My Clingy CEO Husband

###Chapter 31: Is Director Rhodes Hiding a Man in Her Office?

Thanks to Maxine Rhodes’s tireless efforts and Ethan Hawthorne’s perfectly-timed guidance, the Apex project was safely back on track.

"That was amazing! The rehearsal went off without a hitch!" Coco said, clutching a folder as she gazed at Maxine Rhodes, her eyes sparkling. "Girl, you were practically glowing on stage! A bunch of the guys in the audience couldn’t take their eyes off you!"

Bubbles, who was standing nearby, elegantly swept her hair back and chimed in with a pout, "But of course. Our Maxi Darling’s charm is irresistible!"

Looking at the two livewires before her, Maxine Rhodes felt the fatigue of the past few days melt away as a smile bloomed from deep within her eyes.

"The project is finally done. No overtime today!"

"Yay! The director is the best!" Coco was the first to cheer, immediately scrambling to pack her bag. "I can finally go to my idol’s concert tonight!!"

Bubbles also began to elegantly but quickly clear her desk. "I hope you don’t get front-row seats. I’m off to a super-classy art salon—I hear it’s going to be crawling with handsome men. Maxi Darling, have a great weekend!"

"You too! Have a great weekend," Maxine Rhodes replied with a smile.

"See you Monday, boss!" Coco’s voice trailed off as she shot out of the office like a tiny tornado.

The office instantly fell silent. So much for no overtime; Maxine Rhodes ended up staying late herself. Only after confirming that every project detail was crystal clear and every data point was perfectly in place did she rub her sore neck and get ready to leave.

She turned off the computer and the lights, plunging the office into darkness. Only the faint glow of the city’s neon lights filtered through the window.

As she walked to the entrance of the company building, bag in hand, she saw a familiar black sedan in the distance, and beside it, a tall, silent figure leaning against the car.

Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze cut through the crowd and landed precisely on her. The ice on his previously expressionless face instantly melted, his features softening.

Maxine Rhodes was a little surprised. "Mr. Hawthorne? What are you doing here?"

Ethan Hawthorne answered, "Picking you up from work." He paused, then added, "I just met a client nearby. Since we’re going home together anyway, I figured I’d swing by."

Maxine Rhodes nodded, opened the car door, and slid into the passenger seat. She then rubbed the bridge of her nose. "What a busy week. It’s finally over. I can finally get some rest..."

Before she could finish, she froze. Rummaging through her bag, her expression changed slightly. "Wait, I think I left my USB drive in the office."

"Is it important?" Ethan Hawthorne asked.

"Yes, it has all the core supplier data I need for next week."

As she spoke, she started to unbuckle her seatbelt. "I’ll just run up and get it. I’ll be quick."

Ethan Hawthorne glanced at the dark office building, then reached out and placed his hand over hers, stopping her from unbuckling the seatbelt. "I’ll go up with you."

Seeing the hint of confusion in her eyes, he explained nonchalantly, "I have an important email to take care of. I’ll just borrow a computer at your office."

Maxine Rhodes nodded. "Alright, then."

Back in the office, as Maxine Rhodes searched her desk drawer for the USB drive, she pointed to an inner room. "The computer in there doesn’t have a password. You can use that one."

Ethan Hawthorne nodded in acknowledgment.

A few moments later, footsteps echoed from outside the door.

"Well, well, Director Rhodes, busy as ever. Burning the midnight oil for the company?" Benjamin Sterling’s voice rang out from the doorway, laced with alcohol and his usual condescension. As always, Rose Joyce clung to his side like a shadow.

Rose Joyce immediately chimed in with a soft voice, "Yes, Maxine works so hard."

Her tone then shifted as she blinked, feigning innocence. "Oh, Maxine, are you the only one working this late? That must be so tiring. And not very safe, either."

Maxine Rhodes responded coolly, "I’m just finishing up. No need for President Sterling and Secretary Joyce to concern yourselves."

Just then, a faint noise came from the records room.

Benjamin Sterling’s gaze sharpened instantly. "What was that sound?"

Maxine Rhodes forced herself to remain calm. "Probably just the air conditioning ducts. This building is old..."

"Is there someone in your office?" Benjamin Sterling’s tone was thick with suspicion.

Maxine Rhodes’s heart tightened. She instinctively glanced in Ethan Hawthorne’s direction, a hint of a dilemma in her eyes.

’I can’t reveal our relationship yet,’ she thought. ’For one, our contract marriage requires discretion. For another, I don’t want to drag Ethan Hawthorne into the messy affairs of the Sterlings and cause unnecessary trouble for him.’

Ethan Hawthorne met her gaze and understood immediately.

Maxine Rhodes kept her composure. "Who else would be here at this hour besides me?"

"Oh?" Rose Joyce suddenly sniffed the air and said with theatrical flair, "Why do I smell men’s cologne? Did you change your perfume, Maxine?"

Benjamin Sterling’s eyes narrowed. He strode into the office, his torch-like gaze sweeping every corner. "I smell it too. Maxine Rhodes, are you hiding some other man in your office?"

Maxine Rhodes’s expression remained calm. "Benjamin Sterling, watch your words!"

’I absolutely cannot let them find Ethan Hawthorne here.’

But Rose Joyce’s eyes were fixed on the records room, where the scent was strongest. Like a shark that had smelled blood, she immediately rushed toward it. "Let me help you look, Maxine! If there really is someone hiding in there, your reputation will be ruined!"

"Stop right there!" Maxine Rhodes snapped, reacting instantly to block the doorway to the records room. "These files are all confidential company documents. If anything goes missing, can you bear the responsibility?"

Intimidated by Maxine’s forceful aura, Rose Joyce stopped in her tracks. Her eyes immediately reddened as she turned to look pitifully at Benjamin Sterling. "Benjamin, I was just worried about her... She’s so beautiful. What if there really is a man hiding in there and something happens to her?"

Benjamin Sterling, already deeply suspicious, was now thoroughly provoked. "Rose isn’t an outsider. What’s the harm in looking? Open the door! I’ll take full responsibility if anything happens!"

Emboldened by his words, Rose Joyce’s expression turned smug as she reached out and shoved the records room door open.

The door slammed against the inner wall with a loud bang.

She had been eagerly anticipating catching some man and utterly humiliating Maxine Rhodes, but when she entered, she found nothing behind the door but rows of neat filing shelves. There was no man to be seen.

’How is that possible?’ she thought. ’The smell of men’s cologne was definitely coming from this room!’

The smug look on Rose Joyce’s face froze instantly. Benjamin Sterling frowned, his gaze repeatedly sweeping the records room, but he couldn’t spot anything out of the ordinary either.

Letting out a small sigh of relief, Maxine Rhodes leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed. "Satisfied now?" Her voice was as cold as ice. "Is this enough to prove I’m not hiding anyone?"

Just as Rose Joyce found herself in an awkward predicament, the dark blue velvet curtain at the far end of the records room suddenly swayed. The movement wasn’t like a draft from the wind; it was more like... something had just brushed against it.

"There!" Rose Joyce’s eyes lit up as if she had discovered a new continent. Her dejected mood instantly vanished, replaced by excitement as she pointed a finger straight at the curtain. "There’s definitely something behind that curtain!"