My Clingy CEO Husband

###Chapter 74: Ten Minutes

Hearing this, Maxine Rhodes’s heart skipped a beat. The Ethan Hawthorne before her had shed his usual cold and noble demeanor, replaced by a big, cuddly puppy who held her in his arms as if he would lose the entire world the moment she left.

Maxine Rhodes sighed, her tone softening unconsciously. "I’m going to make you some honey water."

She tried to leave, but Ethan Hawthorne pulled her back into his embrace. "You still haven’t told me if you missed me."

Maxine Rhodes gazed into his eyes, made exceptionally deep by his drunkenness. They reflected shimmering flecks of light and were filled with undisguised anticipation.

Her heart melted. "I did," she answered earnestly.

That simple answer made Ethan Hawthorne’s face break into a wide smile. Pushing his luck, he leaned in closer, his voice low and seductive. "Then give me a kiss."

Maxine Rhodes looked at his slightly pouting lips, suppressed a laugh, and turned her face away.

Ethan Hawthorne immediately tightened his arms, his voice full of grievance. "If you don’t kiss me, I won’t let you go!"

Resigned, Maxine Rhodes had no choice but to give him a quick peck on the lips, but Ethan Hawthorne still showed no sign of letting go.

"Ethan Hawthorne, you’re not playing fair!" she chided playfully.

"You’re scolding me?" he said, looking even more aggrieved, his deep eyes filled with accusation.

His antics made Maxine Rhodes chuckle. She gently touched the damp tips of his hair. "Alright, I’m going to take a shower... Mmph—"

Before she could finish speaking, Ethan Hawthorne’s kiss descended upon her. It was fiery and tinged with alcohol, yet he restrained himself, stopping after just a brief taste.

Maxine Rhodes subconsciously gave him a light push, but he had already pulled away of his own accord.

"I know there are still two days left."

His lips ghosted over her collarbone, searingly hot, as he murmured in a husky voice, "But I’m counting every single minute."

Maxine Rhodes felt her heart pounding ridiculously fast. Just when she thought he was about to lose control, he suddenly released her and staggered toward the bedroom, his retreat looking somewhat hurried. "I’ll go to bed first, then. Good night, Maxi."

Watching his back as he deliberately kept his distance, Maxine Rhodes suddenly called out, "Ethan Hawthorne."

He stopped in his tracks.

"Actually..." Her voice was quiet, but it echoed clearly in the silent entryway. "I’m counting, too."

Those words sent a jolt through Ethan Hawthorne. A tempest raged within his deep eyes—a mix of surprise, restraint, and a powerful undercurrent of surging emotions.

’So, she’s the same as me.’

「The next morning」

When Ethan Hawthorne woke up, he had a slight headache from his hangover. He sat up, rubbing his temples, and walked out of the bedroom. His eyes immediately fell upon the neatly arranged breakfast and the clear glass of honey water on the dining table.

Sunlight streamed through the window onto the plate, where the bacon was perfectly crisped at the edges and the egg was round and appealing.

He walked over and touched the glass with his fingertips. It was perfectly warm. An indescribable warmth instantly flooded his entire body.

’Breakfast, handmade by my wife~’

Ethan Hawthorne sat down, picked up his phone, and took a picture of the incredibly thoughtful breakfast.

With a swipe of his finger, he opened their small three-person group chat.

Ethan Hawthorne: [Image.jpg]

Ethan Hawthorne: "Breakfast."

Mere seconds after he sent the message, his phone buzzed.

Noah Sutton: "???"

Noah Sutton: "Don’t tell me your wife made that herself?! Holy shit!"

Ethan Hawthorne read Noah Sutton’s string of astonished messages, leisurely picked up his fork, took a bite of egg, and then typed a reply with one hand.

Ethan Hawthorne: "Yeah. And it’s fantastic!"

Elias Grant: [Forwarded a link: "Warning! Ten Childish Behaviors of Middle-Aged Men Falling in Love"]

Elias Grant: "@Ethan Hawthorne, I suggest you review this list for self-assessment. Also, just a reminder, I still have pictures on my phone of you passed out drunk from last night’s engagement. Do I need to post them to help you remember how Erza Sinclair had to haul you into the car?"

Ethan Hawthorne ignored his friend’s sharp tongue. "I’m not middle-aged! And besides, I just wanted to sigh with emotion over how great it is to have a wife."

