Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Mia’s gaze faltered slightly. “You’re right, you never questioned me. But your actions suggest otherwise. If you truly trusted me, you wouldn’t be here waiting. You would be resting in the hospital room.”
Timothy’s anger flared at her words. “Mia, it’s been four years, and your talent for causing trouble has only grown!”
Was Timothy supposed to pretend he was unaware and obediently stay in his hospital room.
to demonstrate his trust in Mia?
What kind of absurd notion was that?
Mia’s expression grew cold as she retorted, “I’ve told you, I’m not Mia!”
“Do you really think I believe anything you say at this point?”
“Believe it or not, it’s up to you. I couldn’t care less!”
Just then, Timothy stepped forward, seizing Mia’s wrist. “You claim you’re not Mia, right? Fine, I’ll bring Aunt Patricia over to confront you immediately! Heath, go get her!”
“How dare you!”
Mia shot a glare at Heath before addressing Timothy sternly, “You’re not allowed to disturb her.”
“What’s the matter? Weren’t you going to keep pretending?”
Lowering his head, Timothy gazed at Mia and reached out to lift her chin. “Mia, it’s been four years, and you’ve hidden your secret so well.”
Suddenly, Mia’s slap landed forcefully, the sound resonating in the air as Timothy’s face turned aside.
A tense silence settled between them.
Mia’s gaze turned cold as she locked eyes with Timothy. “Timothy, let’s get one thing straight¨CI’m not the same Mia who tolerated your bullying in the past.”
Upon hearing her admit her identity, Timothy pressed his tongue against his cheek, a faint smile playing on his lips. “Looks like you’ve grown a temper too.”
Mia couldn’t stand Timothy’s expression. She tried to slap him again, but this time he caught her wrist. “Enough, don’t push it,” he whispered.
Gritting her teeth, Mia exclaimed, “Let go of me!”
She wanted nothing more than to scratch this bastard’s irritating face!
“After finally catching you, there’s no way I’m letting go now. I have plenty of questions that need answers!”
As Timothy glanced behind Mia, he realized that no one was there. His brows knitted in concern as he asked, “Where’s Ginger?”
Despite this, Mia remained silent, her concentration fixed on freeing her hand.
Suddenly, a realization dawned on Timothy. “Mia, you wouldn’t just leave Ginger behind and go off on your own. Where is she?”
Mia couldn’t deny Timothy’s astuteness. She countered, “Do you really think I’d allow Ginger to accompany me?”
“Mia, do you seriously not trust me? Despite knowing your true identity for a while now, I’ve still kept my promise about donating my bone marrow to Ginger.
“But what about you? Are you planning to take Ginger and run as soon as you get what you need from me?**
Timothy had never been manipulated by a woman before, but it appeared that Mia was testing his boundaries.
Mia’s lips curved into a smirk. “Mr. Barrett, since you’re already aware, could you please step aside,” she demanded.
With a swift motion, Timothy reached out and firmly grabbed her wrist. “Do you think you can simply walk away now?”
“Timothy, why aren’t you letting me go? Could it be that you’ve actually developed feelings for me?” Mia retorted, her demeanor composed as she regarded him as though he were a stranger.
An eerie silence filled the air.
Timothy maintained his firm grip on her hand, a subtle warmth radiating from his palm. He appeared slightly awkward as he spoke, “Mia, don’t overthink it.”
“Okay, that’s a relief. I’m glad to know it’s not because you’ve fallen in love with me.”
With a forceful tug, Mia reclaimed her hand, shooting a cold glance in Timothy’s direction. Dominic is expecting me for dinner. Farewell, Mr. Barrett. Until our paths cross again!”
With that, she turned on her heel and strode briskly toward the waiting helicopter, displaying no hint of sentimentality.
However, upon boarding the aircraft, Mia discovered that the pilot and bodyguard had been detained.
As she stood there, Timothy’s footsteps drew near from behind. “I’ve warned you. This time, you can’t just walk away as you please.”
Nonetheless, Mia didn’t flinch. Turning to meet his gaze squarely, she countered, “Mr.
