Several guests with close ties with the Barretts had encountered Mia Bowen before. They were taken aback by the uncanny resemblance between the two women, their surprise registering visibly.Mia smiled. "I know Mr. Barrett's ex-wife looks a lot like me. They say that pretty ladies often resemble each other. Don't you think so?"Nikki's expression hinted at her alarm as she inquired, "Mrs. Barrett, who is this?"Sharon offered an indifferent introduction. "She's Shelly's friend."Shelly quickly interjected, "That's not right, Aunt Sharon. Monalize is Tim's girlfriend.""What are you talking about, Shelly? Since when has Tim had a girlfriend? I'm not aware of that, and I certainly don't approve of her either," Sharon firmly declared. Nikki and her mother visibly relaxed upon hearing Sharon's stance. After all, a woman couldn't enter a wealthy family without proper acknowledgment by the family. Shelly persisted, "We'll find out once Tim arrives."Ignoring Shelly's comment, Sha
As soon as Mia said that, Sharon retorted, "You're quite bold to challenge Ms. Chapman's expertise, Ms. Monalize. She's a seasoned professional in this field."In truth, Mia hadn't intended to speak up. However, she foresaw potential doubts arising among the affluent guests if they followed Nikki's advice to purchase seeds from Aide Castle and encountered discrepancies in their growth. Mia corrected Nikki not out of personal interest but to safeguard the resort's reputation. Otherwise, she wouldn't even have bothered to speak up. Nikki gazed at Mia, displeased. "If you believe there's an error in my information, please enlighten me.""Firstly," Mia began evenly, "the optimal temperature for seed growth is 78.8°F, but it should vary during the sprouting, growth, and blooming stages. It's not advisable for the temperature to remain constant. "Additionally, while the recommended sunlight exposure duration is indeed eight hours, it shouldn't be continuous; rather, it should be cumu
When there was a chance to shower Mia with compliments, Shelly wouldn't hold back.Shelly even glared at Nikki as if chiding her for trying to stand out when she didn't know a thing."Everyone's here, Tim. The flowers are gorgeous," Luna's voice echoed from behind, her triumphant expression evident as she stood next to Timothy, casting a challenging glance at the affluent ladies.Timothy's gaze was immediately drawn to the woman in red, her striking attire perfectly complementing her demeanor.Noticing his gaze, Mia smiled.Finally, he arrived. Sharon beamed. "Tim, finally done with your work? Come here. Let me introduce someone to you. This is Nikki Chapman. You've met her before."A bashful smile adorned Nikki's face. As he drew closer toward her direction, her heart raced uncontrollably.Timothy exuded an air of effortless charm as he made his way through the crowd, his striking appearance capturing everyone's attention.However, he stopped right in front of Mia. "Do you f
Mia glanced over at Nikki, wondering how she'd realized that Shelly was wearing a fake. She had the real one with her, but no one had the chance to sneak a glance at it. How could she possibly tell its authenticity? In the next instant, Shelly replied confidently, "I did wear a knockoff before, but I bought everything I'm wearing now at the private fashion show yesterday. You're not even eligible to receive an invitation, so stop yapping."Another socialite chimed in, "Shelly, did you really buy all the haute couture from yesterday's show? You didn't even save a piece for us!""Oh, Mrs. Mayweather! It's all thanks to Monalize's platinum membership card that I got to select the pieces in advance. She bought them for me too!"Shelly's tone was laced with triumph as she shot a proud look at Nikki. "You get it now, don't you?"Nikki fell silent immediately. Mia heaved a sigh of relief. Shelly probably wore a lot of knockoffs back then because she couldn't afford the genuine pieces.
Mia smirked. "I just wanna have a taste of everything. I have a big appetite, so they won't all go to waste."Nikki threw in a sharp comment, "Oh, wow, Ms. Monalize. Anyone who didn't know better might think this is your first time seeing food. We eat modestly, after all.""Modestly? Nikki, with all due respect, your face was practically buried in that foie gras plate! There was literally nothing left! If someone didn't know you better, they might think you had a goose vendetta. Such impudence!" Shelly fired back. Lillian could no longer bear it. "Ms. Monalize, I heard you have a daughter. Why didn't you bring her over today?"The other socialites all glanced over at Mia upon Lillian's words. Mia was unfazed. "My daughter's feeling a little under the weather, so I didn't let her come.""Ms. Monalize, having a daughter isn't a big deal. Why are you keeping her from us? You'll have to introduce her to people sooner or later. You can't just abandon your kid because you want to bec
Mia's expression darkened instantly upon the mention of a dead woman. Tension hung thick in the air, and Luna began adding fuel to the fire. "Ms. Chapman, have you had too much to drink? How can you spit such nonsense?""I'm not! We don't know her background, and she's pretending to be wealthy. Isn't she taking advantage of her resemblance to Timothy's ex-wife to become his girlfriend? Since she's already doing it, why can't I talk about it?""Because I won't allow this!" A frigid voice snapped, breaking the tension in the dining area. Timothy appeared in a navy blue suit, looking elegant and sophisticated. Surprise danced in Mia's eyes as she caught sight of him. She had always thought black suits didn't quite suit him, believing that colors lent him a more captivating charm.Nikki gaped at him, giving no heed to his hardened expression. He was truly attractive. However, Timothy coldly addressed Amelia and Nikki, "Since you're upset with my girlfriend, you can leave the p
Were the Chapmans on the brink of bankruptcy? Kaleb nodded grimly. "Yes, that's right. I was just informed about it as well. They've kept this a secret from the public."Sharon was upset. In this case, they'd be delusional if they thought she would let Nikki marry Timothy under that circumstances. She turned toward the guests. "Everyone, please dig in. My apologies for the commotion earlier."Everyone began settling into the joyous atmosphere once again, as if they'd forgotten about the Chapmans' predicament earlier. Luna watched Sharon in exasperation. Wasn't she supposed to hold Mia accountable? Why did she refrain from discussing the Chapmans?What did Kaleb tell her? Was there really something wrong with the Chapmans' business? Luna was defiant. She clearly could've seized this opportunity to coax Sharon into punishing Mia, yet her plans had proved futile. She couldn't help but curse inwardly. Meanwhile, Mia noticed how Sharon cozied up to the other socialites. She se
Mia felt her patience wearing thin from having to deal with these insufferable old ladies. She turned to them with a smirk. "If you're such a fan of kids, why not expand your own brood? Perhaps you could even start your own soccer team with the little ones. I bet the excitement would be unparalleled.""Tim, look at how she speaks to her elders!" Veronica chastised. Timothy calmly responded, "I think what she said made a lot of sense."Veronica's expression turned sour. She snorted. "Having your own child is definitely better than raising someone else's."Mia reached for a glass. She could barely hold it in now. However, Timothy drawled, "I remember Uncle William adopted a kid recently, right? You seem to take good care of him, though."Mia's face immediately lit up. She was eager for gossip. Veronica stirred uneasily in her seat. "Tim, what are you on about?"Sharon also shot a look at him. "Yeah, Tim. Where did you hear such rumors? You shouldn't spread false information.