Nicholas stole a glimpse of Mia. "Dominic doesn't know that Timothy's with you, does he?"She nodded. "No, but Eva knows. I told her not to tell him. You know his temper. If he finds out that Timothy's with me, things will be way worse."She was aware that Dominic cared for her, but he had a vile temper and impulsive character. She didn't want to see bloodshed happening because of this.Nicholas noded. "I know."Mia reminded him, "Don't let your tongue slip later. Please help me keep this a secret."He promised, "Sure thing."She breathed a sigh of relief. They arrived at the Lane residence. As soon as she showed up, the maids reported, "Ms. Mia is back."She walked into the posh living room, and soon, Eva breezed out of the kitchen. "Mia, you're back. I made your favorite soup. You should have more later."Mia pulled Eva's hand. "Definitely! It's been years since I last tasted your cooking."Eva grinned. "Nicholas, you're here too? Come, come. Let's eat together. It's been
"Dominic, everyone's busy with work nowadays. We leave things like love to fate. That's old-fashioned of you," Mia voiced out, trying to smoothen the conversation over for Nicholas.Dominic was rendered speechless. Everyone could tell that Nicholas had feelings for her, but she was too dense to catch it. Otherwise, why did he stay single all these years?Hearing that, Nicholas felt relieved although he couldn't help the indescribable emotions churning in him.He was aware that Mia didn't feel the same for him. That was why he had been staying by her side to protect her. Did he confess? No.Dominic prompted, "Nicholas, come with me."Although he didn't wish for Mia to marry those bastards out there, Nicholas had been staying by her side for four years. Nicholas was a decent man; he always carried himself properly and was never involved in scandals. On the other hand, Mia was worried when Nicholas was called out by Dominic alone. Did Dominic find out about Timothy's situ
Only then did Mia comprehend the situation. Eva was attempting to match her with Nicholas!Ginger put her spoon down and scurried out of the dining room, leaving the trio behind."Eva, why did you ask that?" Mia wanted to confirm with Eva."Since you're asking, I might as well go straight to the point with you. You've been single for years and you recovered your memories. "You're perfectly fine, so you can think about your love life now. We know Nicholas well enough. He has been staying by your side and looking after Sage for four years. Dominic and I think that he's a good candidate.""Wait, wait, wait. Hold it." Mia quickly poured herself a glass of fruit juice, taking a few sips of it to calm herself down.This entire time, she had never once thought about her love life, let alone about the man who had been by her side.Eva questioned, "Mia, do you not like him?""Eva, Nicholas and I do get along well, but I only see him as my brother. I don't have special feelings for him.
Mia immediately sensed that something was off. Raking her fingers through her hair, she said, "Nick, ignore whatever Dominic told you in the study. They were just kidding."It slipped her mind that Dominic must've summoned Nicholas to the study because of what Eva said to her earlier. She was awash in embarrassment. Clearly, Nicholas hadn't wanted to develop a romantic relationship with her—their relationship was strictly platonic. Dominic's meddling was only making things awkward for them. Nicholas lowered his head and said meekly, "Actually, I don't think I should ignore it."Mia was baffled. "To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised with what Dominic told me earlier."Mia was stunned. Spiraling in bewilderment, she was at a loss for words. As she studied Nicholas closely, she seemed to notice a distinctive glint in his eyes. It finally struck her that he might have feelings for her. Still, she'd failed to spot anything different regarding his attitude toward her. In fac
Mia plopped herself down on the couch after she sent Nicholas off. She couldn't quite snap back to her senses, as she'd always regarded him as a brother and had never thought of anything else. Eva approached her with a fruit plate. "So, how did things go?"Mia sprang up. "You knew?""Yeah, we all saw how he treated you the past four years. He might not have been very direct, but he can't hide the way he feels about you.""Are you kidding, Eva? I've never thought that Nick would fall for me. I was completely caught off guard. I can't really handle this.""Is it because you don't think he's a good person? You did mention that he's too busy with work," Eva asked."No! In fact, that's not the main reason. Nick's a really good guy, but I just never thought about our relationship that way," Mia reiterated her intention again.Eva suggested, "Why not give it some thought? I think Nicholas is quite brilliant."Spiraling in turmoil, Mia went upstairs to her room, where she struggled to
Mia scrutinized Ginger, sensing a hint of guilt in her expression. Why did she sound so certain earlier?Her eyes bore into Ginger's as she asked, "Tell me, Ginger. How are you so sure?"Ginger fumbled with her fingers nervously as she muttered, "I just know. Daddy won't take Sage and I away from you." He had promised her that he wouldn't, but that was a secret between the two of them. Mia asked, "Who would you pick if you really had to choose?" Ginger immediately threw herself into her arms. "Of course it's you, Mommy."A surge of warmth flooded through Mia as she embraced Ginger. She planted a few kisses on Ginger, moved by Ginger's unwavering loyalty to her.It seemed like she was merely speculating earlier. Timothy hadn't met Ginger that often, after all. "I'll bring you to the hospital later. Remember to not blow your own cover," Mia reminded her."Alright, Mommy."Mia took Ginger's hand and said, "I promise I'll find a suitable chance to let Timothy know about you and
"You'll come to empathize with me once you've experienced poverty. I was literally broke, and I couldn't afford a thing," Timothy stated nonchalantly. He never lacked money. However, the hardship of life finally struck him when he felt humiliated for not being able to afford his daughter's gift. Caleb remembered how Timothy stooped so low to work as a bodyguard in Nord City. He rubbed his nose. "Well, you're doing all this to pursue Mia, aren't you? I told you how it'd turn out back then, but you were stubborn. Now you're regretting it."Timothy met his eyes. "What did you tell me back then?""Stop playing dumb, Tim. I asked you whether you liked Mia back then and you denied it. You even suggested to divorce her. Now ask yourself whether you regret doing that. Things might have turned out differently if you hadn't mentioned a divorce."Timothy fell silent instantly, tightening his grip on the 50-dollar toy. He'd never been particularly bothered by any gifts before, but this t
Mia was surprised when Ginger addressed Timothy as her dad. She'd never thought it would come out from her that easily. That wasn't what Ginger used to call Timothy back then, after all. A pang of frustration shot through Mia when she chanced a glance at Ginger's expression. She could tell that Ginger was very fond of Timothy. She'd always been close with him, be it when Mia mistook Caleb as her ex-husband or when she finally cleared up the misunderstanding. Was this the bond of blood relations at work?Timothy went up to Ginger and stroked her cheek. "Are you afraid?""I'm not. I'm a big child now, and I'm not afraid of anything."He handed her a stuffed toy. "This is for you."Holding the toy, Ginger glanced over at the boxes piled up on the floor. "Are these all for me?"Timothy nodded. "Yes. You can open them and see which one you like."Seeing the clutter of toys in the room, Mia immediately intervened. "Ginger has never been short of toys ever since she was born. You didn't have