Mia was taken aback to see Sharon, but Sharon seemed unusually upbeat, as if something good had happened.Approaching Mia with a designer handbag swinging from her arm, Sharon declared, "Mia, do you honestly think you can control my son and prevent me from helping Ralph? Dream on."Raising an eyebrow, Mia responded, "I've never tried to control Timothy. And honestly, do you think he's the type to be easily controlled?""Don't play coy with me, Mia. You orchestrated your marriage into our family back then by manipulating Laura. "And now, it seems you're using the same tactics to lure Timothy away, nearly tearing our family apart. What are your intentions?" Sharon accused.Mia felt irritated at Sharon's baseless accusations. Some people just never seem to learn from their mistakes.With a faint smile, Mia retorted, "You claim I'm manipulative and controlling Timothy's actions. But how about the women you approved of before? Like that phony heiress Maya and Luna? Are they your idea
Before, Sharon had spent a ton of cash on her brother. She might be bailing him out again.After Mia messaged Peyton, she approached Jasmine and asked, "How's Mrs. Shelbert's condition now? Is everything going smoothly?""I don't know yet, the doctor hasn't given an update. What should I do if something happens to my mother?" Jasmine replied anxiously."You have to stay strong. Mrs. Shelbert will be fine. This incident shouldn't shake her up too bad," Mia reassured her.After all, Alison had stood by Raymond's side from the beginning. If she lacked guts even now, she wouldn't have been able to stick with him until he achieved his current position as mayor.Though Alison had stepped back from the limelight, Mia believed she must be someone remarkable.Jasmine smiled bitterly and said, "But she loves my dad so much. They had a great relationship before. I used to believe that too. But now, with Luna in the picture, everything's changed. It made me realize how unpredictable people's
As expected, Luna never got scolded without reason. When Mia saw her arrival, she guessed that Luna must have come with a purpose. It wasn't merely to annoy Jasmine.True enough, Mia realized Luna's deliberate provocation of Jasmine earlier was part of a calculated plan when she saw Raymond appear. Jasmine had spoken recklessly and called her father a "useless man." Raymond held a significant and influential position and he was also Jasmine's father. As a man who relied on his wife, the last thing Raymond wanted to hear was someone calling him useless. Men like him were proud, self-serving, and narrow-minded. Luna had cleverly exploited Raymond's weak spot this time.Jasmine's face drained of color when she saw her father enter the room. The sight of Raymond standing next to Luna fueled her anger and caused her to lose her senses.Luna deliberately acted vulnerable and said to Raymond, "Dad, don't blame Jasmine. We just had a little argument. It's no big deal. I won't hold it agai
"Jasmine, if you dare utter nonsense again, I'll send you abroad instantly. You'll never set foot here again," Raymond threatened."Is sending me away the only solution you can think of? This time, I won't yield or surrender. I refuse to allow that woman and her illegitimate child to return to the Shelbert family. They will never receive any of our money," Jasmine retorted firmly.Raymond boiled with rage. "Why are you acting like this, Jasmine? Luna is also my daughter. I get to decide whether or not she receives the Shelbert family's assets. You have no right to interfere or make decisions here."Luna couldn't hide her satisfaction upon hearing this. Her efforts to set up the ploy and receive a slap from Jasmine weren't futile after all. Trading a slap for an opportunity to inherit the family fortune wasn't a bad deal at all.Luna immediately grabbed Raymond's arm with a look of concern. "Dad, please don't be angry. Don't let me disrupt the family's harmony."Next, Luna shifted
Jasmine was furious. She raised her hand to strike Luna, but Luna grabbed her wrist promptly."Do you still think you can lay a finger on me? You won't stand a chance unless I let you!""You bitch! You did that on purpose earlier.""Yeah, so what? Go on, tell Dad about it and see if he believes you or me.""You're a vicious bitch! Don't you dare think that you've defeated me with your scheme earlier. In your dreams! My dad only got to where he is today because of my grandparents. Do you really think he'd give up on me and my mother for your sake?"Although Jasmine was infuriated, she firmly believed that Raymond had only been deceived. Luna yanked Jasmine's wrist away and snarled, "You'll see. It's all your mother's fault for not being able to give birth to a son when Dad has been yearning for a son all his life. Now that I'm letting him adopt Asher as his grandson, he'll have a successor.""What's the big deal about a child? If my mom is willing to, she could have a surrogate.
