In just an instant, Amber gasped. Her blood boiled and almost evaporated, whereas her whole body shook to compensate for the uncontrollable roar of the breath. The lady did not accept that she was considered inferior to the daughter of a servant.
“Julian!” she yelled, trying to wake him up.
However, instead of turning his head, the man dragged Mia back into the elevator. He didn’t even take his eyes off her for a second. The kiss continued until the door closed.
After feeling the movement of the floor under his feet, Julian finally stopped his spontaneous action. While propping his hands against the wall, he locked the girl who was frozen with round eyes and minimal blinking.
“Sorry,” the man sighed as he tried to calm his breath. “I’m sorry that I dared to kiss you. You can slap or hit me now.”
After a few seconds, the girl lowered her previously raised shoulders. After her brain managed to gather enough oxygen, a quick sigh immediately blew out of her mouth.
“I almost do that,” she muttered, making the man’s eyebrows arch high.
“Do what?”
“Slap you,” the expressionless girl answered. “You stole my first kiss.”
As his breathing subsided, Julian stepped back, putting some distance between himself and Mia.
“Then do it now,” the man said as he straightened up and closed his eyes. He was ready to receive a slap.
“But, I realize that you were just caught in a precarious situation and trying to escape. So, let’s just pretend that it never happened. And next time, don’t involve me in your troubles.”
Calmly, Mia pressed the button to the VVIP floor. After that, she stood silently facing the door.
Although Julian looked at her with a questioning expression, the girl was not disturbed at all. Even, when the elevator doors opened to welcome new passengers, Mia’s face remained flat as if nothing had happened.
***
“Are you sure that you don’t hallucinate?” Max asked with eyes wide open.
Not more than a second, Gabriella nodded.
“Yes. When I arrived, Julian and Amber were having a big fight. I didn’t even dare to approach. When the elevator door opened, Mia appeared. Then the kiss happened.”
After a moment of contemplation, the man on the bed tilted his head and sighed in amazement. “Wow, this is a rare occurrence. Julian has always maintained an attitude to get Amber’s attention. It’s hard to believe that he finally gives up.”
“I am curious, what happened when the elevator door closed. Will Mia throw a tantrum? Scratching Julian?”
A light sigh was heard again. “Mia isn’t you, Gaby. She wouldn’t have reacted so viciously.”
“But, Julian’s action was outrageous. How dare he use a girl to run away from his future wife. If I were Mia, your brother wouldn’t be able to get out of the elevator,” Gabriella chirped, successfully widening the smile on her husband’s face.
“I can imagine it. He couldn’t go out because he was embarrassed. His face is full of markers.”
Hearing Max’s joke, the woman also curled her lips. “You like talking about markers a lot, don’t you?”
“Of course. I have a lot of good memories with markers,” Max said teasingly.
In the midst of the excitement of the chat, the door opened. A second later, Mia entered with a small curve in her face.
“Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Evans,” she greeted as usual. The couple who saw it tensed up in a sudden.
“Hi, Mia. Do you come because of missing your ex boss?” Gabriella asked with a stiff smile.
The girl nodded. “My mother wants you to eat properly. She said, hospital food is not delicious,” the girl explained, placing two jumbo-sized lunchboxes on the table.
“You are very kind. Thank you, Mia,” the woman said with a small nod.
“This is not a problem, Madam,” the secretary replied with a slight shrug. “Now, because my job is done, I am leaving.”
“This fast? You came just to deliver food?” Gabriella asked spontaneously.
Mia’s blinking finally became a little more tense. “Actually, someone is waiting for me.”
The couple’s eyebrows were raised in unison.
“Who? Is it Julian?” Max asked as he forgot to hold his lips. Gabriella automatically narrowed her eyes at him.
Realizing that the news had spread, Mia raised the corners of her lips slightly. However, a second later, she shook her head. “Not Julian, but his father.”
In an instant, Max and Gabriella gasped.
“Why would he want to see you?” the woman who had put on a worried look, inquired.
“I also don’t know. I will go straight to his house from here.”
