Chapter 9: Chapter 9: Good News: He’s Got Skills. Bad News...

### Chapter 9: The Good News: He’s Got Some Pull. The Bad News...

"Yes, yes! Benjamin Sterling of the Sterling Group!" Thinking his boss was interested, Chris perked up immediately, his words tumbling out before he could think. "Mr. Hawthorne, if you want to go, I can have my sister’s husband’s cousin’s uncle’s niece talk to President Sterling’s people. It’ll all be arranged perfectly! I guarantee it’ll be a prestigious affair for you!"

Erza Sinclair scoffed inwardly. ’What an idiot.’

A flicker of disgust, faint but sharp, crossed Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes, but his tone remained steady. "Reply to them. I’ll be there."

Hearing this, Chris’s face broke into a huge grin, as if he deserved all the credit. "That’s great! Don’t you worry, Mr. Hawthorne, I’ll make sure everything is handled flawlessly!"

Erza Sinclair couldn’t bear to watch the show-off any longer. Ethan Hawthorne closed his eyes again, indicating he was done talking.

’Benjamin Sterling. The ex who made my wife suffer for five years.’

’I hadn’t even had the chance to go after him, and now he’s serving himself up on a platter. How could I possibly refuse?’

The Sterling Group poured the last of its resources into hosting an incredibly lavish business banquet at Jaxen’s most exclusive hotel. Benjamin Sterling was going all in, betting everything on this one event.

He wore an exquisite white suit, his hair meticulously styled, with an equally dolled-up Rose Joyce by his side.

She had volunteered to be his date, vowing with absolute certainty, "Don’t worry, Benjamin. I’m much better with words and more perceptive than my sister. I’ll definitely help you impress Mr. Hawthorne!"

Benjamin Sterling moved among the guests, a smug look he couldn’t hide on his face, hinting to everyone he met that Mr. Hawthorne would be attending.

Rose Joyce clung tightly to his arm, basking in the crowd’s attention as if she were already the future mistress of the Sterling family.

The banquet was about to begin, but Ethan Hawthorne was nowhere to be seen.

Benjamin Sterling grew anxious, but Rose Joyce reassured him that Mr. Hawthorne would definitely come.

Just then, a small commotion stirred at the entrance of the banquet hall.

And into the shifting light, Maxine Rhodes gracefully entered.

She wore a strapless black velvet gown. The simple cut perfectly accentuated the exquisite curve of her waist and hips.

She wore no extravagant jewelry, only a pair of small diamond studs that caught the light with every turn, accentuating her long, swan-like neck.

Her makeup was subtle, her lips a natural shade of crimson, and her eyes shimmered with poise and confidence.

Benjamin Sterling was completely stunned. He had never seen this side of Maxine Rhodes.

In his memory, she always wore plain, even outdated clothes, her eyes holding a cautious desire to please and an unshakeable weariness.

But the woman before him now was beautiful with confidence, dazzlingly so, brazenly so... It made his heart skip a beat.

A mixture of awe, unfamiliarity, and a secret sense of pride washed over him.

’She must have shown up uninvited, probably went to great lengths to find out about the party just to get my attention.’

Benjamin subconsciously glanced at Rose Joyce beside him. Dressed in a carefully chosen pink lace gown, she was normally quite pretty and charming. But now, contrasted with Maxine’s radiance, she suddenly looked tacky and provincial.

Rose Joyce obviously felt the crushing comparison as well. The sweet smile she had so carefully maintained on her face instantly froze.

Her hand on Benjamin’s arm tightened unconsciously, her nails nearly digging into his flesh. The jealousy and resentment in her eyes were impossible to hide.

He whispered to Rose, "I’ll be right back," then picked up a glass of wine and walked over to Maxine Rhodes.

"Maxine Rhodes, what are you doing here? This event is very important to me. This isn’t a place for you to cause a scene."

He looked her up and down, his brow furrowed slightly. "And dressed like that... I get it, you’re trying to make amends, aren’t you? But I brought Rose with me today. You should go home."

