days later.」 The preliminary agreement for the Apex project was reached. To thank Young for his referral and fair judgment, Maxine Rhodes chose an elegant restaurant to treat him to dinner—partly as a professional courtesy, and partly as a reunion for old friends.

Maxine Rhodes and Finn Finch had both been big names in college, running major events together in the student union. Now, they were both accomplished in their respective professional fields, and their conversation flowed easily.

Just then, by a stroke of coincidence, Benjamin Sterling walked into the restaurant with Rose Joyce.

Rose Joyce’s eyes immediately locked onto the familiar figure, a sharp glint in her eyes. "Benjamin, look over there... isn’t that Maxine? And the man across from her, that’s Director Young from Apex, isn’t it?"

She furrowed her brow slightly, her tone dripping with feigned sympathy. "They look so happy together. I never saw Maxine smile that happily when she was with you."

Benjamin Sterling followed her gaze just in time to see Finn Finch lean over slightly, pulling out Maxine Rhodes’s chair for her in a perfect display of chivalry. The easy, natural smile on Maxine’s face was a thorn in his side.

That ugly flame of anger flared up in his chest again.

’She’s actually smiling like that for another man?! Did Maxine Rhodes leave me for a guy like *that*? Or... does she really think Finn Finch is better than me?’

Seeing Benjamin Sterling’s expression, Rose Joyce changed her tack. "I just feel so bad for you. How could Maxine bear to give up on someone as wonderful as you? That Director Young... he seems alright, I guess, but in terms of talent or charisma, he doesn’t hold a candle to you. I really don’t know what Maxine is thinking..."

The more Benjamin Sterling thought about it, the angrier he became. For five years, Maxine Rhodes had been at his beck and call. How could she turn around and throw herself into another man’s arms?

’She’s obviously doing this just to piss me off! Yes, that has to be it! She’s trying to get back at me, trying to make me jealous!’

"Maxine, your professional skills are as impressive as ever," Finn Finch said, raising his glass. "I’m looking forward to seeing what sparks we can create with this collaboration."

Maxine Rhodes smiled and raised her glass in return. "Thank you for your trust, Young. Our team will give it our absolute best."

Just then, a sardonic voice cut in. "Looks like I’m interrupting your good time?"