7. Stop Complaining

"And you believe what he said? He works there, Mia. Of course he said so. Your friend wants to make a profit. He won't care if my intestines are scattered in the air," Julian refuted, half desperately.

"Don't be so overthinking, Sir. This morning, I also asked the doctor. His answer is the same. It's safe for you to do bungee jumping."

Knowing his hopes were running low, the CEO began to grimace. "But, that looks very tall, Mia," he grumbled like a child.

"Of course. It's about 70 feet high."

“S-seventy feet? It is the same as the height of a seven-story building!” the man cried as he thought his ears had misheard. However, as soon as the secretary nodded, a resigned sigh escaped his mouth.

“So, do you wish to step back from this challenge?” Mia asked innocently. The girl was serious to make the CEO give up.

Seeing the girl who was waiting for an answer, Julian suddenly hesitated.

“Tsk, what should I do now? If I accept the challenge, I could die of a heart attack in the midair. But, if I refuse, Mia will always think of me as an unreliable coward,” the pale-faced man thought.

"Can I invite someone else to jump with me?" Julian asked after a moment of silence.

"Who do you want to invite, Sir?"

"Anyone who is willing. Max or Sebastian. I just need to jump and stay awake, right?" the man said honestly as he was not ashamed to admit his fear.

Without a second thought, Mia shook her head. "Mr. Max can't do bungee jumping."

"Why?"

The girl's hand suddenly rose to touch her head. "Because he had a concussion."

"This is really unfair. It's not allowed for Max, while I, who had a bigger operation, was allowed?" the CEO's protest sounded childish.

“You should be grateful, Sir. Your condition is more fit than Mr. Max," Mia implied flatly. She couldn't understand why she could fall in love with a man as "weak" as Julian. "So, are you willing to accept the challenge?"

Leaning back against the ceiling, the CEO sighed helplessly. "Okay, I'll deal with it," he said wearily.

A second later, the man closed his eyes, trying to relieve the intense pressure in his head. It turned out, Mia really knew him. The challenge not only broke his concentration, but also robbed his spirit.

***

"What's wrong with your face?" Max asked when he saw his brother coming with unsteady steps.

After plopping down on the chair opposite to Gabriella, Julian met his brother's gaze with a hopeless face. "Mia has told me the first challenge," he said flatly.

"What is it?" Max and Gabriella asked in unison.

"Bungee jumping."

The husband and wife suddenly burst out laughing. The baby who was busy licking his spoon even voiced his joy.

"I never thought that Mia is this smart," Max said, shaking his head.

"Yes, she managed to find a suitable solution to hone Julian's courage," Gabriella continued while checking the condition of the baby beside her. "Is that so, Cayden?"

"Yayaya ...."

Seeing the cohesiveness of Max's family, the pale-faced man shook his head in disappointment. “Why do you guys support Mia? Don't you pity me? This is definitely not a challenge, but premeditated murder."

Noticing that Julian's attitude had not changed at all, Max suddenly reached out and patted his brother's shoulder. "Instead of complaining, you better accept it. That's good for you."

"Yeah, it's good that I'm not dead," Julian snapped in a desperate tone.

"You're not going to die, Julian. It's just jumping on a safety rope,” Gabriella said trying to calm him down.

Shaking his head, the CEO lamented his fate. “That's why, I prepared a will for Cayden. If my guts aren't enough, my lawyer will come see you."

"Yaya?" the baby babbled with round eyes.

“Yes, you will be Quebracha's successor, Cayden,” Gabriella nodded as she wiped her son's cheeks from the porridge.

“Nananana,” the Little Prince chattered, shaking his head. His forefinger swayed as if he was advising the uncle.

Witnessing the nephew's cuteness, Julian's face finally colored a little. "Is Cayden scolding me?"

“He wants you to stop complaining. Even a baby is uncomfortable with this attitude of yours, Julian," Max chimed in before eating the salad off his plate.

After a flash of contemplation, Julian finally sighed in resignation.

"That's right. I really need to fix it,” he said regretfully. A second later, the CEO clapped his hands, inadvertently making Cayden gasped. "Okay! From now on, I will be the new Julian. I will always be optimistic and brave to face challenges.”

"What are you discussing?" someone asked unexpectedly. In just an instant, all eyes were on the door.

As soon as he saw an old man walking with a cane, Julian gasped. "Dad?"

“Why are you surprised like that? Is my arrival unexpected?” Herbert asked, succeeding in getting Gabriella to move. Quickly, the woman pulled out the chair beside her for the father-in-law.

“Of course we are happy that you come, Dad. Look, Cayden even ignores his porridge,” Gabriella said, smiling at the baby bouncing with pleasure. Little Prince's laughter grew louder as the grandfather stroked his head.

"You should have told us before coming here. We can have dinner together,” Max said while signaling the servant to prepare an extra plate.

While sitting on the chair provided, Herbert chuckled. "No need, Max. I have a dinner appointment after this. Just stopping by to see Cayden," the old man explained before leaning in, meeting the baby gaze peeking at him from behind his mother's body. "So, what are you talking about?"

In just an instant, tension was back on the CEO's back. Silently, the man gulped, moistening the suddenly dry throat.

"We talked about the challenge Mia gave Julian," Max answered lightly. He didn't even realize that his brother was glaring at him, while his wife grimaced a little.

“Mia, our secretary? Why did she give Julian a challenge?” Herbert inquired with an astonished look.

Without intending to withhold information, Max delayed a mouthful of salad and replied, "Because Julian wants to—"

“Grow the courage,” the CEO interrupted with a stiff nod. “So, as a caring secretary, Mia wants me to lead Quebracha better. That's why she challenged me to bungee jumping.”

Detecting his brother's rigidity, Max finally fell silent. He just realized that the man still wanted to hide his feelings from their father.