One kilometer from Quebracha building, Max could see a light shining brightly in his room. In just an instant, the roar of breath was heard again.
“How dare he ransack my office!” the man muttered as he gripped the steering wheel tighter. “He should be there when I arrive. He can’t escape and harm Gabriella.”
After a few minutes, the CEO finally arrived. Whether it was a coincidence or a planned one, the entrance was wide open.
“Does he want to welcome me?” Max thought as he slowed his pace. However, after pondering for a moment, the man finally quickened towards the elevator.
Right in front of the tightly closed door, the man sighed in disbelief. The words “error” appear on all screens.
“Is he playing me or testing my seriousness?”
After snorting in annoyance, Max rushed to the emergency stairs.
***
Gabriella couldn’t stop squeezing her fingers. Every now and then, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Every time the seconds added up, a long sigh escaped from her mouth.
“You don’t have to worry, Gaby. I’m sure Max will be fine,” the man sitting on the other couch said.
Hearing the calming words, the woman frowned even more. “Do you want to go after him? I’m afraid something will happen to Max.”
Without a second thought, Sebastian shook his head against the idea. “He asked me to look after you here. I don’t want to go against orders.”
“But he was there alone. What if the mastermind attack him? We don’t know what that sly man can do,” Gabriella sighed with a pitiful look.
Seeing the woman’s furrowed brow, Sebastian sighed in resignation. “It’s just your thoughts, Gaby. The mastermind is smart. He couldn’t possibly harm Mr. CEO. It would only destroy his scenario.”
Receiving that plausible explanation, Gabriella fell silent. After a moment of contemplation, she closed her eyes and bowed deeply. “You are right. Sorry, Bass. My mind is in a mess.”
“It doesn’t matter. I can understand. You must really love Max.”
Hearing the secretary’s words, Gabriella spontaneously straightened her face with a small frown at the base of her brow. “Why do you come to such a conclusion?”
“It’s written on your face.”
The woman’s lips pursed. “If everyone thought so, they wouldn’t put Max in such a difficult position,” she mumbled with a heavy sigh.
“Do you just admit that you love him?” Sebastian asked, raising an eyebrow.
Silence fell for a moment. After lowering her gaze, Gabriella finally answered, “Yes, but I doubt that my feelings matter.”
“Why?”
“If this feeling only brings trouble, I’d rather never love him,” the woman said half-mumbling. She didn’t realize that Sebastian was squinting at her.
“Why do you sound like regretting?” inquired the secretary with a stiff blink.
Once again, Gabriella returned the gaze with sad eyes. “Wouldn’t this situation be easier if there was no love between us?”
Getting such a difficult question, Sebastian could only wince. “Who knows. I dare not give an opinion.”
A second later, the man took out his cell phone. “Now, do you want me to call Max so you feel better? He should have arrived at the office by now.”
Without thinking, Gabriella nodded and forced a smile. “Thank you, Bass.”
After a while, the secretary put the phone to his ear. Three seconds, five seconds, the man didn’t speak. Gradually, the look on his face began to stiffen, making Gabriella’s worry grow bigger.
“What’s wrong, Bass?”
The secretary looked at the questioner out of the corner of his eyes. “He didn’t pick up.”
Gabriella spontaneously sighed anxiously. Her eyes were already clouded by frowns. “Why isn’t Max picking up the phone?” she muttered as she squeezed fingers on her lap.
“Maybe, he’s in a serious conversation,” Sebastian said as he hung up the call.
“Could you try one more time?” Gabriella asked quickly.
The secretary nodded and picked up the phone again. However, after only two seconds, his eyes were shaking violently. His breath began to pant.
“What’s wrong, Bass?” the woman asked in a higher tone.
“His cell phone is off.”
Gabriella immediately looked down and swallowed hard. Her hands squeezed together, trying to keep the worry from crippling common sense. “What should we do now?” she sighed softly.
“I also don’t know.”
Suddenly, Gabriella looked up expectantly. “Let’s go there! I can’t just stay still.”
Sebastian’s face instantly froze. “But ….”
“Please, Bass. I’ll take responsibility if Max scolds you. Now, let’s make sure he’s okay first.”
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet. The secretary was being squeezed by equally unsettling confusions.
“Please, Bass.”
After a few seconds, Sebastian was still unmoved. Feeling that the man was hopeless, Gabriella got up from the sofa. “I’d better ask Uncle John for help.”
