Sharon could never be as pitiful as she was right now.Mia watched the middle-aged woman before her. Never in her wildest dream had she dreamed of the prideful Sharon apologizing to her.Nevertheless, Mia didn't wish to have a prisoner to be Ginger's grandmother.If words got out, there would be someone making fun of Ginger because of this.Mia took a deep breath. "Fine, but on two conditions.""Say it. I'll agree to anything.""Simple. I will never hand over the custody rights, so don't dream of it anymore. Don't bring it up in front of my child either. If I find out you break the promise, I will never let you go twice."Despite the reluctance, Sharon didn't have the right to negotiate given the situation.Unwillingly, she nodded. "I promise you that I won't bring it up again."The main reason she came to Nord City was to take care of Ralph's matter to bail him out of prison, not fighting for Ginger's custody rights.Sharon knew that it wouldn't be easy to steal Ginger's cus
Sharon's eyes widened when she noticed Luna. "W-What are you doing here?"Veronica was shell-shocked as well. "Luna Maynard, aren't you supposed to be in prison? How come you're here? Are you her doppelgänger or what?"The similarity was too much to be called a doppelgänger.Luna smirked at Sharon. "Surprised to see me here?"It was unfair that Luna was the only one imprisoned when both of them conspired in the theft together. Having mixed feelings, Sharon asked Timothy, "Tim, what's going on here? Did you release her in secret?"She felt annoyed to think that he actually released Luna secretly. He didn't even help her when she was threatened by Mia!Luna scoffed, "I'm able to stand here not because of him. Stop taking all the credit."Sharon continued questioning, "How are you able to come here then? Did you perhaps escape from prison?""Escape my ass. Say, what are you doing here? Aren't you on probation? According to the law, you shouldn't be leaving Bern City however you
"That's not exactly right. All I can say is that it became complicated.""Ms. Mia, you don't have to worry if the project will belong to us or not. Back then, your family said that you could run a company to kill some time. If Mr. Dominic knows that you're all upset because of this project, he'll be worried."Mia massaged her temples. "This has nothing to do with the project. I met that woman in Mr. Shelbert's room. Guess who it was.""Who?" Peyton asked."Luna Maynard."Peyton was shocked. "Didn't we personally send her to prison? How is she able to show up in Nord City? Getting so close with Mr. Shelbert at that! Is she his mistress? Is Asher his son?""I had the same guess, thinking that Asher was surely Mr. Shelbert's illegitimate child. But it turns out that Luna is his illegitimate daughter."Peyton paused momentarily. "What a surprise. Ms. Maynard has always been a show-off. If she's actually his daughter, she'll surely brag about it. Weirdly, she has never talked about i
A smile flashed across Mia's face when she glanced at the text from Jasmine. It couldn't have shown up at a better moment. Mia cast a glance at Peyton, who was in the front passenger seat. "Find a chance to reveal Mr. Shelbert's relationship with Luna to Jasmine.""Are we going to directly reveal that Luna is Mr. Shelbert's illegitimate child?""We can't do that. It'll make Jasmine suspicious. Just let her know that Mr. Shelbert secretly met with a young woman with a child, and he even made sure that they settled down snugly."She would make Jasmine believe that Luna was Raymond's mistress, and Asher his child. Usually, children from such families were deft in dealing with mistresses. Wasn't Luna very pleased with her identity as the mayor's daughter? If Mia showed her the kind of life the actual mayor's daughter led, would she still be able to handle it?Luna's ambition was too much for her to be tolerant. Mia did promise not to expose her identity for now, but she couldn't be
Timothy stiffened his lips. He took out his phone and called Mia. Meanwhile, Mia had just entered the research institute. Glancing at the caller ID, she was surprised to see that it was Timothy calling. Still, she couldn't fathom why he called her. Things didn't end well between them at the banquet earlier after all. Mia tossed her phone into her bag. She didn't intend to answer any calls. Peyton knew not to disturb her with any work-related matters whenever she bonded with her children unless they were urgent. She changed into sterile clothing before she entered Sage's ward. He was busying himself in front of the computer. A series of codes appeared on the monitor, and he looked solemn. "Handle the left wing, and let them come through in the middle. I'll deal with them."The codes on the screen shifted promptly, indicating Sage's victory. Having learned about coding from Nathan, Mia could also decipher the codes on Sage's screen. She clapped, exclaiming, "Good work!"Sa
Mia spun around, realizing several security guards filing out from behind her. What happened?Sage got off his chair and stared at a nurse dashing by. "What happened?""It seems that someone is trying to break in. The security guards have all gone over to the scene. No one is going to get in. Don't worry, Mr. Sage," Josie said. She hurried toward the entrance. Being informed of the commotion, the other staff members from the labs eventually set aside their work and went outside. They wanted to see who was so bold to invade the research institute. Plenty of weirdos roamed around these days, indeed. Little did Mia expect that someone had the gall to break in. By the looks of how people were swarming toward the commotion, it was evident that people were always drawn to gossip. Mia dropped her gaze and glanced at Sage. "Why don't we go and have a look?"Sage's expression remained shuttered. He shook his head. "What's the point? It's a waste of time."Holding his hand, Mia chide
Sage chanced a glance at Mia. "Mommy, do you know this vile woman?"Mia shook her head. "I don't, but I'm curious about why she claims to be Nicholas' fiancée. I haven't heard about any updates regarding his love life though."Josie chimed in, "Mr. Mendes is just so attractive and capable, after all. In fact, some of my colleagues fancied him. But he wasn't interested in dating. He even turned down one of his suitors who bombarded him with a fervent confession."Mr. Mendes has already fallen for another woman. He won't be fazed no matter which bitch flocked to him."Mia sensed her implication, and her expression grew awkward. Not long ago, she had just found out that Nicholas fancied her. She didn't see him as a potential suitor; he was like a brother to her. There wasn't even a single spark of romance between them from the beginning. Despite the amount of time they'd spent together, she could only see him as family.Things began to escalate quickly outside. The woman in red g
Mia gave no heed to Louisa. Helping Josie up, she said, "Are you okay?""I'm fine." Josie shook her head, seemingly unbothered. Still, Mia noticed that Josie's cheeks swelled up quickly. Louisa was ruthless! How could she treat others this way?Mia glanced at another staff member and said, "Bring her to the infirmary and apply a cold compress on her cheek. It's a shame if her pretty face becomes scarred." Josie took the damage for the sake of the research institute, after all. However, Louisa snapped in the next instant, "Hey, I'm talking to you! Why are you ignoring me? Are you deaf? Also, why are you so concerned about this bitch? It doesn't matter if her face is ruined. She's just going to seduce men with her looks anyway."Mia turned toward her. "Actually, I have been wondering.""I know you have a lot of questions regarding my identity. Go on," Louisa said smugly. "Did you forget to brush your teeth before leaving this morning? Why does your mouth stink?"Louisa's exp
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,