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Jasmine was furious at Luna’s skillful acting. She found it utterly repulsive.
However, Mia found it somewhat ironic. She took Jasmine’s hand and said, “Let’s go eat.”
Raymond looked at them and suggested, “Since we’re all familiar with each other, why don’t we have a meal together?”
Mia frowned and was about to decline on Jasmine’s behalf, but she promptly agreed. “Sure, let’s go.”
Chapter 1019
Mia was taken aback to see Jasmine accept Raymond’s dinner invitation. After everything that had just happened, she thought Jasmine wouldn’t be in the mood to have a meal with him. But to her surprise, Jasmine quickly pulled herself together and agreed.
After all, the dinner was clearly a setup and a trap that Mia thought Jasmine would avoid. It was surprising that Jasmine agreed so readily.
In contrast, Mia wasn’t keen on attending the dinner, especially with Luna and Sharon. Their presence had a way of spoiling her appetite.
However, since Jasmine agreed to go, Mia reluctantly decided to accompany her. She needed Jasmine on her side and couldn’t let Luna get to her first.
Mia had dealt with Luna before and knew her manipulative tactics well. By keeping an eye on things, she could prevent Jasmine from falling into Luna’s trap. After all, Mia had a lot riding on Jasmine. When Jasmine agreed, Raymond smiled and patted her shoulder. “That’s more like it. We’re family, and we don’t need to be so distant with each other.”
She lowered her head and said nothing, but she wasn’t as agitated as before. She seemed to have calmed down.
Luna noticed Jasmine’s reaction and immediately felt a sense of caution. She had already investigated Jasmine and knew she was just an inexperienced heiress who was easy to manipulate. Luna had always wanted to drive a wedge between Raymond and Jasmine. Only then could she officially take Jasmine’s place as Raymond’s only daughter and become the family’s heiress.
After all, someone like Jasmine would never tolerate Raymond bringing an outsider like Asher into the family to be the heir. Luna’s plan depended on turning Jasmine against her father, which would create an opportunity for her.
However, seeing Jasmine submit to Raymond earlier could throw a wrench in Luna’s plans.
Mia remained silent as they all took the elevator upstairs.
Timothy approached her and whispered, “You came to dinner with Jasmine. What do you plan to discuss?”
“Mr. Barrett, this is my personal affair. I don’t think I need to report to you.”
He reached out to grab her hand, but she deftly avoided his touch. She quickened her pace and left Timothy trailing behind her. She felt there was nothing left to discuss with him.
Whether Timothy wanted to collaborate with Raymond or not, she didn’t care anymore. She had no interest in hearing Timothy’s explanations.
Timothy’s attempt to grab Mia’s hand failed as she distanced herself from him. He sighed and watched her retreating figure with a mixture of resignation and frustration.
He knew Mia was upset about his awwas collaboration with Raymond, even though the rumors were far from the truth. He would never work with Raymond against the Lane family, but she wouldn’t even listen to his side of the story.
As he watched her walk away, he felt a mix of emotions. His heart raced for a moment, but then he remembered he had added Ginger on WhatsApp, which eased his anxiety.
After all, he had plenty of time ahead. He believed that he would be able to repair their relationship.
Luna picked up on a subtle change in Timothy’s expression. The typically reserved and aloof man revealed a gentler side while interacting with Mia.
Her expression darkened subtly. Once overshadowed by Mia’s status, now as Raymond’s daughter, she finally felt deserving of Timothy’s attention.
Meanwhile, Sharon approached Timothy and asked, “Why were you so submissive in front of Mia just now?
“You’re the wealthiest man in Bern City, you know. Even though she is now the heiress of the Lane family, she can’t inherit all of their fortune.
“Why should she act superior to you? It’s enough that you’re willing to cater to her. She’s just a divorced mom with a kid. How great can she really be?”
Chapter 1020
Timothy’s expression changed instantly. “Mom, if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”
“Tim, everything I’m doing is for your own good. There are so many great girls out there. Why can’t you just pick one? Why do you have to be with Mia?”
“Because, Mom, she’s the only one I’ll ever marry,” Timothy said firmly.
“But she has six brothers who are like guard dogs. Aren’t you afraid they’ll come after you? They’ll never let you remarry her. Are you planning to stay single forever?”
Timothy asserted, “Yes. If I can’t marry her, then I’d rather be single for the rest of my life.”
“How can you do this to the Barrett family? You won’t have any children to carry on the family name.”
He remained calm. “But I already have a child.”
“That sickly Ginger? She’s not a boy, and she can’t inherit the family business. You need a son. If our family doesn’t have a boy to carry on the legacy, won’t it just benefit those distant relatives of the Barretts?” “When I die, I’ll donate all of it.”
Sharon was livid. “What do you mean, donate it? That’s a lot of money, and you can’t just give it all away.”
“By that time, you won’t be around, and this won’t affect you,” Timothy retorted.
Sharon was so angry she could hardly speak. Although she was proud of Timothy, he never listened to her.
She had little influence in the Barrett el.ne family and desperately wanted to assert herself with her future daughter-in-law. Having been overlooked in the family for so long, she wanted to have some authority.
But if Tim married Mia, Sharon would be even more powerless, especially with Mia’s six brothers backing her up. Sharon couldn’t bear the thought of being sidelined.
As they entered the grandest private room, each person carried their own thoughts with them. After they sat down, nobody said anything.
