Mia detected Timothy's familiar interrogative tone, tinged with an air of superiority. His gaze remained as penetrating as ever.Running her fingers through her freshly dried hair, Mia teased, "Why don't you take a guess?"Timothy couldn't help but notice her subtle movements.Mia's hair cascaded to one side, and the strap of her camisole delicately slid down, revealing a generous expanse of skin that glowed warmly under the soft lighting.Timothy was briefly stunned, not anticipating such a provocative scene.He felt a lump in his throat, and his gaze grew intense. Was Mia doing this intentionally?However, she appeared entirely oblivious to the fact that she was inadvertently exposing herself.As Timothy lapsed into a sudden silence during the video call, Mia commented, "Is there anything else? If not, I'll go ahead and hang up.""Mia, you still haven't answered my question! Don't assume you can allure me just by dressing like this. Even if you were to undress in front of me,
Connor and Mia exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes flickering with a hint of discomfort.Breaking the silence, Laura waved at Mia and exclaimed, "Mia, you're here! Don't just stand at the door, come over."Forcing a smile, Mia reluctantly walked over to Laura. She placed the flowers in the nearby vase and turned to Laura, "How have you been feeling lately?""I've been doing well. But, Mia, you seem a bit more tired than last time," Laura remarked, holding Mia's hand and scrutinizing her. "Is it due to the demands of your studies and work?"Mia cleared her throat before answering, "Not exactly. I've actually put on some weight recently."She had carefully controlled her diet, fearing that overeating might expose her growing belly and make it difficult to conceal her pregnancy."Mia, what do you mean you've gained weight? Honestly, you look thinner to me."Now, remember, you're not alone. You have a baby growing inside you. Please be mindful not to overwork yourself," Laura advis
Mia sighed and surveyed their surroundings. "Connor, come with me. Let's chat over there.""Why do we need to go there? Can't we just talk here?"Connor's face bore an expression of reluctance.Mia gently tugged at his white coat. "Connor, please. Come with me. It's not appropriate to discuss this here. We might disturb Grandma Laura."Eventually, Connor compromised.Mia guided Connor to the far end of the corridor. Bowing her head, she spoke nervously, "Connor, let me explain.""Yeah, I'm listening. Speak up. What's your relationship with Timothy, and whose child is in your belly?"Mia took a deep breath and admitted, "Connor, by now, you've probably already guessed. The child in my belly belongs to Timothy.""What? That jerk had the audacity to sexually harass you? Damn it, I'll make sure to put an end to him. Just watch me!"Connor was furious upon learning about Timothy's misconduct. Despite taking all precautions against Timothy, he still managed to exploit the situation!
Only then did Connor wrap his head around the situation—the woman who tied the knot with the unconscious Timothy back then was Mia, his sister!The sheer thought of it sent a wave of emotions through Connor. He was angry and remorseful.Maya wished to get married to Timothy but was stopped by Dominic. In the end, she shrugged off the idea probably because she assumed that Timothy would die.Then, the Barretts announced that someone was willing to get married to Timothy.Connor regretted it now. Things would've been better if they found Mia three years ago.Mia's guilt pricked her conscience. "I know that I was wrong. We weren't close in the beginning, so I didn't know how to bring it up. Plus, we were considering a divorce at that time, thinking that it was best to end things sooner."On top of that, the Barretts were a prestigious family in Bern City. Mia didn't want to cause her brothers trouble, hence the decision to keep them in the dark.She lifted her head. "I'm sorry. I
Mia raised her head to see Timothy standing not far from them. His eyes held a dark glint.Her breathing hitched. What was Timothy doing here? This was such bad timing. If Connor saw Timothy, things would go out of control.The quick-witted Mia yanked Connor's arm over, preventing him from seeing Timothy in the corridor.An idea crossed her mind. "Connor, I almost forgot to ask you something. How is Mrs. Barrett Senior doing? Why are you the one examining her today?"That question caught him off guard and pricked at his guilty conscience. "D—Didn't I tell you that I have to participate in the surgery because her case is complicated? A surgery such as hers requires an extra set of hands. We can help out immediately in case of emergencies."Mia could vaguely remember him saying that. In that case, it was normal for him to show up there.He let out a wry cough to hide his guilt. "Now that you've brought it up, I just remembered that I have a meeting to attend. It's regarding Mrs
Mia caught on Connor's expression and something seemed off to her. "Connor, you're acting out of character today.""Am I? It's probably because of work," Connor attempted to brush it off. "Go ahead. You have a meeting, don't you? I'll keep Mrs. Barrett Senior company," Mia decided not to pry further. He nodded. "I'll take you to the hospital for a prenatal checkup in the afternoon."Watching her getting close to the Barrett family was the last thing he asked for, but he was aware of how attached Mia could be. Before the Lane brothers began taking care of Mia, Laura looked after her so he couldn't force her to leave Laura.Everything would be settled once he brought her out of Nord City, away from the Barretts.Mia watched Connor take the stairs to the floor beneath. A faint sigh escaped her lips.After washing some fruits, she headed to the patient's room. The door opened the moment she approached the door.Timothy walked out of the room, standing right in front of her. His
Mia raised her head, studying Timothy. His face reflected in her crystal-clear eyes.They stood in the corridor, where the windows welcomed the warm summer breeze.He saw himself in her eyes, his heartbeat picking up its pace."Mia Bowen, you've become more shameless since we last met a few days ago. Do I look like I have feelings for you?" A quick denial.Despite his steely expression, his eyes wavered. He even tucked at his necktie to mask his mixed feelings."Okay. Then, why do you care so much about my relationship when you don't even like me? Why tell me that those men are bad guys? Don't you think that you're crossing the line as my ex-husband?""That's because you have a bad judgment of character."She nodded in acknowledgment. "You have a point. If I had good judgment of character, I wouldn't have chosen you."Frustration boiled within him as he gritted his teeth. "Don't you regret this, Mia Bowen."He left after saying that.Bitterness reached the tip of Mia's tongue
Connor nodded. "I'm not the only person involved in this surgery. I hope you guys can cooperate with me."The casual conversation lasted a few moments before the crowd dispersed from the meeting room.Connor was planning to leave when Timothy's steely voice resounded from behind. "Dr. Lane, wait up."Connor pursed his lips at that. He turned around begrudgingly and looked at Timothy coldly. "Anything?"Timothy marched a few steps forward. It was a face-to-face confrontation where no one intended to back off.A moment later, Timothy broke the silence. "Dr. Lane, I'm grateful that you're willing to perform the surgery for my grandmother. But I hope you can keep a safe distance from Mia. She's still my wife.""She's your wife? How shameless of you. The divorce procedure will take place after the surgery, right?"Timothy narrowed his eyes. "I didn't say that before.""Are you going to go against your word, Timothy Barrett?" Connor grabbed Timothy by the collar with a cold expressio
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,