The Lane brothers looked intimidating when they rose in unison. Layla's expression shifted in an instant. A hint of confusion flickered across her eyes. Weren't these men Maya's brothers? Nonetheless, she saw no sign of her and Mia took her seat instead. This was strange. Kennedy immediately sensed that something was wrong. He wanted to mention that Mia was Timothy's wife and she was certainly well off, but he bit his tongue when he met the Lanes' glare. Zipping his mouth shut, he thought the Lanes were truly formidable. "Mia, pass me the mic." Mia glanced at Dominic and did as he said. He took the microphone and stared at Layla. "We gave her the money as her family because we thought it'd be nice of her to contribute something significant to the society.""F-Family? Aren't y'all Maya's brothers?"Dominic's gaze swept past the hall as he said, "Since Mia's classmates are here as well, there's no need to keep this a secret. Actually, Maya was adopted. The biological daughter
Layla was doomed. Looking at Layla's face which was now drained of any color, Mia didn't have any pity for her. If it weren't for her identity, she would've fallen victim to her accusations.Just then, Mia spotted Timothy. He strode in with his bandaged arm, looking slightly pale. She didn't expect him to return from the hospital that soon.It wasn't possible. The hospital was quite a distance from her college, and he couldn't have returned in such a short period of time. The only possibility was that he didn't even visit the hospital—he merely went to the infirmary. Timothy's arrival had people swooning over his looks as well. He took long, wide strides toward the VIP area and sat next to the Lane brothers. Kennedy stammered hastily, "L-Let's continue."Mia went back to her seat, but she had a constant feeling that someone was watching her. Uneasiness swallowed her as the auction reached its end. Kennedy was giving a speech on the stage. "That's a wrap of this splendid even
Timothy's words immediately sparked fury among the five brothers!Claude stepped forward, grabbing Timothy's tie and tugging his arm in the process. "You scoundrel, do you have a death wish? Mia is no longer the orphan you could mistreat! She is now the heiress of the Lane family!""Exactly. Timothy, just because your family is affluent, you presume ours isn't? Well, believe me, I'll use money to beat you at your own game!"Timothy remained composed, but the tug on his arm caused his wound to reopen, and blood began to seep out.Heath broke out in cold sweat as he observed the tense situation. "Mr. Claude, Mr. Barrett's arm is still injured from rescuing Mrs. Barrett. Please, let's not act hastily."Jason arched an eyebrow. "Who are you referring to as Mrs. Barrett? Come on! They're already divorced!"Liam was furious. "Timothy, what makes you so certain that Mia can only be Mrs. Barrett? What gives you the audacity to make such a statement?"Timothy's lips tightened as he glanc
To prevent any complications for Patricia, Mia decided to keep the news to herself for the time being.She pulled out her phone and sent a WhatsApp message to Gina: "Hey Gigi, I have to head out now. Today has been a whirlwind. Allow me to have some time for myself to process everything, and then we can plan our next outing."Gina responded promptly: "I understand. Today feels surreal. My bestie turning out to be a wealthy heiress? It's like I'm living in a movie!"Mia felt reassured by Gina's response, relieved that she wasn't upset.Mia had left in a haste earlier, inadvertently leaving Gina behind in the hall.Upon returning home, everyone made arrangements to take Patricia out for a meal.However, as Mia approached the door, she noticed several snake-skin bags placed outside.She pushed open the door and stepped inside, calling out, "Aunt Patricia?""Oh goodness, if it isn't Mia! You're blossoming more and more every day."Remember when I used to say Mia couldn't possibly
Observing Karen's envious expression, Mia purposefully turned to Patricia and suggested, "You know, since we're going out for dinner tonight, why don't you wear the bracelet? It's been a while since you wore it."Patricia chuckled. "I work at the supermarket most of the time, so there's hardly any chance to wear it. Plus, I'd be devastated if it were to get scratched or damaged.""Well, since we're dining out today and you're not on duty, why not wear it now? It's the perfect occasion," Mia suggested."Yes, go ahead, put it on. Let everyone admire the gift Mia gave you," Eva chimed in.Unable to resist their persistence, Patricia eventually relented and headed to the bedroom to retrieve the bracelet.Mia shared a knowing look with Eva, who had just picked up on her subtle signal.Shortly after, Patricia emerged wearing the diamond bracelet. Karen couldn't help but gaze at it enviously. "So, this is Mia's purchase. It's quite lovely and bears a resemblance to my bracelet," Eva sai
"Mia, your cousin Sean is now working in express delivery, so he had first-hand knowledge about this industry."It appeared that Sean was involved in delivery services. Perhaps he was the one who discovered Patricia's address.What an oversight on their part.It seemed evident that Edna and Karen were trying to solicit money from Patricia in the elevator earlier.Mia didn't respond to Karen's remarks. Unfortunately, Patricia's sincere nature left her oblivious to the hidden agenda behind their words.In the end, Edna and Karen could only remain silent in resignation.Karen stole a glance at the bracelet gracing Patricia's wrist, her eyes betraying a hint of envy.Valued at 100 thousand dollars, Karen couldn't help but imagine how exquisite it would look on her wrist.As the elevator doors opened, they eventually stepped out.Mia escorted Patricia outside, disregarding Edna and Karen trailing behind.Outside, six cars were parked, and as Mia and Patricia emerged, the five brot
Mia discreetly averted her gaze, feigning ignorance.Beside her, Karen appeared taken aback by Eva's direct remark.Struggling to respond, she said, "Why does background matter so much nowadays? Our family showed Mia kindness in the past. Just because she's found wealthier relatives, does that mean she should forget about us?""As far as I know, it was only Patricia who showed kindness to Mia. It's not fair to credit the rest of you."Besides, my brothers-in-law are looking for partners whose backgrounds match theirs, or at least aren't impoverished!"Eva's words were sharp and unapologetic.Feeling humiliated, Karen's eyes teared up. "Who are you to label us as poor? Is money all that matters?"Edna intervened abruptly, reproaching, "That's enough! Show some decorum, will you? They are from wealthy backgrounds, unlike Sally. Have you no sense of shame?""Fine, I guess I'm just an unwanted guest here, right? I'll go."Frustrated, Karen slammed her hand on the table and rose to
Mia spoke nonchalantly, "How do you want me to help?"Regina remarked, "This dress of mine isn't expensive, just 5,000 dollars.""Mia, given your wealth, you surely won't be short of this amount, right? This woman's audacity to look down on us is astonishing. What's 5,000 dollars for a dress? The one you're wearing is far more luxurious."Mia was momentarily speechless. "She didn't look down on me; she simply looked down on you."Karen's expression tensed. "But aren't we family?""I only regard Patricia as my family," Mia replied, her tone cold.Casting a glance at Patricia, Mia suggested, "Why don't you head to the restroom? I'll wait for you outside.""Patricia! You can't simply ignore me. If you don't help me, I'll end up getting arrested today. You need to help me cover the compensation."With tears in her eyes, Edna grabbed Patricia's hand, pleading, "Patricia, when you weren't around, it was Karen who looked after me. Can you bear to see her like this?"Mia couldn't stan
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,