Mia felt an unprecedented urge to slap Connie's face at that moment.She waited anxiously, with every passing minute feeling like an eternity.Where was Caleb? Why hadn't he shown up yet?With a smug look on her face, Connie remarked, "Mia, your broke bodyguard claimed Mr. Gomez would be here soon. Where is he? It's been quite a while, and he's still nowhere to be seen.""Mia, are you perhaps worried about being caught in a lie, which is why you're saying he won't come? Just apologize, and I'll let today's incident go. I won't spread any rumors about your penniless bodyguard pretending to be the CEO of Barrett Group," she added, her tone dripping with mockery.Mia's disdain was palpable as she responded, "You expect me to apologize to you? Perhaps in another lifetime."Connie immediately retorted, "So, Mia, if you're so confident and unwilling to admit your mistake, then where's this Mr. Gomez your bodyguard promised would arrive? His absence seems to confirm your deception, does
Connie inwardly scoffed, questioning whether this penniless bodyguard could truly be the CEO of Barrett Group. Something about the situation didn't sit right with her.Suddenly, Lewis erupted into laughter. "Mom, what on earth are you talking about? This man clearly isn't the CEO of Barrett Group. Mia, it seems like your deception has been uncovered, hasn't it?"Mia blinked in confusion. "What do you mean? Shouldn't Caleb be able to confirm Timothy's identity?""Are you saying he's Caleb? Please, let's not joke around. I've met Mr. Gomez before. This man is definitely not Caleb," Lewis insisted.In a fleeting moment, Mia and Caleb exchanged a meaningful glance.Pointing to himself, Caleb said, "If I'm not Caleb Gomez, then who is?""Okay, young man, you can stop the charade. I know you're just an actor Mia hired at the last minute. Perhaps you're even her bodyguard, posing as Mr. Gomez to vouch for the identity of this penniless bodyguard. But I bet you didn't anticipate that I'v
Upon hearing Timothy's words, Mia couldn't resist stealing a glance at him.She was also curious about how Timothy would prove his identity.Throughout the entire ordeal, the eccentric behavior of the Bowen family had truly caught Mia off guard.With a smirk, Connie countered, "I'm curious to see how your lowly bodyguard plans to prove himself."At that moment, Lewis received a phone call. As he listened, his expression shifted. "Alright, I'll be there soon."After hanging up the phone, Lewis swiftly remarked, "Mom, we don't have time to waste on this incompetent bodyguard."After all, they even managed to find someone to impersonate Mr. Gomez earlier. It seems there's no limit to what they're capable of."Besides, Mr. Barrett will attend the signing ceremony in two days, and the truth will come out on its own. We don't need all this evidence."Connie asked, "Lewis, are you going to let Mia's arrogance go unchecked? This is the perfect opportunity to teach her a lesson.""Mom,
Standing nearby, Caleb interjected, "Mia, maybe it wouldn't be so bad to attend the signing ceremony. You'll have a front-row seat to witness the Bowen family's embarrassment."Let's face it, the ceremony is nothing but a charade. I haven't seen such absurdity in ages. It could actually be quite entertaining to watch the show and stop these shameless individuals from tarnishing your reputation."Caleb never anticipated encountering a family as eccentric as the Bowens.Their unwavering confidence, despite their modest social standing, piqued his curiosity. He thought it could be interesting to observe how they handled embarrassment.However, being looked down upon by the Bowens unsettled Caleb. Such condescension was unfamiliar to him. It was unlike anything he had experienced in Bern City.Even though he had joked about Timothy earlier, being belittled by the Bowens was not something Caleb could easily shrug off.Mia hesitated for a moment but chose to remain silent.Just then,
Mia, too, turned her attention to Timothy, curious to hear what Heath had relayed.With a stoic expression, Timothy broke the silence, "Heath is already handling the termination of the partnership on behalf of the company; it just requires a bit more time.""Tim, there's something off about this. Given that it's just a minor branch, why would Heath need to make a personal visit to cancel the partnership with the Bowen family? Is it possible that there's opposition from someone within the subsidiary?"Caleb found it hard to believe. Couldn't this issue be resolved with just a phone call? Why would it take extra time to handle?Could it be that there were different factors at play in Nord City compared to Bern City?Timothy paused before speaking, "My uncle Ralph orchestrated the entire affair. He's been staying under the radar and hasn't shown up yet.""So, it was him, huh? I remember he was kicked out of the Barrett Group due to bribery. Your mother certainly stirred up quite a r
Mia raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "What exactly do you mean by that?"Caleb swiftly stepped in to diffuse the tension, saying, "Let's not argue, you two. From what I've observed, Ginger seems to be in good spirits mentally."Earlier, I engaged in some playtime with her. Despite feeling drained myself, she was still brimming with energy. It seems like she's recovering remarkably well."Upon hearing Caleb's words, Mia felt a twinge of unease. She couldn't help but wonder if Caleb had noticed something unusual.Timothy nodded in response. "Okay, I'll deal with the issues concerning the Bowens first, and then I'll check on Ginger."Mia chuckled softly as she glanced at Timothy. "I suppose you should focus on your tasks for now."She skillfully dodged addressing Timothy's previous comment. After all, she was keen for him to swiftly depart Nord City for good after visiting Ginger.This way, Mia wouldn't need to constantly be on guard to prevent him from discovering Sage's existence
Upon saying this, Timothy was momentarily taken aback. His words had slipped out and sounded more as an unconscious suspicion than a deliberate statement.Despite this, Timothy had indeed entertained suspicions that Mia was keeping something from him.He had several other theories in his mind, and the one he vocalized was just one among them.Upon careful consideration, Timothy realized that this speculation might be the most accurate. If Mia had nothing to hide, why would she be so insistent on his departure from Nord City?Surely, she was concerned that he might uncover whatever secret she was concealing.Considering Nord City belonged to the Lane family, Mia's anxiety about his presence there seemed unwarranted.Indeed, something felt amiss about the entire situation.Caleb was caught off guard by Timothy's statement. "Tim, why do you think it's not Ginger who's sick? Do you have any basis for that speculation?""If I had solid evidence to support my suspicion, I would have
Heath hurriedly approached the car door and addressed Timothy respectfully, "Mr. Barrett, Mr. Hopkins still hasn't shown up. We've tried reaching him multiple times."At first, he claimed to be busy. Now, he's not even responding to our calls. I was actually about to call you to see if you'd be interested in going to find him."Timothy's demeanor turned cold. "Where is he now?""Based on our investigation, he's currently at a country club," Heath responded."In that case, let's head straight to the country club."Heath promptly joined Timothy and Caleb in the car.Caleb glanced at Timothy and asked, "Tim, how do you plan to address this situation with Mr. Hopkins? It's clear he's engaged in questionable dealings with the Bowen family."Maybe he's accepted a bribe or something similar. If you end this partnership, Mr. Hopkins will likely face repercussions, and Mrs. Barrett will undoubtedly demand an explanation from you.""I've already warned my mother in the past not to cover