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
Claude stood outside, shooting Timothy a taunting glance.With a nonchalant air, he said, "From now on, Mia will have a dedicated chauffeur whenever she goes out. "We also have plenty of sports cars waiting for her at home. She doesn't need to ride in any other man's old-fashioned car."Claude deliberately threw shade at Timothy's luxurious car, highlighting the new model he had purchased that day.Watching as Claude drove off with Mia, Timothy stood alone.He promptly took out his phone and called Caleb, asking, "Are you available? Can you come with me to the car dealership?"Half an hour later, the two met outside the dealership.Caleb looked hesitant as he spoke, "Tim, I heard a rumor recently. I'm not sure if it's true."Anticipating Caleb's words, Timothy quickly adopted a stern expression. "You might want to keep that to yourself.""Come on, Tim. Don't be so uptight. We're friends, right? Can't you satisfy my curiosity a little? So, is your ex-wife Mia really the heires
Mia wasn't enthusiastic about going to the high school reunion, but when she heard the name "Taylor", she immediately understood Gina's motivation for attending.After all, Gina had always harbored a secret admiration for Taylor!Mia chuckled playfully as she quipped, "Gigi, are you considering going to the class reunion, or are you more excited about seeing Taylor?"Gina nervously cleared her throat. "Mia, please don't phrase it that way. I simply thought if Taylor was the one organizing the reunion, it wouldn't be ideal if only a few people attended."But I do feel a bit awkward going alone. Would you be willing to accompany me?""Of course, I'd be happy to." Mia couldn't possibly turn down Gina's request.Given Gina and Taylor's shared history, along with Gina's internship at the same company as Taylor's, their interactions had undeniably grown more frequent.With any luck, this reunion might just spark something between Taylor and Gina."In that case, I'll go ahead and add
Mia fell silent for a moment. Was this the power of wealth?Recalling Dana's disciplinary notice, Mia couldn't resist inquiring, "Liam, I stumbled upon Dana's disciplinary report today. What about Maya? Have there been any updates regarding her?"These days, everyone seemed to be implicitly avoiding any mention of Maya.Liam responded casually, "The Barretts are pressing charges against Maya for assault. Jason insisted on it, so Maya remains in custody. We'll have to wait for the trial. She won't be released anytime soon."A hint of resentment flickered in Liam's gaze.It was clear that Maya had been orchestrating trouble from the beginning, purposefully keeping Mia's whereabouts hidden, which resulted in the Lane family taking years to locate Mia.However, simply locking her up and pressing charges felt too forgiving for Maya's actions.If they were in Nord City, Liam definitely wouldn't let Maya off the hook so easily."I remember Maya mentioning that she's made significant c
Mia glanced at the name of the restaurant. It was indeed a relatively upscale establishment, rumored to require membership."Mia, what are you looking at? Did the class reunion group mention something?" Eva inquired."Not really," Mia replied. "Someone just shared where we're having dinner tonight."Seated on the sofa, Claude raised his head. "Mia, where's the dinner happening?""At Rustica Restaurant," Mia answered."That place? The food there is rather ordinary. I happen to have a membership card for that restaurant, gifted by the owner."When you're there, just provide them with my phone number, and they can put the expenses on my tab," Claude proposed.Mia chuckled. "No worries, someone else is footing the bill tonight."After all, Ramona had mentioned in the group chat that Jeremy was treating everyone.If Mia were to insist on paying, it would undoubtedly attract attention and might even stir up unnecessary drama.Mia certainly didn't want to steal the limelight at toda
"Just because I was once an orphan doesn't mean I still am. I have a family now!""Hmph, stop with the lies. Are you seriously trying to convince me that you randomly stumbled upon an affluent family, turning you from an orphan into a wealthy heiress overnight?"Mia nodded. "Why is that so hard to believe?""Hahaha, Mia, your excuses are getting ridiculous. Have you been indulging in too many soap operas? Such scenarios only play out in TV dramas, not in reality. Snap out of it!"At that moment, a Porsche pulled up nearby, and a sharply dressed man stepped out. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, exuding an aura of urban sophistication.Ramona's face lit up when she spotted him. "Jeremy, over here!"Jeremy approached them with a warm smile. "Why are you two waiting at the entrance? Aren't you tired? "You could have simply mentioned my name, and they would have escorted you directly to the private room."Taking advantage of the moment, Ramona commented, "Jeremy, did you get a new car?
Mia flashed a slightly awkward yet polite smile. "Compared to your accomplishments, Jeremy, mine seem insignificant."Ramona couldn't resist interjecting, "Even if Mia snagged the first prize, what's the big deal? I heard she ditched college for some guy, so now she probably only has a high school diploma."What reputable company would hire someone with just a high school education?"Jolene chimed in, "Exactly. These days, having a solid education is crucial for securing job opportunities."Ramona adopted a seemingly caring tone as she spoke, "Mia, I genuinely feel sorry for you. You had such good grades back then, even securing a spot in a top-tier university."But it's such a shame that you dropped out for a guy. If only you had a degree from a prestigious university now, along with this award, finding a good job would be a breeze.""Who said Mia only has a high school diploma?"Just then, Gina barged through the door and confronted Ramona directly."Mia has been diligently p
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,