###Chapter 93: So Into You... It’s Driving Mad
Coco imdiately chid in, "Final round of encrypted backup synchronization is complete. Verification passed. All sensitive data on the local servers and the terminals of all involved personnel has been securely erased. What’s left is just public docunts and outdated versions."
Bubbles added, "That fool Lydia Thorne tried to use her old credentials to access the test server today. Ha! She couldn’t even find the front door. I’ve already packaged the system logs—it’s all evidence of her illegal access attempts."
Maxine Rhodes: "Excellent. Ti to close the net."
With all the arrangents in place, the initial frawork of the new studio quickly took shape amidst efficient operations.
Back at the apartnt, Maxine had just put down her bag when her phone rang.
The na flashing on the screen was the one she had been expecting: Benjamin Sterling.
She didn’t break her stride, walking into the living room where Ethan Hawthorne was sitting on the sofa, handling emails. He looked up at the sound.
Their eyes t, and without a word, they both understood who was calling and what they likely wanted.
A faint smile touched Maxine’s lips. She gave Ethan a slight nod before pressing the answer key and putting the call on speaker.
Her tone was flat. "President Sterling, can I help you?"
On the other end of the line, Benjamin Sterling’s voice ca through, dripping with false consolation. "Maxine... about what happened today, I know you must feel wronged and resentful."
"But this might not be a bad thing. You’ve had it a little too easy lately, gotten a bit too arrogant, and forgotten your place. Taking a tumble like this will give you a chance to cool down, to really think. It’ll be good for your future growth."
His tone shifted. "How far can a woman really get in the workplace going it alone? Ultimately, you still need a man. Once this storm blows over and you’ve thought things through, you know who to co back to."
In his current fantasy, Maxine was still a kite whose string he held firmly. The kite had run into a storm, but the string was still in his hands.
So he wasn’t worried in the slightest. He was even a little pleased, waiting for her to struggle pathetically in the wind and rain outside, until she had no choice but to follow the string he held and obediently return to his side, becoming even more docile and dependent than before.
By then, the power would be completely back in his hands, and he would once again be the one in control of everything.
Just then, Ethan Hawthorne walked over slowly, stopping silently by Maxine’s side.
Listening to Benjamin Sterling’s incessant gaslighting, Maxine decided to play along.
She deliberately made her voice choke with emotion. "President Sterling, I understand..."
Her reaction clearly reinforced Benjamin’s belief in his own control over her.
His tone grew even more patronizing and heartfelt. "That’s right. Face reality. I an, you used to be such an obedient, sensible woman. How did you beco..."
As he continued his endless lecture, Ethan leaned in.
He bent down and, without any warning, pressed his lips to Maxine’s.
It wasn’t a fleeting touch, but a deep kiss filled with clear possessiveness and a hint of provocation—gentle, yet intensely aggressive.
Maxine’s body stiffened for a mont before she realized what was happening.
She didn’t push him away. Instead, she tilted her head back slightly, closed her eyes, and let out a soft, muffled moan from her nose.
The sound, muffled, carried through the speakerphone to the other end of the line.
Benjamin’s lecture ca to an abrupt halt. He had heard the faint, unusual sound, but couldn’t quite place it.
He paused, confused. "Maxine? Are you listening? What’s that sound on your end?"
Taking advantage of the mont Ethan pulled back slightly, Maxine quickly caught her breath. Her voice was a little huskier than before as she spoke into the phone, "Please continue, President Sterling. I’m listening."
A flicker of a smile passed through Ethan’s eyes. He moved in again, kissing her earlobe, his warm breath ghosting over the sensitive skin. He even gave it a gentle bite.
"Ah—"
This ti, Maxine couldn’t hold it back completely. A short, trembling gasp escaped her lips.
On the other end of the line, Benjamin froze completely.
"Maxine Rhodes! What the hell are you doing?! Who’s with you?!"
Maxine was breathing heavily. Pushing against Ethan with one hand, she said into the phone, "Thank you for your concern, President Sterling. I’m not feeling well, so I’m hanging up..."
Without giving him another chance, she swiped her finger across the screen, decisively ending the call. She then silenced her phone and tossed it onto the sofa.
She turned back, her gaze smoldering as she looked at the instigator. "Mr. Hawthorne, what do you think you’re doing?"
Ethan leisurely straightened up, swiped his thumb across his lower lip. His eyes were dark, filled with lingering desire.
"I want."
"To fuck."
"You."
As he spoke, he pulled her into his arms.
The kiss was fierce. As his tongue delved deeper, Ethan’s hand slid up her skirt, slowly exploring...
Maxine’s breathing grew ragged, her soft body trembling in his embrace.
Ethan’s deep, magnetic voice grazed against her reddened ear, his breath scorching hot. "Maxi... you’re truly made of water."
Maxine’s damp lashes fluttered, her sultry gaze eting his. "Don’t you like it?"
Ethan’s arms suddenly tightened, pulling her deeper into his embrace until not a sliver of space remained between them.
"I like it."
"I like it so much I’m going mad."
Another wild night unfolded.
...
「The next morning, at 8:30 AM.」
As Lydia Thorne was ticulously applying her lipstick in front of the mirror, the Hawthorne Group had already released its official statent.
The statent was rigorously worded and its position was clear.
First: An independent third-party forensic institution has confird that the docunts involved in the recent plagiarism accusations against Ms. Maxine Rhodes and her team were maliciously forged. The supposedly earlier tistamps were found to be technically fabricated. The accusation is therefore deed comrcial slander.
Second: In light of the serious managent issues and the defamatory incident targeting the project lead within Sterling Enterprises, which have destroyed the fundantal basis of trust, all collaboration on the Celestia project will, effective imdiately, be transferred to the independent studio wholly owned by Ms. Maxine Rhodes.
Furthermore, there was a lawyer’s letter from the Hawthorne Group’s legal departnt.
It was aid directly at OmniTech and the manipulator behind it. The chain of evidence pointed directly to Lydia Thorne operating through an interdiary, accusing her of several cris including comrcial slander, forgery of docunts, and damage to business reputation. The letter demanded a public apology, compensation for damages, and reserved the right to pursue criminal charges.
When Benjamin Sterling saw the docunt, the coffee cup slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor and splashing brown liquid everywhere.
His mind was buzzing. The smug satisfaction and dark scheming of the previous night were instantly replaced by icy fear and a profound sense of absurdity. He shot to his feet, swaying for a mont from a wave of dizziness.
"Lydia Thorne... It was Lydia Thorne!"
His eyes were bloodshot as he spat the na through gritted teeth.
He couldn’t believe he had been used by that woman!
He had personally pushed Maxine Rhodes away, handed over his company’s lifeblood project on a silver platter, and had even been gloating, thinking he could regain control over her!
Just as Benjamin Sterling, seething with rage, was about to go and settle the score with Lydia Thorne, Roy Miller hurried toward him, sporting two dark circles under his eyes and clutching a stack of docunts. His voice was hoarse. "Pre-President Sterling... sothing terrible has happened..."
*****
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