Free Web NovelChapter 12: Chapter 12: Why So Much Killing Intent in the Middle of the Night?
### Chapter 12: So Much Killing Intent in the Middle of the Night?
"AH!!!"
Maxine Rhodes instantly reacted with a small gasp, immediately clamping her hands over her chest. Her entire face, right down to her earlobes, turned as red as a ripe cherry.
Watching her, so embarrassed she looked as if she had nowhere to hide, the faintest hint of a smile touched Ethan Hawthorne’s eyes.
In truth, he had seen everything, both what he should and shouldn’t have. But to spare her delicate pride, he gentlemanly averted his gaze and gently reassured her, "Don’t panic. I didn’t see anything."
He deftly changed the subject, gesturing toward the dining table. "I bought you some cake—strawberry and chocolate. It’s on the table. Go ahead and eat. I’m going to go take a shower."
His thoughtfulness eased Maxine’s embarrassment considerably.
She mumbled softly, "Thank you."
"However," Ethan Hawthorne said as he walked toward the bathroom. As he passed her, he paused, leaned in close to her ear, and whispered in a low voice only they could hear, tinged with a hint of teasing, "at home, you don’t have to be so formal, wifey~"
His warm breath tickled her ear. This was the second time he had called her that!
Maxine Rhodes felt her entire ear burn. frёewebηovel.cѳm
Only after the bathroom door closed did she slowly lower her hands from her chest. Her fingertips gently brushed against her hot earlobe, her heart pounding ridiculously fast.
Outside, Maxine Rhodes sat cross-legged on the soft carpet, eating her cake. Listening to the sound of the running shower, her gaze drifted unconsciously toward the frosted glass door.
Through the hazy steam, the faint outline of a tall, well-built figure was visible. Droplets of water trickled down his broad shoulders and the firm lines of his back... Her cheeks started to burn again.
’He must have a great body...’
The thought popped into her head uncontrollably, followed by an even bolder fantasy. ’Then... what about in *that* department?’
She was startled by her own risqué thought, quickly shaking her head and pressing her hands against her hot cheeks.
’Maxine Rhodes! What is all this nonsense you’re thinking?!’
’But... the man is handsome, rich, incredibly considerate, and on top of it all, he’s my legal husband...’
’When he leaned in close just now, his lips looked so well-defined. They looked... very kissable.’
’After all, her so-called relationship with Benjamin Sterling had never gone beyond holding hands and hugging. Now, looking back, the mere thought of it felt tainted.’
Meanwhile, in the bathroom.
The warm water washed over his body, but it did little to quell the heat flaring up inside Ethan Hawthorne.
He closed his eyes, his mind replaying the accidental glimpse of her pale, beautiful skin and the faint, fresh scent that clung to her after her shower.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. He took a deep breath and turned the water temperature down.
The cool stream of water hit his skin, a futile attempt to douse the fire she had ignited in him.
But the tempting image was seared into his mind, impossible to erase. He had no choice but to turn the water colder still, to a near-icy temperature, before he could finally suppress the stirring in his body.
He wiped the water from his face with a sense of resignation, realizing that his much-vaunted self-control was proving utterly fragile in her presence.
When Ethan Hawthorne finally emerged from the bathroom after an unusually long cold shower, shrouded in cool mist, only a single, warm-yellow wall lamp remained on in the living room.
He saw Maxine Rhodes had already fallen asleep on the sofa, her small, curled-up figure looking exceptionally soft in the dim light.
She was hugging a throw pillow, her long lashes casting soft shadows beneath her eyes. Clearly, she had fallen asleep waiting for him.
On the dining table, half of the strawberry cake had been neatly eaten. Next to the remaining half was a sticky note with her elegant handwriting: "I saved half for you. It’s delicious! (▽)"
Looking at the note and the cake she had saved for him, Ethan Hawthorne felt a gentle tug at the softest corner of his heart.
He leaned down and carefully scooped her up, pillow and all. She seemed to sense the movement, unconsciously nuzzling into his embrace to find a more comfortable position before falling back into a deep sleep.
