Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
This statement struck a chord with Dana. After all, she highly valued her reputation and dreaded the thought of being judged by others.
After some hesitation, Dana eventually accepted the USB drive from Maya, nodding reluctantly. “Okay, but what if Mia discovers this?”
“Don’t worry, even if she does, she won’t be able to harm you. By then, Mia will have her own issues to deal with. And besides, what’s there to fear? You still have me, don’t you?”
Hearing this reassurance, Dana felt somewhat relieved. With the USB drive in hand, Dana was ready to leave when
Maya stopped her.
“Why don’t you finish your beauty treatment before you go? You can use my beauty card for it. Just let the owner know if you want any specific treatments.”
“Thank you, Ms. Lane.” Dana’s face brightened with surprise and greed. She had never imagined indulging in such luxurious beauty treatments before.
Observing Dana’s hypocritical and vain demeanor, Maya swiftly exited the private room, her smile disappearing in an instant.
“Keep a close watch on Dana, ensure she doesn’t stir up any trouble,” she directed.
“Ms. Lane, I’ve heard that Mr. Dominic is coming to Bern City. The exact date is unclear, but it should be within the next few days.”
“I’m aware. Dominic will return for sure. After all, I’ve announced that we’ve found the true heiress of the Lane family, so it’s only natural for him to come,¡®
Maya replied, her expression tinged with coldness.
Whenever the topic of the real heiress arose, the Lanes would show a noticeable sense of urgency. It was during these moments that Maya realized she was merely a stand¨Cin.
With the possibility looming that Mia might be the heiress of the Lane family, Maya’s reluctance grew even stronger.
Puzzled, Blake spoke up, “Ms. Lane, I can’t help but feel that something isn’t quite right about this situation.
“In the past, whenever news of finding the real heiress surfaced, there would be immediate and fervent responses from everyone.
“But this time, their reactions seem oddly subdued, don’t you think? Mr. Connor didn’t even inquire about it!”
“Come to think of it, it does seem strange.
¦°
Just as doubts began to arise in Maya’s mind, Connor’s call unexpectedly came through.
She couldn’t suppress a faint smile. ” Connors is on the line. It appears he’s probing for information.
“Apart from Dominic, they all seem to be suspicious of my intentions, especially since I’m the one who discovered the ¡® heiress¡® this time. It’s understandable for them to be cautious and skeptical.”
Maya promptly picked up the call. “Hello, Connor. Why are you calling?”
After all, she was the one who typically initiated communication with him.
“Maya, Dominic will be arriving in two- days. I’d like to meet this person you’ve found before his arrival.”
“Connor, there’s no need to rush things. I’m concerned that if you visit her alone, it might raise her suspicions.
“Let’s wait until everyone is present, and then we can approach her together. We wouldn’t want to startle her, would we?”
Maya was determined not to let Connor visit Dana alone, fearing it could jeopardize her cover.
Reluctantly, Connor agreed, “Alright, we’ll go together the day after tomorrow.
Please look after her these next two days.
¦°
“Rest assured, Connor, I’ll take excellent care of her. After all, she’s my closest friend. I couldn’t be happier that she’s returning to our family.¡®
After ending the call, Connor couldn’t help but smirk. “That should put an end to any suspicions Maya might have,” he remarked.
Jason agreed with a nod. “I’ve had my doubts about Maya from the beginning. But Dominic was adamant about bringing her back for Grandma’s sake.”
Claude’s expression hardened. “At least now the primary culprit can’t evade justice.”
Connor nodded in agreement. “Let’s await Dominic’s arrival and have him handle the situation with Maya directly. She certainly can’t remain here.”
Upon Mia’s return to Nord City, it was imperative that they show her extra care.
Meanwhile, in the study hall, Mia suddenly sneezed. Rubbing her nose, she couldn’t help but wonder who might be speaking ill of her.
As Mia stepped out to refill her cup, she noticed her classmates staring at her. When she glanced in their direction, they quickly averted their eyes, leaving Mia feeling perplexed.
Shortly after, she received a call from
Gina. “Hey Mia, are you still at the campus?”
“Yes, I’m in the study hall.”
“Mia, please take a look at what I’m sending. It seems like someone is trying to sabotage you.”
Mia opened the link Gina had sent and 4 saw the headline on the college’s online forum that wrote, “Mia, the Genius Girl, Using Men to Succeed!”
She clicked on the post and found a picture of Timothy standing outside the study hall that evening, his back to the camera, directly in front of her.
However, in the photo, Timothy’s figure. was striking, while she, panicked and concealed behind the crowd, appeared to have a darker complexion and a much older¨Clooking face.
This tactic seemed oddly familiar.
But this time, who could be behind it?
Mia’s alleged actions came to light due to an anonymous report letter that was accidentally seen by members of the student council.
The university swiftly blocked access to the forum, but the news spread rapidly, and deleting posts couldn’t contain the situation.
There was also gossip circulating about Mia supposedly obtaining scholarships through insider connections and relying on men to independently design the university hall.
Coincidentally, it was graduation season.
Despite taking a leave of absence from college, Mia had managed to accumulate enough credits to graduate, sparking discontent among many.
As Mia remembered the university’s scholarship announcement scheduled for the afternoon, she felt a headache coming.
Approaching the notice board, she confirmed her name was listed. However, she soon found herself surrounded by a group of students, all wearing confrontational expressions.
“Mia, you’ve got some explaining to do!”
Mia glanced at the students, who appeared somewhat agitated, and declared firmly, “Someone is deliberately spreading false rumors to damage my reputation.”
“There’s no need to explain. Similar incidents have been exposed before, and it was rumored that you also have that man supporting you to handle such matters.
“We all need these honorary credits to graduate, and since you have other options, please don’t compete with us,¡® the students argued.
Suddenly, Dana rushed over. “What are you all doing? This incident has nothing to do with Mia. Someone is just jealous and spreading malicious gossip.
“Mia’s talents are evident to everyone, and she has achieved everything based on her own abilities.”
A student snorted, “Heh, what skills and strengths are we talking about? I believe it’s her knack for seducing men.”
“Indeed, please elaborate.”
Observing Dana’s supportive stance, Mia couldn’t help but feel touched.
Addressing the onlookers, she proposed, “Should we involve the authorities? Perhaps we should allow them to conduct a thorough investigation into this situation.”
Upon hearing Mia suggest involving the police, Dana’s anxiety surged. Swiftly, she interjected, “Actually, we could approach the college authorities directly to address this issue.”
“Exactly, let’s bring it to Mr. Shaw’s attention and let him take charge.”
Mia didn’t have any concerns about going. to Kennedy; she had no secrets to conceal.
On the other hand, Dana couldn’t shake off a sense of unease at the mere mention of involving Kennedy.
After all, he possessed the authority to swiftly identify the individual who had reported the incident.
Nevertheless, since Dana had made the report anonymously through email, it shouldn’t be easy for her identity to be revealed.
Taking this into account, Dana breathed a sigh of relief.
Shortly after, Mia and the rest of the group made their way to Kennedy’s office.
After being informed about the incident. on the online forum, Kennedy was taken aback.
He found it hard to believe that someone would accuse Mia of exploiting men for her benefit; it seemed utterly absurd!
Addressing Mia with a reassuring tone, he said, “Mia, don’t worry. I will investigate this issue thoroughly and ensure your innocence is upheld.”
Mia responded calmly, “Alright.¡®
Observing Kennedy’s supportive demeanor toward Mia, Dana couldn’t help but feel envious.