Mia meant to ask earlier, but she was interrupted by Maya's sudden appearance. Claude's expression shifted slightly. He was caught off guard by her question. "Maya knows how to play the piano as well. She wants to join our orchestra.""So she'll be joining in the future?" Mia asked curiously."In her dreams! I won't let her join. She isn't talented at all." Claude's tone was laced with disdain. There was no way he'd let Maya join the orchestra.Given Maya's influential family background, Mia thought it wouldn't be difficult for Maya to join the orchestra if she wanted.Just as they were about to leave backstage, Kennedy went up to Mia and asked, "Mia, it's all thanks to you that the event ended splendidly. Why don't you join us for a meal?"Mia didn't expect this at all. She really didn't want to entertain them since she only did it for the sake of her credit. Claude took note of her uneasiness. Glancing up at Kennedy, he replied, "Sorry, but we have an appointment later. Mayb
Maya's eyes glinted coldly. "Rest assured. I won't let this happen. I won't let the real daughter of the Lane family return and take my place from me!" She toiled her way to her current status, and she wouldn't just let anyone take it from her easily. Not only would she cling to the position of the daughter of the Lane family, but she was determined to become Timothy's wife as well. "Ms. Lane, this is too risky.""I got to where I am now because I take risks." Maya was willing to do anything to achieve her goals. …Meanwhile, Mia took Claude to a restaurant near her university. Chuckling, she remarked, "The food here is quite nice with a distinctive Bern City flavor. It's a stone's throw from my university, and it's usually thriving."Claude parked his car before glancing over at the restaurant. "Do you visit here often?"Shaking her head, Mia replied, "I used to work part-time here. The boss is really nice. I've tried some of their specials before, and I can assure you tha
Mia recognized the man—he must be the director of Music School. Struggling to come up with a response, she pressed her lips together.Yet, Timothy replied swiftly, "Nothing much. She's my wife, and I thank you all in advance for taking care of her in school."Mia was dumbfounded. What the heck did he just say?Feeling utterly bewildered, she chanced a glance at him. She clearly remembered him warning her not to expose their relationship in public before. But he just did earlier! Was he out of his mind?Everyone in the private room was stunned except for Kennedy and Claude. A bright smile spread across Kennedy's face while Claude glowered at Timothy. The director immediately lifted his glass at Mia, saying, "My apologies, Mrs. Barrett. I apologize for not recognizing you due to my ignorance. Please forgive me. Rest assured, I'll keep my lips sealed about this." The others chimed in as well, declaring that they wouldn't breathe a word of her identity.Mia flashed a courteous,
Mia couldn't care less about others' opinions. She would just do whatever she desired. She was certain that if she remained unbothered, people would just leave her alone. And Timothy was the main cause. He should be responsible for the consequences. "Mia, try this dessert. It's rum-flavored, and it's super nice." Claude shot a triumphant glance at Timothy. Timothy chided, "No, she can't eat that.""Why not?" Claude raised an eyebrow."There's alcohol in it." Mia was pregnant, and she should refrain from consuming alcohol. Timothy chanced a confused glance at Mia. Was Claude unaware of Mia's pregnancy?Mia understood Timothy's hint that she couldn't consume alcohol. She glanced over at the dessert and replied, "I'm full. I don't feel like eating dessert."Claude was still unaware of her pregnancy, after all. He set aside the dessert reluctantly, accepting the fact that she was already full. Timothy narrowed his eyes. He threw his arm on the back of Mia's chair. "Since you'
Watching Timothy's tentative behavior, it dawned on Mia that he really did have something to tell her. This was her first seeing him contemplating his words for so long. To her, he was never hesitant. As the rightful heir of the Barrett Group, he was well-known in the business industry for his decisiveness. Her gaze was glued to him, but his gaze was averted elsewhere. He couldn't seem to get the words out of his mouth. Feeling immensely frustrated, he tugged on his tie. Shit. After taking a deep breath, he glanced up at Mia and said, "Mia, actually—"Claude realized something was off. He interrupted hastily, "What are you on about? Stop fumbling with your words! Just spit it out, will you? "But let me warn you, don't you dare try to pursue Mia again! It's too late for you to fall for her now. "Better think twice before you speak so you won't humiliate yourself. Mia's no longer a lovesick fool now!"Claude knew his way around women. Of course, he wouldn't miss Timothy's
Mia was determined to settle the score with that troublesome Timothy at a later time!With Claude finally driving away, Mia let out a sigh of relief.Glancing toward the nearby restaurant, she couldn't help but think about Timothy's strange behavior just moments ago, which left her puzzled.What exactly did Timothy want to say earlier?After a moment of contemplation, Mia felt her mind swirling with thoughts. Nonetheless, she eventually managed to gather herself, determined not to let Timothy's words shake her.Upon returning home, Mia went straight to bed.Lately, she had been experiencing growing fatigue, especially as her bump started growing day by day. She could already feel discomfort when bending or squatting down.Gently touching her abdomen, Mia realized she needed to start making arrangements to depart as soon as possible.…The following day, Mia headed to campus for her scheduled classes.After her lectures, Riley approached Mia. "Mia, Mr. Shaw asked to see you in
Timothy looked up, his brow creasing slightly. "What are you doing here?""Tim, I tried calling you last night, but you didn't answer. I told you I had important matters to discuss. Why didn't you call me back?" Sharon entered the office, visibly agitated.Timothy remained composed. "I had some pressing matters to attend to."Sharon settled onto the sofa, her designer handbag clutched tightly in her hand. "Tim, I heard you've finalized the divorce and transferred all your shares to Mia. Is that true?"Timothy realized that Sharon must have learned this information from Maya. He wasn't comfortable with others knowing about his divorce; it was a blow to his pride.Maintaining a stoic demeanor, Timothy confirmed, "Yes, that's correct."However, Timothy couldn't ignore the fact that he hadn't thoroughly reviewed the property settlement agreement for the divorce and had merely signed it at the time."Tim, how could you be so oblivious? Don't you understand the significance of handing
Timothy's frustration was evident as he tugged at his tie. Looking at the prenuptial agreement laid out before him, he felt as though he had just been dealt a harsh blow.Nonetheless, what was even more exasperating was that every time he accused Mia of being materialistic, she never bothered to refute it.With a heavy heart, Timothy closed his eyes, haunted by memories of Mia's attempts to explain herself, knowing deep down he had never fully trusted her words.Timothy had always prided himself on his ability to understand people and their motives, yet with Mia, he found himself faltering.This left him feeling not just unsettled but also weighed down by a sense of guilt."Tim, what's bothering you? I had a talk with Mia in the university hall yesterday. She wouldn't dare to mention that property settlement agreement again."Releasing his grip, Timothy's gaze darkened. "What exactly did you say to her?""Well, I handed Mia the divorce papers for her review, or more precisely, a
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,