Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Ginger promptly raised her hand. “None at all.”
Mia glanced at Ginger, waiting until Caleb stepped away to make the ticket reservation call. She then leaned down and whispered to Ginger, “Do you want to accompany me to Bern City?”
“Yes, Mommy. If I stay behind, how will your plan work? Besides, I’m quite good at pretending to be sick, so he surely won’t suspect it’s for Sage’s treatment.”
Mia affectionately patted Ginger’s head and smiled, saying, “Alright, then we’ll pay a visit to the Barrett family in Bern City.”
Mia was also curious about the place that had caused her so much distress before.
An hour later, Mia discreetly escorted Ginger to the airport.
Even Wade remained oblivious to their plan.
If Wade were to find out, her brothers would soon follow suit, and they certainly wouldn’t approve of her visiting the Barrett family in Bern City.
But for Sage’s sake, this journey was necessary.
As the plane ascended into the sky, Mia watched the shrinking silhouette of Xanier Island below. Contemplating Sage’s illness, her gaze hardened with determination.
Seven hours later, the aircraft touched down at Bern City International Airport.
Mia gently lifted the sleeping Ginger from her seat. Despite Ginger’s excitement during the flight, she had drifted off to sleep just before they landed.
Mia’s arms began to ache from carrying Ginger; after all, Ginger had grown considerably.
Caleb murmured, “Let me carry her.”
Mia glanced at him briefly before handing Ginger over to him. It seemed only fair to take advantage of the free assistance.
Exiting the airport, Mia surveyed the surroundings she had once frequented, yet found herself unable to recall anything.
“Caleb, what is she doing here?” Luna suddenly inquired, having just descended from a private jet.
Luna had rushed back upon learning of Laura’s deteriorating condition, feeling compelled to witness it firsthand.
However, she hadn’t anticipated seeing that woman again! The woman who bore such a striking resemblance was at the airport too!
Caleb remained silent and got into the car with Ginger, who was still sound asleep. He didn’t want to disturb her rest with their conversation.
Observing Caleb’s protective demeanor toward Ginger made Luna feel somewhat uneasy.
Sporting black sunglasses, Mia regarded Luna with a smirk. “What’s wrong? Are you surprised to see me here? You’ve got some nerve showing up in front of me again. It seems the lesson from before wasn’t harsh enough.”
Startled, Luna instinctively took a few steps back. The memory of her close encounter with a shark while submerged in the ocean felt like a haunting nightmare that she couldn’t shake off.
Nonetheless, upon realizing they were in Bern City and not Xanier Island, Luna straightened her posture and remarked, “Ms. Monalize, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This is the domain of the Barrett family in Bern City, not the insignificant Xanier Island.”
“I’m sorry, but I always carry myself confidently wherever I am. You better not try to provoke me, or I guarantee you’ll regret it for the rest of your life,” Mia asserted firmly before entering the car, stealing a glance at the sleeping Ginger beside her.
Standing outside the car, Caleb cleared his throat before addressing Luna, “Ms. Monalize is an esteemed guest of the Barrett family. Please be mindful of your manners.”
After all, Mia had promised to supply reishi mushrooms to the Barretts, so it was essential to treat her with respect.
Luna was utterly furious. “Caleb, how could you also fall for her deception? What makes her an esteemed guest? She’s merely an impostor.”
“Enough, Luna. Watch what you say, or you might bring trouble upon yourself,” Caleb replied, sensing Luna’s irrationality.
Despite already mentioning that Monalize was an honored guest of the Barrett family, Luna persisted in making disrespectful remarks.
With that, Caleb entered the car and drove off, paying no further heed to Luna.
Frustrated, Luna stomped her foot as she watched the car leave. She couldn’t comprehend why Caleb would bring Mia to Bern City, let alone claim she was a distinguished guest of the Barrett family.
Did Mia perhaps agree to give up the reishi mushrooms?
Luna felt a shiver run down her spine as this possibility crossed her mind. “This is troubling, “she muttered.
Without hesitation, she flagged down a taxi and followed them to the hospital.
If the reishi mushrooms did succeed in awakening Laura, wouldn’t that also mean that the truth from years ago would come to light?
A glimmer of hostility flashed in Luna’s eyes. This was certainly unexpected.
