Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
“And as for you, Mia, you’ll regret rejecting Lewis’ proposal. After the signing ceremony, the Bowen family will be far beyond your reach.” Mia scoffed, her tone cold. “I’ve been quite busy lately. I simply don’t have the time to attend your family’s signing ceremony.”
“Mia, is it possible that you’re avoiding our family’s signing ceremony out of guilt? After all, your bodyguard isn’t the real CEO of the Barrett Group. Maybe you’re worried that his false identity will be exposed at the ceremony, and that’s why you’re hesitant to come.”
Upon hearing this, Mia couldn’t help but feel repulsed, thinking to herself, “The Bowen family just won’t relent, will they? It seems they’ll stop at nothing until they’ve reached the end of the line.”
Standing nearby, Caleb interjected, “Mia, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to attend the signing ceremony. You’ll have a front-row seat to witness the Bowen family’s embarrassment.
“Let’s face it, the ceremony is nothing but a charade. I haven’t seen such absurdity in ages. It could actually be quite entertaining to watch the show and stop these shameless individuals from tarnishing your reputation.”
Caleb never anticipated encountering a family as eccentric as the Bowens.
Their unwavering confidence, despite their modest social standing, piqued his curiosity. He thought it could be interesting to observe how they handled embarrassment.
However, being looked down upon by the Bowens unsettled Caleb. Such condescension was unfamiliar to him. It was unlike anything he had experienced in Bern City.
Even though he had joked about Timothy earlier, being belittled by the Bowens was not something Caleb could easily shrug off.
Mia hesitated for a moment but chose to remain silent.
Just then, Connie’s voice echoed loudly, “Mia, consider it settled. The Lane family is expected to attend the Bowen family’s signing ceremony in two days. If you don’t show up, it will only serve as evidence of your guilt.”
Mia responded with a disdainful chuckle, “Why should I feel guilty? With the Bowen family practically inviting me to witness their downfall, how can I possibly say no?”
“Mia, your audacity knows no bounds, does it? Very well, I expect to see you three there. Don’t try to find excuses for not showing up. I’ll be anticipating your arrival,” Connie firmly stated before her attendant wheeled her out of the hospital room.
Glancing at Connie, Mia folded her arms in frustration. She turned to Timothy and questioned, “You’ve already met with Heath, right? So why hasn’t the collaboration with the Bowen family been sorted out yet? This isn’t like your usual efficiency.”
In Mia’s perception, Timothy was a typical workaholic, almost like a robot in terms of efficiency.
He had promised to quickly resolve the collaboration with the Bowen family.
So, it was strange that the Bowens still believed they would sign a contract with the Barrett Group.
With a furrowed brow, Timothy immediately called Heath, saying, “Didn’t I instruct you to terminate the partnership with the Bowen family?”
How dare the Bowens even bring up the topic of collaboration in his presence?
Heath swiftly intervened, saying, “Mr. Barrett, we’ve just arrived at the branch office today and started investigating the matter. The partnership with the Bowen family seems to be quite complex.”
“No matter how complex it is, cancel the collaboration with the Bowen family immediately,” Timothy ordered firmly.
“Mr. Barrett, this issue involves your uncle, Ralph Hopkins. He was the one behind the partnership with the Bowen family.
“While conducting my investigation at the branch office, I faced deliberate obstructions. It seems Mr. Hopkins is intent on keeping this matter hidden.”
“So, are you saying there’s been no headway?” Timothy inquired. “Not precisely,” Heath replied. “I did convey your instructions to avoid proceeding with the Bowen family.
“However, it seems Mr. Hopkins has yet to show up. If we’re looking to officially terminate the partnership with the Bowens, it might take some time.”
After listening to Heath’s explanation, Timothy ended the call. Standing nearby, Caleb asked, “Tim, what was the update?”
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 rift between you two. And after that, I heard he vanished without a trace. It turns out he ended up at the Nord City branch,” Caleb recounted. “That’s right,” Timothy confirmed. “I honestly didn’t expect my mother to arrange for Uncle Ralph to be transferred to the Nord City branch.” “It’s no wonder such a bizarre event unfolded at the subsidiary office. With Mr. Hopkins pulling the strings, it’s expected he’d join forces with the Bowen family. They’re all a bunch of dimwits anyway.”
Mia couldn’t shake off the memory of Ralph’s character—the epitome of a man who lived off his family’s wealth.
As for Sharon, she was undeniably a sinister woman.
