### Chapter 98: Only for You

Maxine Rhodes nearly choked on her porridge and shot him a playful glare. "Ethan Hawthorne! This is an office!"

"So what if it’s an office?"

Ethan Hawthorne leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. His gaze was unabashedly predatory, sliding from her flushed cheeks to her slightly parted lips, then settling on her chest as it rose and fell with her quickened breaths.

"A legally married couple, in my own wife’s office..." He paused, a wicked smirk playing on his lips. "Getting a little... intimate. Is there a problem with that?"

"You..." Maxine was rendered speechless by his twisted logic. She could only lower her head and furiously slurp her porridge, trying to use the food to block the R-rated scenes popping into her head.

’This damn man! By day, he’s the noble, abstinent Mr. Hawthorne, so how does he have so much energy at night?’

’I’m already this tired from working overtime, and he still has the energy to think about... *that*!’

Seeing her bury her head like an ostrich, the amusement in Ethan’s eyes deepened.

He stopped teasing her and reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Eat slowly. No one’s going to steal it from you."

Maxine mumbled a vague "mhm."

After finishing dinner, she went back to her computer.

When she finally finished adjusting the budget framework, saved the document, and let out a long sigh of relief, she saw that Ethan had moved to the small sofa in her office at some point. He was on his tablet, dealing with his own emails.

His profile was serene, and the way he focused on his work held a fatal attraction.

As if sensing her gaze, he looked up at her. "All done?"

"Mhm, just about." Maxine stretched her stiff neck.

Ethan put down his tablet, stood up, and walked over to her. He naturally reached out and started massaging the back of her tense neck with just the right amount of pressure.

"Right here?"

"Mmm..." Maxine couldn’t help but let out a contented sigh. Like a cat being petted, she squinted her eyes in pleasure.

His technique was surprisingly professional, perfectly alleviating the soreness in her muscles.

"I’ll have Erza Sinclair schedule a physical therapist for you tomorrow, for regular house calls," Ethan said as he continued to massage her neck, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Your health is your greatest asset, Ms. Rhodes."

Maxine didn’t refuse. She just hummed in agreement, enjoying this rare service from him.

Maxine closed her eyes, almost drifting off to sleep.

Half-asleep, she heard him whisper in her ear, "And another thing. If you work this late again, I’m coming up here to drag you away myself."

She protested sleepily, "You’re so bossy, Mr. Hawthorne."

He chuckled. "Only for you."

-

News of Stellar Tech’s official launch soon reached Benjamin Sterling’s ears.

He grew more and more resentful. ’How dare she live so well after leaving me! While I’m the one left to suffer through all of this?’ He also refused to believe that Maxine could truly be so heartless as to ignore him completely.

The next day, Benjamin Sterling put on a sharp suit, styled his hair meticulously, and went to the office building where Stellar Tech was located.

The reception area was bright, modern, and had a high-tech feel, a stark contrast to the slightly dated, corporate decor of The Sterlings’ offices.

A young receptionist in a smart uniform greeted him with a professional smile. "Hello, sir. Do you have an appointment?"

Benjamin Sterling cleared his throat, trying to summon his old air of importance. "Go announce that Benjamin Sterling is here."

He calculated inwardly. ’When Maxine hears my name, even if she doesn’t come out to greet me herself, she’ll at least have the receptionist politely invite me in. Or maybe she’ll even call down personally.’

’After all, they had been together for five years. Now that he had deigned to visit her in person, she owed him some kind of reaction.’

The receptionist maintained her professional smile, quickly checking something on her computer before speaking politely but clearly. "I’m sorry, Mr. Sterling, but Ms. Rhodes has a very full schedule today, and I don’t see an appointment for you. If it’s an urgent matter, you can leave your contact information and I’ll pass it along to Ms. Rhodes’s assistant."

"Just tell her it’s Benjamin Sterling!" he said forcefully, growing impatient. "She knows who I am! There’s no way she won’t see me!"

"Of course, Mr. Sterling. Please wait one moment."

The receptionist, still smiling, picked up the internal phone and spoke a few words in a low voice.

Benjamin clasped his hands behind his back, pretending to survey the surroundings, but he felt a little smug.

’See? They’re announcing me after all.’ He waited, expecting Maxine to either pick up the phone herself or send her assistant down to get him.

However, the receptionist quickly hung up the phone, her smile never wavering. "Mr. Sterling, I’m very sorry, but Ms. Rhodes is in an important international video conference and cannot be interrupted."

Benjamin’s face fell instantly. ’Has Maxine gotten so full of herself? She won’t even see me?’

He suppressed his anger and was about to say more when he saw several Stellar Tech employees walk past the reception desk, laughing and chatting. They were discussing some cutting-edge technical parameters, their faces bright with enthusiasm.

Their vibrant energy and confidence formed a glaring contrast to the lifeless, anxious atmosphere that had pervaded The Sterlings in its final days, where everyone was just trying to save their own skin.

’And this brand-new decor... everything about it screams "money is no object" and high-end taste...’

’How could a brand-new company afford all this?’

A thought slithered into his mind like a venomous snake and quickly took root.

’She must have a sugar daddy! Maxine must have latched onto some other man! Otherwise, she would never be this cold to me!’

’But...’ another voice in his head argued, ’she’s too naive. How could she possibly navigate such a complex business world?’

The two thoughts clashed violently, finally merging into a single conclusion: she must have been tricked or used!

At this thought, he felt a surge of jealousy-laced concern and a bizarre sense of responsibility. ’I can’t just stand by and watch her be led astray and used by someone!’

-

That evening, Susie Summers marched right up to the Stellar Tech building and called Maxine. "CEO Rhodes! I know you’re busy running an empire, but you have to make some time for your bestie, right? We haven’t seen each other in almost half a month! I’m in the coffee shop downstairs! Get down here now!!"

Maxine glanced at the piles of documents and unread emails on her desk and gave a wry smile. She stood up, gave her assistant a few instructions, and headed downstairs.

Susie had already claimed the most comfortable seat by the window. On the table in front of her sat several exquisitely crafted desserts that looked like total calorie bombs.

"Well, well, look who it is! Our esteemed Ms. Rhodes has finally deigned to grace us common folk with her presence!"

The moment Susie saw her, she threw her arms open dramatically. "Let me give you a hug! I need some of our lady boss’s good fortune to rub off on me!"

Maxine laughed as Susie hugged her, and the two sat down, still joking around.

Susie leaned in close, getting straight to the point. "You look so tired lately, but you seem to have filled out a bit. Looks like your Mr. Hawthorne is taking very good care of you~"

Maxine froze for a moment, then feigned composure as she took a bite of cake. "It’s... it’s fine."

Susie pursed her lips. "Oh, I’ve heard things. I heard Mr. Hawthorne is now an ’unofficial consultant’ for Stellar Tech, that he’s over at your office all the time, and even makes ’late-night deliveries’!"

Maxine was noncommittal. "You’re certainly well-informed!"

"Don’t change the subject!" Susie waggled her eyebrows at her. "So you really don’t feel anything for him at all?"

*****