Chapter 68: Chapter 68: His Love Rival Likes Men

### Chapter 68: His Love Rival Likes Men

When Maxine Rhodes woke up that morning, she still felt a slight discomfort in her lower abdomen.

When she went into the dining room, she found a thermos on the table next to her steaming breakfast. She twisted open the lid, and the rich, sweet fragrance of red dates and longan wafted out.

Maxine Rhodes cradled the thermos, a gentle smile unconsciously touching her lips.

Maxine Rhodes took the thermos with her to the office.

Perhaps it was the red date tea, but she felt full of energy and spent the morning efficiently clearing her backlog of documents.

As for Vice President Thorne, who had been utterly humiliated at the charity gala, he had been unusually quiet lately, even seeming to avoid her intentionally. ’I wonder if he’s up to something,’ she mused.

Just before lunch, as Maxine Rhodes was about to call her team for a meeting, Benjamin Sterling suddenly appeared at her office door.

"Director Rhodes."

He walked in with a coffee, carrying himself with the same air of superiority as always. "About the charity gala... don’t take it to heart."

Maxine Rhodes was baffled.

He sat down across from her and said earnestly, "A man of Ethan Hawthorne’s caliber is out of our league. He was just acting on a whim, treating you as a brief amusement. He’ll forget all about you soon enough. You need to keep your feet on the ground and not lose yourself over a moment of accidental favor."

Maxine Rhodes listened calmly to his condescending lecture, finding it utterly ridiculous.

’He had no idea that the ’unreachable’ man he was talking about had specially brewed her that red date and longan tea this very morning.’

Suddenly, Maxine Rhodes found herself eagerly anticipating the day Benjamin Sterling would find out about her relationship with Ethan Hawthorne. She couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.

The busy and fulfilling day passed quickly. At quitting time, Maxine Rhodes walked out of the company’s main entrance with Coco and Bubbles, chatting and laughing.

Free from the pressures of work, the trio was in a relaxed mood. Bubbles was excitedly sharing a video of a hot guy he had just discovered...

"Max Darling, look! This new idol is to die for. That body is completely my type!"

Maxine smiled and leaned in for a look, while Coco covered her mouth, snickering.

Just then, a familiar black Maybach pulled up right in front of them.

The window rolled down, revealing Ethan Hawthorne’s handsome profile.

His gaze swept past Maxine Rhodes and locked onto Bubbles. ’He’d just clearly heard this man call *his* woman...’

’Max Darling? No.’

Ethan Hawthorne’s expression visibly darkened.

Bubbles, completely oblivious to the danger, lit up at the sight of Ethan Hawthorne and greeted him enthusiastically. "Wow! Am I seeing things? Mr. Hawthorne! What are you doing here? Are you picking up Max Darling from work? Your suit today looks amazing!"

Coco also hadn’t expected to see the legendary tycoon. ’Getting to ship her favorite couple up close like this is pure bliss!’

Maxine Rhodes saw Ethan Hawthorne’s clenched jaw and the icy chill in his eyes, and she suddenly broke out in a cold sweat for Bubbles.

The worry only lasted a moment, however. She suddenly realized she wanted to see him get jealous over her. ’It’s actually kind of cute.’

Maxine Rhodes had mentioned to Ethan Hawthorne that Coco and Bubbles were her two most trusted and capable subordinates.

Coco was Maxine Rhodes’s personally mentored protégé and utterly loyal. Bubbles, on the other hand, was a company veteran with exceptional skills. Ethan Hawthorne had simply assumed that the "besties" Maxine had mentioned were both women.

But now, seeing Bubbles—well-dressed in a suit, with handsome features, and impeccable manners, not to mention his natural, easy affection for Maxine Rhodes—an unprecedented sense of crisis began to stir within him.

’Looks like it’s time for a little reconnaissance,’ he thought.

Outwardly impassive, Ethan Hawthorne flashed them a smile that could almost be described as gentle. "If you’re free in a bit, let’s have dinner together. I appreciate you all supporting Maxi at the office."

The moment he used the scene-stealing pet name "Maxi," Coco and Bubbles exchanged a thrilled, "I-ship-it" glance and eagerly nodded in agreement.

