Chapter 1 Emotional Outbursts

"Mia, may I ask you something?" Julian's question successfully made the secretary stop walking. Two seconds later, the girl who was initially going towards the door, turned to face him.

"What is it, Sir?"

With hands in the pockets, the CEO circled the desk and stopped right in front of his secretary.

"Max, you, and I grew up together since childhood. In other words, you must already know us very well," he said with an expression that was difficult to predict. That was the first time Mia had seen such an expression. "What kind of person do you think my brother is?"

Getting a ridiculous question, the secretary almost furrowed her brows. However, out of respect for the boss, she was forced to maintain an even face.

"Mr. Max is a smart and caring person. Even though he is assertive and ambitious, he still put family as his priority. The type of man that many women dream of," Mia answered honestly.

"Is that so? Then, have you ever had a crush on him?"

Hearing the unexpected question, Mia suddenly raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?"

"You said that my brother is the dream of many women. Are you one of them?"

"Why do you suddenly ask such a thing, Sir?" the secretary replied, tilting her head.

Julian shrugged slightly. "Just want to know. So, do you ever like him?"

After a moment of contemplation, Mia nodded firmly. "Yes. Even now, I still like him."

In just an instant, the CEO's heart was beating wildly. He didn't expect the spontaneous question to cause more anxiety.

"Is that why you never accepted my love? Because you're still in his shadow?" Julian asked as he couldn't hide his surprise.

Instead of answering, Mia sighed in disbelief. "Why do you think so? Of course not."

"But you just confessed that you still like him," the man argued with a roaring breath.

"Didn't you say earlier that the three of us grew up together? I've always thought of Mr. Max as my brother. So, it's natural that I like him. He's always kind and thought of me as a little sister."

Realizing that he had misunderstood, Julian blinked wordlessly. The man did not know that a small talk can also harm the heart.

"Are your emotional outbursts relapse, Sir? Your mind seems a bit muddled," Mia quipped innocently.

"Of course not. I'm just testing you," Julian muttered, scratching his temples.

"Test what?"

Annoyed that the girl in front of him was completely insensitive, the CEO spontaneously snorted. "Your loyalty to Gabriella. Who knows, you might suddenly betray your friendship and take Max away from her."

"It seems that you are not testing my loyalty but my patience, Sir. Before we fight again, let me get back to work."

When the girl was about to turn around, Julian suddenly grabbed her arms.

"Sorry .... I was just kidding. Actually, I want to know your opinion about me. How is Julian Evans in your eyes? Why don't you take it seriously every time I tell you how I feel?" the man said in a gentle tone.

Mia could feel the sincerity in those warm eyes. Therefore, before she drowned in it, the girl quickly brushed the CEO's hand away.

"Sorry, Sir. We're in the office, and now it's working hours. We must not interfere the personal matters with work."

"But all today's agenda has been carried out, and we just have to wait for the time to go home," Julian persuaded hopefully.

Mia already knew the man's behavior. After holding her off, Julian would explain how much he loved her. Then, she would deny and their conversation ended in a fight.

"Sorry, Sir. Today, I'm in a bad mood. Better, we'll talk about it later," the secretary implied flatly.

"Later, later, later. How long are you going to put off this discussion?"

"What discussion, Sir? Haven't we reached a conclusion? I can't reciprocate your feelings."

"Impossible!" Julian rebuked, shaking the secretary's arm so that the girl's eyes widened. "You have the same feelings as me, Mia. I can feel it."

Sighing, the secretary shook her head faintly. "Please don't make it up, Sir."

"I said what it is. You do love me, Mia. Have you forgotten how panicked you were when I was attacked by the criminal back then? Don't you realize how much attention you always give me?"

"That's because I am your secretary as well as your personal assistant, Sir. Please don't get me wrong," Mia said as she tried to free herself from the CEO's grip.

Suddenly, Julian scrutinized the girl's eyeballs closely.

"Now, tell me. What keeps you from avoiding me? I've thought of all kinds of possibilities. The worst thing is that you secretly have a crush on Max. Since it's not true, then what?" the man inquired in a slow, stressed voice.

Looking at the seriousness of the man, Mia didn't move. Her eyes were shaking, while her jaw clenched tightly. With such a cold expression, Julian wouldn't be able to break through her defenses.

"You don't want to talk, huh? You have the heart to make me curious for the rest of my life?" Julian urged while widening his eyes, hoping Mia would be touched by his determination.

However, a few seconds passed, the secretary was still steadfast with her mouth and heart tightly locked. Knowing the attempt failed again, Julian finally lowered his head and closed his eyes. Sighing, he lamented the sad fate of his love.

"Why are you always silent, Mia? At least, tell me the reason you rejected me. I can improve myself, or ... find a solution. But don't hang me like this," the man whispered before lifting his head again, revealing the red eyes. He was really frustrated with his love.

After a moment of silence, Mia's lips finally began to open. A glimmer of hope automatically brightened the man's face.

"Can I go now?" the girl asked, making Julian close his eyes again and take a deep breath. The seeds of hope were dead before they could sprout.

With a heavy heart, the man let go of the secretary's arm. "Yes," he sighed with a sad nod.

With a stiff face, Mia stepped back. Without saying sorry or excuse, the girl left the room, leaving Julian feeling disorganized.

"That girl ... how could she let me suffer like this? Does she do it on purpose? She must want to punish me for a crime I did," Julian thought before ruffling his hair and slamming into the couch. His body felt weak and powerless.

After flinching through the silence, the CEO finally reached for the phone. Once the device was to his ear, he looked up, letting his head rest on the top of the couch.

"What's the matter, Julian?" a woman asked without a chance to say hello.

"The 136th report, my attempt failed again. Mia just kept quiet and looked at me with a flat expression," he said in a low tone.

"What were you doing? Is there anything different from the usual way?"

Getting such a question, the CEO suddenly grimaced. He just realized that his emotions had messed up his plans. "I wanted to get her giving an opinion about me. But, I failed."

"You're rash," the woman said on the other side of the phone.

A second later, the babbling of a baby sounded as if it continued his mother's words. "Yayaya ...."

"Listen it! Even your nephew agrees with me."

After one quick breath, Julian nodded faintly. "Right. I was reckless."

"Later, try to be calm. If you continue to fail controlling your emotions, you will never get clarity from her. Women don't like being urged, Julian. Make Mia speak without pressure or coercion."

Taking a deep breath, gathering hope, Julian straightened up. "Okay. I will try again."

"Remember! Don't let your emotions explode again! I don't want to accept the 1000th report," Gabriella said, successfully coloring Julian's face with horror.

"If that's the case..., you should immediately send me to a mental hospital."