Given Timothy’s principles, he would probably have taken legal action against Ralph long ago for his involvement in bribery within the company.
Yet, Sharon resorted to emotional manipulation, unleashing a series of dramatic outbursts, and even threatening self-harm.
She wept in front of Laura for days until Timothy eventually relented on pursuing legal action against Ralph.
Ultimately, Sharon reached into her own pocket to cover the substantial amount lost due to Ralph’s embezzlement and mismanagement of funds.
Reflecting on Ralph’s questionable character, Mia couldn’t help but empathize with Timothy.
She stole a glance at him and remarked, “Handling this situation could be rather challenging, don’t you think? If you move forward with terminating the partnership, Ralph is likely to create quite a commotion. He’s not one to back down easily.”
Indeed, stirring up trouble seemed to be Ralph’s forte.
Timothy’s response was cold and resolute. “Our company’s policies and standards will not be compromised for anyone.”
Inwardly, Mia couldn’t help but scoff. It was evident that the collaboration with the Bowen family hadn’t followed the standard procedures and approvals within the company.
If it were merely a minor agreement, the Bowens wouldn’t be making such a public spectacle of it.
And if it were a significant collaboration, it surely wouldn’t have bypassed the company’s rigorous review process.
Hence, the only plausible explanation was that Ralph had been involved in dubious transactions with the Bowen Group.
It was no surprise that when Heath visited the subsidiary earlier to end the partnership with the Bowen family, Ralph had been dodging meetings with him.
As a result, this led to a delay in resolving the issue.
Mia regarded Timothy seriously and advised, “I believe your priority now should be to address the partnership issue with the Bowen family at the office.
“Ginger is progressing well in her recovery and is ready to be discharged from the hospital. With a family doctor available at home to monitor her condition, there’s no need for her to remain hospitalized.” Timothy furrowed his brow in response. “Are you sure there are no concerns regarding Ginger’s ongoing treatment?”
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.
Caleb motioned for Timothy to join him, saying, “Come on, Tim, let’s deal with the Bowens now. And Mia, don’t forget about the Bowen family’s upcoming signing ceremony. It’ll be quite the spectacle to witness their embarrassment.”
Timothy shot Caleb a glare. “Hey, hey, don’t try to be a bystander here. There won’t be any signing ceremony in two days,” Timothy said sternly.
Timothy certainly wouldn’t give the Bowen family any false hope.
As Timothy and Caleb exited the hospital, Mia breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the earlier interruption from the Bowen family had diverted Timothy’s attention away from Ginger’s medical records.
But even if he had seen them, it wouldn’t have mattered. Mia had already arranged with the hospital to present Timothy with falsified records.
Meanwhile, Timothy and Caleb left the hospital together.
Curious, Caleb inquired, “So, how did your conversation with Mia go today?”
Timothy responded with a neutral expression, “Well, we didn’t have much time to talk before the Bowens barged in. Those fools ended up wasting quite a bit of my time.”
Timothy’s demeanor turned cold at the mention of the Bowen family. Due to his limited opportunities to converse with Mia, he had hoped to make the most of their time together.
However, the unforeseen encounter with the Bowens had thrown a wrench in his plans. Their intrusion had certainly been an unnecessary hindrance.
“Tim, while you were conversing with Mia downstairs, what were you both doing?”
“We were going over Ginger’s medical records.”
“But Tim, aren’t you already aware of Ginger’s illness? Why the need to check her medical records? Are you a doctor or something? Plus, the Lane family is among the aristocracy in Nord City. They surely wouldn’t mistreat Ginger, so there’s no need to worry about her treatment.” Timothy’s expression darkened instantly at Caleb’s words. “As a father, shouldn’t I be concerned about every aspect of my child’s illness?” “Yes, you’re absolutely right to be concerned about every detail regarding Ginger. I shouldn’t have said anything,” Caleb quickly backtracked.
Feeling agitated, Timothy massaged his temples and continued, “It’s not that I don’t trust the medical technology in Nord City. It’s just that I have a feeling Mia is hiding something from me.”
“What do you think she could be hiding?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but it’s more of a gut feeling. I sense that Mia isn’t completely honest with me about Ginger’s illness. She seems anxious about me discovering whatever it may be, which is why she’s so eager for me to depart Nord City.”
Raising an eyebrow, Caleb spoke up, “Wait, are you saying that Ginger may not be your biological daughter?”
Timothy’s expression hardened as he replied, “I suspect that the one who’s ill isn’t actually Ginger.”
Chapter 913