Sharon was like a cat on hot bricks, unable to comprehend Nina's antics which were basically adding fuel to the fire!Timothy glanced at Nina. "Since you're feeling under the weather, you should return and get some rest."She was driven out of the place before she could say anything. The others watched the entirety of the situation, but they zipped their lips, especially the rich ladies who bullied Mia before.They either held their head low or hid in a corner, not wanting to meet Mia's eyes.The status of the Lane family was tantamount to the Barretts.Most of the guests ran subsidiary companies in Nord City. The moment they offended the Lanes would be the moment they kissed goodbye to their dream of building a business in Nord City.Dominic looked at Sharon. "It seems like the Barretts are still reasonable in character."Sharon forced a smile. "You're flattering. Welcome to the Barrett residence. Here, come this way."Looking at how Sharon was all respectful, Mia figured th
Mia sensed a shift in the atmosphere and raised her head only to realize Timothy's presence.The smile on her face faded as she remembered the time she ran into him dining in a restaurant with a woman.Her gaze on him didn't last long.The six handsome men on the couch were glaring at Timothy all at the same time.Timothy approached Laura. "Grandma, almost all the guests are here.""Is that so? Mia, you and your family can head outside and grab something to eat. I'll be there in a short while."Mia stood up and cued her brothers, "Let's go."The six men rose to their feet, casting an intimidating glance at Timothy.Timothy stood there all alone, under their scrutiny and faces of judgment.Kaleb couldn't help but wipe the beads of sweat off his forehead. If a glare could kill someone, Timothy would've been dead for god-knew-how-many-times.The Lanes obviously held a bad impression of Timothy.The parlor soon became quiet.Laura looked at Timothy, asking indifferently, "I've
"I'm glad to hear that. Go ahead." Laura wore a relieved smile at the fact that Timothy had finally wised up.Holding the box of jewelry, he informed, "Grandma, Luna's here.""What for?" Her expression dulled upon hearing the information."She heard that you finished your surgery and wanted to see you.""I don't need that. I'm not dead yet." She rose from her seat.Her reaction was within his expectations. He walked toward Kaleb and told him, "Help me switch the jewelry. Tell Luna to not show up at the party at the moment."Kaled took the box of jewelry. "Yes, sir."Intending to switch the jewelry, Kaleb headed to where the presents were placed. Coincidentally, he ran into Shelly, who was leading Luna into the house. He said, "Ms. Maynard, Mr. Barrett told me to inform you not to show up at the party at the moment."A grimace distorted Luna's lips. "Why? Is it because Mrs. Barrett Senior doesn't want to see me?"Kaled left without offering an answer as he had done what he wa
The moment Mia saw Timothy, she took a sip of milk calmly. To be caught red-handed speaking ill of someone didn't prick her guilty conscience.She inwardly sighed, "Fate can be ill-fated sometimes."Putting down the cup, she noticed him coming up to her from the corner of her eye.Shelly gloated as she spoke to Timothy, "Timothy, you heard that, didn't you? I didn't slander her."Mia rolled her eyes and kept quiet, not intending to offer an explanation.He stood right in front of Mia. "Actually, that set of jewelry—""Excuse me, you're blocking my way," she cut him off savagely.She didn't give him the chance to finish as she walked away.She wasn't in the mood to listen to his explanations. Whoever he gave the jewelry to had nothing to do with her.Timothy watched her back and frowned. The insensible Shelly approached him. "Timothy, look how haughty she is now. She's just jealous that you bought Vior jewelry for Luna."His glare shot daggers at her. "Who told you that it's
Luna's gaze dropped to the ground, and her voice grew weak. "If they get together again, Mrs. Barrett Senior would be happy. It'll be good news for your family too.""What are you talking about, Luna? That's not how it'll work. If they get together again, there won't be a place for us in the family. Mia is Ms. Lane right now. No one would dare to mess with her. Besides, she's pregnant with Timothy's child.""What?" Luna's face fell.Shelly hushed her voice deliberately. "I'm the only person in the family that knows this. Mia's doing a good job keeping everyone in the dark.""There's no reason for her to keep everyone in the dark, though.""Previously, I thought that she would use the child to threaten him. Then, I don't think he's the father. Now, I don't know whether it is his child anymore. Either way, if they get together again, I'll be dead meat."Luna's eyes darted to the middle of the party venue, where the people were dressed in branded clothes and enjoying their time with
Mia heard a lady squealing next to her. "Oh my god, Mom! He's hot!""He is. You were reluctant to come when I asked you to, though. You must surely regret not dolling up, don't you?""I'll do that now." Nancy whipped a tiny mirror out of her bag and applied some lipstick on her lips. Liam snorted. "Do you really think he's hot?"Nancy and Bethany were taken aback. They spun around, wondering who had the gall to speak about Timothy like that. It was then they realized six attractive men were standing before them. Stunned, Bethany chanced a glance at Nancy and remained silent. An excited squeak escaped Nancy's lips. "A-Are you Linden Lane?""Yeah, I am.""Oh my god!! I can't believe my eyes—my favorite celebrity is standing right before me! Mom, can you pinch me so I know this isn't a dream? Why didn't you tell me earlier?"Slightly frustrated, Bethany chided, "Nancy, stop it. Weren't you praising Mr. Barrett for his looks earlier?""But Linden is on another level!" Nancy sque
Connor nodded, chiming in, "Exactly. We love Mia dearly, and she deserves to spend the rest of her life in bliss with the Lane family."A middle-aged woman pried. "Is Mia never going to marry again?"Eva replied calmly, "She can if she wants to, but we're planning to have the groom marry into our family."Her statement rendered everyone speechless. The Barrett family was the most prominent family in Bern City, and it wasn't likely for Timothy to marry into the bride's family. Even Sharon's intrigue was dampened despite her fascination with the idea of Mia remarrying Timothy earlier. Mia stood her ground. She was well aware that those meddlesome ladies were anticipating her reaction when they deliberately brought up the topic of her remarrying Timothy. They knew she was the daughter of the Lane family. Fortunately, her family sided with her. They rebuked them swiftly, and Eva stood up for her. She wasn't surprised when she spotted the tension on Sharon's face, knowing how much Sh
Everyone's attention was captured by the sandalwood box when Timothy opened it. Intrigued, Mia looked at it, and she was surprised once she saw what was inside the box. It was a diamond tiara. It was antique, yet the stunning array of diamonds still glimmered under the light, portraying an ethereal glow which rendered the nearby guests breathless. Sharon almost toppled over when Timothy opened the box. She yearned for the tiara, longing for the day she would finally own it once Laura passed. Someone next to her steadied her and asked, "Is this the diamond tiara? I heard it belonged to a queen from the Victorian era, and the Barrett family bidded it at an auction to add it to their collection."As speechless as Sharon was, she was still seething. She was well aware of the tiara's history, and she knew what was in it once she laid eyes on the box. Her blood boiled when she realized Timothy was going to give this to Mia. This was hers! How could he give it to someone else?Mia was e
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,