### Chapter 64: The Starry Night Charity Gala
Halfway through dinner, Ethan Hawthorne suddenly announced, "There’s a Starry Night Charity Gala next week. I need to make an appearance."
Maxine Rhodes put down her chopsticks, a cunning glint in her eyes. "What a coincidence. President Sterling invited today as well. Said he wanted to show the world."
The air froze for a mont.
Ethan Hawthorne’s fingers tightened slightly around his glass of water. His eyes darkened for a mont before he let out a low, aningful chuckle. "Show you the world?"
The sarcasm in his voice was perfectly asured. "He certainly knows how to flatter himself."
He deliberately lifted his glass, his gaze sweeping over Maxine Rhodes’s face. "But that’s fine. Let him see with his own eyes what the ’real world’ looks like."
Amused by his comnt, Maxine Rhodes’s lips curved into a slight smile. She raised her own glass. "I’ll be waiting to see."
The two glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.
Two days later, the Starry Night Charity Gala was held as scheduled at The Parma Ballroom, Kingsland’s most prestigious venue. This was far more than an ordinary charity event; it was the year’s most exclusive social gathering, a silent testant to one’s status.
The guest list included not only business magnates and titans of capital, but also leading artists, academic authorities, and representatives of old-money families.
At seven in the evening sharp, the ballroom was abuzz with activity. The air was a mixture of llow, aged champagne and the hazy aroma of top-shelf Havana cigars. Guests mingled, glasses in hand, conversing in low tones.
Benjamin Sterling was in high spirits, dressed in an impeccably tailored designer suit. The mont he saw Maxine Rhodes step into the light, his gaze was fixed on her.
Maxine Rhodes made her entrance in a deep sea-blue gown—a dress Ethan Hawthorne had prepared for her.
The lustrous silk fabric outlined her perfect curves. A deep V-neckline showcased her elegant shoulders, neck, and delicate collarbones, while the back featured a daring cutout design, her fair skin a stark contrast to the gown’s profound blue.
Her makeup was understated. She didn’t need to put on a show; simply by standing there, she exuded a quiet confidence, an assurance that she herself was the main attraction.
Watching the looks of awe all around them, Benjamin Sterling felt a powerful sense of satisfaction well up inside him.
’Hah. Won,’ he thought.
’All I did was bring her to one high-class event, and she goes to all this trouble to dress up, so ostentatiously, too. This expensive outfit must have cost her a good chunk of her savings, right?’
He deliberately straightened his back, basking not only in the crowd’s attention but also in the feeling of being so ticulously catered to.
It even made him feel that Maxine Rhodes’s stunning appearance at this mont was just another testant to his, Benjamin Sterling’s, own status and charm. It was as if she could only shine so brightly under his guidance.
Benjamin Sterling turned slightly to her and said, "Relax, just stick with . Many people could go their whole lives and never get a chance to set foot in a place like this."
Maxine Rhodes turned to look at him, her red lips curling into a smirk as a hint of ridicule flashed in her eyes. "You worry too much, President Sterling. As I see it, everyone here seems quite at ease. Oh, except for you."
Benjamin Sterling, who had just been standing so tall, instantly stiffened.
Not far away, Rose Joyce, dressed in a cute and coquettish outfit, clung tightly to Lydia Thorne’s side.
Lydia Thorne wore a gown with sharp, clean lines that gave off a distinctly elite vibe, ready to make her mark tonight. Rose Joyce’s eyes imdiately locked onto Benjamin Sterling in the crowd, and the radiant Maxine Rhodes beside him. Seeing the spot that should have been hers now occupied, she was instantly overco with jealousy.
’That vixen, Maxine Rhodes!’
Suppressing her anger, she feigned concern and tugged on Lydia Thorne’s sleeve. "Lydia, look at Maxine’s dress. It looks so plain, don’t you think? Will people think our company is being cheap?"
Lydia Thorne let out a contemptuous snort. "A pathetic imitation, that’s all. In a mont, I’ll show you what real class and influence look like."
Just then, a stir went through the entrance of the ballroom.
The ornate, double wooden doors were respectfully pulled open by attendants, and Ethan Hawthorne strode in. His powerful yet restrained presence instantly altered the atmosphere of the entire hall, as if all the light in the room was unconsciously drawn to him.
His gaze was as calm as still water as it cut through the bustling crowd, landing precisely on Maxine Rhodes.
He began walking in her direction, his thin lips moving slightly.
Maxine Rhodes clearly read his lips: "You look beautiful today."
A subtle warmth crept up to the tips of her ears.
Next to her, however, Benjamin Sterling mistakenly believed Ethan Hawthorne was walking toward him. Overjoyed, he quickly straightened his tie and hurried forward, attempting to create the illusion of a friendly chat with Ethan in front of everyone.
"Mr. Hawthorne! It’s been too long!"
He enthusiastically extended his hand. "I’ve heard you’re a newlywed! Why didn’t you bring your esteed wife tonight? We’re all so curious to see what kind of peerless beauty managed to catch your eye!"
Ethan Hawthorne’s gaze flickered past Benjamin Sterling as if he wasn’t there, pausing for a brief mont on Maxine Rhodes behind him. Then, he gave Benjamin a aningful smile. "She’s here. It’s just that my wife is a bit shy and doesn’t like to be too conspicuous."
Benjamin Sterling froze, his head swiveling around like a searchlight as he desperately tried to spot the mysterious Mrs. Hawthorne. "Mr. Hawthorne, you’re really keeping us in suspense..."
By the ti he ca to his senses, Ethan Hawthorne had already strolled away as if on a leisurely walk, lting into a more exclusive inner circle.
Beside him, Maxine Rhodes watched Benjamin Sterling’s bewildered expression and couldn’t help but lower her head to chuckle softly.
Benjamin Sterling, having been thoroughly snubbed and feeling awkward, turned to see her laughing. He flew into a humiliated rage and hissed in a low voice, "What are you laughing at? Do you really think soone like you could ever speak to a man like Mr. Hawthorne?"
Maxine Rhodes lifted her eyes, her gaze sweeping in the direction Ethan Hawthorne had gone. "You’re right, President Sterling. After all... I’m not even worthy of handing him a glass of water."
’After all, at ho, he’s the one who hands water.’
Benjamin Sterling completely missed the deeper aning in her words and was instead quite pleased with her self-awareness. "It’s good that you know your place."
anwhile, Lydia Thorne had also noticed Ethan Hawthorne’s arrival the mont it happened.
She had heard his na multiple tis in case studies during her ti at business school abroad and greatly admired him. Subconsciously, she had always felt they were the sa kind of people: elite, efficient, and standing on a level far above the rest.
Seeing him in person today, he was even more handso than on the covers of financial magazines. The effortless power he exuded only further confird her judgnt.
’He really is just like the legends say, maybe even better!’
Just as she was plotting how to approach and strike up a conversation, her eyes shifted and happened to land on Ethan Hawthorne speaking in English with Alex, a newly-risen tech star who had just returned from abroad.
Lydia Thorne’s eyes lit up. ’This is a godsent opportunity! I can show off my international perspective and abilities in front of Ethan Hawthorne. Isn’t that a much more sophisticated way to capture his attention than simply relying on looks?’
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