Luna had anticipated Laura’s demise upon her return, only to be caught off guard by the unforeseen introduction of the reishi mushrooms, much like an abrupt twist of fate.
An hour later, the vehicle pulled up outside the hospital.
Mia looked up at the brightly illuminated hospital building before stealing a glance at the slumbering Ginger.
Standing nearby, Caleb reassured her in a soft voice, “Joe will take care of Ginger. You don’t need to worry. No one in Bern City would dare to cause trouble for the Barrett family.”
Upon hearing Caleb’s words, Mia finally relaxed and stepped out of the car. She followed Caleb as they entered the hospital together.
Mia clutched the box of reishi mushrooms tightly as she watched the elevator’s display numbers flicker, feeling an unexpected surge of nerves creeping in.
As Mia emerged from the elevator, she headed straight for the area outside the emergency.
room.
Laura was still in critical condition, undergoing resuscitation efforts. According to Caleb, the situation appeared quite grim.
Mia glanced up and noticed Timothy’s silhouette. He was engaged in conversation with a doctor, his handsome features displaying a serious expression, his brow furrowed in concern.
Besides Timothy, there was a young woman with a designer handbag. As she neared, Mia caught a strong scent of her perfume.
Caleb stepped forward and announced, “Tim, the reishi mushrooms have been successfully brought back.”
Timothy glanced up at Mia, his intense gaze fixed on the box she held. After a moment of
Mia approached Timothy with the box and handed it to him directly, urging, “Please prioritize saving the patient. However, considering Mrs. Barrett Senior’s current condition, I’m afraid a single stalk of reishi mushroom won’t be enough.”
Reishi mushrooms were rare commodities, typically traded only in black market auctions. like those in Xanier Island. They were scarcely available on the open market.
Timothy’s expression grew serious. “Regardless, let’s give it a shot first.”
With that, the reishi mushrooms were promptly taken away by the doctor.
Mia couldn’t help but observe the lady, whose perfume was rather strong, staring at her in astonishment. As Mia turned her head, her red lips curved subtly.
Startled by Mia’s smile, Shelly felt a shiver creep down her spine. She promptly stood up and hid behind Timothy, stammering, “T¨CTim, who is she?”
Why did this woman resemble Mia so closely? There wasn’t even a hint of plastic surgery!
Upon hearing the woman address Timothy as “Tim,” Mia swiftly deduced her identity as his cousin presumably Shelly, the second heiress of the Barrett family.
However, when Shelly spotted Mia, her reaction resembled that of a mouse encountering at cat, her eyes betraying a flicker of guilt.
Could it be that she was also involved in the troubles Mia faced within the Barrett family before?
Contemplating this possibility, Mia’s gaze darkened, but the smirk on her lips only grew wider.
Taking the initiative, Mia addressed Shelly, stating, “Hello, my last name is Langford. You may call me Monalize.”
Shelly swallowed nervously. “Your last name is Langford?”
Fortunately, it wasn’t Lane!
Shelly couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Nonetheless, the uncanny resemblance of Monalize’s face left her unsettled, almost as though she were face to face with Mia.
At that moment, the doctor approached Timothy and informed him, “We need your presence here to address the issue concerning the reishi mushrooms. There are important decisions that require your input.”
Without hesitation, Timothy followed the doctor promptly.
Meanwhile, Mia stood still, observing the blinking lights emanating from the emergency
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From Timothy’s tense expression, it was evident that he was deeply worried about Laura, who was receiving treatment inside.
An awkward tension lingered in the corridor.
Shelly couldn’t help but secretly observe Mia, sensing that something was amiss.
She began to wonder why Timothy had traveled to Xanier Island to purchase reishi mushrooms, only to return with a woman who bore an uncanny resemblance to Mia.
However, Shelly’s eyes widened in surprise when she noticed the handbag Mia was holding “Is that the limited edition rare leather bag from Vior’s anniversary collection? And in the smallest size, too! That size is notoriously difficult to find!”
Mia replied nonchalantly, “Oh, is it? I actually have it in another color, but I haven’t used it much because it doesn’t suit my taste.”
Shelly’s face immediately brightened with surprise. “If you’re not using it, could you consider selling it to me? We can negotiate the price!”
In Bern City, this handbag was highly sought after by everyone.
After being embarrassed by those women for missing out last time, Shelly was determined to get the bag this time and teach them a lesson!