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
None of the major shareholders was a fool.After that, Mia was busy handling Barrett Group affairs and barely had time to rest.With an exhausted look, she returned to the hospital.Mia looked at Timothy and said, "I'll run away if you don't wake up soon.""No… Please don't go…" Timothy grabbed her hand. His gaze was deep.Mia's eyes reddened as she gazed at the man who had just regained consciousness. Timothy finally came out of his coma.After that, everything was back to normal. Those who caused trouble quieted down.Sharon visited Timothy and told him that she was going to settle down overseas and would not come back anymore.Timothy bought her a property and gave her a huge sum of money before sending her away from Bern City.As for Maya, it was discovered that she was not the granddaughter of the Prime Minister of Yellow Island but merely his caregiver. Yet, she had been deceiving people outside.After Maya was exposed, she ran away dejectedly. Nobody knew where she was
Sage stood beside Timothy in silence.Soon, news that Timothy was hospitalized spread, and Barrett Group's stock plunged.The relatives of the Barrett family requested to hold a board meeting to elect another CEO.On the day of the board meeting, Mia brought her two children to Barrett Group.They managed to keep everyone on a leash as Sage bore a striking resemblance to Timothy.Mia marched into the meeting room, sat in Timothy's chair, and glanced at everyone present. "Let's begin. Didn't you all want to have a meeting?"One of the middle-aged men said, "Ms. Lane, this is the Barrett Group board meeting. It's not appropriate for you to be here.""That's right. Though the kids are Mr. Barrett's children, they're still young and do not have any shares. You all shouldn't be here."Mia flung a document onto the table. "This is an agreement signed by Grandma Laura to authorize me to manage Timothy's shares.""Anyway, we still need to elect a CEO to handle our company affairs.""
"Because to me, you're my family too," Timothy said.When Sharon heard the word 'family', her eyes turned red. Then, she turned around and left the ward.Mia walked out and asked Peyton to send Sharon to the hospital for a checkup.Looking at Sharon's back, Mia said, "I hope you don't let him down since he regards you as his family. He's the only one you can depend on now."Sharon did not turn her head around. Mia did not know if Sharon would listen to her advice.Mia immediately called her brother. "Dominic, I met Maya."She then told him everything about Maya.Dominic frowned. "I never thought she would go to Yellow Island.""Do you think she's really the granddaughter of the Prime Minister of Yellow Island?""Don't you know how good she is at lying?" Dominic said.Mia nodded. "Yeah, you're right. But I still don't know whether she's related to Yellow Island.""Don't worry, I'll find out."When Mia returned to the ward after ending the call, she saw a doctor bustling arou
Mia went straight to the hospital to ask Timothy about the matter.But when she arrived, someone had reached there earlier than her."Timothy, what do you mean? All I did was pull a few strings, but you want to humiliate me publicly. How am I going to maintain my standing in the company?" Sharon said.Mia went in with a frown. "This is funny. It's not just about pulling a few strings, but it's aimed at me. Mrs. Barrett, your actions have leaked confidential commercial information.""Stop trying to scare me. It's my son who opened doors for you. It's the Yellow Islanders who wanted to collaborate with us, and they are much better than you," Sharon retorted. Mia said with a half-hearted smile, "At first, I didn't want to pursue this matter. But since you put it this way, wait for my lawyer's letter then.""Such big talk, huh?" A mysterious-looking woman wearing a hat and a mask walked in from outside.Mia felt that the woman looked somewhat familiar. "Are you the rumored granddau
Mia glanced at the person on the screen. Without answering the woman, she turned off the laptop.After all, there was no need for Mia to explain anything.After Mia turned off the laptop assertively, she turned around and looked at Timothy. He did not say a word but started eating.Soon, Heath received a call. He left the ward and said to the woman on the other side of the phone, "She's Mr. Barrett's ex-wife. You'd better not mess with her."While Timothy was eating, Mia finished reading the proposal in her hand.She had to admit that the document was very valuable.Mia was about to leave the ward when Timothy almost finished eating, but his voice sounded behind her. "What did you say when you met her at the cafe earlier?""Did you follow me?""I followed her, to be exact. After all, the Hopkins are not good people."Mia totally agreed with that.She paused briefly before she said, "Grandma Laura asked me to talk to her because she doesn't agree with you about giving her all
"You don't know anything," Sharon said.Mia retorted, "I might not know everything, but Timothy is innocent. Before he knew the truth, he always regarded you as his mother. Even after he found out the truth, he has never mistreated you."Besides, when you said you wanted the Barrett family's wealth, he agreed. Tell me, who else could do what he did?"Mia felt that Timothy might have been hurt by Sharon's words.He seemed impressive on the outside, but his identity was a dark secret.Therefore, his relationship with Sharon became awkward.Sharon's eyes reddened. "But I also treat him like my biological son.""You're also his foster mother. Now everyone related to him is dead, and you're the only one he has. What are you afraid of?"Sharon wiped off her tears. "I'm not afraid of anything. It's just that I felt that I can't trust anyone.""Timothy is a man of his word. However, Grandma Laura said that if you remain stubborn, making the will public is her only option," Mia said.
Mia noticed Sharon's expression changing slightly when she mentioned Laura.Sharon took her cup of coffee and said, "What? Does Mrs. Barrett Senior still want to lecture me even when she's on her deathbed? She must have known Timothy's identity all along, but she conspired with her son to keep the truth from me. "She and the Barretts are birds of a feather. What else does she have to say?"Mia was not surprised by her words. She had expected that Sharon would certainly think this way.Fortunately, she managed to stop Laura when she said she wanted to meet Sharon.Sharon was emotionally unstable now. What if Laura said something unpleasant and Sharon retorted? Her words might upset Laura.Mia took a kraft envelope out of her handbag and placed it in front of Sharon. "I hope you won't regret saying those words after reading this.""What's this?""This is the will that your husband left behind, as well as the divorce agreement."Hearing that, Sharon quickly took the document out
Mia hesitated to risk exposing Laura to Sharon's potential agitation.Due to Sharon's emotional vulnerability, she often spoke impulsively. With Laura's delicate health in mind, any disruption was simply out of the question.As Laura recounted past events, Mia remained silent, absorbing her words.Upon hearing Laura's story, Mia was taken aback. She hadn't expected there to be hidden aspects to Timothy's family history.Taking a moment, she asked, "Does Timothy have any knowledge of this?""He doesn't. Some things are best kept from him," Laura replied calmly.Mia harbored some lingering questions in her mind. Unable to suppress them any longer, she asked, "Considering your knowledge of Timothy's background, what is your opinion of him?""Tim is a commendable young man, and he has never let our family down. He has achieved remarkably well for himself. To be honest, I feel indebted to him as well."At first, I only kept him around for the sake of preserving the Barrett family li
Despite her initial reluctance, Mia eventually found herself making her way to Timothy's ward.As she entered, she couldn't help but notice Timothy's expressionless demeanor as he lay there.Carrying a tray of food, Mia approached him. "The doctor pointed out your extreme fatigue. It's crucial that you increase your food intake and prioritize proper rest to reduce the risk of sudden complications."Upon hearing Mia's voice, Timothy lifted his gaze to find her seated beside him. His lips moved slightly as he asked, "What did you tell Luna?""Not much," Mia responded. "Just a sprinkle of salt on the wound and a dash of psychological pressure to make sure Luna doesn't have it easy in prison."Placing the tray of food in front of him, Mia urged, "Please, just a few bites.""I'll eat later. By the way, the kids have been here at the hospital for quite a while. You should take them home," Timothy suggested.Frowning, Mia insisted, "You should eat something first."As her words faded,