A flicker of guilt crossed Maya's eyes; she harbored no desire to be reunited with her biological family.Being discarded in the past signified their lack of desire for her, or perhaps an inability to provide for her.With the Lane family offering such favorable conditions and Maya holding the title of heiress, she wondered if it was necessary to search for her birth parents.Was biological family really that important?Having experienced hardships in the orphanage, Maya recognized the significance of wealth and social standing. Hence, she had no interest in reconnecting with her birth family.With a hint of reluctance, Maya responded, "Regardless of whether I find my biological family or not, it doesn't impact my engagement."You all are my family now, and that's why I sincerely hope you can join me and Timothy for our engagement ceremony."Connor observed her with a scrutinizing gaze. "Maya, you've achieved your goal. I've agreed to perform the surgery on Grandma. There's no n
Mia spoke up, "Connor, given your involvement in this surgery, please inform me promptly if there's any update on Grandma Laura's condition." Indeed, Mia was genuinely concerned about Laura's wellbeing.Observing Mia's compassionate demeanor, Connor couldn't help but sigh. "Mia, don't worry. Grandma Laura will be just fine. I promise." Connor would undoubtedly put forth his best effort in performing the surgery, ensuring that Mia could sever all ties with the Barrett family.After Mia's departure, Connor called Dominic and inquired, "Hey Dominic, when did I agree to attend Maya's engagement ceremony?"Clearing his throat, Dominic explained, "Well, didn't I mention that I won't be able to make it?""Come on, Dominic. If you made a promise, it's your responsibility to follow through. I never agreed to attend Maya's engagement ceremony in the first place," Connor retorted.He disapproved of Maya's manipulative tactics—using Laura as leverage.If Maya were obedient and compliant,
Mia glanced at her phone but refrained from answering, sensing that it probably wasn't good news she was about to receive.The persistent ringing, however, showed no signs of stopping.With a sense of resignation, Mia reluctantly answered the call, "Hello?""You brat, what's going on? Why didn't you pick up when I called? Don't you know I have something urgent to discuss with you?"Mia replied coldly, "What's the matter?"On the other end of the line, Mary exclaimed, "Mia, transfer a hundred thousand dollars to me right away!""A hundred thousand? Why don't you just rob a bank?"Mia knew that whenever Mary called, it surely involved money, and this time was no exception, with a demand for a hefty sum right from the start."Mia, spare me the act. Your husband is loaded. After all, you're in charge of your family's finances. Now that your biological family is in the picture, there's no way you're short on a hundred grand."I've been considerate enough not to bother you recently,
This was certainly bad news.After class, Mia discreetly exited the college, concealing her identity with a hat and mask, wary of being spotted by Bob and Mary.After all, they were entirely capable of resorting to disruptive actions, such as blocking the college entrance.Upon reaching the roadside, Mia carefully surveyed her surroundings, ensuring there were no suspicious figures around.Finding none, she breathed a sigh of relief and decided to hail a taxi for her journey back home."Mia, stop right there!"Suddenly, a red sports car pulled over by the roadside, and Shelly emerged, visibly agitated. "Where else do you think you can hide?"Mia maintained her composure. "I haven't been hiding.""Then why are you wearing a mask and hat on such a scorching day if you're not trying to hide?" Shelly retorted.She intercepted Mia, obstructing her path. "You're the one who ratted me out to my family."Now, I'm stuck with a measly monthly allowance of 50 thousand dollars, which is
Just as Shelly was on the verge of turning around, Mia swiftly interjected, "Let's discuss matters calmly, there's no need to be impulsive."Mia was determined not to become entangled with her adoptive parents again, having finally distanced herself from her old neighborhood.Despite any resentment that Bob and Mary might harbor, Mia was aware that they couldn't exert any control over her.She was adamant about preserving the tranquility of her current life.Wearing a smug expression, Shelly continued to drive forward.Before long, Mia noticed the Barrett Group nearby. She hadn't anticipated coming here.Parking her car in the designated spot, Shelly proudly remarked, "Mia, this place is unfamiliar to you, isn't it? Allow me to give you a guided tour this time."Back when you were the Barrett family heiress, you didn't consider this building worthy of visiting. However, I'll gladly show you around now. Don't bother thanking me!"Mia gazed at Shelly impassively and remarked, "Ac
Maya wore a triumphant smile, yet underneath, a sense of unease lingered as she glanced at Mia.Addressing Shelly, Maya suggested, "Shelly, why not let her go? When we meet Timothy later, I'll handle the credit card matter with him."For some inexplicable reason, Maya didn't want Mia to meet Timothy, especially at this critical juncture.Shelly rolled her eyes and nodded. "Sure, Mia, you can go. You're not needed here anymore."Mia had no intention of lingering any longer. After all, Shelly had coerced her into coming in the first place.This turn of events suited Mia just fine. It might have even simplified matters for her.As Mia exited the guest room, preparing to leave, she coincidentally encountered a group of people emerging from the adjacent conference room.Leading the group, Timothy was attired in a dark suit, radiating his customary air of aloofness. He had his head bowed, engrossed in conversation with Heath beside him.Spotting Mia, Heath's expression immediately da
Confronted by Shelly's stare, Maya summoned the courage to speak, "Tim, initially, this was just a minor issue. Wilhelmina orchestrated everything, so please don't hold Shelly responsible."With a cold expression, Timothy curtly replied, "I have things to attend to. You can leave."Feeling somewhat flustered, Maya continued, "Tim, there's something I need to discuss with you. For our engagement ceremony, Dominic and my brothers will also be present."Maya specifically came to inform Timothy about this matter.Indeed, their engagement held profound significance for her.After all, with Timothy now divorced from Mia, she considered herself the most suitable partner for him, confident that no one could rival her.Lowering his eyes, Timothy retorted, "So what? Our engagement was never real in the first place, and you know it better than anyone else."Maya's breath caught for a moment, and she spoke with a pleading tone, "Tim, could you please help me maintain a sense of dignity in f
Regardless, Mia would never be able to surpass Maya.As Mia exited the Barrett Group, she briefly glanced back at the imposing skyscraper before walking away from the premises.After returning home that evening, Patricia took Mia's hand and shared, "Mia, I have some wonderful news to share. It appears our old neighborhood might be undergoing redevelopment.""Redevelopment? Are you serious?"Mia hadn't considered the possibility of her old neighborhood being redeveloped. Could this be a stroke of luck?Just when she was in dire need of money, did she ironically become eligible for compensation?Patricia was equally excited. " Yes, it's true. I revisited our old neighborhood today and chatted with some neighbors. The word on the street is that we'll have a meeting in a few days to voice our opinions."I've heard they're considering two options—one is to provide a new house, and the other is to offer compensation in cash."Mia held Patricia's hand. "That's fantastic news. When the
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,