Ruffling Sage's hair, Mia said, "It's a piece of cake for him to investigate your identity. But it doesn't matter. Even if he knows who you are, he will still try to coax you."Sage scoffed, "I'm not as easily fooled as Ginger."His expression grew stoic. He wouldn't be swayed by Timothy's measly gestures. Mia pulled him into her arms and patted his cheeks. "Alright, I know you have adequate self-control. Let's not talk about him anymore. Check out the snacks I've brought you."Noting the resemblance of Sage's features to Timothy's, she sighed. His personality was very similar to Timothy's, and she had no idea who would win if both of them got into a fight. Meanwhile, Timothy finally removed his headset after staring at the computer for quite some time. Caleb turned toward him. "It's over?""Yeah. She must've logged off."Misled by Caleb, Timothy had always thought his other child was a girl. He hadn't expected it to be a boy instead. Caleb raised his brows. "I was wonderi
Mia didn't recognize the voice at first, but she caught a strong whiff of perfume. It was as if the person had emptied an entire bottle on themselves. She might not have registered the voice, but she knew who it was from the overwhelming fragrance. She spun around. Indeed, it was Shelly, who just arrived at the banquet with Sharon. Shelly was fully dressed in designer brands, the pungent smell of her perfume lingering in the air. She was desperate to let everyone know what she was wearing. Shelly had managed to stoop this low despite being part of the prestigious Barrett family. Not wanting to meddle any further with her, Mia turned to the server and said, "Report this to the manager now. This has to be resolved right away. Such a basic mistake is unacceptable."The server nodded respectfully and left. Shelly sneered, "Look at how arrogant you are, Mia. People might think you're actually the owner of Aide Castle Hotel."Jasmine could no longer bear it. "Who are you to make su
Although Sharon recognized Jasmine, she merely stood by and watched Shelly make a fool of herself. A hint of amusement flickered across her eyes. She resented Shelly for leeching off their family. But Sharon couldn't do anything as well. The Barrett family hadn't split up, and Timothy was in charge of the family. Still, she couldn't let Shelly embarrass herself any further. The Barrett family's reputation would be tarnished if word got out. She smoothly intervened, "Ms. Shelbert, Shelly rarely visits Nord City, so she isn't familiar with the people here. If she offended you, please kindly forgive her.""It's better for her to refrain from going out if she doesn't know how to speak. Not everyone is as forgiving as I am. As an adult, she has to be responsible for her words and actions, right?" Jasmine snapped. Shelly was seething. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to argue with Jasmine before the public's eyes. She had more important matters to handle in Nord City, after all. Sh
Sharon's confidence caught Mia off guard. She had claimed to talk to the owner and let Shelly cut in line for her banquet.But that was impossible. As the owner, Mia would never give in to such demands. Let alone when it was Shelly who was making it. Even if she wanted to accommodate someone, she wouldn't disrupt the reservation order for her personal connections. It didn't align with her business principles. Generally, her friends also wouldn't demand such a favor from her. There were also other places to host a banquet other than Aide Castle Hotel.Shelly snorted, "Mia, you're so arrogant. You think it's impossible because you say so? Do you really think you're the owner?""Aide Castle Hotel would have to show us some respect if they want to thrive in Bern City. Mia, your worries are unnecessary," Sharon calmly interjected. "Exactly. She must've been jealous, Aunt Sharon. She's only saying that on purpose because she knows her family would lose to us Barretts this time."Fe
Then, Shelly turned toward Sharon. "Aunt Sharon, didn't you say the owner of Aide Castle Hotel will be present today as well? I can't wait to rub the truth in Mia's face and see whether she dares to spout any more nonsense."A smug smile spread across Sharon's face. "The owner will show up once the banquet starts. Don't be hasty.""I'm just eager to see how someone's going to be humiliated. It's funny of her to think that she's actually that influential in Nord City as a Lane."Amused, Mia turned toward them. "Do I have to remind you of how you groveled to that impostor in the Barrett family?"Both Shelly and Sharon were rendered speechless, and their expressions turned ashen. Fumbling with her clothes, Sharon remained silent. Shelly, however, stubbornly replied, "Quit your nonsense, Mia. When did we ever grovel to that impostor? She showed up shamelessly because she wanted to marry Tim."Shelly was embarrassed about her past actions, but she couldn't admit that in front of Mi
Mia narrowed her eyes. She hadn't planned to reveal her identity at the banquet today. But given Sharon and Shelly's antics, she was worried that they'd tarnish her reputation. If Shelly's comments about the queue jumping spread, others might think that there was a problem with the reservation rules at Aide Castle Hotel. It would affect the hotel's operation, and she certainly wouldn't allow that to happen. Sharon seemed jovial as she said, "Keep it down. Don't flaunt it because we've yet to close the deal."Shelly nodded. She glanced at Mia and said, "Well, we've yet to close the deal, but the manager of Aide Castle Hotel is coming over to greet us. Doesn't this indicate something? Some people should know when to give up."Jasmine was indignant. "You don't have to give too much meaning to a mere greeting, you know. Since Aide Castle Hotel organized the banquet, of course they'll have to greet all the guests. "But that doesn't mean they're intrigued to partner with each and eve
Noting Philip's demeanor, Sharon cast a smug look at Mia. So what if the Lane family was a prominent family in Nord City? The Barretts weren't going to be intimidated by them. Mia scrutinized Philip and frowned. "Where's Mike, your former manager?" She clearly remembered Mike was the manager, not this unfamiliar man whom she couldn't recognize. Philip replied calmly, "Mr. Labeouf took a few days off to tend to his personal matters back home. So, I'll be acting as the interim manager in his absence. Please come to me if you have any issues."Mia glanced at Shelly and began, "Ms. Barrett never made an advance reservation at Aide Castle Hotel before. And according to my knowledge, all bookings for this year are full."Staring at Shelly, Philip asked tentatively, "Ms. Barrett, you haven't reserved a birthday-themed banquet at our hotel?"Shelly grew visibly awkward and said in a clipped tone, "No, because I haven't decided where to host my birthday party before. I came across your
Mia was furious. The strict reservation policy at Aide Castle Hotel left no room for exceptions, not even for her family.She couldn't believe Philip dared to make such a decision. Any leak of this breach could severely tarnish the hotel's reputation.He said nervously, "Ms. Lane, perhaps we should handle this discreetly. If you need any special arrangements, I can also help with that.""Do you think I need your help? Who authorized you to change the guest reservations?"Philip said nothing.Then, Shelly chimed in, "As the manager, he has the authority to change the reservation list to accommodate my birthday banquet. I understand you're upset about us potentially jumping the queue, but you shouldn't take it out on him.""Shelly, shut up. This is between me and him. His actions had violated the Aide Castle Hotel's employee guidelines," Mia retorted sharply.She hadn't expected the acting manager to be so unethical. She had explicitly stated that reservations should not be change
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,