Ethan Hawthorne gently placed her on the large bed in the master bedroom and tucked her in, his movements soft for fear of waking her. Then, he sat on the edge of the bed, gazing at her peaceful, sleeping face. He couldn’t help but lean in, wanting to press a goodnight kiss to her smooth forehead.
But just as his lips were a mere half-inch from her forehead, he forced himself to stop. ’What am I doing, taking advantage of her while she’s helpless? I’ve waited ten years, I can wait a little longer.’
However, an unwelcome thought suddenly shot through his mind. ’Has Benjamin Sterling ever held her like this before? Has he ever leaned in this close while she was asleep?’
The thought was like a sharp thorn that instantly pierced his heart, bringing with it a strange and intense pang of bitterness and rage.
He shot upright, his jaw tightening unconsciously.
He tucked in the corner of her blanket, gently closed the bedroom door, and walked over to the living room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
The city lights were sparse in the dead of night, yet he felt the nameless fire in his heart burn ever hotter.
Finally, he picked up his phone and dialed Erza Sinclair’s number.
The phone rang several times before it was picked up. Erza Sinclair’s voice came from the other end, thick with sleep yet forcing itself to sound alert. "Mr. Hawthorne?"
In the dead of night, Ethan Hawthorne’s voice was utterly devoid of warmth. "Compile a file on Benjamin Sterling’s ’glorious deeds’ from yesterday. First thing tomorrow morning, make sure it gets precisely delivered to all the gossip accounts."
Erza Sinclair was silent for two seconds on the other end, clearly stunned by this sudden kill order in the middle of the night. But his professionalism kicked in immediately. "Understood, Mr. Hawthorne. I’ll arrange it at once."
After hanging up, Erza Sinclair was wide awake. Staring at his phone, he couldn’t help but mutter, "How did that good-for-nothing rich boy manage to piss off Mr. Hawthorne this time? So much killing intent in the middle of the night..."
Benjamin Sterling hadn’t slept a wink all night.
He had spent nearly all of his remaining capital on that banquet—custom-tailored suits, booking the entire top floor of the hotel—all in the hopes of latching onto a powerhouse like the Hawthorne Group. Who could have known it would turn into a farce where he only ended up digging his own grave?
"Benjamin..."
Rose Joyce walked in with a cup of coffee, her eyes swollen like walnuts. "It’s all my fault I ruined everything. I had no idea Mr. Hawthorne would..."
Seeing her tear-streaked face, Benjamin Sterling swallowed the rebuke on the tip of his tongue. He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Forget it. It’s not your fault. When it comes down to it, this is all Maxine Rhodes’ fault!"
He had wanted to find her after the banquet, but she was nowhere to be seen. Still, he’d heard that she hadn’t left in Ethan Hawthorne’s car.
The thought made Benjamin Sterling relax a little. Who was Ethan Hawthorne? A man of his stature wouldn’t be interested in her. The idea of that woman successfully latching onto such a powerhouse was laughable!
Just then, his phone buzzed. A text message from his CFO felt like a death warrant:
[President Sterling, three banks have called in their loans this morning.]
[Suppliers are demanding cash on delivery, or they will halt all raw material shipments.]
"President Sterling..." his assistant, Roy Miller, began, "The shareholders are saying that perhaps... perhaps if we invited Miss Rhodes back, it could alleviate the current..."
"Shut up!" Benjamin Sterling roared, kicking over a footstool.
Roy Miller took an expectant half-step back, his expression completely unfazed.
But once Benjamin Sterling calmed down, he had to admit that Maxine Rhodes was indeed his only hope.
His company had faced similar crises before, but she had always managed to turn the tide. He believed this time would be no different. She loved him so much; surely she wouldn’t be willing to see his company collapse.
Benjamin Sterling spent a full two hours psyching himself up before he finally convinced himself to swallow his pride.
The first time he called Maxine Rhodes’s number, he was met with a cold, automated message.
The second time, and the third... all the same.
That’s right. She had blocked him. On WeChat, too.
