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
Lewis thought it would be a good idea to meet with the CEO of the Barrett Group to discuss their upcoming partnership.The guard nodded in response. "Yes, I'm sure of it.""So, buddy, could you please cut me some slack? I just want to have a brief chat with Mr. Barrett. Our two companies are about to collaborate, and I've only met Mr. Gomez so far. I haven't had the chance to meet Mr. Barrett yet."Terry interjected cautiously, "It seems they have urgent matters to handle today, so it might not be the best time for you to meet with him."Mr. Bowen, perhaps it would be best if you leave for now. After all, Mr. Barrett prefers not to be disturbed in such situations. We wouldn't want to leave a negative impression on him, you know?"Upon hearing this, Lewis couldn't help but recall the recent discussions at the company headquarters regarding the potential termination of their partnership.Concerned about making a negative impression on Mr. Barrett, Lewis quickly replied, "That's fin
"This is my family matter, why is it any concern of yours?" Ralph retorted.Caleb scoffed disdainfully. "Sure, it's none of my business. But I advise you to cancel your dealings with the Bowen family promptly. Give back whatever you've gained from them."Otherwise, if the collaboration falls apart and you end up facing legal consequences, Timothy won't be able to protect you here. Remember, this is Nord City."Ralph countered, "As you pointed out, this is indeed a branch office, and within the framework of the Barrett Group's regulations, I have the authority to manage collaborations here in Nord City."Despite Timothy's position as CEO, he cannot simply order me to terminate the partnership. He, too, must adhere to the established procedures."Nonetheless, Ralph had already signed the partnership agreement with the Bowen family before Timothy's protocols came into play. This meant that even Timothy had no means to reverse this situation.Glancing back at Ralph, Timothy retorted,
Caleb decided to be direct, hoping to catch Ginger off guard.After all, it was easy to deceive children with just a few words.Upon hearing Caleb's question, Timothy grew somewhat uneasy. Why couldn't Caleb be more subtle?Since the phone was on speaker, Timothy could hear Ginger's voice on the other end as well.Just then, Ginger's sweet, childish voice came through, "I'm not sick, you're the one who's sick!"Caleb's expression shifted to one of surprise, and he shot a glance at Timothy. Could it be that Timothy's suspicion was correct?Timothy silently signaled with his eyes for Caleb to continue asking.Clearing his throat, Caleb pressed on, "Ginger, if you're not ill, why did your mom ask for bone marrow donations last time?"There was a pause on the phone before Ginger replied, "To help me get well, obviously.""Ginger, don't play games. You just admitted you're not sick. I know the secret between you and your mom."Ginger was momentarily caught off guard, feeling a bit
Sage set aside the paper he had been holding. "You were quick to act just now. It's a good thing I was here with you."When Ginger received the call on her Apple Watch earlier, Sage happened to be nearby. Upon hearing Caleb's words, he immediately sensed it was a ruse.Fortunately, Sage discreetly stepped in to prevent Ginger from revealing too much, even going as far as jotting down a response for her on paper.Given the ambiguity of the conversation, Caleb likely wouldn't take Ginger's words seriously.Resting her chin on her hand, Ginger pondered, "Why doesn't Mommy let Daddy know about you? If he knew you were unwell, he'd surely shower you with gifts.""Hmph, I'm not interested in his presents," Sage replied with a serious expression.After all, Sage wasn't as gullible as Ginger. He was well aware of how Timothy had abandoned Mia.Had it not been for Mia's brothers finding her in time, she would have faced considerable hardship.These were not matters that Timothy could si