Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
The piece was composed by Rowan to comfort the children at the orphanage, known only to them.
At the time, none of the other children could play the piano except for Mimi, the true heiress of the Lane. family.
Rowan had a special affection for Mimi, often praising her talent and hoping she would be adopted by a wealthy family.
Maya had always envied Mimi for being so obedient and favored by Rowan.
Maya, too, had dreams of being adopted by a wealthy family. However, with every opportunity that arose, Rowan would only recommend Mimi, leaving Maya feeling sidelined.
Driven by jealousy and resentment, Maya eventually assumed Mimi’s identity.
Maya later learned that Mimi’s adoptive family was not wealthy; they had adopted her because they were unable to have children of their own.
Over the years, Maya found great contentment in her newfound wealth.
At first, she fretted incessantly, haunted by the fear that one day the Lane family would uncover the truth -that she was an imposter¨Cand cast her out.
As the years went by. Maya’s worries began to diminish, thinking that perhaps she would never be exposed during her lifetime.
Yet, as the familiar piece resonated once more, evoking her memories of every note, even down to the pauses, Maya was suddenly struck by a startling realization¨Cit was her! Mimi had resurfaced!
Frantically. Maya dashed through the academic building, trembling with fear as she searched each room.
The mere thought of the real heiress being discovered filled her with dread; it would spell her downfall.
Determined to hold onto her status as the Lane family heiress at all costs, Maya pressed on.
Upstairs, in a classroom, Mia halted her playing and admitted, “My memory is hazy, but I can recall just these few notes.”
When Mia was adopted as a child, she had fallen seriously ill, and much of her recollection of her time at the orphanage was blurred.
Yet, amidst the haze of her memories, this particular piece of music remained vividly etched in her mind.
“It seems reminiscent of a children’s song. You performed it quite well, indicating a solid foundation.
“Now, what you need is practice. Select a piece to concentrate on, and should Anthony attempt to stir up trouble, you can demonstrate your skills with that particular piece,” Drew advised.
“Alright, thank you, Ms. Kidman,” Mia replied gratefully.
After offering Mia a few instructions, Drew exited the room, leaving her to practice alone.
Apart from mastering this children’s song, Mia’s repertoire was limited to the pieces Claude had taught her.
Additionally, Drew had provided her with a selection of pieces for further practice.
Mia chose to practice a new piece. As a result of her unfamiliarity, she played at a slow pace and fumbled over the notes.
Outside, Maya searched the building with mounting desperation, checking each floor in a frantic attempt to locate the planist whose music she had just heard moments ago.
However, it was the end of the class, and many students were engaged in piano practice, making it challenging for Maya to pinpoint the specific pianist she was searching for.
After scouring the area, Maya decided to resort to adding the senior students on WhatsApp. She planned to investigate their backgrounds at a later time..
Identifying whether any of them were orphans would be a straightforward task.
Exhausted and panting heavily, Maya couldn’t ignore the unfamiliar piano melody resonating from a nearby classroom. Pushing open the door, she discovered Mia seated at the piano.
In that instant, Maya froze.
As the door creaked open, Mia turned to find Maya standing in the doorway. She seemed somewhat disheveled, drenched in sweat with strands of hair clinging to her scalp.
Leaning against the door, Maya paused to catch her breath, a cold smirk playing on her lips.
“Trying to sneak in some practice, huh? With your current abilities, even a year of practice wouldn’t suffice. You might as well give up.” Maya taunted.
Recognizing Mia, Maya deduced that Mia must have been motivated to practice the piano after hearing
Anthony’s comments from the previous day.
However, having just heard Mia’s lackluster performance moments ago, Maya was certain that Mia’s skills were no match for her own.
Maya was confident that during the performance, Mia would embarrass herself, allowing Maya to effortlessly overshadow her.
Without lingering any longer, Maya turned and headed toward another classroom, eager to swiftly locate everyone present and identify the pianist from earlier.
Mia remained unfazed by Maya’s words, directing her concentration to her practice. She knew there was ample time for improvement.
