The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 257: Morning Conversation
Ethan Caldwell: [Formalities are done, I am getting ready to board the plane!]
That meant Ethan Caldwell must have taken a flight at nearly four in the morning. Julian Sterling thought to himself, figuring that being the head of a massive conglomerate was not easy at all. Outsiders looking in only saw the glory and power of the CEO position, but few knew that behind it all were flights taken before dawn, sleepless nights, and a packed work schedule without a single full day of rest.
Below that was a more recent message, from only about fifteen minutes ago.
Ethan Caldwell: [I have arrived, I am heading to the hotel now.]
Ethan Caldwell: [Is my darling awake yet?]
What a detailed report.
Looking at the continuous stream of messages being sent, Julian Sterling’s heart was filled with an indescribably sweet feeling. The contrast between a cold, decisive CEO in the business world and a caring man who meticulously reported every personal schedule to his lover at home made him feel incredibly warm.
Julian Sterling briefly checked the time displayed on the corner of the screen; it was already past seven in the morning.
The morning sunlight had also begun to pierce through the curtains, illuminating the quiet room. Ethan Caldwell mentioned heading to the hotel, and Julian did not know if Ethan Caldwell would check in first or go straight to the negotiations. However, Julian Sterling guessed it was probably the former, as hardly anyone would negotiate business at seven in the morning right after getting off a plane and dragging along an exhausted body.
Julian Sterling’s finger, which was pressing on the reply section for the latest question, paused for a moment; seemingly feeling that typing could not fully express his concern, he ultimately decided to delete the unfinished text and switched to pressing the call button.
Julian Sterling only made a standard voice call rather than choosing a FaceTime video call, because he knew the other party had probably not finished unpacking and was still very busy.
The phone only rang for two short beats before someone quickly picked up, as if the other party was always holding the phone ready in his hand waiting for him. Ethan Caldwell’s familiar deep, warm voice, carrying a hint of exhaustion yet extremely gentle, came through: "Is my baby awake?"
"You are already saying cheesy things so early in the morning." Julian Sterling deliberately scoffed a little to hide the joy in his heart, then caringly continued to ask: "Is everything okay on your end? Flying on such an early flight, was the journey very tiring?"
"It is fine, I just finished checking in. I will head to the meeting place with the partners around nine to start working."
"So you still have not had breakfast?" Julian Sterling grumbled while slowly climbing out of bed, bringing the phone along into the bathroom to do his personal hygiene routine.
The pattering sound of water transmitted to the other end of the phone, and the man, upon hearing it, teased him: "Being lazy again, only getting ready just now."
"Leave me alone. It is already a blessing that I woke up at this hour."
In truth, Julian Sterling was not someone who slept in a lot. Normally, if there was nothing to do in the morning, he would sleep until almost seven. On days when he needed to go to the university, he would wake up earlier. Therefore, the statement Julian Sterling made was not entirely wrong; if it were not for having to go to the company, Julian Sterling still would not have woken up at this time.
However, compared to the standard working hours of office workers, waking up right now was still a bit too late.
From the other end of the line, Ethan Caldwell’s deep voice rang out again, carrying a pampering tone as he instructed: "Do not skip breakfast; it is perfectly fine if you arrive at the company a little late, no one would dare to criticize you."
Normally, the company would start working exactly at eight o’clock. The driving time from their home to the main headquarters of Caldwell Empire took about twenty minutes if traffic conditions on the road were clear, without encountering the morning traffic jams.
Honestly, if Julian Sterling was willing to be a bit quicker while changing clothes, he could still completely make it on time. But Ethan Caldwell naturally understood his personality well, so Ethan Caldwell still carefully warned him in advance. He was afraid that this person would look at the clock in a moment and, out of a rushed desire to arrive on time, completely skip breakfast, which would terribly affect his already fragile stomach.
With a toothbrush in his mouth, Julian Sterling mumbled back a confident response: "Rest assured, you stayed up late and woke up early, taking the trouble to cook such a nutritious breakfast for me, so how could I have the heart to skip the meal? Moreover, what does it matter if I am a little late today? After all, I am not some ordinary employee who has to swipe a timecard for attendance every single day."
Hearing that adorable arrogance, Ethan Caldwell could not hold back and burst into laughter: "Mhm, that is right, you are the lady boss of Caldwell Empire, after all. Who would dare to have an opinion against you?" Ethan Caldwell teased him while sorting out his documents. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Currently, the man was thousands of kilometers away and completely unable to see Julian Sterling’s actual expression, but he could easily guess that his baby on the other end of the line was definitely blushing and glaring daggers at him through the phone screen.
But having said that, it was true that Julian Sterling rarely went to the company during fixed administrative hours.
He had a special contract, not receiving a fixed monthly salary like other regular employees, but rather receiving remuneration based on a percentage of the profits earned from this major game project.
Therefore, fundamentally speaking, only when Julian Sterling had free time without having to attend the university, or when the project had important matters requiring him to resolve them personally, would he go to the company. Precisely because of that flexibility, the concept of being late for work inherently did not exist in Julian Sterling’s professional dictionary.
Drying his face with a soft towel, Julian Sterling smoothed his hair back and seriously reminded him in return: "When negotiating the contract over there, remember to be a bit careful, and remember that you must also eat a full breakfast. Do not rely too much on your good health and work your life away."
Hearing Julian Sterling’s deeply concerned reminders, Ethan Caldwell’s heart felt as if a stream of warm water had been poured into it, and he could not help but bloom a gentle smile: "I know, I will pay attention. You do the same at home, take good care of yourself. When you go to the company, just boldly trust in your own decisions in everything. I always believe in your abilities. There is absolutely no need to yield or listen to the slanderous words of those nonsensical people."