Raymond sat at the head of the table, with Jasmine on his left and Luna on his right, as neither was willing to give up their spot.
When the waiter arrived to take their order, Luna quickly grabbed the menu. “Dad, let me order for everyone. What does everyone like?” Jasmine directly addressed the waiter, “Bring us your signature dishes and all the ones we usually order, along with some red wine and drinks.” The waiter promptly nodded. “Okay.”
Luna’s expression darkened when she realized Jasmine’s intention.
Jasmine looked at Luna and said, “I’m sorry. You’re probably not familiar with this place, so I thought I’d save us some time by ordering since I know the menu well.”
Raymond nodded and glanced at
Luna. “You have much to learn. Given your background, if you wish to thrive in this circle, you need to expand your knowledge and network.”
After all, they couldn’t afford any embarrassing slip-ups.
Luna seethed inwardly but held her tongue as she simply nodded in response.
Nevertheless, Luna wasn’t willing to concede defeat just yet and swiftly brought up her son. “Dad, Asher loved the gift you gave him. He would love to play chess with you next time.”
Chapter 1021
When Mia heard Luna mention the child, she knew that Luna was about to start showing off.
Instantly, she firmly grasped Jasmine’s hand, signaling her to refrain from acting impulsively in the present circumstances. Luna tactfully brought up the issue concerning Asher to provoke Jasmine, ultimately leading her to make a mistake.
At this critical moment, patience was crucial. Jasmine couldn’t afford to make a mistake and fall into Luna’s trap. Jasmine took a deep breath and finally abstained from speaking.
When Raymond learned about Asher, a smile spread across his face. “Excellent. I’ve sent many people to guide his studies. You’ve got to supervise Asher. His intelligence has truly impressed me. Let him learn more about these. It’ll benefit his future greatly.”
“Dad, don’t worry. Asher has always been smart. I’ll make sure he studies more.”
After speaking, Luna glanced at Jasmine. Then she said deliberately, “When the time comes, Asher should study abroad and aim to become an outstanding student, just like my sister.”
Jasmine felt disgusted as if she were about to regurgitate her meal from last night. She denied ever being Luna’s sister.
Mia pulled Jasmine closer, giving her a reassuring wink to tell her to relax and calm down.
Sharon, who was at the side, started speaking in a peculiar tone, “Asher had been living in our Barrett family for five years. I’ve hired several teachers to tutor him, but he was just so stupid. He’s hot-tempered. He’s always lagging behind the others in his studies, yet he has a very high self-esteem. Mr. Shelbert, I think you need to hire more teachers to help him.”
When Mia heard Sharon criticizing Asher, she was stunned. Unexpectedly, in this crucial moment, it was Sharon who stepped forward to silence Luna!
It made sense. When Luna achieved success, she had the audacity to call Sharon an old hag. How could the prideful Sharon tolerate Luna’s arrogance?
When Luna heard this, she immediately retorted, “Mrs. Barrett, I can’t comprehend your words. What possible benefit could you get from purposefully slandering Asher? You were so fond of Asher back then.” Luna was furious and wondered why the old hag was causing trouble.
“At first, I was deceived by you and didn’t know the full story. I believed Asher was a part of our Barrett family, only to realize he was just a little bastard. Why should I lie about Asher? He’s simply a foolish child, and I’ve done nothing wrong by speaking the truth.”
Sharon found it unbearable to tolerate Luna’s arrogance. After all, Luna was just an illegitimate daughter What could she possibly have to be proud of? If Luna hadn’t deceived her in the past, she wouldn’t have almost mistaken her grandson.
Luna stood up abruptly, her eyes filled with cold determination. “Mrs. Barrett, who do you think you’re calling a little bastard? Asher is bastard. He is the blood of the Barrett family. If he’s foolish, then his foolishness stemmed from your own family. The problem lies in your blood.”
“Are you serious? Tim has made it clear that he is not Asher’s biological father. And yet you still want to come and deceive our Barrett family. Have you no shame?” Sharon scoffed. Luna sneered and asked, “Who said he has to be Timothy’s son? Can’t he be Hector, Timothy’s younger brother’s son?”
“What do you mean? I have only one son. I don’t have a second child, and Tim certainly doesn’t have a younger brother.” Luna exclaimed, “That is not necessarily true! If he were not your biological child, would he not still be Timothy’s brother?” At that moment, Timothy turned to Luna and said, “Shut up. There’s no need for you to say anything more.”
Chapter 1022
Luna was unfazed by Timothy’s words. “Why are you still keeping it a secret? What’s the point of you continuing to hide it? Asher is undeniably a descendant of your Barrett family. I’ve not lied or been mistaker about this.”
Upon hearing Luna’s words, Sharon promptly sat on the chair. “I didn’t give birth to him. Could it be…”
An illegitimate child? It was impossible. Her late husband had passed away several years ago. How could he possibly have fathered an illegitimate child?
Luna said coldly, “That’s right. Asher’s father is Timothy’s half-brother.”
Timothy had made it clear from the beginning that she could not disclose this fact, or else she would be expelled from the Barrett family. However, she was no longer part of the Barrett family. Hence, she was no longer bound by any agreement with Timothy.
“You’re spouting absolute nonsense! My husband doesn’t have any illegitimate children. How dare you claim he has such a grown child? Stop being so shameless!” Sharon still couldn’t believe it.
“I’m speaking the truth. Just ask Timothy. When I approached the Barrett family, I presented evidence and conducted a paternity test.”