Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Despite her fading memories of childhood, playing the piano faintly revived fragments of her past.
Mia went directly to an empty classroom on the fourth floor to practice. With a deep breath, she began playing the piano piece from memory.
Playing this nursery rhyme always brought her a sense of tranquility.
The room was soon filled with the sound of the piano, its melodies intertwining with the harmonies of other instruments echoing throughout the building.
Maya’s demeanor swiftly changed upon recognizing the familiar melody of a piano nearby.
Her expression turned uneasy. “Did you hear that?”
Charlotte looked puzzled. “Ms. Lane, what exactly are you referring to? I do detect different musical sounds, but considering classes are still in session…
“No, I mean the piano piece. Did you hear that melody that sounds like a nursery rhyme? Do you know.
who usually plays it?”
Maya had previously tasked Blake with investigating all the people she added on WhatsApp.
However, none of them matched the identity she was seeking, and they all claimed to be unaware of the nursery rhyme’s existence.
Nonetheless, Maya unmistakably recognized the familiar piano melody.
Despite her frequent visits to this place lately, she hadn’t encountered the specific tune again.
Doubt began to creep into Maya’s mind, questioning if she had misheard or perhaps even experienced a hallucination.
But now, Maya couldn’t believe she was hearing the familiar piano tune once again.
Maya was certain it wasn’t an illusion this time. She retrieved her phone and recorded the sound of the music at that moment.
Although the piano melody was somewhat obscured amidst the sounds of other instruments, Maya could still distinguish it.
Indeed, that piece of music was something she would never forget in her lifetime.
Charlotte cautiously said to Maya, “I heard you’re looking for the person who played this piece. Maybe you could tell me more about this piano piece?
“I’ve been around this university forever, so perhaps I’ll stumble upon your mystery person someday.”
Maya smiled. “Yes, I’m searching for a childhood friend. We were incredibly close, but circumstances. forced us apart.
“I’ve been on a quest to find her. This piano composition is something we used to play together as children, something known only to the two of us.”
“What’s your friend’s name. Ms. Lane?”
“She’s a friend I met at the orphanage. Please don’t get the wrong idea; it was during the time I used to volunteer there.”
Maya swiftly hid her background; she wasn’t about to disclose to anyone that she, too, had grown up in an orphanage.
As Maya gazed at the building before her, a flicker of darkness flashed in her eyes.
Now, she was almost certain that the true heiress of the Lane family was inside that building!
Maya stared at the building before her, the plano’s melody blending with other instruments, stirring a deep¨Cseated fear within her.
After deceiving her way into the Lane family, Maya often had nightmares of the day she would be exposed¨Cthe true heiress found and brought back, while she was ruthlessly cast out, left to endure extreme poverty once more.
A shadow cast over Maya’s eyes; she vowed never to return to such hardship!
Maya was determined to locate the true heiress before the Lane family did, regardless of the cost.
This was the only way Maya could safeguard her position, ensuring the real heiress would never have the chance to return and replace her.
After a few minutes, the piano piece concluded.
Maya felt a cold sweat breaking out on her back; during this time, she hadn’t been able to sleep well.
She knew that if the Lanes discovered the true heiress before she did, it would mean the end for her.
After completing her piano practice in the classroom, Mia headed straight to the hall to check on the setup.
Today was the day for the final touch¨Cups, so she needed to keep a close watch to ensure everything was in order.
As she approached the hall, she noticed several people gathered there, including Riley.
Seeing Mia, Riley smiled and said, “I was just about to give you a call, but Mr. Shaw mentioned that you were studying in the study hall and didn’t want to disturb you.”
Mia was a bit taken aback by the attention. “It’s not a big deal. You can always call me if you need anything.”
“Well, it’s nothing major. We have some important guests coming to visit our venue later, and we need someone to host them.
“Since you’re in charge of designing the hall for this event, having you there on¨Csite would be beneficial. In case the guests have any questions, you’ll be familiar with the situation.”
“Sure, no problem.”
As Mia walked in with Riley, she unexpectedly ran into Kennedy, who had just arrived.
“Mia, have you completed your tasks? Setting up the hall must have been quite exhausting. If you have any specific requests regarding personnel arrangements, feel free to let me know at any time.”
Observing Kennedy’s politeness and enthusiasm, Mia couldn’t help but wonder if she was about to be expelled from the university.
Mia mustered a polite yet awkward smile. “Mr. Shaw, the support from the university this time has been more than sufficient. I don’t have any other requests at the moment.”
“That’s great. After the guests arrive later, Mia, I’ll need you to put in a good word for us.
“This will help ensure they leave with a positive impression of our university, which in turn will allow us to secure more resources for new equipment and facilities.”
Mia nodded. “I understand.”
After inspecting the setup inside, she noticed a small mistake and instructed the workers to fix it.
Before long, Riley hurriedly approached Mia. “Mia, are you finished here?”
“I’m almost done. Have the guests arrived?”
As Mia followed Riley to the entrance, she spotted a group of people walking in. Among them was a man dressed in a suit, looking sophisticated and refined. Wasn’t that Timothy?
Mia had been thinking about contacting Timothy, but he hadn’t been responding to her calls. To her surprise, he was now at her university.
Could Timothy be avoiding Mia’s calls deliberately?
As Timothy was ushered into the hall, Mia’s gaze remained fixed on him. Sensing her stare, Timothy turned his head and spotted Mia standing at the back of the crowd.
Almost instantly, everyone’s eyes followed Timothy’s gaze.
Kennedy quickly called out to Mia, “Why are you just standing there? Come over here quickly.”
Mia paused, taken aback. She hadn’t expected Timothy to be one of the distinguished guests visiting that day. If she had known he was coming, she would have found an excuse to leave earlier.
Nonetheless, Mia happened to have important matters to discuss with Timothy.
Just as Mia was about to approach him, a woman in front of her hurried over. The woman’s face was flushed as she asked, “Mr. Shaw, did you call for me?”
Mia was taken aback.
Kennedy also stopped and clarified, “I didn’t summon you; I called for Mia.”
Nervously clearing her throat, Mia approached, noticing the woman’s displeased glare.
Mia understood her implication. After all, who could resist someone as handsome and wealthy as
Timothy?
He appeared to be the epitome of every woman’s dream man.
Stepping away from the crowd, Mia felt many eyes on her, most of them tinged with a hint of jealousy.
Mia let out a soft sigh, attributing it all to Timothy’s irresistible charm.
Quietly, she followed behind Kennedy, hoping to blend in as an inconspicuous follower.
However, Kennedy unexpectedly stepped aside and gestured for her to take the lead, saying, “Mia, why don’t you go ahead and show Mr Barrett around the hall and introduce the design setup? After all, you’re the most familiar with it.”
Mia’s marriage to Timothy made the funding from the Barrett Group toward Halvard University seem unquestionably secure.
Contemplating this, Kennedy’s eyes gleamed with excitement. After all, Mia was also a student at this university. Certainly, Timothy had every reason to invest.
Upon hearing Kennedy’s words, Mia hesitated, not wanting to approach Timothy. However, out of consideration for everyone present, she gritted her teeth and walked up to him.
Lowering her gaze, Mia murmured, “Mr. Barrett, is there anything specific you’d like to know?”
Noticing Mia’s submissive demeanor, Timothy understood that it was merely a facade. He knew Mia was adept at concealing her true intentions.
Timothy’s lips curled slightly as he spoke. “Please proceed with the introduction of the setup.”