Upon completing her search of the academic building, Maya realized she had obtained the contact information of over a hundred people.
Taking a breather on the stairs, she quickly dialed Blake, requesting, “Could you please help me conduct background checks on these people?”
If Maya were to locate the true heiress of the Lane family, she’d undoubtedly need to devise a plan to prevent her from reconnecting with the Lanes
Maya couldn’t be certain that they wouldn’t recognize her based on her appearance.
Thus, ensuring the two parties never crossed paths was crucial to avoid exposure.
With teeth clenched in determination, Maya was resolved to protect her identity and status at all costs, believing it to be her rightful destiny.
It felt like an injustice. Why were some born into wealth while Maya was born into poverty?
Despite her humble beginnings, Maya worked tirelessly to carve out her path in life and was determined not to give it up.
If blame was to be placed, it fell on the unfortunate twist of fate that led the true heiress of the Lane family to cross paths with her!
If the real Lane family’s heiress was sensible, Maya might consider offering compensation. However,
Maya would never permit her to reconnect with the Lane family.
After a long afternoon of practice, Mia returned home feeling somewhat defeated. Despite spending hours on the piano, she felt like she hadn’t improved much and couldn’t play smoothly.
Feeling frustrated, Mia couldn’t understand why she was struggling.
Claude noticed her looking discouraged and inquired. “What’s the matter? Did something happen at college?”
He couldn’t shake the thought¨Cdid Anthony mishandle something?
“Claude, I practiced some pieces at college today, but I felt like I couldn’t get them right,” Mia expressed.
“What songs did you practice?” Claude asked.
After Mia explained, Claude appeared somewhat resigned. “Mia, these songs aren’t the right fit for you. It’s not your fault though, everyone has their own style that they excel in, and these just aren’t suited to yours.”
“So, what pieces are a good fit for me?” Mia asked.
“You’re better off focusing on the songs I previously taught you. Why don’t you concentrate on practicing. those for now?” Claude advised.
Mia nodded in agreement. The songs she knew best were the childhood tunes she had learned long ago and the ones Claude had been teaching her recently.
Initially, Mia had intended to practice the sheet of music Drew had given her that day, but it seemed her current skills weren’t up to par yet.
Suddenly, Claude asked, “Mia, do you still remember your time at the orphanage?”
Mia hadn’t expected Claude to bring up her past. She shook her head, admitting. “I don’t recall much.”
“Nothing at all? Yet you seem to remember the piano piece you learned as a child,” Claude observed.
“I believe I suffered a serious illness when I was young, and after that, my memories of the orphanage became hazy. I can only recall fragments,” Mia explained.
She couldn’t even remember Rowan’s face, just fleeting memories of playing the piano with her and the image of her gentle, beautiful hands.
Claude was familiar with Mia’s story. An investigation was conducted when he and his brothers first found Mia, and Patricia’s account confirmed the same..
After being adopted and leaving the orphanage, Mia fell seriously ill due to neglect from Bob and Mary. and she nearly died from a high fever.
After miraculously recovering. Mia forgot everything about her time at the orphanage.
“Mia, do you remember having any friends at the orphanage when you were young?” Claude asked.
“I don’t remember,” Mia replied, shaking her head.
Perplexed by Claude’s questions, she inquired, “Claude, why are you asking about this? Are you implying that I had friends at the orphanage?”
“Never mind, it was just a random question. You seem tired today; you can stop practicing and get some rest. Claude said, dismissing the topic.
Claude didn’t disclose the whole truth. Ever since he and his brothers found Mia and learned that she had been discovered in a different orphanage, he had started to doubt Maya’s story.
Maya was initially found at another orphanage, and at that time, she provided vague clues about Mia’s whereabouts, which led to Dominic being unable to find Mia.
Claude couldn’t shake the suspicion that Maya might be lying.
But with Mia having forgotten everything about the orphanage and her past, their discovery of her was a stroke of luck. Dominic also planned to sever ties with Maya.
If Mia ever did recall her past and if it turned out to be linked to Maya, Claude would certainly not let