Mia looked at the broken bracelet. "Do imitations cost thousands nowadays?"The middle-aged woman huffed, "What are you calling an imitation? This is my wedding anniversary gift from my husband. He bought it from Martian. No way it's an imitation!"Martiana? What were the odds? That was actually Mia's brand.Mia actually didn't want to give a fig about the married couple, but her brand would suffer a loss if word about her brand selling imitations got out.She questioned, "Martiana's products come with an authenticity certification. Are you sure your husband bought it from the store itself?"The middle-aged man's eyes wavered for a brief second before claiming, "Yes. I have the authenticity certificate too. This is the real one. It can't be an imitation!""Hubby, show them the certificate. Prove it that we didn't buy imitations."His fingers scrolled through his phone for the e-certificate.Mia took a glimpse and memorized the certificate code to share it with her butler to loo
Mia showed her phone to the married couple.The wife obviously realized something and the man charged forward to snatch the phone away.Mia managed to dodge his advance by moving her phone away. "What's with the sudden aggressiveness? I'm showing this to your wife."The humiliation morphed into a ball of fury. Pointing at Mia's nose, he barked, "Stop driving a wedge between us or you'll never get away with this!"Timothy pulled the man's finger backward, making him cry for help. "Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! It hurts! Let me go!"In the meantime, Mia played the footage for the middle-aged woman. "Here's the truth."From the footage, she could see her husband entering the store with another lady holding hands to purchase a bracelet. It was the exact same design as hers!Mia recounted, "Your husband bought it from Martiana, but he gifted it to the mistress. Since you might smell the rat from his large expenses, he gave you a fake one to cover his deeds."Realizing the truth, the middle-ag
Maybe it was time for Mia to talk to Ginger about this issue.Mia strode to Ginger's side. Ginger won so many prizes that they couldn't fit in her bag. Mia sighed, "Do you like them that much?"It wasn't like Ginger didn't have toys at home."Yeah! I can only have this by joining the event!" Ginger shook a box.It piqued Mia's curiosity. "What's in there?""A smartwatch!"The mention of the gadget reminded Mia of something. She gave Ginger a solemn look. "Why didn't you pick up the call? I called you. You even turned off your watch after that. Do you know how worried I was?"Ginger dipped her head low. "It fell in the water. Mr. Bodyguard said that it'll work only when it's dry again."Timothy asked, "Is the prize a smartwatch?""Bingo!" Her hands quickly fiddled open the box and she proffered it to him. "This is for you. You're nice!""For me?" he reconfirmed, flabbergasted."Yes! Mr. Bodyguard told me that my smartwatch was fine. Mom would definitely find me, so I wanted t
Caleb wanted to clear up the misunderstanding. He couldn't keep getting accused as a bastard, could he? He was innocent!Mia sneered, "No, and we'll never meet again in the future. Ginger, Let's go.""Okay, Mommy."Before Ginger walked away, she stomped on Caleb's foot with all her might.His eyes widened. "Even you—"She snorted, "I don't need you anymore, jerk!"The repercussions ahead for angering her were severe. Now, she had made up her mind to have a better father instead.As an afterthought, she cast a backward look at Timothy. "Bye-bye, uncle!"Timothy smiled and hummed in response.He watched them leave. If Mia hadn't met an accident four years ago, would her child also be of this age?To think that Ginger was four years old too. What a coincidence!A wild guess fleeted across his head. He chased after them with huge strides. "Wait up!"Ginger turned her head with eyes blinking of curiosity.Mia didn't have a good impression of him, but he did help her look for Gi
Caleb answered, "We found her and her mother took her back."On top of that, both Monalize and Ginger had stomped his foot! He felt so wronged!Luna gingerly caught a glimpse of Timothy's expression before looking at Caleb. "Did the kid say anything?""Are you afraid that she might say something?" Timothy interrogated."You're misunderstanding me, Tim. We all know what they look like. I just want to confirm if that woman is truly Mia Bowen. That's why I asked." Her face was pallid.She feared that Ginger might expose her, which would cause a misunderstanding between her and the men.She could offer an explanation only after she figured out what happened.Timothy replied indifferently, "Stay out of this.""I'd like to do something as one of the Barretts. I want to find Mia as soon as possible and get to the bottom of Mrs. Barrett Senior's incident.""Leave!" He suddenly lost his temper, his eyes were steely.That took her aback, as she didn't expect the sheer mention of the in
Mia stared at Ginger, who was found after going missing. The latter didn't show a tinge of fear. Instead, she was all excited.Helplessness seeped into Mia.She thought her brothers would tell Ginger off during the video call, but to her dismay, her brothers were wreathing in smiles while babying Ginger.Ginger flashed a sweet smile. "Uncle, don't you think I'm super?"Dominic nodded proudly. "You are super! You took a ride on a helicopter at such a young age.""Yup! Ginger's the best!""Ginger, you've been away for days. Do you miss me?" asked Connor.Ginger nodded. "Yes, I miss you very much!"Her brisk tone melted his heart. He expected nothing less from his niece. She was overloaded with cuteness!Sage, who was sitting next to Eva, asked Mia, "Is Xanier Island fun?""It is, but it's pouring here.""Be careful." A tinge of envy colored his eyes.Noticing his disappointment, Mia promised, "I'll take you here when the weather is good."He nodded. "Okay, Mommy."Due to th
Mia was surprised to learn that Timothy wasn't actually that spiteful, although he was friends with Caleb.Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she had met him before. She just couldn't remember."Mommy, when will my watch be fine?" Ginger took out the watch that fell into the cup.The bodyguard ensured her that it would function again once the water dried out.Mia took the watch. "How did you drop it into the cup?""The bad lady wanted to steal my watch and it fell into the cup." Ginger balled her fists angrily when she brought it up.Mia knew that Ginger was referring to the pretentious lady right away.She handed it to Wade. "Fix it."Ginger's eyes didn't leave her watch for one second. She stood on her toes, requesting, "Grandpa Wade, could you make it quick?""Don't worry, Ms. Ginger. I'll return it to you as soon as I have it fixed." He walked away with it."Are you in a rush to use it? I never see you cherish it so much." Mia sat behind Ginger to tie her mes
Timothy recognized the woman in red at first glance.Following that, another kid in a red cocktail dress showed up in pigtails, looking bright and cute.Holding Ginger's hand, Mia headed to a private lounge on the second floor. The view was better there and the rooms were catered for the regulars.Timothy watched her vanish from his sight. The surrounding men were still gushing about her figure and some of their words crossed the line.Timothy's swept his gaze in their direction. His gaze was so scary that it zipped their lips almost instantly. They didn't say anything further.Timothy withdrew his gaze. While staying in his seat, he eyed the private lounge on the second floor again.Luna, who was sitting behind him, happened to notice his gaze. It irked her. Luna had an inkling of that woman's background.According to the sources, that woman was Monalize, a regular at Xanier Island.She normally hung out with men. People had lost count of the number of men she hung out with.
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,