Was it because Derek was scolded earlier?As Mia plastered a stoic expression on her face, she said, "Fine. I won't press any further on the matter since I have received the payment.""Thank you so much, Ms. Bowen. I'm really sorry about that," Derek blurted. Shortly after, Maya's voice resonated across the hall. "Ha! What a loser, giving in just like that!"Mia lifted her head, and saw Maya emerging from the elevator, looking extremely proud. She replied faintly, "At least he learns from his mistakes.""Mia, don't you dare think you won because of some little tricks you pulled.""They worked, didn't they? I achieved my goal after all."As her gaze fixated on Maya, she continued, "If you carry on with your evil schemes, believe it or not, I'll expose your video instead. It won't just be an audio clip next time. You should even thank me for saving you some face."Maya was infuriated. "It seems like I've underestimated your seduction skills, haven't I? You even managed to
Eva was dumbfounded. Why did Mia hack their branch company?Nonetheless, Nathan and Dominic, who were obsessed with Mia, were over the moon. Connor explained that Nathan was tutoring Mia in computer science, and he came to a conclusion that she made a significant improvement. Still, Eva was flummoxed. "Why did Mia hack the branch company's system for no reason? Did she find out about something?"Dominic enlightened them on the incident.Liam cursed, "That bitch Maya! How dare she frame Mia like that? How are you going to handle this, Dominic? How are you going to explain yourself if Mia finds out about this in the future?"Dominic replied, "I can handle this. Give me a week to deal with Maya."Connor quickly remarked, "You have to hurry up. Mia plans to come back to live with us in Nord City once she has completed her studies."Even if Dominic found out about Mia's pregnancy, he wouldn't be able to get mad at Connor and her because of what Maya did. Connor thought it was
Felix emerged from his office in the afternoon."Mia, let's grab lunch together.""Sure. It's on me, okay? You were injured last time for saving me, and I really don't know how I should thank you.""It's simple. You can just marry me."A hint of awkwardness flickered across Mia's face. Almost immediately, Felix remarked quickly, "I'm just kidding. Don't take it seriously. Let's go now."Just then, Janice stepped into the studio. "Felix, are you done with your work yet? I made some chicken soup for your nourishments.""Mom, why did you come? Didn't I say I'm not going back for lunch?"Felix frowned. He came to the studio on purpose because he knew Mia was working today. He wanted to have a lunch date with her. Little did he expect Janice to come to the studio with the chicken soup. Indeed, she was making things complicated. "I was worried about you not eating proper meals at the office, Felix. That's why I came with the chicken soup. You can share it with Ms. Bowen since
Mia did not expect to bump into Timothy here. Sometimes, fate wasn't exactly kind to her. Naturally, Felix saw him as well. His eyes lit up once he realized Timothy was engaged to Maya, the daughter of the Lane family. Tension hung in the air as they met in front of the restaurant. Mia quickly averted her gaze. "Mrs. Quilter, let's head to our private room.” However, Felix stepped forward and approached Timothy. "Mr. Barrett, what a coincidence! Are you dining at this restaurant as well?"Mia's heart skipped a beat when she saw him greeting Timothy. When did he become friendly with him?She glanced up at Timothy, who still looked as charming as ever. Meeting her eyes, he gave her a nonchalant nod and remained silent. Here Felix was, racking his brain trying to get himself acquainted with Timothy. After all, he was a Barrett, a member of the most prestigious family in their city. If Felix happened to benefit from any resources Timothy gave him, it would only be a matter
After some thought, Mia answered, "Mr. Barrett's my cousin—a distant cousin of mine!"She felt him gazing suggestively at her, but she didn't spare him a glance. She had no idea what he was up to. Felix gladly accepted her explanation. Them being cousins made sense to him, since he was aware that Mia was also related to the Lane family in Nord City. After all, it wasn't uncommon for the upper crust to be closely related to each other. Thus, it didn't arouse his suspicion. Instead, he was quite pleased with Mia's background.If Mia got together with him in the future, he'd be closely acquainted with both the Lane and Barrett families. Overwhelmed with excitement, he chattered, "Let's stop crowding at the entrance. Mr. Barrett, this way please."Timothy narrowed his eyes before casting Mia a look. Then, he spun around and followed them to the private room. Mia went along with heavy steps. She had lost her appetite. After they all took their seats, Felix handed the menu to Timo
It was tough for Mia to handle Janice's overwhelming passion in matchmaking her and Felix. She wasn't divorced yet, and she was pregnant with Timothy's child. It would be impossible for Janice to accept her, given how much she cherished Felix. Nonetheless, she hadn't had the chance to break it to Janice yet, especially when Timothy was with them. Her heart skipped a beat when Janice tried to set her up with Felix in front of Timothy, who was about to become her ex-husband. She let out an awkward laugh. "Mrs. Quilter, the food's here. Let's eat first.""Mia, why are you shy and embarrassed? It's not like we don't know each other. And what a coincidence that your cousin's here, and he finally met Felix. There's nothing wrong, is there? Why are you being evasive? Isn't it just a matter of time before you and Felix meet both your families?"How Mia wished she could turn invisible right now. What on earth was Janice going on about? She only went out with Felix for a meal to thank
Immediately, Felix chided, "Mia, why didn't you tell me Mr. Barrett saved you? I almost missed the chance to express my gratitude properly. Mr. Barrett, this toast is for you."Timothy glanced at the glass in Felix's hand and smiled halfheartedly. "I don't drink."A wave of awkwardness washed over Felix. He quickly replaced his glass with a cup of tea, saying, "Is tea okay for you?"Still, Timothy didn't accept his invitation. Instead, he looked over at Mia, asking, "Mia, shouldn't you also offer me a toast?"Mia took a deep breath. What was up with him? It was her strategy to mention they were cousins, so their relationship wouldn't be exposed. Wasn't he the one who came up with this rule after they got married? Why was he acting up now?Janice nudged her arm, chiming in, "Mia, what are you waiting for? Offer Mr. Barrett a toast! You should at least do that since he saved you. It's only right when he had spent so much money and effort on your rescue."A glass of wine was sho
Mia stood where she was, staring at the two men beside her. Felix was holding onto one of her hands, while Timothy held onto another. She frowned, urging, "Um, can you both let go?"Neither of them did. Timothy narrowed his eyes, glaring at Felix as he snapped, "Why are you grabbing her hand?"Felix released her hand in an instant. Hastily, he poured a glass of warm water for her. "Mia, drink some water to ease your throat.""Thanks."Before she reached for the glass, she glanced down at Timothy's hand. Her hand was still in his grip. "Timothy, I can manage on my own now."She meant for him to let go of her. Reluctantly, Timothy released her and glared at Felix. At this point, he was really annoyed at him.Wasn't Mia close with Connor? Why was she here with Felix to meet his mother?Meanwhile, Mia felt nauseous after a few sips of warm water. She turned around and dashed toward the washroom. This was all Janice's fault. She thought the drink beside her was a mild fruit
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,