Maxine Rhodes took in Ethan Hawthorne’s seemingly gentle but actually scrutinizing gaze and laughed inwardly. She knew this dinner was about more than just the food.

The restaurant Ethan Hawthorne chose was an elegant Chinese establishment with excellent privacy.

After they were seated, Ethan Hawthorne naturally sat beside Maxine Rhodes and handed the menu to the other two. "Order whatever you like. It’s on me."

Coco and Bubbles opened the menus to a dazzling array of dishes. When they saw that a simple plate of stir-fried vegetables cost a three-figure sum, they couldn’t help but gasp.

But, driven by the principle that one must give their host proper face, they still tacitly ordered a table full of dishes that looked, smelled, and would surely taste, divine.

After they finished ordering, Bubbles looked up and met Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze, which swept over him with feigned casualness. The look was calm yet piercing, making Bubbles’s heart lurch.

’Mr. Hawthorne’s gaze... it’s like a scanner. Do I have something on my face?’

During the meal, Bubbles habitually took care of the women, offering napkins and asking if they needed drink refills.

And every time, Ethan Hawthorne would discreetly beat him to the punch. Before Bubbles could reach for the teapot, he had already refilled Maxine Rhodes’s cup with warm tea. Before Bubbles could pass her a napkin, he had already placed a fresh one by her hand.

After a few rounds of this, even someone as dense as Bubbles would have caught on. He blinked, glancing from the composed Ethan Hawthorne to the smirking Maxine Rhodes, and a mischievous, knowing smile spread across his face.

During a lull between courses, Ethan Hawthorne picked up his teacup and casually initiated a conversation, his tone like a senior inquiring after a junior. "Bubbles, you’re so young and promising. What are your hobbies? What do you do to relax outside of work?"

Bubbles, completely unaware that this was a loaded question, happily set down his chopsticks. "Mr. Hawthorne, I have so many hobbies! My favorites are shopping and keeping up with fashion and makeup trends!"

"Fashion and makeup?" Ethan Hawthorne’s brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

"That’s right!" Bubbles’s eyes lit up. "You wouldn’t know, Mr. Hawthorne, but I’m the one who helps a lot of the women at our company with their hair, makeup, and outfits for dates! They all say I have exceptional taste!"

Coco nodded vigorously beside him, chiming in to confirm. "It’s true, Mr. Hawthorne! Bubbles is the women’s best friend in our department. He’s super popular!"

’Women’s best friend? Super popular?’

He pictured Bubbles surrounded by a crowd of female colleagues—Maxine included—chatting and laughing. His jaw tightened unconsciously.

He forced himself to maintain his composure and pushed the topic further. "It sounds like you’re very good with women, Bubbles. You must be quite the charmer. I bet your girlfriend is a very happy woman."

This was his ultimate test.

Bubbles just waved his hand. "Oh, Mr. Hawthorne, please don’t tease me. I’m single!"

Ethan Hawthorne’s heart plummeted.

’No girlfriend, yet he’s so good at charming women? And that popular with the opposite sex?’

Just as Ethan Hawthorne decided that this Bubbles fellow required close observation, a tall, handsome waiter came to their table.

Bubbles’s attention was instantly captured. From that moment on, his eyes, sparkling with admiration, hardly ever left the waiter.

What stunned Ethan Hawthorne even more was that when Bubbles excused himself to go to the restroom, the handsome waiter happened to follow him out.

A short while later, they returned, one after the other. Bubbles had a suspicious flush on his cheeks, and after the waiter returned to his station, he even shot a smile at Bubbles from across the room.

Bubbles slid back into his seat, unable to contain his excitement. He leaned in and whispered to Coco and Maxine, "Girls! Did you see that handsome guy just now? He asked for my number! Oh my god, he’s totally my ideal type! And his voice was so amazing!"

Coco covered her mouth to stifle a giggle, while Maxine Rhodes shot a meaningful glance at Ethan Hawthorne beside her.

Ethan Hawthorne: "..."

He silently cut the steak on his plate as an indescribable sense of absurdity washed over him.

’So, the man I thought was my rival... is actually into... men?’