Chapter 99: Chapter 99: I’m Not a Stone, I Can Move

### Chapter 99: I’m Not a Stone, I Move

Maxine Rhodes stirred the coffee in her cup. "He’s good to me. So good I can’t find a single fault. But that kind of goodness... sometimes it feels unreal."

"You know why we got married. Sometimes I feel like we’re so close, and other times, it feels like there’s a wall between us. He helps me, supports me, even... But there are some things he’s never explicitly said, so I’m just not sure."

"Oh, come on. We’re talking about men, especially one on Ethan Hawthorne’s level. Of course he’s going to be hard to read."

Susie Summers patted her hand. "But actions don’t lie. If you ask me, you should just enjoy the moment! Sleep with him, use him, flirt with him! You’re a legally married couple, so you might as well get the benefits! Once he can’t hold it in anymore, he’ll spill all those little secrets he’s hiding!"

Maxine Rhodes didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at her words. "What kind of twisted logic is that!"

"It’s the gospel truth!" Susie Summers puffed out her chest, then added with a sly grin, "And you say you don’t have feelings for him? I saw that lovesick look on your face just now."

Maxine Rhodes fell silent for a moment, her gaze drifting to the bustling crowd outside the window. Her voice was soft, but clear. "He does make me feel at ease. When I’m with him, I don’t have to be on edge all the time. I can be tired, I can be vulnerable. And... I admire him. I might even be... a little dependent on him."

"That’s called liking someone, you silly girl!" Susie Summers slammed her hand on the table. "If you like him, go for it!"

Maxine Rhodes was quiet for a moment, her voice dropping low. "Susie, it’s not that I don’t want to. But... I’m a little scared."

"Scared? Of Ethan Hawthorne?" Susie Summers asked, confused.

"Not of him." Maxine Rhodes looked up, a clear struggle reflected in her eyes. "I’m scared of myself. Scared I’ll get too used to this feeling of having someone to catch me, someone I can rely on."

She paused, as if she had touched a deeply hidden wound, and her words slowed. "You know, I was taught from a young age that my value was in being used to trade for things. The moment I showed I needed or relied on someone, I would be exploited, measured, and then thrown away."

She looked out the window, her profile looking lonely in the evening light. "What Ethan Hawthorne gives me is a sense of security I’ve never had before. It’s so precious that it feels unreal. On one hand, I can’t help but want to get closer to that warmth. But on the other, there’s a voice in my head constantly warning me, ’Maxine, don’t lose your head. No one is kind for no reason in this world. The deeper you let yourself depend on him now, the harder you might fall later.’"

The playful look on Susie Summers’s face vanished completely. She sat up straight and gripped Maxine Rhodes’s hand. "Honey, listen to me. That warning voice is your past trauma talking, not the present reality. Ethan Hawthorne isn’t your parents, and he’s definitely not Benjamin Sterling. You can’t get burned once and decide every warm light is a raging fire."

"But..." Maxine Rhodes’s throat tightened. "Human nature is so unpredictable."

"Then you have to make yourself so strong that you’re irreplaceable!"

Susie Summers’s tone was decisive. "And isn’t that exactly what you’re doing right now? Stellar Tech is yours, and no one can take that away. Even if—taking a million steps back—Ethan Hawthorne changes in the future, you have the confidence and the capital to walk away at any time. You’re not that little girl from years ago who had to depend on others to survive."

She looked into Maxine Rhodes’s eyes and said, word by word, "There’s no shame in depending on someone. There’s no shame in craving warmth. The fact that you’re doubting and fearing yourself right now just proves you’re more clear-headed than anyone. You will absolutely not repeat the mistakes of the past."

Maxine Rhodes took a deep breath, as if to exhale all the heavy worries weighing on her chest.

Susie’s words were like a key, unlocking a tightly sealed corner of her heart.

"I understand," she said. When she spoke again, her voice had returned to its usual clear, steady tone.

