With her newfound wealth, Mia decided to indulge a bit.She selected a few silk scarves that she thought would suit Laura's complexion perfectly.As Mia approached the checkout counter, someone behind her handed over a card and said, "Put it on mine."Mia grabbed the card and turned to see Timothy standing there. "What's this for?""I'm not the type to let women pay," Timothy replied. "Oh, is that so? I don't recall you being so considerate back when I was footing the bill for groceries and cooking."Now that we're divorced and I've achieved financial stability, you suddenly refuse to let women pay? Seems a bit late for chivalry," Mia retorted sharply.The store clerk nodded in agreement. "Absolutely. As women, we should strive for self-reliance and financial independence," she asserted."Exactly. Here, use my card," Mia replied, handing over her bank card.Once the transaction was done, she grabbed the box of scarves and walked away without looking back.Watching her depart
Observing Dahlia and Dixie's behavior, Mia realized that they hadn't changed one bit.Kaleb responded with a stern expression, "These fruits are meant for Mrs. Barrett.""But she's already divorced from Timothy! Why do you still address her as 'Mrs. Barrett'? "We're already being generous by not requesting her to leave. And yet, she still has the audacity to help herself to the fruits?""That's right. These imported fruits are quite expensive. I highly doubt certain individuals could afford such luxuries now after leaving the Barrett family."Mia chose not to confront Dahlia and Dixie. Instead, she asked Kaleb, "Could you please bring them another plate of fruits?"Kaleb promptly returned with a fresh plate of fruits, placing it in front of Dahlia and Dixie with a thud.With grace, he then served Mia a glass of freshly squeezed juice."Thank you." Mia acknowledged, accepting the drink and sipping it. She observed as Dahlia and Dixie took selfies with their juice, meticulously
As the situation took a negative turn, Dahlia hastily exclaimed, "Mrs. Barrett Senior, could you please come out and settle this? "We heard you were discharged from the hospital, so we brought gifts to visit you. We never expected to be kicked out!"Frowning, Mia retorted, "Hush, you'll wake Grandma."Weren't they aware that Laura was resting?"Okay, okay, what's all this noise about?"At that moment, the elevator doors opened, and Laura stepped out. Catching sight of Mia, she greeted her with a warm smile, "My dear Mia, come here. Let me get a good look at you."Just as Mia stood up, Dixie hurried toward Laura, crying out, "Mrs. Barrett Senior!"However, Laura deftly moved aside, causing Dixie to miss her and tumble painfully to the floor.Mia cringed at the sound, almost as if she could feel the pain herself.Laura gently patted her chest. "My delicate body can't endure being tackled like that. Mia, come here, let me have a look at you."Mia grinned as she approached, assi
With a smirk, Mia gazed at Dahlia and Dixie. "Do you still have anything to say?"Dahlia and Dixie felt a flush of embarrassment. They had expected Mia to be out shopping with Timothy. If they questioned the authenticity of Mia's purchase, wouldn't they also be questioning Timothy's taste?Enraged, Dixie managed a strained smile as she replied, "Considering Tim was with you, it's unlikely the scarves are fake."Dixie had intended to assert dominance over Mia, but her plan seemed to have backfired!With a knowing smile, Mia glanced at them. "So, if mine aren't knockoffs, does that mean yours are?"Dixie's expression froze as she struggled to come up with a response.Undeterred, Mia pressed on. "These scarves are limited edition, with just a single authentic piece available across all the malls in Jeinburg."Seizing the opportunity, Dahlia reprimanded Dixie, "I told you to buy the scarves from the mall, but you insisted on having a friend buy them for you! Look what happened—you g
Laura pressed on, "During that time, Mia was the only one who stepped up, showing a moral character that far surpassed those motivated solely by self-interest."Dahlia and Dixie were rendered speechless by Laura's statement.A sense of satisfaction welled up within Mia, and a faint smile played on her lips.However, she couldn't help but notice Timothy's unwavering gaze fixed upon her from the corner of her eye. Mia swiftly looked away, ignoring Timothy's presence beside her.She had no desire to discern Timothy's expression, nor did she wish to speculate about it.Timothy's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Kaleb, escort these two out and ensure they never set foot in the Barrett residence again.""Mrs. Barrett Senior, if we've caused any offense, please don't take it to heart!""Yeah, Mrs. Barrett Senior, we beg you not to drive us away!"However, Laura didn't even spare a glance for Dahlia and Dixie. Instead, she simply lowered her head and poured herself a cup of tea
Mia gazed at the collection of men's photos before her, momentarily stunned by the unfolding situation.Was Laura thinking about setting her up on blind dates?Timothy's expression immediately soured. "Grandma, what's going on?""I'm just trying to find potential matches for Mia!"Timothy pressed his lips together, a surge of jealousy coursing through him. "Grandma, I'm right here!"Laura's attempt to set up Mia with potential suitors right in front of him—Was she treating him as though he were invisible?Adding to the complexity, Mia was carrying Timothy's babies. How could he allow her to marry someone else?Laura arched an eyebrow. "Well, don't just stand there. Come and help me screen these men. Check if any of them have any red flags or sketchy backgrounds."Timothy was utterly furious. What was Laura trying to imply?Timothy adjusted his tie, his face assuming a stern expression as he remained silent.Looking at the photos, Mia sighed. "Grandma, to be honest, I haven't
Timothy's hand tightened gradually, a chill settling into his slender lips."What do you mean by 'go ahead and try'? Just remember, this is Bern City! It's not your brothers' territory, and they have no authority to take my children away."The tension in the air thickened between them.Unexpectedly, Mia erupted into laughter, regarding Timothy with a look of amusement. "But I never claimed the twins in my belly were yours."Timothy hesitated for a moment. "What do you mean?""Precisely what I said. Can't you understand?"Mia tried to distance herself, but Timothy held onto her shoulder, his eyes showing a tinge of bloodshot. "If they aren't mine, then who is their father?"After all, both Connor and Claude were Mia's brothers, and the men she had recently been linked with belonged to the Lane family as well.Therefore, Mia didn't have any other men in her life. That implied there was only one potential father for the twins in her belly—Timothy!Suppressing the turmoil within,
Upon hearing Laura's voice, Mia's expression instantly paled.Had Laura overheard their conversation just now?She felt momentarily flustered. The last person she wanted to hurt was Laura.As Timothy and Mia turned, they noticed Laura waiting.Mia's expression became somewhat uneasy as she greeted her, "Hello, Grandma.""Why are you both lingering here? Let's go and eat. I noticed you hadn't returned for a while, and I started to wonder if you'd gotten stuck in the bathroom, so I came to check."Hearing this, Mia let out a sigh of relief. "Grandma Laura, we just had a short conversation and lost track of time a bit."Linking her arms with Laura's, the two of them made their way toward the dining room.Timothy observed Mia's departing figure, his gaze intensifying.Throughout the meal, Mia deliberately ignored Timothy, who was seated across from her.Turning to Laura, she remarked, "Grandma, you should rest now. I'll leave first. I'll come visit you again soon.""Alright, be
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,