“No! You can’t go there alone,” Gabriella said while holding the girl’s shoulder. She should make sure that Mia knew the risk.
Unexpectedly, the secretary shook her head. “Actually, this is a secret meeting. But, you don’t have to worry. I’ve prepared a weapon,” the girl explained as she patted her bag.
“Weapon?”
A second later, Mia opened her bag and took out a taser that shocked electricity. Gabriella automatically gasped at the sight.
“Are you sure you still want to meet that sly man?” Max asked in a deep voice.
“Take it easy. I’ll call if something happens,” the girl replied as she put back her gun.
After a few moments, Mia took a deep breath. “Excuse me, Sir, Madam. I go now.”
Without waiting for a response, the girl turned towards the door, leaving Max and Gabriella to stare at each other.
“Should we tell Julian? Who knows, he could be on guard. After all, your brother owes her something,” the woman suggested with wary arches.
After a moment of contemplation, Max finally sighed. “Yes, we should call Julian.”
***
“Welcome, Miss Mia,” Herbert greeted as he saw the secretary enter the room.
“Good evening, Sir. Why do you invite me here?” the girl asked in an even tone. Not cold, but not friendly either. Mia was surprisingly good at hiding tension and setting boundaries.
“Don’t be in a hurry. We have a lot to talk about.” A second later, the old man swung his hand towards one of the sofas. “How about you sit down first? Do you like wine?”
Without a word, the girl sat down on a nearby sofa. “What do you want to talk about, Sir?” she asked without emphasis.
“I’ve heard about you a lot. Max Evans’ secretary who is very loyal and trusted by him the most. At least, that’s what Sebastian said.”
After a few flat blinks, Mia nodded. “I was brought up to be loyal to my superiors, Sir.”
“Is that so? What about you loyalty to me? Did your mother ever tell you about how I paid for your schooling?” Herbert asked, seeking recompense for his services.
Unexpectedly, Mia nodded firmly. “I realize that I owe you a favor.”
Hearing that satisfying answer, Herbert’s lips automatically curved into a wide grin. “Very nice! As it turns out, you are indeed reliable.”
“Is there something you want from me?” the reluctant girl asked, making the old man’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
“First of all, information. You don’t mind telling me about Max’s current condition, do you? I heard his wife has returned.”
“Yes, Sir. Because of it, Mr. Max looks very happy,” Max said without thinking.
“Can he still be happy? Doesn’t he suffer from a concussion?”
The girl blinked flatly. She didn’t expect that the old man was still following Max Evans’ development.
“Just a moderate concussion, Sir. Not heavy. He will recover in a few days,” Mia said without changing her expression.
Hearing the news, subconsciously, Herbert nodded. A second later, he began to ponder, causing Mia to tilt her head in anticipation of the old man’s voice.
“Then, is there anything else you need from me?” she asked after a few seconds of waiting. Herbert suddenly returned his gaze.
“Yes. Your loyalty. I want you to shift your allegiance to Julian.”
The girl’s eyebrows finally moved up and her eyes blinked faster. “To Julian?”
“Did you know that Max is not my real son?” Herbert inquired without expecting an answer. “Therefore, I want Julian to hold the company. Max is simply not worthy of continuing what I’ve worked so hard to build. And to make things easier for my biological son, I need a secretary who won’t stab him in the back.”
Hearing the worry tucked away at the end of the explanation, Mia let out a small snort.
“Sorry, Mr. Evans. Your request is a little unreasonable. Why do you trust me when you know that I am so loyal to Max Evans?”
“Don’t you owe me something?”
“But, still … switching allegiances isn’t that easy. Moreover, I have no particular reason to betray Mr. Max,” Mia said as she quietly grabbed the taser in the bag on her lap.
Witnessing the secretary’s boldness, Herbert laughed proudly. “Apparently, you do prove to be very loyal, huh? Then, let me explain through the true story, a proof that Max isn’t as good as you think.”
Hearing such a confident statement, Mia’s brows furrowed deeply. What evidence did the old man have?