What a coincidence for it to be the same spot. Did Luna hurt her ankle?Withdrawing her gaze subtly, Mia looked at Luna. "Nothing. It's just that I've regained my memories from five years ago, and I have some questions for you.""When did you regain your memories?" As if she was suddenly reminded of something, Luna shuffled her feet. But remembering that she'd already removed her tattoo, she eased up."How does you regaining your memories have anything to do with me?"She had removed her tattoo, after all. Even if Mia did spot her tattooed ankle back then, the evidence had been destroyed. Mia couldn't do anything. "After I regained my memories, I suddenly remembered that I actually saw the culprit who knocked me out."Luna's heart skipped a beat. Did Mia actually see her face? But it wasn't possible. She was clearly standing behind that woman back then. Mia couldn't have seen her.Mia spotted a hint of guilt flashing across Luna's expression. Something was definitely suspicio
Unfazed, Mia withdrew her hand and looked at Luna. "Since when were you the mayor's daughter? Your identity hasn't been revealed publicly yet, right?"Jasmine continued mocking, "You're just his illegitimate daughter. How dare you claim to be a Shelbert? Believe it or not, the entire city will condemn you once your identity is revealed. Do you still think Dad will side with you then?"No mayor would expose themselves for having an illegitimate child. It was like telling the whole world their weakness.Defiance flashed across Luna's eyes. "Go ahead and expose me then. See whether Dad takes your side or mine."Luna knew what Raymond was like. She had sought him out in the past, but he merely dismissed her with some money. He even had men threaten and monitor her, warning her not to run her mouth freely. Otherwise, she'd have to deal with severe consequences. But now things were different. She'd agreed to let Raymond adopt Asher because he had always wanted an heir. Surely, his atti
Luna had only herself to blame for her own misdeeds. Jasmine, however, would vow to protect everything Alison had established. She absolutely wouldn't let her scumbag father surrender it all to a bastard born out of wedlock.The surgery ended swiftly, and Alison was wheeled out. She was still unconscious with an oxygen mask on. Staring at Alison's frail frame, Mia lamented over her fate. Her family's conundrum had yet to end, and both Jasmine and her would be in deep waters if Luna defeated Jasmine. Jasmine wiped her tears away. "Rest assured, Mom. I won't let Luna's little bastard return to the Shelbert family and take everything from us."Mia thought about Jasmine's predicament after she left the hospital. She wondered if Jasmine could truly pull herself together. Just then, Peyton turned toward her and said, "Ms. Lane, the CEO of Barrett Group is inviting us to collaborate on the hotel project again. The terms offered in their proposal actually seem quite appealing. This m
None of the major shareholders was a fool.After that, Mia was busy handling Barrett Group affairs and barely had time to rest.With an exhausted look, she returned to the hospital.Mia looked at Timothy and said, "I'll run away if you don't wake up soon.""No… Please don't go…" Timothy grabbed her hand. His gaze was deep.Mia's eyes reddened as she gazed at the man who had just regained consciousness. Timothy finally came out of his coma.After that, everything was back to normal. Those who caused trouble quieted down.Sharon visited Timothy and told him that she was going to settle down overseas and would not come back anymore.Timothy bought her a property and gave her a huge sum of money before sending her away from Bern City.As for Maya, it was discovered that she was not the granddaughter of the Prime Minister of Yellow Island but merely his caregiver. Yet, she had been deceiving people outside.After Maya was exposed, she ran away dejectedly. Nobody knew where she was
Sage stood beside Timothy in silence.Soon, news that Timothy was hospitalized spread, and Barrett Group's stock plunged.The relatives of the Barrett family requested to hold a board meeting to elect another CEO.On the day of the board meeting, Mia brought her two children to Barrett Group.They managed to keep everyone on a leash as Sage bore a striking resemblance to Timothy.Mia marched into the meeting room, sat in Timothy's chair, and glanced at everyone present. "Let's begin. Didn't you all want to have a meeting?"One of the middle-aged men said, "Ms. Lane, this is the Barrett Group board meeting. It's not appropriate for you to be here.""That's right. Though the kids are Mr. Barrett's children, they're still young and do not have any shares. You all shouldn't be here."Mia flung a document onto the table. "This is an agreement signed by Grandma Laura to authorize me to manage Timothy's shares.""Anyway, we still need to elect a CEO to handle our company affairs.""
