"By the way, where are you taking Cayden after this?" Julian asked, breaking the silence that gripped the secretary's heart.
"I don't know," Mia said without looking back. She didn't want her lover to detect her messed up feelings.
Instead of questioning the secretary's strange behavior, Julian pointed his finger in a certain direction. “There is a place to feed the animals. Little Prince would definitely be delighted. What do you think?"
With just a glance, Mia checked what the CEO proposed. After seeing the cage containing the goats, the girl gave a slight nod.
"Good idea," she said flatly, closing the bottle Cayden had handed her.
"Are you excited again?" Julian inquired as he brought his face closer to the baby who was sitting on the secretary's lap.
“Jajajaja ...” Cayden chirped as Mia wiped the sweat off her neck. With sparkling eyes, the little baby surveyed the surroundings.
As soon as he saw the cage previously pointed
"Thank you very much, Julian. Today is a very pleasant day,” Katniss said with a bright smile. "Not a problem at all. When you have free time again, just let me know where our third meeting is,” Julian said, successfully widening the eyes of the girl standing next to him. “Third meeting?” Mia thought when swallowing hard. The chest that was tight, had become more depressed. If she hadn't been holding the sleeping baby, she would have tightened her fists, gripping an unspeakable annoyance. "Okay. I'll tell you later. Maybe, after the summer fashion week," Katniss said with a reassuring nod. “Or maybe …, you want to meet me there.” "And see you in a bikini?" Julian said, completely carefree. "No, thank you." Mia could no longer join the conversation. With head down, pretending to be watching Cayden's face, she hid the sadness. "You talk like you're allergic to women, Julian," Katniss retorted jokingly. "And you know that'
Gabriella furrowed her brows as she watched her son cry while stretching out his arms towards her. With pursed lips, the woman took the baby from the secretary's hand. “Don't cry, Cayden. Mom's here," Gabriella said as she rocked her son. However, three seconds passed, the baby was still in tears. While turning his gaze, he roared, “Da … da ….” Hearing his son's call, Max quickened his pace down the stairs. As soon as he arrived in front of Gabriella, he immediately carried his son. “Why are you crying, Little Prince? Weren't you excited this morning to go with Uncle and Auntie? You even waved cheerfully when the car took you away,” Max said in an adult tone when talking to a child. Slowly, Cayden's tears began to recede. After a while, all that was left were red eyes and pouting lips. Looking at Gabriella, the baby raised a hand, signaling the mother to come closer to him. "Do you miss us?" the woman asked before kissing the plump che
"It seems, I've known what makes Mia angry." Julian's words succeeded in raising the eyebrows of the woman across the table. "What is it?" Gabriella asked before taking her first bite. After one quick breath, the brother-in-law straightened his head and showed a listless look. “Earlier, we met a little girl. She greatly admires Katniss and dreams of becoming a model. Her mother seems very supportive of the little girl's dreams." Hearing the unexpected answer, Gabriella suddenly looked at her husband who also furrowed his brows. "Then, what does that girl have to do with Mia's anger?" Max inquired as he couldn't help but be confused. "Isn't that obvious? Mia must be jealous of that little girl. Her dream is not supported by her mother." At such an unreasonable response, an incredulous sigh escaped Gabriella's mouth. "That's too childish, Julian. Mia can't be angry just because of something as trivial as that," th
"Please don't be like that, Mom. If you are against our relationship, things will get more complicated and my mind becomes even more confused. You can't cancel the blessing that has been given to us," Mia protested with an indescribable expression. Sadness, worry, and tension had been mixed, giving a strange look to her eyes. “Then, you have to stop thinking the nonsense. Your suspicions and worries are not necessarily true, Mia. Right now, you might just be wasting your time and energy,” Minnie said while holding her daughter's arm. Not wanting the debate to get longer, the girl finally sighed and lowered her gaze. "Okay, I won't complain anymore. I'm sorry if I've made you anxious and dizzy with my strange behavior," Mia said before grabbing her bag and carrying it. A second later, she walked towards the door. Seeing her daughter was about to leave without saying goodbye, Minnie spontaneously sighed, "Are you mad at me?" With a straight face, Mia st