Listening to his ridiculously self-important words, Maxine found the whole situation utterly absurd.

’Ethan Hawthorne had only said I was accompanying him to a banquet. I hadn’t expected it to be a trap.’

’Except tonight, the one getting hurt was probably going to be the host.’

Maxine Rhodes simply smiled, ignored him, and walked further into the venue. ’How could I possibly miss such a good show?’

Choking on his words at her complete dismissal, Benjamin was about to go after her when a much larger commotion erupted at the entrance, accompanied by stifled gasps.

Ethan Hawthorne had finally arrived.

Benjamin was ecstatic. Forgetting all about Maxine Rhodes, he plastered on his most enthusiastic smile and scurried forward like a sycophant.

Ethan Hawthorne was dressed in a black suit, his posture tall and straight, his expression cold and stern. The previously noisy hall fell silent as all eyes turned to watch the rarely seen magnate, everyone holding their breath.

Benjamin couldn’t hide his smugness. "Mr. Hawthorne, your presence truly honors us and brightens our humble gathering!"

The other guests at the banquet felt they were benefiting from Benjamin’s connection today. Ethan Hawthorne was a titan who wouldn’t necessarily give face even to their fathers, yet he had actually condescended to attend such an event!

It seemed Benjamin Sterling did have some pull after all.

Seeing her chance, Rose Joyce swayed her hips and moved forward, cooing, "Hello, Mr. Hawthorne." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As she spoke, she tried to move in closer.

Without a change in expression, Ethan Hawthorne took half a step back, creating distance between them. His tone was remote. "My wife keeps a tight rein on me. She gets jealous and doesn’t like me getting too close to other women."

Maxine Rhodes, who was sipping champagne in a corner waiting for the show to start: "?"

As he spoke, Ethan casually raised his left hand. In the light, his wedding ring—simple in design but exuding an imposing aura—flashed with a cold gleam.

The entire hall fell dead silent.

The color drained from Benjamin’s face and then returned. He forced a smile to smooth things over. "So, Mr. Hawthorne is already married! Congratulations! I wonder which family’s debutante is so fortunate as to have caught your eye?"

Ethan Hawthorne finally looked at him properly, the corner of his mouth twisting into an icy smirk. "Fortunate? Yes. It’s only because some blind fool mistook a pearl for a fish eye that I was able to pick up such a treasure."

"Pfft—"

Standing to the side, Erza Sinclair couldn’t hold back a snort of laughter.

Benjamin’s face instantly turned the color of a beet, while Rose Joyce bit her lip hard, not daring to say a word.

Ethan Hawthorne gazed at the ring on his finger, his voice laced with undisguised affection. "My wife picked out the ring. She said simple is better. What do you think?"

As he spoke, he deliberately moved his hand closer to Benjamin.

"It’s beautiful, beautiful! Your wife has such unique and elegant taste!" Benjamin flattered him hastily, cold sweat already beading on his forehead.

Satisfied, Ethan Hawthorne drew his hand back, his gaze slowly, deliberately sweeping over Benjamin’s sweat-drenched face.

"President Sterling," he said, his tone flat but carrying an invisible weight, "I hear your company has been running into some... trouble recently?"

Benjamin had been looking for a chance to complain. He immediately seized the opening, his face a mask of indignation. "You’re well-informed, Mr. Hawthorne! It’s true! The Sterling’s Caelus project, which was a sure thing for us, was snatched away by some treacherous villain! The methods they used were despicable, completely devoid of business ethics!"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became, completely failing to notice the cold glint that flashed in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes.

"Oh?" Ethan’s voice lilted upwards, as if he were genuinely interested. "A treacherous villain? A project snatched away? Is it that serious?"

Having found a sympathetic ear, Benjamin let his words flow without restraint. "Yes! Do you know how much heart and soul I poured into this project? How much energy? It’s despicable! Shameless! Unethical!"

Ethan Hawthorne toyed with the wine glass in his hand. "So, President Sterling... where do you think the problem lies?"