The young woman was Shelly Barrett, Timothy's cousin.Mia simply ignored Shelly's sarcastic remarks. Throughout the years, Shelly viewed Mia in contempt. Her comments would always suggest that Mia was only willing to marry a half-dead Timothy for money.In the past, Mia kept putting up with Shelly's ridicule. But now that she had signed the divorce papers, she no longer needed to do so.Shelly strutted haughtily over to Mia and snapped, "Why are you just standing there? Hurry over to the kitchen and start cooking. Remember to make my favorite seafood stew."Mia withdrew her gaze and replied, "Grandma Laura invited me over to have dinner. She didn't ask me to come here as a maid to cook for other people.""What do you mean by that, Mia? You've got the nerve, don't you? You're even refusing to cook! I'm going to tell Aunt Sharon about this!"Mia ignored Shelly and walked into the house. When she entered the living room, she saw two people sitting on the couch.One was her ex-mothe
Moments later, Maya entered the kitchen. She walked up to Mia and said, "Mia, do you think making some soup for Mrs. Barrett Senior is enough for you to convince her to stand up for you?"I'll let you in on something. I've hired a renowned and highly acclaimed cardiovascular surgeon to perform surgery for Mrs. Barrett Senior. As long as the surgery succeeds, I'm sure she won't object to Tim and me getting married."Even though Dominic and Connor hadn't agreed to Maya's request, she was sure she could convince Connor to operate on Laura.She believed that once she saved that old hag's life, the latter would've no reason to stop her from marrying Timothy anymore.Mia knew that Laura had been living with a heart condition for some time now, but they had failed to find a suitable person to perform the surgery.Well, Mia figured things were better this way. At the very least, Laura could regain her health.Mia stood up from the stool and said, "Allow me to offer my congratulations in
Soon, Ivan Levin, the Barretts' family doctor, rushed over.Timothy looked at the blisters on the back of Mia's hand. His gaze darkened as he barked at Mia, "Why are you just standing there? Sit down!"Mia moved toward the couch, but Sharon shoved her aside. "Stop getting in the way. Quick, Dr. Levin. Take a look at Maya's hand. We wouldn't want her wound to leave a scar."Sitting on the couch, Maya glanced smugly at Mia.Mia stood rooted in her spot. It was as if she didn't care at all. Timothy took a quick look at her but didn't say anything.Ivan set down his medical bag and started to inspect Maya's wrist. All he found was a bit of redness. There wasn't even a cut on her skin.With a complicated look on his face, Ivan said, "I don't think I need to check on her.""How can you say that? What if her injury worsens because it didn't get treated on time? Are you sure you can take responsibility for that kind of mistake?" Sharon reprimanded.Ivan adjusted his glasses before repl
Mia sat on the couch. Ivan bandaged her hand before instructing, "For the next few days, avoid letting your wound come into contact with water. You need to let the wound heal first.""Mia, tell me how you got injured," Laura said.Mia glanced at Maya. The latter's eyes shifted evasively.Sharon immediately cried out, "What do you mean by that, Mia? An accident? Don't tell me you're trying to frame Maya. She was just kind enough to try and help you. She got injured, too.""Shut up!" Laura snapped loudly. "Who allowed you to speak?"Sharon clammed up at once, though her expression was unpleasant. Laura, her mother-in-law, had always disliked her. Instead, Laura favored Mia, a woman from a poor background.In the end, Mia calmly answered, "It was just an accident, Grandma. I got distracted while I was making some soup."Her explanation made Timothy's eyes grow thoughtful. Why wasn't Mia making a fuss when Laura was here to stand up for her?"Oh, you silly goose. We've plenty of pe
Maya and Shelly were in similar states of disarray. Their hair and clothes were a mess, and there were marks left behind by the spatula Mia had used."Mrs. Barrett will stand up for me!" Maya shrieked."But you're in the Barrett residence right now, and Grandma Laura is the one who has the final say. Do you think she'll believe you guys or me? "I'm warning you two. Don't try to mess with me, or you won't be getting off so easily next time," Mia growled.Shelly gulped with a look of despair. She knew Mia was right. Laura would definitely believe Mia, that bitch!After saying her piece, Mia walked out of the kitchen.Maya and Shelly crumpled to the floor. They were forced to suffer such treatment without being able to get even.Gritting her teeth, Maya fumed, "I won't be forgetting this! Just you wait!"All this while, Timothy had been standing in a corner outside the kitchen. He had witnessed everything. Cocking an eyebrow, Timothy stared after Mia's retreating figure. He did
Timothy interrupted Sharon by saying, "Let's just enjoy our dinner."Laura looked at Mia with a kind smile and said, "I had them prepare your favorite soup—clam chowder. Timothy, fill your wife's bowl for her."Mia's eyelids twitched. She wanted to reach out for the ladle herself, but Timothy beat her to it. He took her bowl and filled it for her.As she stared at the creamy soup, she suddenly lost her appetite."What's the matter?" Sharon scoffed. "My son personally served you that bowl of clam chowder. Are you turning your nose up at it?"Laura gazed at Mia in concern. "Do you not like it, Mia?""That's not it, Grandma. I quite like the soup."As Mia picked up a spoonful of soup, she felt a pair of eyes on her. When she smelled the soup, she instinctively frowned.She forced herself to take a mouthful but couldn't bear to swallow the second mouthful.A few seconds later, Mia set down her spoon and heaved like she was about to vomit.It was strange. Mia had always liked clam
"I did say I liked you, Mr. Barrett, but I didn't say forever.""Mia Bowen! Do you know what you're saying?"Clutching Mia by the chin, Timothy continued to stare deep into her eyes. He had suddenly realized just how little he understood her.All this time, she remained by his side and took care of all his daily needs. It was as if she could instantly pick up on his thoughts or feelings and do what was necessary to cater to him.Her gaze had been simple enough to read as well. She looked at him with love and adoration.Yet, all of a sudden, that gaze had disappeared.Timothy felt extremely displeased. The thought of her treating another man the way she used to treat him made him want to punch someone. He really wanted to find the man she was with at the hotel and beat him up!Mia didn't back down or retreat from Timothy. They were so close that their noses were nearly touching.Even their breaths mingled in the air between them. The atmosphere became a little strange."Hey! Wh
"Mia, why aren't you answering the question? Say something."Mia cast an awkward glance at Timothy before muttering, "W-What am I supposed to say? You should ask Timothy about it."Why were they making things difficult for her?Save for that one time, Timothy never slept with her, so how was she supposed to get pregnant?Timothy cleared his throat before responding, "Why're you asking about such things, Mom? We've been using contraception. That's why she hasn't gotten pregnant. I don't plan on having any kids yet."When Mia heard his last sentence, she looked down at her abdomen. It seemed like she truly needed to protect this baby of hers.Laura chimed in anxiously, "You're already 30 years old. Why don't you want to have kids yet? I'm afraid I'm going to die before I get to see you become a father.""Grandma, as long as you agree to get the surgery, you'll definitely live enough to see that happening," Timothy said."Hah! Don't even try to use that on me. You want me to agree
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,