“Wait a minute!” The secretary stood up with his hands tightly clenched. “Okay, I’ll take you there.”
A sigh of relief suddenly escaped from the woman’s mouth. In just a few minutes, the two of them were in the car, heading for Quebracha.
***
Panting heavily, Max pushed the emergency exit door on the top floor. His back was drenched in sweat, just as his forehead. The man was too focused on the road in front of him.
“I won’t make it easy,” the CEO muttered as he stomped into his room.
When the door opened, the man’s eyebrows rose in alarm. The room was bright, as if someone was in it. After observing the situation for a moment, he walked towards the secret room.
As soon as the secret lever was pressed, Max’s hands clenched into fists. The man was ready to welcome the mastermind.
However, the moment he saw what was inside, his mouth opened wordlessly. With a look of disbelief, he stepped in and examined every side of the void.
“What is this?” the CEO rebuked with boiling blood. “How dare he lie.”
Still having a hard time accepting reality, Max rushed to open the cupboard, hoping that someone was hiding in it. Right at that moment, his eyes locked on a piece of paper on top of his secret box. What was written there succeeded in blowing Max’s mind.
“Congratulations, Mr. CEO! You have officially lost Gabriella.”
“What does it mean?” Max sighed, unable to think clearly anymore. The sweat on his body had turned cold.
Wasting no time, the man turned towards the door. While walking, he tried to contact his wife.
“Come on, Gaby, pick up my phone,” he mumbled as he quickened his pace. Again, the man repeated the call.
When passing the elevator, the CEO’s steps suddenly stopped. The small screen above the door no longer showed “error”.
“What exactly is the mastermind planning?” Max muttered with the phone still to his ear.
After furrowing his brows for a moment, he finally pressed the down button. The numbers on the screen instantly changed towards the top floor.
Until Max was in the elevator, Gabriella still hadn’t answered the call. The longer he waited for his wife’s voice, the more creased wrinkles on the man’s forehead became.
“Where’s Gaby? Why doesn’t she pick up the phone?” Max sighed as he looked for the butler’s contact.
Just as the man was about to make a call, the elevator suddenly chimed. The CEO’s gaze reflexively turned to the screen above the door. As soon as he saw a number that was not the parking floor, his eyes widened.
Slowly, the door in front of him began to open. A man in a blue uniform with a toolbox in his hand greeted him with round eyes.
“Mr. CEO? I really didn’t know you’re in the office,” he said, raising the corners of his stiff lips.
The foot that was originally about to step, moved slightly backwards. “Please close the door again. I can use the public elevator.”
Realizing the technician’s innocence, Max spontaneously held the door and tilted his head. “What are you doing here? Isn’t it a holiday?”
“I have order to check the elevator overtime, Sir. As it turns out, everything is functioning normally,” the man reported, nodding.
Getting a new clue, Max’s heart immediately raced. “Who ordered that?” he asked quickly.
“My boss, Sir.”
“Who did your superiors get order from?” The CEO clarified the question.
The technician spontaneously scratched his head from the gap under his helmet. “If I remember correctly, it was Mr. Secretary who requested this examination, Sir.”
Max’s breath suddenly caught. With quivering eyes, he called out a name, “Sebastian?”
“Yes, Sir,” the innocent man nodded.
An incredulous sigh escaped from the CEO’s mouth. The violent explosion had spurred his heart to work much faster, sending more oxygen to the suddenly depressed brain.
“Gabriella ….”
Without having time to thank the informer, Max called the butler. Cold sweat had returned to the nape of his neck.
“Hello? What’s the matter, Sir?”
“I want to talk to Gaby,” the man answered as quickly as a light. He didn’t care about the elevator that had closed again and brought him down.
“Madam?” Minnie said in a confused tone.
A bad premonition immediately weighed on the man’s feelings. “Yes, my wife. I want to talk now. She didn’t pick up my phone.”
“Madam is on her way to catch up with you, Sir.”
The air in Max’s lungs automatically vibrated violently. “Gabby left? Is it with Sebastian?”
“Yes, Sir.”
The man could not bear the regret. Closing his eyes tightly, he bowed his head in worry.
“Gaby, why are you going against my orders?” he sighed with clenched fists, forcing his brain to work harder. “Where do you think that bastard takes you?”