With a curve of lips depicting happiness, Julian opened the lunch box in front of the secretary.“Look! Isn't this sandwich very tempting?” he asked before pulling up a chair and sitting closer to the table. A second later, the man pushed the box towards the girl.“This is the whole wheat breads with a beaten egg, sliced green vegetables, scallions, and tomatoes. Take a look! Isn't the yellow color so pretty? This is because the chicken eggs used are also a choice,” he explained, pointing to the thick-looking bread filling.With a flat expression, Mia looked at the object of the CEO's presentation. For some reason, her brain kept imagining Katniss' action in Julian's kitchen.“Then, pay attention to this!” the man continued, sliding his index finger to the other side of the lunch box. "This is also the best vegetables and fruits. All the ingredients in this lunch box have been carefully calculated, both in terms of ca
"Mister Herbert?" Mia sighed in disbelief."Yes," Julian nodded awkwardly.The man realized that his statement was indeed odd. He hadn't said that he had reconciled with his father thanks to Katniss.“But you don't have to worry, Mia. I can handle it. Later, when all the problems have been resolved, I will tell you everything.”Hearing the explanation that seemed gray, the secretary's brows furrowed deeper. She knew that the man was hiding something from her."Is everything okay?" she asked in a hanging tone.Keeping his extremely stiff lips to curled up, Julian nodded. "Of course," he said through a pinched vocal cord.Not knowing what else to say, the man patted his lover's arm. "Let's go to the elevator. I don't want to keep Dad waiting," he said while pressing the awkwardness.With a straight face, Mia followed the CEO's footsteps. Her hand that gripped the strap of the bag, was sweating coldly, holding back the
While the camera was on the baby, Gabriella could freely observe Mia. The girl sitting beside her was clearly gritting the teeth. Her hands trembled in annoyance, while her breath was heavy because of the disappointment. The secretary's heart had never been so hot and sore.“Hi, Little Prince! Do you like your new toy?” Katniss repeated the question.With a heavy heart, Gabriella answered while imitating a child's voice. "Yes, I really like it, Auntie. Thank you very much.""Wow, thank goodness!" the model sighed while bringing her hands under her chin."What did you give to Little Prince?" Julian asked, sounding relaxed.“Educational toys. I think about your nephew's future better than you do,” Katniss said in a familiar voice, putting salt on the secretary's inner wound.Seeing that Mia had been hiding in the shadows of her head, Gabriella couldn't bear to continue. While faking a smile, she lifted the phone so that
"Why don't you go over to them, Miss? Wouldn't it be that if you were there, the suspicions could be straightened out?" the driver asked, clarifying the question.After ending the contemplation, Mia suddenly let out a bland laugh. "It's a waste, Sir. My presence will not change anything," she said, shaking her head faintly."Why?" the driver replied in an uphill tone.“Because it's impossible for me to beat that girl. She's too perfect. I am nothing compared to her," the girl explained before looking down in regret.“Are you and that woman competing?”Receiving such a question, Mia again maintained silence. Blinking, she pondered the driver's words.“You said you couldn't beat that woman. Doesn't it mean you're competing? Or … have I misunderstood?” the old man asked again.Silently, Mia counted her heartbeat. As soon as she came to her senses, she let out a faint sigh. "Why do I feel like I'm comp
"Whoa!" Cayden sighed as his father placed him on the back of a pony. With round eyes, he surveyed his height from the ground. Even though it was not much, the toddler in the cowboy hat still showed a happy smile. “How is it, Little Evans? Are you happy?” the woman who held the horse's rein asked. Not daring to move much, Cayden nodded at a limited angle. "Yes, Greta. I am happy. It's thrilling!” he answered enthusiastically. “Thrilling?” Gabriella muttered, furrowing an eyebrow. While continuing to rock her niece, the woman expressed astonishment. “Where did you learn that word, Little Prince?” "Daddy often mentions it," the toddler replied, successfully making his father wince. "Daddy said that the nights spent with Mom were always thrilling." As Gabriella glared at her husband, Greta burst out laughing. "Gosh, Max. I think you should be more careful now. Your genius son can absorb all the words you speak.” "Right. I'll be more caref
"If you kept avoiding me, I would really quit the company," Julian said, successfully freezing Mr. Hunt's steps. The old man was then blinking, digesting the words he thought he heard wrong. “Actually, my position as a CEO is being threatened for some reasons. I tried to keep it a secret from all of you. I didn't even let Mia know. But as it turned out, it wasn't easy at all. My mind became adrift. And because the burden was too heavy, my emotions finally exploded. I'm so sorry it had to happen in front of you." Hearing the tone that seemed honest, Mr. Hunt slowly turned his focus. Two seconds later, he saw the tears slide from the grandson's eyes. "I've tried to be strong and tough, Grandpa. I thought I could solve all problems. But it turns out, I haven’t found any solution yet. That's why I was angry when I failed to find Grace and you at the cemetery. It got me think that I am a useless man," Julian explained with the gloomy eyes landed on the grass.