"Because to me, you're my family too," Timothy said.When Sharon heard the word 'family', her eyes turned red. Then, she turned around and left the ward.Mia walked out and asked Peyton to send Sharon to the hospital for a checkup.Looking at Sharon's back, Mia said, "I hope you don't let him down since he regards you as his family. He's the only one you can depend on now."Sharon did not turn her head around. Mia did not know if Sharon would listen to her advice.Mia immediately called her brother. "Dominic, I met Maya."She then told him everything about Maya.Dominic frowned. "I never thought she would go to Yellow Island.""Do you think she's really the granddaughter of the Prime Minister of Yellow Island?""Don't you know how good she is at lying?" Dominic said.Mia nodded. "Yeah, you're right. But I still don't know whether she's related to Yellow Island.""Don't worry, I'll find out."When Mia returned to the ward after ending the call, she saw a doctor bustling arou
Mia went straight to the hospital to ask Timothy about the matter.But when she arrived, someone had reached there earlier than her."Timothy, what do you mean? All I did was pull a few strings, but you want to humiliate me publicly. How am I going to maintain my standing in the company?" Sharon said.Mia went in with a frown. "This is funny. It's not just about pulling a few strings, but it's aimed at me. Mrs. Barrett, your actions have leaked confidential commercial information.""Stop trying to scare me. It's my son who opened doors for you. It's the Yellow Islanders who wanted to collaborate with us, and they are much better than you," Sharon retorted. Mia said with a half-hearted smile, "At first, I didn't want to pursue this matter. But since you put it this way, wait for my lawyer's letter then.""Such big talk, huh?" A mysterious-looking woman wearing a hat and a mask walked in from outside.Mia felt that the woman looked somewhat familiar. "Are you the rumored granddau
Mia glanced at the person on the screen. Without answering the woman, she turned off the laptop.After all, there was no need for Mia to explain anything.After Mia turned off the laptop assertively, she turned around and looked at Timothy. He did not say a word but started eating.Soon, Heath received a call. He left the ward and said to the woman on the other side of the phone, "She's Mr. Barrett's ex-wife. You'd better not mess with her."While Timothy was eating, Mia finished reading the proposal in her hand.She had to admit that the document was very valuable.Mia was about to leave the ward when Timothy almost finished eating, but his voice sounded behind her. "What did you say when you met her at the cafe earlier?""Did you follow me?""I followed her, to be exact. After all, the Hopkins are not good people."Mia totally agreed with that.She paused briefly before she said, "Grandma Laura asked me to talk to her because she doesn't agree with you about giving her all
"You don't know anything," Sharon said.Mia retorted, "I might not know everything, but Timothy is innocent. Before he knew the truth, he always regarded you as his mother. Even after he found out the truth, he has never mistreated you."Besides, when you said you wanted the Barrett family's wealth, he agreed. Tell me, who else could do what he did?"Mia felt that Timothy might have been hurt by Sharon's words.He seemed impressive on the outside, but his identity was a dark secret.Therefore, his relationship with Sharon became awkward.Sharon's eyes reddened. "But I also treat him like my biological son.""You're also his foster mother. Now everyone related to him is dead, and you're the only one he has. What are you afraid of?"Sharon wiped off her tears. "I'm not afraid of anything. It's just that I felt that I can't trust anyone.""Timothy is a man of his word. However, Grandma Laura said that if you remain stubborn, making the will public is her only option," Mia said.
Mia noticed Sharon's expression changing slightly when she mentioned Laura.Sharon took her cup of coffee and said, "What? Does Mrs. Barrett Senior still want to lecture me even when she's on her deathbed? She must have known Timothy's identity all along, but she conspired with her son to keep the truth from me. "She and the Barretts are birds of a feather. What else does she have to say?"Mia was not surprised by her words. She had expected that Sharon would certainly think this way.Fortunately, she managed to stop Laura when she said she wanted to meet Sharon.Sharon was emotionally unstable now. What if Laura said something unpleasant and Sharon retorted? Her words might upset Laura.Mia took a kraft envelope out of her handbag and placed it in front of Sharon. "I hope you won't regret saying those words after reading this.""What's this?""This is the will that your husband left behind, as well as the divorce agreement."Hearing that, Sharon quickly took the document out
Mia hesitated to risk exposing Laura to Sharon's potential agitation.Due to Sharon's emotional vulnerability, she often spoke impulsively. With Laura's delicate health in mind, any disruption was simply out of the question.As Laura recounted past events, Mia remained silent, absorbing her words.Upon hearing Laura's story, Mia was taken aback. She hadn't expected there to be hidden aspects to Timothy's family history.Taking a moment, she asked, "Does Timothy have any knowledge of this?""He doesn't. Some things are best kept from him," Laura replied calmly.Mia harbored some lingering questions in her mind. Unable to suppress them any longer, she asked, "Considering your knowledge of Timothy's background, what is your opinion of him?""Tim is a commendable young man, and he has never let our family down. He has achieved remarkably well for himself. To be honest, I feel indebted to him as well."At first, I only kept him around for the sake of preserving the Barrett family li
Despite her initial reluctance, Mia eventually found herself making her way to Timothy's ward.As she entered, she couldn't help but notice Timothy's expressionless demeanor as he lay there.Carrying a tray of food, Mia approached him. "The doctor pointed out your extreme fatigue. It's crucial that you increase your food intake and prioritize proper rest to reduce the risk of sudden complications."Upon hearing Mia's voice, Timothy lifted his gaze to find her seated beside him. His lips moved slightly as he asked, "What did you tell Luna?""Not much," Mia responded. "Just a sprinkle of salt on the wound and a dash of psychological pressure to make sure Luna doesn't have it easy in prison."Placing the tray of food in front of him, Mia urged, "Please, just a few bites.""I'll eat later. By the way, the kids have been here at the hospital for quite a while. You should take them home," Timothy suggested.Frowning, Mia insisted, "You should eat something first."As her words faded,