Chapter 84: Chapter 84: All Departments, Attention! Lights! Music

### Chapter 84: Attention, All Departments! Lights! Music!

Not only had Ethan Hawthorne taken the initiative to invite her, but he’d also accurately hinted that he knew her preferences, even making special arrangements for the chef to hold a spot for them.

’This wasn’t a formal business dinner at all! It was clearly a long-premeditated, meticulously planned private date!’

Maxine Rhodes understood immediately. Catching a glimpse of Benjamin Sterling’s face, twisted with jealousy and rage, she felt a surge of satisfaction. Her voice was even brighter as she said, "I appreciate you going to all this trouble, Mr. Hawthorne."

The smile in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes deepened. They walked out side-by-side, their posture intimate.

Benjamin Sterling’s eyes turned crimson as he watched, a rush of blood pounding in his head.

’Acting so intimate right in front of me! How dare that bitch Maxine?! And it’s still working hours!’

He wanted to rush forward and stop them, but his feet felt as if they were filled with lead, and his throat was choked with a suffocating rage.

Just as the two were about to disappear into the light and shadow outside the door, Ethan Hawthorne seemed to remember something and paused.

He turned his head slightly. "Director Rhodes, look at me. I was so worried about whether you were hungry that I almost forgot. Shouldn’t we say goodbye to President Sterling before we leave?"

With that, he finally turned to Benjamin Sterling, his tone dripping with provocation. "President Sterling, I’ll be borrowing your core asset for now. Our project is quite important, after all. I’m sure you understand."

Before Benjamin Sterling could even react, Ethan protectively guided her away, and they disappeared through the revolving door.

Benjamin Sterling’s vision suddenly went black. A wave of fury surged through him, and he staggered back a step. If Roy Miller hadn’t been there to firmly catch him, he would have collapsed on the spot.

The revolving door sealed shut. In the cool night breeze of the entryway, Ethan Hawthorne’s arm remained around Maxine Rhodes, not letting go until a sleek black sedan glided silently to a stop before them.

The car’s interior was filled with the crisp scent of pine as it started up smoothly.

Maxine Rhodes leaned back into the soft leather seat, feeling a wave of exhaustion, but it was overshadowed by a greater sense of vindicated satisfaction.

Ethan Hawthorne reached into the car’s mini-fridge, pulled out a bottle of mineral water he had already opened, and casually handed it to her.

"Not bad acting."

Maxine took the water, had a sip, and turned to look at him as the fleeting lights from outside streamed across his profile.

"That’s because I had a good director in Mr. Hawthorne," she replied, a rare note of teasing in her voice.

A corner of Ethan Hawthorne’s mouth twitched into a smile. "On a serious note, I really did have Erza Sinclair book a table at Cloudcrest Pavilion. I have a couple of friends who’ve been wanting to meet you, and they happen to be in the area today. Care to have dinner together?"

"Of course!" Maxine agreed without hesitation, her smile dazzlingly bright in the dim light of the car.

The car entered the underground garage, and an elevator took them directly to the top floor.

Just as they were about to enter, Ethan Hawthorne stopped Maxine. "There’s something I need to give you a heads-up about."

"Hm?" Maxine turned back to him.

"They... know we got our marriage certificate."

Maxine froze for a second.

Ethan quickly added, his words tumbling out a little faster than usual, "It was mainly Noah Sutton and his big mouth. But don’t worry, they’re my best friends. They definitely won’t go around spreading it."

’A man of his stature, actually giving me a heads-up because he’s worried I’ll be upset about meeting friends who are in on the secret.’

She suddenly let out a soft laugh. "Why are you so nervous?"

The fragmented light from the ceiling fixtures shimmered in her eyes, along with his clear reflection. "If they know, they know. It’s fine."

Seeing she wasn’t angry, Ethan Hawthorne breathed a sigh of relief, a smile rippling in his eyes. "But they’ve been clamoring for a while. If they get too loud, or if their gifts are too over-the-top and scare you, just let me know."

"There are gifts?" Maxine latched onto the other key word.

"Mhm," Ethan said resignedly. "Those two lunatics had no idea what you like, so they supposedly prepared a whole pile of things. Brace yourself."

Suddenly, Maxine felt an unprecedented curiosity about this get-together.

"Let’s go." She took his arm on her own accord. "Let me see just how warmly Mr. Hawthorne’s friends welcome me."

When they reached the floor, the elevator doors opened, and a wave of clamor instantly poured out from the private room.

"They’re here, they’re here! Attention, all departments! Lights! Music! Get the confetti cannons ready!"

To the rousing tune of the "Sportsmen’s March," two beams of light from flashlights suddenly landed on Maxine, accompanied by several simulated CLICKs of a camera shutter.

There stood Noah Sutton and Elias Grant. One, clad in a flashy floral shirt, held a camcorder with the lens cap still on. The other, dressed in a stern gray suit, held up a selfie stick with a phone aimed at Maxine, its screen displaying a scrolling banner: "Welcome! Welcome! A Warm Welcome!!!"

Noah pulled two party poppers from his pocket and aimed them at the ceiling. POP! POP! A shower of tiny, colorful, star-shaped sequins rained down, glittering in the light.

"A grand welcome to our sis-in-law!"

Noah’s voice was booming, his smile dazzlingly bright. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Elias held up the phone with the scrolling banner, looking like he had lost the will to live, yet still fulfilling his duty as a teleprompter with absolute precision.

"Hello, sis-in-law. Noah threatened me on pain of death, saying our first meeting had to have some pomp and circumstance. Please excuse the spectacle."

Maxine was struck speechless by this overly grand welcoming ceremony. She couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Ethan already had a hand on his forehead, a vein throbbing at his temple. With his other hand, he quickly pulled her back a bit to prevent more sequins from landing in her hair.

"No-ah! Sut-ton!"

Ethan Hawthorne practically squeezed the two words from between his teeth. If looks could kill, Noah Sutton would have been reduced to ashes.

"What do you think this dinner is? A variety show taping? And you, Elias, where’s your brain? Did he eat it?"

Elias turned off the phone screen with a deadpan expression, collapsed the selfie stick, and calmly pushed up his glasses. "He said if I didn’t cooperate, he’d send the photo of me wearing a dress at sixteen to our alumni group chat. After a rational cost-benefit analysis, I chose the option with the lesser degree of social suicide."

He paused, then looked at Maxine. "Sis-in-law, now you see the price Hawthorne the Bastard pays for his poor choice in friends. Also, for the record, my personal aesthetic is normal. Noah forced me to do all of this."

"Hey! Grant, you sold me out!" Noah yelped, but he immediately turned back to Maxine, his expression changing in a flash to a brilliant smile. "Sis-in-law! I finally get to see you in the flesh! Hawthorne the Bastard, this guy, he hid you away like you were some kind of treasure. You’re seriously a million times more beautiful in person than in your photos!"

Elias delivered a precision strike. "That photo was a candid shot, wasn’t it? As blurry as a CCTV screenshot. Hawthorne the Bastard, your secret photography skills are questionable. But sis-in-law is indeed very beautiful. You definitely married up."

Ethan put his arm around Maxine and led her to a seat, retorting coldly, "Elias, that limited-edition supercar you lost to me in a bet last month—when are you sending over the keys?"

Elias: "...Let’s eat."

Noah was already eagerly presenting his treasures. "Sis-in-law, sis-in-law! We didn’t know what you like, so we just bought a few things!"

*****