"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
"Won't your family badger you to start a family after you've been single all these years?"Mia was slightly puzzled. What did he mean? Why the sudden question?She turned toward him and gave him a look. "Why did you ask? Does this have anything to do with you?""I admit that I was in the wrong back then. But now I want to start all over with you."Mia froze. She had never expected Timothy to say that to her. In the past, she would have been elated, but now she was perfectly composed. "Start all over again?" she questioned. "Going back to how I was treated four years ago?" Timothy knew how she was treated back at the Barrett residence four years ago. She definitely wouldn't tolerate it now like how she did before. His gaze faltered. "No. That's unfair to you.""It seems like you still have some conscience left, but let bygones be bygones. It's impossible for us to start all over again," Mia refused flatly. Timothy wasn't caught off guard by her refusal. Averting the topic,
Mia was utterly bewildered. Little did she expect to bump into Connie in this hospital. It was a small world indeed. The fact that Connie thought that Mia was here to apologize was even more absurd. Connie's audacity was truly palpable! It seemed like the Bowens hadn't learnt their lesson. They were still as arrogant as always and didn't hesitate to abuse their power.Connie had walked up to Mia while she was still stunned. Connie hollered, "You're nervous because we're about to close the deal with the Barretts, aren't you? Well, it's too late for you to apologize now. I won't forgive you."We won't accept you into our family as well. You used to look down on us, but you'll have a taste of your own medicine now."Mia's gaze darted between Connie and her attendant. "I'd like to ask whether there's anything wrong with Mrs. Bowen. Is her brain injured?" Mia asked nonchalantly.Otherwise, it wouldn't explain the absurdity of her speech now. "Mia, do you think I can't sense your
Connie exchanged glances with her attendant. They wore scornful expressions as they judged Mia.Bewildered, Mia exclaimed, "How could he not be? Haven't you met the CEO of Barrett Group before? Even if you haven't, wouldn't you have done a background check on the CEO of Barrett Group since you're going to work with him?"Connie replied haughtily, "Lewis has always been in charge of the deal. I believe he has already done a background check. Your bodyguard even broke his tooth last time. If he's really the CEO of Barrett Group, how could Lewis fail to recognize him? You're clearly lying."Her attendant, Selena, also mocked, "Exactly. He's nothing but a poor bodyguard. How could he possibly be the CEO of Barrett Group? If he's really the CEO, it'd be impossible for him to work as Mia's bodyguard."Looking at their smug expressions, Mia fell silent. They didn't believe her at all. She stroked her forehead helplessly and asked, "Are you sure there's nothing wrong with Lewis' informatio
"Mia, you're going to regret this later. We won't let you and this gigolo off the hook by then. You guys will be doomed once the Barrett Group finds out that someone is impersonating their CEO."Mia felt like getting back at Connie, but she was at a loss for words. She had made it very clear that her bodyguard was actually the CEO of Barrett Group, yet Connie's denial caught her off guard. Connie even accused her of getting someone to impersonate Timothy. She turned toward Timothy. "What do you have to say now?" Now that she had literally spelled out everything for them, it was his turn to defend himself. He was the CEO of Barrett Group, after all. In fact, Mia was intrigued to find out how he'd stand up for himself. Timothy furrowed his brows. He also didn't anticipate the Bowens' imprudence. He glanced at Connie and asked, "The contract is to be signed on the day after tomorrow, right?"Connie replied smugly, "That's right. It will be the end of both of you then."Timothy
Timothy shoved Lewis away. A menacing glint flickered in his eyes as he threatened, "I'll sew your mouth shut if you dare to spread any rumors.""Why, you! You're just a broke bodyguard. The nerve of you to act so arrogant! Even Dominic wouldn't dare to speak to me like that. Just you wait. We're going to cooperate with the Barrett family soon.""Lewis, this bodyguard even impersonated the CEO of Barrett Group earlier. Just how ridiculous is that?" Connie said."He's nothing but a powerless gigolo. He's only impersonating the CEO for the sake of his poor ego," she continued.Mia chanced a glance at Timothy. She was surprised that he was still capable of maintaining his composure. Still, Connie pestered on. "Lewis, you must've already performed a thorough investigation on the CEO of Barrett Group since you're working with them, right? You must've seen a picture of him before. Why don't you show it to them now? Tell them who the real CEO is. They'll be mortified."Lewis nodded. "S
No longer able to endure the Bowens' brazenness, Mia felt a strong urge to humiliate them. She thought she'd seen enough impudence, yet the Bowens just brought her an eye-opening experience. How could they possibly be so insolent and foolish at the same time?The Bowens' arrogance had left Mia in awe. She wondered who gave them the nerve to display such impudence. Were they unaware of what happened to the Jones?Connie immediately retorted, "Mia, you gotta be kidding me. How would you be acquainted with Mr. Gomez? You probably only met him once. How would you know that he's at this hospital?""It's simple. Caleb just bought a gift to visit my child at the hospital, so we've just met. I know he's here.""It's not surprising that you know him. However, that doesn't prove that this broke bodyguard is the CEO of Barrett Group. These are two different things!" Lewis interjected.Amused, Mia replied, "Are you feeling uneasy? Caleb is good friends with the CEO of Barrett Group. He can pr