Chapter 2 Honesty

When Julian left the room, his eyes automatically opened wide. For the first time, he did not find the secretary at the front desk.

"Is Mia home yet? Why didn't she wait for me?" the man muttered as he checked under the table. As expected, not a single bag was hanging there. "Mia really left me."

After a brief contemplation, Julian gasped. Something had crossed his mind. Wasting no time, he walked briskly, trying to find the secretary.

"Mia is used to dealing with my emotional outbursts. There's no way she'd be mad," the man muttered, denying his own thoughts. He couldn't imagine if the girl's patience would not last. How to win Mia's heart if the girl no longer listened to his words?

Just as Julian turned a corner, his eyes caught the secretary's shadow. The girl had just entered the elevator.

"Mia!" the CEO called without paying attention to the volume of his voice. A second later, he ran over to the girl. "Mia!"

Unfortunately, when he arrived, the door had closed. A second later, the numbers on the screen started to move down.

"Tsk, why didn't she heed my call?" Julian grumbled with breath starting to roar. "Is she really that angry?"

Sighing in annoyance, the CEO rushed into the elevator next door. He didn't have any idea that the secretary was thinking the same thing about him.

"Is Mr. Julian mad that I went without him?" the girl thought with furrowed brows. Gripping the straps of the bag tighter, she let out a quick breath.

"No, no. I can't waver. From now on, I have to be more assertive. No more attention. Don't let Mr. Julian put the hopes up. His thought about me liking Mr. Max was over the limit. All this must be stopped immediately before other more misleading thoughts arise."

Suddenly, the elevator tinkled. As soon as the door opened, two female staff walked in, laughing out loud. However, as soon as they saw the secretary, they immediately bowed and fell silent.

"Why is she using the public elevator?" the staff with longer hair whispered.

"Maybe she's in a fight with Mr. CEO," her partner said, looking at Mia's reflection in the shiny elevator door. "Or perhaps, she was tired of chasing after him. She failed to get Mr. Max. And now, it's been more than two years, but Mr. Julian still hasn't proposed to her. She must be disappointed that their relationship is suspended."

Hearing such talk, Mia's heart heated up. However, with all her might, she kept a straight face.

"I heard she's the daughter of a servant of the Evans family," the thin-lipped staff whispered again.

"Is that true?"

"Who knows? But, if that's true and she's still trying to get close to Mr. CEO, she really is shameless. Even though her position is secretary, she still came from a lower class. The Evans family's dignity could fall if Mr. Julian marries her."

Without thinking about Mia's feelings, the long-haired staff immediately nodded.

"Right. Look at Mr. Max as an example. After marrying the poor girl, he was immediately kicked out of the company by his own father. Even though he's starting to rise now, still, his status has dropped in the eyes of everyone in Quebracha."

"But, I can understand if Mr. Max fell in love with Gabriella. Have you ever seen her in person? She's really beautiful. I heard she's a genius too. It's natural that Mr. Max would make her his wife."

"That's true. And their son .... Have you seen him? He is very cute. I follow his daily life through social media. He's very adorable," the woman said as she began to forget controlling her voice. She didn't seem to care if Mia could hear.

Suddenly, the thin-lipped woman patted her partner's arm. "Then, can you imagine if Mr. Julian marries Miss Secretary? There's nothing great about her. Their child will definitely not be as cute as Mr. Max and Gabriella's son. What can they rely on to maintain their dignity?"

Hearing such rude words, the air in Mia's lungs rumbled more and more, while tears had prepared to cover her vision. She didn't know how much longer she could hold on.

Luckily, the elevator suddenly stopped. As soon as the door opened, a group of employees rushed in.

Being around so many people, the slanted talk about Miss Secretary was discontinued. The sadness slowly began to fade. Mia was finally able to take a deep breath from her mouth.

"Thank God," the girl thought as she glanced at the women who wore innocent looks. The two of them didn't feel guilty at all. They didn't even care if behind the secretary's cold expression there was deep sadness.

Arriving at the lobby, Mia walked with unsteady steps. Her mind was still on the staff's words, until suddenly, someone jerked her arm.

"Why did you leave without telling me?"

In just an instant, the girl's eyes opened wide. With a sigh of disbelief, she checked the surroundings. People were excited to see their CEO's behavior. Julian had to be awakened immediately.

"S-sorry, Sir. But, I'm in a hurry," Mia answered flatly. With a stiff expression, she pushed the man's hand to let go.

"Where are you going?"

Quick as lightning, Mia made up an excuse. "Visit my mother, Sir."

"What's wrong with Auntie?" Julian asked, ignoring the eyes around.

"Nothing, Sir. I promised to spend some time talking to her after work. Lately, I've been too busy with work," Mia explained with a slightly downcast face. She wasn't usually worried if her lie was detected.

"Then, let's go together. I have to go there too. Cayden is waiting for me," Julian said with a firm nod.

Mia spontaneously glanced around her. Many eyes were still watching their movements. If she refused, there would definitely be a commotion or misunderstanding. With such conditions, the girl was forced to accept the offer. "Okay."

Without waiting for Julian, Mia walked to the CEO's special elevator. The girl didn't want to be a spectacle any longer. The sooner she disappeared from the cynical gazes of the female employees, the sooner she could scold the CEO for such an irrational act.

"Why did you do that, Sir?" Mia attacked as soon as Julian got in and closed the car door.

With high arched eyebrows, the man replied, "Did what?"

"Stopped me in the lobby and blatantly offered me a ride," the girl snapped.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Julian asked, completely carefree.

Receiving such a response, the secretary spontaneously released annoyance in the air. "Of course it's wrong. Have you forgotten that you are already a CEO?"

Without thinking, the man shook his head. "No."

"Then why don't you keep your reputation?"

Suddenly, Julian's eyes narrowed. "Do you think that offering you a ride can damage my reputation?"

"Of course. Everyone who sees it will badmouth us."

Hearing the tone of the voice that began to rise, the man shook his head, not understanding. "For the past two years, we always went home together. Why do you suddenly think so and object now?"

"Because I just realized. A CEO shouldn't be too close to a secretary. It can cause envy in the hearts of other employees," the girl replied with a small frown at the base of her eyebrow.

"Your words really don't make sense, Mia. Anyone knows that a CEO is indeed closest to his secretary."

"But working hours have ended, so has my duty as a secretary. Your attitude could cause suspicion and bad news about us. They will think that we are in a relationship. You can be labeled as a CEO who is unprofessional and has low taste," Mia said firmly.

The silence was gripping for a moment. Julian had just read something in his secretary's eyes, something he had been looking for in a long time. Honesty.

"Is that the reason you rejected me all this time?" the man sighed in disbelief. "Are you afraid that our relationship will destroy my reputation?"

In just an instant, Mia gasped. Her lips trembled wordlessly. She had said something Julian shouldn't have known.

In order to cover up the heart that had been revealed, the girl shook her head quickly. "No. Obviously, that's not the reason."

"So, what?"

"Because you are not to my taste, Sir. A man who has neither courage nor self-control is completely unreliable. It often makes me sick."

Hearing this statement, Julian's breath suddenly roared. His heart was torn apart by turmoil of feelings that were difficult to describe.