Free Web NovelChapter 91: Chapter 91: Unexpectedly, It Came So Soon
### Chapter 91: Well, That Was Fast
By the time Maxine Rhodes finally finished getting ready and emerged from the bedroom, dressed in a suit that would best conceal certain marks, Ethan Hawthorne was already impeccably dressed and sitting at the dining table, looking at a tablet.
A cup of black coffee sat beside him, while a steaming glass of milk was clearly prepared for her, alongside fried eggs and sandwiches.
He looked up at her, his gaze sweeping over her slightly pale face and the faint shadows under her eyes. A flicker of concern flashed in his own.
"You’re awake? Have something to eat."
He rose and pulled out a chair for her.
Maxine Rhodes sat down and took a sip of milk. She didn’t even have the energy to glare at him, just complaining in a low voice, "How am I supposed to go to the office like this..."
"Take the day off?" Ethan Hawthorne suggested, sitting down across from her. His tone was neutral, but his eyes held a hint of amusement. "Or, I could drive you. You can sleep a little more in the car."
"No, that’s okay." Maxine Rhodes refused immediately. "I can manage!"
Ethan Hawthorne didn’t press the issue, simply placing a peeled egg on her plate.
"If you get tired, call me or Erza Sinclair." He paused, then added, "I’ll pick you up tonight."
Maxine Rhodes mumbled a vague "mhm."
「Sterling Tower」
Maxine Rhodes walked into her office and, as soon as she sat down, couldn’t resist discreetly rubbing the small of her back.
"Morning, Maxine!" Coco chirped, bouncing in like a lark. But she immediately sensed something was off and leaned in for a closer look. "Whoa, your dark circles are pretty bad! Did you work overtime this weekend? Or..."
She winked, a knowing, suggestive smile spreading across her face. fгeewebnovёl.com
Maxine Rhodes cleared her throat and put on a stern expression. "Less gossiping, more working. Where’s the data I asked you to sort out?"
"Alright, alright! Sending it to you right now!"
Coco stuck her tongue out and scurried back to her desk.
Bubbles then sashayed in, her gaze lingering for a fraction of a second on a faint reddish mark on Maxine Rhodes’s neck that the foundation couldn’t quite conceal, before she nonchalantly put down her bag.
She turned on her computer and began humming "Sweet Honey"~ fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Maxine Rhodes: "..."
’These two are way too sharp!’
The morning passed in a flurry of work. During the lunch break, Maxine Rhodes had planned to take a short nap, but her desk phone rang.
It was Roy Miller from the President’s Office. His voice was polite as always, but it held an unusual note of gravity. "Director Rhodes, President Sterling would like you to come to his office right now. There’s an urgent matter to discuss."
Maxine Rhodes frowned slightly. She hung up the phone and shot Coco and Bubbles a meaningful look.
The two of them understood immediately.
Maxine Rhodes straightened her collar and walked toward the president’s office.
The moment she pushed the door open, she could feel that the atmosphere was different from usual.
Benjamin Sterling sat behind his desk, his face dark, his fingers drumming impatiently on the tabletop.
Meanwhile, Lydia Thorne, standing by his desk, had shed the defeated look she’d worn for the past few days. Her chin was slightly raised, and when she saw Maxine Rhodes walk in, the corners of her mouth curled into a smirk she couldn’t suppress.
Rose Joyce stood demurely by Benjamin Sterling’s side, her eyes slightly lowered, ready to watch the coming drama unfold.
"Director Rhodes, perfect timing."
Benjamin Sterling spoke, his voice tight with suppressed anger, flinging a document onto the edge of the desk with a SLAP. "Take a look for yourself!"
Maxine Rhodes walked over with steady steps and picked up the document.
It was a copy of an informal inquiry letter from an industry regulatory agency.
The letter furiously accused Ms. Maxine Rhodes and her team of blatantly plagiarizing core intellectual property from OmniTech Group, using it in their Celestia proposal to fraudulently secure a partnership with the Hawthorne Group.
The report highlighted in glaring red the similarities between Maxine’s proposal and the earlier document.
Maxine Rhodes put the document down, her voice clear and calm. "That’s impossible. Our core algorithm and test data were developed independently. We have complete development logs and proof of originality."
"How is it impossible?"
Lydia Thorne finally saw her opening. She stepped forward, pointing at the document. "You make it sound so simple, Director Rhodes! The regulatory agency isn’t blind! The side-by-side analysis is right here in black and white! The degree of similarity is ridiculous!"
She paused, her tone growing even more triumphant. "Hah, I never thought you were this kind of person! Willing to plagiarize just to get ahead! Now they’ve come knocking, and the evidence is irrefutable! The Hawthorne Group is furious! They value originality and integrity above all else. You’re going to drag our entire company’s reputation down with you!"
Rose Joyce also tugged on Benjamin Sterling’s sleeve, her face full of concern. "Benjamin, do you really think she would do something like this?"
What Benjamin Sterling feared most right now was that if Maxine Rhodes truly had secured the partnership through plagiarism, the Hawthorne Group’s fury would be directed squarely at the Sterlings. Not only would all his efforts have been for nothing, but he could also face a devastating fallout!
"Maxine Rhodes! What do you have to say for yourself?!"
"It’s in black and white! The evidence is ironclad! How are you going to explain this?!"
He was practically pointing at her nose, every word laced with the fury of betrayal and a pathetic eagerness to wash his hands of the situation.
"I trusted you! I gave you such an important project! Is this how you repay me? Do you have any idea what a huge mess you’ve made?! You’re dragging the entire company through the mud!"
Maxine Rhodes understood instantly. This was a setup, and she was the target.
’Well, that was fast.’
She quickly composed herself. Anger and excuses were the useless weapons of the weak. A true hunter knew how to turn the enemy’s blade against them.
Instead of answering directly, she lowered her gaze, her voice softer than usual. "This accusation is aggressive. I imagine the Hawthorne Group has already gotten wind of it."
"At this point, any explanation will sound feeble. The priority is to prevent this from escalating and dragging the company down."
Lydia Thorne, thinking Maxine Rhodes had taken the bait, immediately chimed in, her voice shrill. "Hah! For once, Director Rhodes is making sense! This is a scandal of your own making, and the most important thing now is to cut yourself off from the company!"
"President Sterling, you must issue a statement immediately, clarifying that this was Maxine Rhodes’s personal action and has nothing to do with the company! Otherwise, when the Hawthorne Group’s wrath descends, none of us will escape unscathed!"
Rose Joyce quickly grabbed Benjamin Sterling’s arm, each word a carefully aimed jab. "Benjamin, Lydia’s right. You can’t hesitate. She’s made a terrible mistake this time. For the company, for all of our employees, you need to make a clean break! Are you really going to gamble the entire company’s future on one person?"
Benjamin Sterling looked at Maxine Rhodes, who seemed to be silently admitting her guilt. ’If the accusation were false,’ he thought, ’she would have already tried to defend herself. It seems even she recognizes how serious this is and feels powerless to argue.’
’The priority now is to make absolutely sure she doesn’t drag down the company! Or me!’
"Maxine Rhodes, you’ve heard them," he said. "It’s not that I’m being heartless, but your mistake this time is just too outrageous!"
Benjamin Sterling sighed heavily. "For the sake of the company’s survival, and to be accountable to the board and our employees, you’re suspended for the time being. Cooperate with the investigation and admit your mistake!"
Lydia Thorne almost laughed out loud but managed to suppress it, forcing her expression into one of solemnity. "Don’t worry, President Sterling. Even without Director Rhodes, you still have me. I will do everything in my power to salvage this situation!"
*****