Barrett, do you still think of me as that same vulnerable woman you could just manipulate?”
She continued, “Let me remind you that I am now the heiress of the esteemed Lane family in Nord City. If you dare to detain me here, rest assured, my brothers will not hesitate to come tomorrow and turn the Barrett family upside down!”
“Of course, I believe you. Your brothers have done an impressive job of keeping you hidden over the years. They even managed to deceive me,” Timothy said.
“Timothy, we went through a divorce, remember? So, why are you now insisting on keeping
I can’t be me here? If the thought of us being apart because you love me, just say so. It might earn you more respect from me!”
Timothy felt his anger surge, his blood pressure spiking noticeably. Even after many years apart, it appeared that Mia’s talent for provoking him remained unchanged.
“What about Ginger?” Timothy demanded.
“This is between us. Why drag Ginger into it?”
“But Ginger is my daughter too. Don’t I deserve to know?”
Mia’s hand clenched slowly. “When did I ever claim that Ginger is your daughter?”
“This matter can be resolved easily. We just need to do a DNA test using both Ginger’s blood and mine to see if she’s my biological daughter.”
Mia’s demeanor hardened as she retorted, “Timothy, Ginger belongs to me. She has no ties to the Barrett family whatsoever.”
“If it weren’t for my sperm, do you think you could have brought such a lovely daughter into this world by yourself?”
Timothy’s audacity seemed to have no limits.
Mia scoffed, saying, “Ginger has left Bern City, flown away on the private jet I arranged. Even if you try to chase her, you wouldn’t be able to catch up.
“Fine, if I can’t catch her, then I’ll pursue you instead!”
With a smirk, Mia retorted, “Oh, Mr. Barrett, it seems you still have feelings for me, don’t you?”
}
Timothy pursed his lips in response. “Ginger doesn’t belong exclusively to you. As her father, it’s my responsibility to be there for her, especially when she’s unwell.”
“Are you trying to contest custody with me?”
With a narrowed gaze, Timothy replied, “I hadn’t intended to, but if you continue to hide with Ginger, I’ll be forced to fight for custody.”
“Timothy, you speak boldly, but are you aware of who my brother is? He’s a prominent lawyer in Nord City. Do you truly believe you can snatch Ginger away from the Lane family so easily? Only in your wildest dreams.”
Mia had never been concerned about custody issues before.
Timothy’s expression soured as he said, “Mia, this time, Ginger came to Nord City to find her dad. Can you really bear to let her go without a father figure in her life?”
Mia was sharply stung by Timothy’s remark.
She scoffed, saying, “Even your mother considers Ginger a burden. Besides, don’t you have a son named Asher? Why are you so fixated on Ginger?”
“I’ve told you before, Asher isn’t my son!”
“If he’s not your son, then whose child is he? Timothy, you’re truly despicable!”
As Mia tried to leave, Timothy pulled her into an embrace. He lowered his head and whispered hoarsely, “It seems like this matters to you after all. Could it be that you’re jealous?”
Mia was utterly furious. She forcefully stomped on Timothy’s foot and then swiftly turned, aiming a kick toward his groin. “So, you think you’re a player, huh? Let’s see if you’ve got what it takes!”
Timothy let out a grunt, his muscles tensing, while beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
He glared at Mia as she backed away, gritting his teeth. “Stop right there!”
Nonetheless, Mia had no intention of staying. She proceeded directly to the elevator, determined to leave the hospital.
Upon reaching the hospital’s exit, she was confronted by a red sports car parked right in front of her.
Mia narrowed her eyes, finding the sports car oddly familiar.
Suddenly, Shelly stormed out of the vehicle. “You bitch! How dare you trick me with counterfeit goods!”
“Damn, you caught on quickly. I guess your brain isn’t totally useless after all,” Mia remarked sarcastically.
With Timothy’s bone marrow sample already sent away, Mia no longer needed to maintain the facade in front of Shelly. She had nothing left to fear at this point.
Shelly’s expression contorted with anger. She hadn’t expected Monalize to admit so readily.