The situation turned awkward again.Mia wanted to see how Luna would clean up the mess."Say something, Luna Maynard. Through cash or Apple Pay?" Shelly added fuel to the fire. Luna's fists clenched tightly. One million dollars? She couldn't even cough up 38,000 dollars!People began judging in whispers, "Why is she silent? Didn't she say that she's going to pay for it? Well, she has finally realized she can't afford it.""I know, right? This lady looks familiar. Who brought her over?""I think it's Mrs. Barrett. They sat together at the beginning."Many of them looked at Sharon. A rich lady commented on purpose, "Mrs. Barrett, did you bring her along? She's kinda embarrassing, though."Sharon was equally embarrassed as well. She strode to Luna's front and lowered her voice, chiding, "Look at what you've done. You're humiliating!"Luna didn't have the nerve to say anything back.Sharon raised her voice, saying, "Luna, be forgiving. It's not a big deal. Go and get changed.
"Of course I'm on Timothy's side." Shelly was all puffed up. If Timothy married Monalize, Shelly's life would be free from worries. She wouldn't need to read Sharon's mood anymore.A furious Sharon watched the duo leave. What happened today was an utter embarrassment.Sharon went to the restroom, where Luna was washing her dress. "What's wrong with you today, Luna Maynard?" Sharon vented."Sorry, Mrs. Barrett. It was all my fault. But I swear I argued with Ms. Monalize for Tim.""For my son? Why?"Mixed feelings sat upon Luna's brows. "Mrs. Barrett, didn't I tell you yesterday that Ms. Monalize has a sick daughter at the hospital? I've only just found out myself, and Tim has been busy—""Enough. Stop beating around the bush. Go straight to the point." Sharon's patience was running thin.Luna swallowed her displeasure before recounting, "Ms. Monalize's daughter has leukemia and has the same blood type as Tim. He agreed to donate his bone marrow if they were a match.""What?
Sharon contemplated including Monalize on the guest list before saying, "That's a good idea."Luna responded, "Isn't it? That way, we can let her know what the Barretts think."Sharon snorted. "You're right. Although she's from a rich family in Nord City, the rich ladies in Bern City are not bad either. They're at least better than her, a divorced woman with a kid. What a burden."Sharon recalled how haughty Monalize was because she was a VIP. Monalize clearly knew that Sharon was Timothy's mother. Yet, Monalize didn't pay her the due respect. It was so rude of Monalize. Luna lowered her gaze, concealing the malice that darkened her eyes. She vowed to make those who scorned her to bow before her. Those affluent individuals—Sharon, Monalize, and that greedy Shelly—would inevitably face her retribution.…Mia followed Shelly to a nearby café.Shelly was wreathed in smiles. "Ms. Monalize, did you catch Luna's expression when she faced that humiliation? Wasn't it priceless? She p
Mia returned to the hospital, anticipating the test results due the following day. The sheer thought of it made her nervous. Despite her certainty that it would be a match, Mia couldn't find peace of mind until the results were confirmed.Timothy arrived just as Mia and Ginger were dining together. Ginger's eyes lit up with excitement as she asked, "What's in that box?" Two imposing bodyguards carried a sizable box into the room, its contents evidently substantial."You'll find out soon," Timothy replied cryptically.Mia was curious as well. What kind of gift had he bought for Ginger?The bodyguards set the box down and unveiled its contents, revealing a miniature princess castle. Mia couldn't contain her amazement. "Wow! It's stunning!" she exclaimed, her eyes shining with disbelief."Did you go out of your way to get it?" Mia asked, surprised by Timothy's gesture."I stumbled upon it while I was out. It gets dull just sitting in the room. I thought this might keep her enterta
Mia's heart raced upon hearing that. Timothy embodied everything she found attractive—an austere man who effortlessly stirred her emotions with his reassuring words.Mia smiled. "Okay. Since you've put it that way, there's no reason for me to decline, is there?"Her gaze followed his toward the patient's room, and her smile waned slightly. "But I'll go alone. Ginger should rest here at the hospital."She didn't want to involve Ginger in the potential conflict. Mia felt fully capable of handling the Barretts on her own."The test results will be available tomorrow night. She'll be back on her feet soon.""I believe so too," Mia responded, though her feelings were a mix of hope and apprehension. This drama would soon come to an end. If Timothy turned out to be a match for Ginger's bone marrow, surgery could be arranged promptly. Then, Mia could finally take Ginger away.As Timothy departed from the hospital, Peyton approached Mia. "Ms. Mia, Mrs. Barrett's birthday celebration wil
Shelly retorted, "Don't feed me that courtesy speech. I'm not naïve enough to fall for it. Tim and Monalize will marry and have a baby. That's when we'll have the true heir. The illegitimate child will be sent away in the end."Luna's expression turned icy. At that moment, Sharon stormed down the stairs. "Shelly, what nonsense are you spouting? Asher is part of our family, too. Why would we send him away?""We'll see," Shelly replied dismissively, heading upstairs without a care.Luna approached Sharon with coffee. "Please don't be upset, Mrs. Barrett. That's just how Shelly is."Sharon snorted. "What is she so smug about? Despite cutting ties with certain family members, she and her mother still live in the Barrett residence. If it weren't for Tim's generosity, I would have kicked them out long ago. Shameless!"Sharon's anger still simmered from the fashion show debacle, where Shelly sided with an outsider, putting Sharon in an uncomfortable position.It was infuriating."Mrs
Mia glanced at the bodyguards, not expecting this to happen. Timothy was supposed to pick her up, but an urgent work matter had arisen for him. They would be late if he were to pick her up afterward, given that Aide Castle was located in the suburbs. As such, Mia decided to head to the private resort on her own. She smiled. "I don't have an invitation card.""Miss, this is a private event. You can't enter without an invitation card," explained the bodyguard politely.The incoming guests witnessed the scene.Intentionally, Mia inquired, "Is the privacy policy this stringent at Aide Castle? Can't there be some flexibility?""Apologies, miss. Our private resort places a high value on guest privacy. If you've forgotten your invitation card, you may wait in the waiting room," the bodyguard replied, earning a satisfied smile from Mia. The staff appeared to be well-trained professionals.Some guests praised the bodyguard's handling of the situation.Luna, watching the spectacle unfo
The money spent on Shelly was a worthy investment. Mia and Shelly joined the party. Most of the guests were there, hence the lively atmosphere. Shelly took out her phone to take pictures. "Monalize, this private resort is a new place. Only reservations are accepted. It's never opened to the public. "I've heard that everything here, from the designs to the decorations, is branded. Especially those plants in the parlor—they are rare and imported from abroad, some even endangered species." Mia remained composed, though she played along with an astonished expression. "Really? The parlor is beautifully and exquisitely decorated, and the outdoor design is stunning, too.""Some might find this a novelty," Shelly remarked.Sharon and Veronica approached them, with Sharon exuding elegance and high spirits. However, Mia's striking red attire seemed to irk Sharon—it made Mia stand out, almost as if she were the woman of the hour. Veronica sized Mia up and blurted, "Ms. Monalize, today
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,