Maya gripped her phone tightly, barely restraining herself from smashing her phone. Her assistant replied, "I've checked with the hospital management. He's not on duty.""Since he's not on duty tonight, why is he not picking up the phone? Is he not willing to have a meal with me now?" Annoyance slowly got the best of her.In fact, she didn't see Connor's rejection coming. That was why she scheduled for that night's dinner to press the following plans into motion.Yet, he didn't show up that day!Maya glanced at the private lounge, where Timothy and Sharon were present.They were waiting for Connor.If he didn't show up, what should she do?She shot a cold gaze at her assistant. "I told you to verify if there's any bad blood between Connor and Timothy. Any updates?"The assistant shrunk as she replied, "No, for now."Maya slapped her. "Useless! Incompetent trash! If your incompetence gets in my way, I'll fire all of you!"She felt better after venting it out to her assistant
"Okay." Mia nodded, wanting to go along with Liam. It would be her first time at a charity auction.After receiving a positive response, he texted in "One Big Happy Family" immediately. "Reaching out to Dominic for sponsorship. Mia agreed to come along with me to a charity auction."Five people wired him money in a heartbeat, all solely for Mia's allowance to be spent at the charity auction.Liam whistled at the notification received upon the successful transactions. "Thank you for the support, brothers. Love you all."Jason texted, "No embezzlement allowed unless you're expecting a lawyer's letter."Liam replied with a crying emoji, torn by how Jason saw him that way.If there were a list of a target of Liam's schemes, Mia's name would never appear on it.…That night, Mia and Liam went to the charity auction together. The line of luxurious cars caught her eye. As she guessed, only people loaded with cash could attend such an event."Mia, if you see anything you like, just
Mia's eyes fixated on Timothy when he trod in their direction. She couldn't shift her gaze away from his suit.She was almost certain that it was the suit she picked for him a few months ago.It was the time when Maya hadn't shown up, and he hadn't suggested a divorce.Timothy's brows creased the moment he saw the bidding number in Mia's hand.Maya welcomed him with a grin. "Timothy, it's a surprise to see Ms. Bowen here, isn't it? Shelly and I found it weird, so we were talking to her."Shelly quickly added fuel to the fire. "Timothy, I'm pretty sure she hooked up with a man. Otherwise, considering her status, she wouldn't have been able to show up here. "It's her fate to stay poor forever, yet she keeps dreaming of being a Cinderella."Mia's expression turned cold.Liam snorted from her behind. "No wonder I smelled something foul from afar. Not even your strong perfume can cover that foul smell coming from your mouth. "You should return home and cleanse your mouth before s
Timothy faced sideways and chided, "Mind your attitude, Shelly Barrett. Is the long years of upbringing all for nothing? You're just plain rude. Not even the perfume can cover your foul attitude!"Shelly was dumbfounded. "Timothy!""If you don't know how to speak properly, then shut it. Don't be such a disgrace." He left those cold remarks and marched forward.Maya comforted Shelly before following him.Meanwhile, Mia and Liam were searching for their seats.He gazed at her. "Mia, were you bullied when you worked for the Barretts?"Her eyelids fluttered. "No. Mrs. Barrett Senior actually treated me well. No one had the nerve to bully me.""But judging from how Shelly acted back there, I can tell that she didn't treat you nicely. Don't worry, Mia. I'm going to make her pay for it!""It's a misunderstanding, Liam. It's not what you think it is." She didn't want him to get on the Barretts' bad side because of her.That was exactly why she didn't speak with her brothers about her
Sensing the ball of rage forming in Liam, Mia grabbed his hand to stop him. "Calm down!"He glared at Maya, mocking, "Whose credit is it that you're able to come this far? Know your place!"Maya's smile fell, fearing the possibility that he revealed she was adopted.Only a few in Nord City knew of it. No one in Bern City was aware of it. That was why she loved visiting Bern City, where no one knew her true origin.The rich people in Nord City looked down on her solely because she was adopted.It served the cause for Maya's resolution to marry an all-rounded man with powerful background.Timothy was the candidate she had her eyes on.Once she earned the title of Mrs. Barrett, no one in Nord City would give her contemptuous looks!Maya zipped her lips immediately, and Mia found the situation off.Considering the fact that Liam was disguising himself as that actor, wouldn't Liam's attitude tarnish that actor's reputation?"Mia, take it. You can buy anything you fancy." The bid
Liam snorted coldly before breaking into a smile at Mia. "You're right, Mia. He's a real idiot. You're so smart!"Timothy, who successfully won the bid for the painting, could feel a tag reading "idiot" hanging over his neck.He grasped his bidding number tightly, staring at the painting wordlessly. The triumph gave way to annoyance almost instantly.At that moment, Maya spoke to an attendant. "Reserve the painting. We'll pay for everything altogether later."Her gaze on Mia for a second as she added, "Auction is meant to be a competition. Timothy bought the painting for Mrs. Barrett Senior."Knowing that it was a gesture meant to save Timothy's pride, Mia merely smiled.Still, it didn't quell the frustration bubbling in him.Soon, the item on display was that diamond necklace with a minimum bid of 300 thousand dollars.Liam blurted, "Mia, I'm going to buy it for you. You'll look stunning with it!"A sister-fool definitely thought that anything on the face of the earth suited
The crowd surged into commotion.Liam seethed at the thought of Timothy's insanity.Shelly jeered from behind, "Mia Bowen, it's ten million now. Raise your number if you have the money. If you can't cough up enough money, you'll be detained here."The next thing that happened was Liam raising Mia's hand. "Twelve million!"Mia was stunned while he appeared rather calm. He didn't lack money anyway.As long as Mia took a liking to something, no one could take it away from her—Liam firmly believed so.Although 12 million dollars was kinda far-fetched, he had five brothers—or more like ATMs—to count on!Timothy was equally taken aback. After all, it was such a huge amount of money.Still, announcing defeat was not in his plans.The host on stage appeared hesitant as well. Soon, an attendant approached Liam. "Excuse me, sir. Since it involves a huge amount of money, we have to verify your funding to make sure that it's fair."Shelly gloated. "Did I hit the bulls-eye?"Liam rose
Only then did Mia release Timothy. She fixed his tie gently, so gently that it didn't feel real to him.It reminded him of the past when she helped him with his tie and took care of his meals and well-being.Something wavered in his eyes as he forgot about how she strangled him just a moment ago.At that moment, the door was opened, and Liam walked out of the room. "Mia."An alarm went off in his head when he realized that Mia was with Timothy.He took huge strides to disengage them by standing between them.Timothy's face fell. A slightly nervous Mia gazed at Liam. "How did it go?""I paid the money. They'll bring the necklace over to us later. Let's go.""Okay." She nodded and didn't spare Timothy a single glance.But she could feel his piercing face.Liam eyed Timothy. "Make way, please. Don't you think that you're getting in the way?"Pursing his lips, Timothy didn't move an inch.Mia held Liam's arm. "Let's go this way.""Okay. Your wish is my command." Liam looked at
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,