“Tsk, why does Grandpa run away like this? It just makes me feel even guiltier,” Julian grumbled between gasping breaths. Holding on to Mr. Hunt's message, he walked down the tree-lined path. “What should I do if Grandpa isn't there? Where should I look for him?” the man thought as he couldn't erase the wrinkles from his face. The burden in his heart was too heavy to ignore. After a few moments of struggling with the noise in his brain, Julian finally shook his head and blinked strongly. "No, no. Grandpa must be there. I'll take him home and things will automatically return to the way they were before," the man nodded, fostering hope. Ignoring the anxiety that kept swirling in his mind, he went faster. Unfortunately, as soon as Julian passed the cemetery gates, his steps were frozen. His jaw was dropping while his eyelids were lifted to the maximum. What he had hoped for quickly turned into disappointment. "No way! This is impossible!” he curs
"Dad," Cayden called quietly. A second later, the toddler handed Max a piece of bread that had been cleaned of jam. "I'm already full," he continued with a meaningful smile.Understanding the son's intentions, Max spontaneously raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to finish your bread again?"While showing two rows of tiny teeth, Cayden nodded. After a faint exhalation, the father began to vibrate the air with laughter."Gaby, look at what Little Prince did! I can get fat if he keeps handing me food,” the man said while showing the second bread he received from his son.“Just eat it, Max. You need more energy to help the Little Prince take care of Hasty,” the woman who was cleaning the dishes with a sponge replied.Hearing his mother's response, Cayden's eyes immediately widened. His energy had just risen to the peak. “I've finished breakfast, Mom. Can I go to the stable now?”"Yes, but you have to wash your face
Suddenly, Julian dropped his face into his hands. After exhaling heavily, he lifted his head again and put on an indescribable expression."I didn't mean to scare anyone, Mia. I just don't want Grandpa’s mistake to happen again," the man said with frown on his face."Yes, I know," Mia replied with the same thin voice. “But you can do it without hurting Grandpa's feelings, Julian. This matter can be discussed amicably.”While gritting his teeth, Julian shook his head. Confusion had returned to cover his eyes. “What should I do now? I already made Grandpa sad.""Apologize?" Mia answered with a grimace."Is that enough?" the man asked doubtfully. He began to realize that his anger had indeed crossed the line.Pondering, the woman nodded. “As long as it's sincere, Grandpa will definitely forgive you. And I think, you should also explain to Cayden that what you did was wrong. Don't let your nephew imitate something t
“Greta, have you prepared delicious toast for us?” Cayden asked as the hostess opened the door wider to welcome him. Seeing her father was still able to walk, the woman with high arch of the brows spontaneously sighed in relief. After shaking her head for a moment, she turned her gaze to the toddler who was still holding Mr. Hunt's hand and waiting for her response. "Of course I have. There is also strawberry jam for you. Are you hungry?” Greta asked while faking a smile. “Not me, but Grandpa. I heard the sound of his breathing all the way. Grandpa is very tired! He should eat a lot of bread," Cayden said with his trademark expression—round eyes and pursed lips. While stroking her son's head, Gabriella bent her knees. After leveling their eyes, the woman tilted her head. "You know where Greta put the plate of bread, don't you?" No more than two seconds, the toddler nodded. "Yes. On the dining table," he answered with a big smile. "That
"Sorry, Julian. I took Grace to see your grandmother for a while. Now, I intend to take her home. We're not wandering around or straying like you said," Mister Hunt explained with an indescribable expression. Even so, his hoarse voice was able to touch the hearts of the listeners, apart from his grandson. "But the way home is over there, Grandpa!" Julian snapped, still with eyebrows raised to the max. The young man didn't feel sorry at all for the hunched back that was getting weighed down by guilt. "I really can’t understand what’s on your mind. Don't you realize that your recklessness can lead to trouble? Didn't we agree to go together? Why did you secretly take Grace away?” he continued, thickening the wrinkles on his grandfather's forehead. Sensing her father's anger, Little Princess began to furrow her brows. The baby had never heard such a loud voice. When her eyes fell on Mr. Hunt's gloomy face, she spontaneously pouted. A second later, her heavy cry b
Arriving at the cemetery, Julian was taken aback. What he saw was completely beyond expectation. There were no old man and baby among the tombstones. The grandfather and Grace left absolutely no trace. "This is impossible," Julian muttered as he quickened his pace. Neglecting his initial attempt to remain calm, the man sped toward the direction Greta had given. After searching for a while, he finally found the grandmother's name on one of the stones. “Right, this is the place. They should be here," Julian sighed, sounding desperate. With deep furrows, he circled around, trying to find any trace of either his daughter or Grandpa Hunt. Unfortunately, as far as the eye could see, the two remained off the radar. Confusion instantly grew bigger in Julian’s mind. "Tsk, how could it be like this?" he grumbled while clutching his head. Knowing that irritation, Mia gently touched her husband's arm. She knew that the man had failed to control hi
Carefully, Mr. Hunt wiped his great-granddaughter's cheek. Grace's red eyes no longer shed sadness. However, the old man still felt guilty for making the baby cry. "I'm sorry, Grace. I should have walked more calmly so you wouldn't wake up," he whispered in between his ragged breaths. After her face had been dry, Grace rested her head on Mister Hunt's shoulder. Blinking slowly, she pursed her lips. The furrow of her tiny brows indicated that she still wanted to roll up in the blanket on the crib. The baby wondered why she was with her great-grandfather, sitting on a long bench at the edge of a path. “When I was young, I only need fifteen minutes to arrive at your great-grandmother's grave. But now, why does it feel so long and tiring?” Mr. Hunt grumbled as he wiped his forehead with one hand. After one quick breath, the old man stood up again and held Grace in his languid arms. Although the baby was a bit heavy, his lips still curled up warmly.