"That’s more like it!" Susie Summers raised her cup. "Come on, a toast! To our Ms. Rhodes’s bright future, and to the perfect love that she’ll have sooner or later! Cheers! By the way, have you finished reading my proposal for the new branch? I’m just waiting for your signature and the cash!"

"..."

Maxine Rhodes couldn’t help but laugh, but she still clinked her cup against Susie’s in compliance.

After their chat, Maxine Rhodes and Susie Summers pushed open the door of the coffee shop and stepped out. The rich aroma of coffee still lingered in the air.

As the two of them stood talking at the entrance, Susie, with her sharp eyes, glanced toward the roadside. She suddenly let out a snort of laughter, nudged Maxine Rhodes lightly with her elbow, and jutted her chin in that direction.

Maxine Rhodes followed her gaze.

A sleek black sedan was parked quietly under a parasol tree, its windows reflecting the golden afterglow of the sunset.

Beside the car, Ethan Hawthorne was leaning against the driver’s side door. One hand was tucked into his pants pocket, while the other held his phone, his expression focused and serene as he seemed to be looking at something.

The twilight outlined his tall, straight figure and the perfect line of his profile. Just standing there, he was a striking picture in and of himself.

Passersby would occasionally cast glances his way, but he remained completely oblivious.

"Ooh-la-la~" Susie Summers drew out the sound, her face a mask of undisguised teasing and envy. "Your Mr. Hawthorne is really nailing this ’Waiting Widow’s Stone’ look, isn’t he? Tsk tsk, that body, that aura, that patience... Not bad at all."

The moment Maxine Rhodes saw him, her heart skipped a beat.

Hearing Susie’s teasing, she felt a blush creep up her ears, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.

"Alright, alright," Susie Summers said, taking the hint. She patted Maxine’s shoulder and leaned in close to her ear. "This lonely soul won’t stick around and be a third wheel. I’ll leave you two lovebirds to your after-work reunion. Go on, don’t keep him waiting."

She winked at Maxine Rhodes, gave a wave in Ethan Hawthorne’s direction, then spun around with a flourish. Humming a tune, she disappeared into the bustling evening crowd.

Maxine Rhodes chuckled softly and started walking toward the man leaning against the car.

Her footsteps seemed to have alerted him. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Ethan Hawthorne looked up, his gaze instantly finding her. He locked his phone, slipped it into his pocket, and the serene look in his eyes was instantly lit up by a distinct warmth.

He straightened up and opened the passenger-side door for her.

"All done?" he asked, his voice as deep and steady as ever, as if it were the most ordinary of greetings.

"Mhm." Maxine Rhodes walked up to him but stopped, not getting into the car right away.

The evening breeze swept past, carrying his crisp, pleasant scent. She looked up at him. "Have you been waiting long?"

"No," Ethan Hawthorne answered curtly. He angled his body slightly, gesturing for her to get in. "Get in the car. I can’t park here for long."

Maxine Rhodes slid into the car, the familiar environment and scent making her relax completely. Ethan Hawthorne closed her door and walked around to the driver’s seat.

The car pulled smoothly into the evening traffic.

Maxine Rhodes watched the streetscape rushing by outside her window and suddenly spoke up, "Susie said you were The Waiting Widow’s Stone."

Ethan Hawthorne, who was waiting at a red light, turned his head to look at her. She had a rare, mischievous smile on her face, like that of a young girl.

The corners of Ethan Hawthorne’s lips curved up slightly. He turned to face forward again. The light turned green, and he pulled away smoothly. His tone was casual, yet held an unmistakable seriousness. "She has good taste."

Maxine Rhodes: "..."

Seeing her eyes widen slightly, the smile in Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes deepened. He added, "But you can drop the ’Stone’ part. I’m not a stone."

He paused, and as he turned at the next intersection, he shot a quick glance at her. His voice dropped lower, taking on a magnetic quality. "I move."

*****