Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Didn’t You Say You Were Intimate?

###Chapter 82: Didn’t You Say You Two Were Close?

Only after Maxine Rhodes sat down did Benjamin Sterling slowly resume, "You’ve heard about our President Thorne landing the deal with the Hawthorne Group, I take it?"

He got straight to the point, a faint, almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips. It was a smile laced with smugness and the vengeful satisfaction of proving he could succeed without her.

"If a company wants to grow, it needs useful people. Take President Thorne, for example. She’s willing to do what it takes, she’s flexible, and she knows how to exploit a man’s weakness."

"As for you," he leaned back in his chair again, "we have a history, after all, so I don’t want to be too ruthless. As long as you accept the current situation and quietly do your job, you won’t be short on project opportunities. But..."

His gaze turned cold, the last shred of false cordiality vanishing from his tone. "Don’t bring your old ’I’m indispensable’ attitude here. The Sterlings can do just fine without you, Maxine Rhodes—in fact, we might even do better. If you want to stay, you’ll have to learn to bow your head and please me. After all, I’m the one who calls the shots now."

The moment he finished speaking, Rose Joyce sidled up to him with a coquettish laugh.

"Benjamin, why are you even telling her all this? She’s so high and mighty, how could she possibly understand? If you ask me, the problem before was that you took her too seriously, relying on her for everything. It made her forget her place. It’s so much better now. With Sister Thorne to help, you have it so much easier, Benjamin. You don’t have to walk on eggshells around certain people anymore."

Maxine Rhodes listened quietly, then let out a small laugh.

"President Sterling," she began, her voice steady and her words clear, "I believe you’ve misunderstood a few things."

She took a step forward. Her high heels made no sound on the carpet, yet for some reason, it made Benjamin Sterling’s back stiffen slightly.

"First," she said, holding up one finger, her gesture elegant yet distant. "I have never considered myself indispensable to this company. It was you, Benjamin Sterling, who begged me to save that project when it was collapsing. Now that you’ve found a new shortcut, you’re eager to disown the past to prove yourself. That kind of thinking is very childish."

Benjamin Sterling’s face fell instantly.

"Second."

Maxine Rhodes held up a second finger, her gaze sweeping over him and Rose Joyce in the crook of his arm. "My principles and professionalism weren’t ropes to tie you down. They were the foundation that kept this company from completely collapsing under your ’flexible’ decisions and murky relationships over the past few years. By denying them, you’re denying the few presentable achievements you have left."

"Third, regarding the matter of needing to please you to stay—"

"Why don’t we leave that discussion for after the contract signing ceremony."

Her gaze swept over Benjamin Sterling, her eyes terrifyingly calm.

"By then, President Sterling, you will know clearly whether I, Maxine Rhodes, need to please anyone at all to stand where I want to stand."

After she spoke, she ignored the sudden change in their expressions, gave a slight nod, and turned, walking steadily toward the door.

At the signing ceremony for the strategic partnership between The Sterlings and the Hawthorne Group, the venue was swarming with media, their cameras like an arsenal of weapons.

For The Sterlings, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a titan like the Hawthorne Group meant a steady influx of capital, an unprecedented allocation of resources, and a massive boost to their influence in the industry.

As a result, a dizzying sense of euphoria permeated everyone at The Sterlings.

Benjamin Sterling, in particular, was beaming, exchanging pleasantries with guests and implying in every conversation that the partnership was all thanks to his personal charm.

Rose Joyce stood by his side, her gaze falling on Maxine Rhodes, who was sitting quietly in a corner dressed in a simple black suit dress. Rose’s eyes were filled with unconcealed smugness and disdain.

Lydia Thorne, dressed in a haute couture suit from the latest season and adorned with jewels, moved through the crowd in her twelve-centimeter heels. Her makeup was flawless, and she basked in the envious gazes coming from all directions.

She kept glancing toward the entrance, her heart pounding as if it would burst from her chest. She was waiting for Ethan Hawthorne, the man she believed had made an exception just for her.

Just then, a slight commotion arose at the entrance.

Ethan Hawthorne had arrived.

Dressed in a bespoke, ink-black suit, he walked into the venue with an imposing posture, his eyes fixed forward, not even sparing a one-second glance for the expectant Lydia Thorne.

Lydia Thorne’s smile faltered for a moment, but she quickly consoled herself. ’He’s just trying to be discreet. There are so many people here, after all.’

Benjamin Sterling quickly led Lydia Thorne and a few senior executives to greet him, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "Mr. Hawthorne, what an honor! Your presence truly brightens up the place! I never dreamed we’d have the chance to work with you!"

Lydia Thorne’s heart hammered in her chest. She took half a step forward, elegantly extending her hand with an air of deliberate familiarity. "Mr. Hawthorne, we meet again."

A few young female employees from The Sterlings couldn’t help but whisper to each other, "Oh my god! Mr. Hawthorne is even more handsome in person than he is in business magazines..."

"His presence is just incredible..."

"I’m so jealous of Vice President Thorne, being able to talk to Mr. Hawthorne like that..."

However, Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze merely flickered past Benjamin Sterling before landing on Lydia Thorne’s outstretched hand.

He made no move to shake it. His gaze didn’t linger on her hand for even a second. He just gave a barely perceptible nod, the line of his jaw hard and his thin lips pressed into a straight line. His eyes held none of the warmth or special recognition Lydia Thorne had anticipated.

Lydia Thorne’s hand was left hanging awkwardly in mid-air. The smile on her face froze, the blush draining away, replaced by a hint of paleness.

Benjamin Sterling’s smile also faltered. He quickly tried to smooth things over. "Haha, Mr. Hawthorne is an incredibly busy man and must be tired from the trip. This way, please, this way! The signing ceremony is about to begin!"

Just then, a cool, calm voice cut in clearly, "Vice President Thorne."

Maxine Rhodes had, at some point, walked over from her corner. She was holding a glass of water, a puzzled look on her face. "How come Mr. Hawthorne didn’t shake your hand?"

Her tone grew even more concerned. "Didn’t you say you two were very close? With the deal settled so quickly, I thought he would at least exchange a few more words with you."

At these words, the gazes of every employee from The Sterlings snapped away from their awe of Ethan Hawthorne and their envy of Lydia Thorne, turning in unison to stare at Lydia’s face, now completely drained of color.

’What’s going on?’

’Mr. Hawthorne didn’t even shake Vice President Thorne’s hand?’

’What did Director Rhodes mean by that...? Could it be that Vice President Thorne’s relationship with Mr. Hawthorne... isn’t as good as she claimed?’

As for Ethan Hawthorne, he understood.

’So this was how The Sterlings’ employees understood who was responsible for this partnership.’

’So this Vice President Thorne had been so eager to take all the credit, attributing it to a suggestive personal relationship.’

Lydia Thorne felt a rush of blood to her head. Her face burned with a mixture of shame and fury, and she wished she could tear that feigned look of innocence right off Maxine Rhodes’s face.

She took a sharp breath, forcibly suppressing her spiraling emotions, and squeezed out a stiff smile. "Director Rhodes, you must be joking. Mr. Hawthorne simply isn’t accustomed to exchanging pleasantries at events like this."

’She had to salvage this! She had to prove her relationship with Ethan Hawthorne was special!’

Maxine Rhodes let out a soft "Oh," and nodded.

Then, under everyone’s gaze, she naturally extended her hand toward Ethan Hawthorne, who had already taken a couple of steps forward.

"Mr. Hawthorne, long time no see."