When Mia saw Shelly approaching Luna, she was slightly surprised. It felt as if a great show was about to unfold.Meanwhile, Jasmine still felt very uncomfortable about Luna's quick dress change. Mia gently squeezed Jasmine's hand and said, "Perhaps we'll be able to witness something good happen later."However, Jasmine only wore a surprised expression, revealing her uncertainty about the situation."Luna was with the Barrett family for five years. You should be familiar with Shelly's personality too. She would likely bully, mistreat, and look down on Luna," Mia said.Based on Mia's understanding of Shelly, Luna, whom she had previously looked down upon, had now transformed. Shelly harbored jealousy in her heart, and she might do something unexpectedly.Luna proudly changed into her new dress and emerged, ready to show off in front of Jasmine. After all, Raymond had arranged an assistant for her and prepared a change of clothes, which she didn't expect to come in handy. Unexpected
Furthermore, Shelly attended the banquet today for a blind date. Several women from prominent families had already spoken highly of her and they even hoped to arrange a match with their sons. If she married into a wealthy family in Nord City, she would become a wealthy wife herself. Yet, Luna was just a poor woman with no financial resources and relied on men to achieve success. She wondered what qualifications Luna had to lecture her.When Luna heard those words, her expression suddenly transformed into one of anger. She gritted her teeth and declared, "Stop looking down on me. I've found my family now. I'm no longer the person you used to bully.""Found your family? Are you under the impression that this is some kind of television series? Do you truly believe that Mia somehow managed to find her long-lost family and became the esteemed daughter of the Lane family? And you, do you really think you've also found your family and have now ascended as the cherished daughter of a wealt
Luna had endured it for five years, but now, she was Raymond's daughter. Shelly, that bitch, dared to humiliate herself in this way. She couldn't bear it any further. After being slapped, Shelly was shocked. She covered her face and exclaimed, "How dare you slap me?"Sharon, standing next to her, gently grasped Shelly's arm. "Calm down. Consider the event today. Don't act impulsively."Shelly shielded her face and said with a mix of despair and hope, "Aunt Sharon, I was slapped. Do you still expect me to endure it? You just stood by and watched her bully us. We're the Barretts!"Shelly's loud outburst immediately captured everyone's attention. The unexpected slap at the banquet prompted many people to cast their gaze in their direction.Mia was taken aback when Luna didn't hesitate to slap Shelly directly. It was evident that Shelly had been mocking Luna within the Barrett family during those five years, which explained Luna's strong reaction. Mia winked at Jasmine, signaling her
That insignificant security guard did not deserve to be compared to him.Mia couldn't resist the urge to applaud when she witnessed the scene. She wished to have some popcorn to enjoy the show with.She was aware that when Shelly appeared, it would be quite a spectacle. However, she never anticipated that Shelly would exceed her expectations. The conflict between Shelly and Luna had been building for quite some time. Given Shelly's temperament, it was only a matter of time before she stirred up trouble. Luna, having endured relentless bullying in the past, was not one to stand idly by. When two determined women came together, trouble was certain to follow.At this critical moment, Sharon stepped in to defuse the situation. "This is Mr. Shelbert's personal affair. After all, Mr. Shelbert has always been inclined to do good deeds. The bond between gentlemen is always unique, so it's understandable that he didn't bring it up."Raymond hesitantly nodded as he replied, "Mrs. Barrett
Luna didn't look happy when Shelly spoke up for Mia. She couldn't simply brush off the recent incident. She had just been on the same side as Shelly.After those words were spoken, people around them began to discuss among themselves. After all, Aide Castle Hotel had appeared and quickly became a popular high-end hotel in Nord City. Bookings were in high demand, and it soon became the premier venue for the upper class to host banquets.However, the owner of Aide Castle had always been shrouded in mystery, designing each banquet venue with a flair that never failed to surprise and captivate. With every new theme, they manage to set trends and become the talk of the town. Despite various speculations surrounding the owner's identity, it was known that the Lane family was certainly involved. After all, Aide Castle's initial investment came from Dominic.Shelly also overheard the conversations of the people around her, and it was clear that everyone was curious about the identity of t
"Well... I've never met the owner before," Shelly said.Mia burst into laughter. "You've never met the owner before, and yet you dare to talk so boldly?"Shelly refused to be at a disadvantage and promptly responded, "But I'll be able to see him soon. Our two families are about to cooperate, and we'll surely meet frequently in the future.""Who told you that Aide Castle will definitely cooperate with the Barrett family?""I am sure of it. We came to Nord City for this collaboration. Isn't that right, Aunt Sharon?"Sharon nodded confidently. "Indeed, Ms. Lane, whether we choose to collaborate with the owner or not, your approval alone doesn't hold any weight."Mia's eyes were sharp as she declared, "I have the final say in choosing who Aide Castle will collaborate with, and your input is irrelevant."Sharon's expression froze instantly. "How arrogant!""I can't help it. As the owner, I have the final decision on all of Aide Castle Hotel's collaborations. Besides the Barrett fami
Timothy dodged Luna as though he was dodging something filthy and repulsive.Her features stiffened. "Timothy, I know you're still angry at me."He frowned. "I don't get angry at outsiders."At this point, she didn't have the courage to speak to him no matter how much she wanted to get close to him.Mia watched the duo and felt baffled at their interaction. Timothy was acting slightly out of character today.He lowered his head to look at her. Then, he asked, "Mia, I texted you. Why didn't you reply to me?"It was like he was whining, and he now had a completely different personality from his aloof character a moment ago.Her eyes blinked profusely. She was really confused by how Timothy was acting today. "I missed it," she said nonchalantly.In fact, she left the message on "seen" on purpose."Are you still angry at me?" he asked."I don't get angry at outsiders."Timothy was rendered speechless. He had just said the same thing to Luna a moment ago. Mia's words hurt him,
"How dare you, Luna Maynard! We basically fed you when you lived with us. Don't think that you've become the main character of a rags-to-riches story. You're not qualified for that," Shelly barked.That humiliation was the final blow. Unable to take it anymore, Luna fought back. "Who do you think you are? You're a rich lady who wore imitations. You're just a joke in Bern City. There wasn't a place for you there and so you came here. Don't act all mighty and graceful. Look at you now. Getting all riled up just because I told everyone your true colors."Shelly retorted, "Who's all riled up? I'm just trying to teach you a lesson so that you won't run your mouth however you wish, bitch!""Who are you calling a bitch? You're the bitch!"The two women went from pulling each other by the hair to engaging in a brawl.Mia covered her face at the turn of events. Just when would this end?They were calling each other out verbally just one second ago. Then, Luna slapped Shelly! Now, the situ
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,