Noah Sutton: "...Stop the PDA! You’re killing me! Ethan Hawthorne, you goddamn monster, have you no humanity?! Abusing us single guys this early in the morning!"

Noah Sutton: "@Elias Grant, kick him out! There’s no room for married people in this group chat!"

Ethan Hawthorne watched the messages rapidly flood the chat, the smile in his eyes growing deeper.

This kind of childish showing off would have seemed utterly preposterous to his former self, but now, he was reveling in it.

After finishing breakfast and heading to work, he was in such a good mood that even the dogs he passed on the street seemed more charming than usual.

Upon arriving at the office, the receptionist reported respectfully, "Good morning, Mr. Hawthorne."

"Vice President Lydia Thorne of the Sterling Group is waiting for you in the reception room. She said she has something important that she must discuss with you in person."

"Lydia Thorne?"

Ethan Hawthorne faltered, the softness in his eyes from moments ago instantly replaced by a sheet of ice.

’Her again?’

"What did she say it was about?" Ethan Hawthorne’s voice grew colder.

"She said it’s about the Celestia brand collaboration and insisted on discussing it with you face-to-face."

A flicker of derision crossed Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes. ’He’d just see what tricks this woman had up her sleeve, daring to test his patience again and again.’

"Have her go to Conference Room Three." He glanced at his watch. "I’ll give her ten minutes."

"Yes, Mr. Hawthorne."

When Ethan Hawthorne pushed open the door to Conference Room Three, Lydia Thorne immediately shot to her feet, a coquettish smile plastered on her face. "Mr. Hawthorne, I knew you’d come see me."

Ethan Hawthorne didn’t even deign to look at her. He walked straight to the head of the table and sat down, his gaze frigid. "Vice President Thorne, you have nine minutes and forty seconds."

Lydia Thorne’s smile froze on her face. She hadn’t expected Ethan Hawthorne to dispense with even the most basic of pleasantries.

Forcing herself to remain composed, she opened the proposal and tried to regain the initiative. "Mr. Hawthorne, regarding the Celestia brand collaboration, we at The Sterlings value this opportunity immensely. I believe with my capabilities..."

Ethan Hawthorne raised an eyebrow, his tone dripping with undisguised contempt. "As I recall, for this project, the Hawthorne Group only partners with top-tier 4A advertising agencies."

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

Lydia Thorne leaned forward, pushing the proposal toward him. Her gaze roamed suggestively over Ethan Hawthorne’s face as she lowered her voice. "Given our personal relationship, I think we can absolutely make an exception for you. This proposal is just a formality. As long as we reach an understanding, the details can all be changed to suit your preferences."

"Our relationship?"

Ethan Hawthorne let out a short, cold laugh, as if he had just heard a ridiculous joke. "Vice President Thorne, other than the few bothersome encounters you’ve single-handedly manufactured, I don’t believe anything exists between us that could possibly be called a ’personal relationship’."

His words were like a resounding slap across the face, making Lydia Thorne’s cheeks burn hot.

But she still wouldn’t give up. "Mr. Hawthorne, don’t push people away like this. I’m sure if we spend more time together, you’ll find we actually have a lot in common, both at work and in life."

"Six minutes," Ethan Hawthorne said, glancing down at his watch, his patience clearly exhausted. "If you continue to waste my time with this pointless nonsense, this meeting can end right now."

Lydia Thorne finally realized that all her suggestive hints were futile in front of this man.

A knot of panic formed in her stomach. She flipped open the proposal and began to explain the plan, her words tumbling out in a rush.

Ethan Hawthorne listened with a completely blank expression. He only looked up slowly after she had finished speaking. "Are you done?"

"Yes... What do you think, Mr. Hawthorne...?" Lydia Thorne asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.

"Superficial, hollow, and completely lacking in substance."

Ethan Hawthorne stood up, looking down on her. Every word was a shard of ice. "A proposal like this wouldn’t even make it past the initial screening done by our interns. Vice President Thorne, in the future, don’t bother personally delivering this kind of garbage."

The immense humiliation made Lydia Thorne lose all composure. She blurted out almost subconsciously, "This proposal does have many shortcomings! That’s because the framework was mainly drafted by Maxine Rhodes. I only made a few minor additions. You might not know her, but she’s always very stubborn and opinionated—she doesn’t listen to anyone’s advice..."