Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Inviting a man to her room?
That was not something that she would do.
When she entered the room, no one was in there. She couldn’t believe that Timothy would arrive later than her. Men would normally be more enthusiastic when it came to dates in a hotel because there was only one thing they would think of.
Mia clucked her tongue, seemingly approving Timothy’s push¨Cand¨Cpull strategy. She poured herself a glass of wine.
That was the most direct method to test a man’s true intention. Basically, no one passed the test all these years.
Before long, there was a knock at the door. Mia directed her gaze toward it. “Come in. It’s not locked.”
Still, the person outside kept knocking.
Frowning, she walked toward the door. “I said, it’s not locked. Who are you?”
A hotel attendant stood outside the door and politely said, “Ms. Monalize, Mr. Barrett told me to take you to a place.”
Mia was surprised.
Where was Timothy planning to take her?
With a brief look back at the room, Mia’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Lead the way.”
Timothy was full of surprise. She’d like to find out what he had up his sleeves.
Mia and the hotel attendant took the elevator to the top floor. She couldn’t help but feel puzzled, knowing exactly what awaited them upstairs.
As a regular, how could she not know the place?
She followed him to the conservatory, and as she had expected, Timothy was there. He was taking in the sea while standing before the glass window.
Due to the heavy rain, the sea took on a solemn gray tone.
Mia strode up to him. “The sea is blue and pretty when it’s sunny.”
Upon hearing that, Timothy turned his head to look at her.
Mia commanded attention in her striking black dress, her lips a vivid red, evoking an air of captivating enigma.
He had never seen Mia dressing this way, so he didn’t know she could be this ladylike.
“What are you looking at, Mr. Barrett?” Something was weird about the way he stared at her. It seemed as though he was observing traces of another person’s presence within her.
Timothy circled to her back to pull out the chair for her. “Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Mia gladly accepted the offer.
Sitting gracefully, she gazed at the handsome man. “I didn’t expect you to invite me here. A candlelight dinner doesn’t sound bad.”
He calmly cut the steak into pieces. “It would be inconvenient to talk with the kid around.”
“Did you really think that I invited you to the room I’m staying in? I may be an irresponsible mother, but I have my boundaries to keep.”
“Sorry. I was overthinking.” Timothy then switched their plates. He gave her the steak he had cut.
She took a bite of it. “It’s delicious.”
From the delectable flavor of the steak, it seemed evident that he had splurged on its quality.
That fell well within her expectations. After all, he must be someone of considerable stature to be able to offer 10 million dollars.
Mia glanced at him. “Are you from Bern City, like Caleb?”
“Yes.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m a businessman. I run my family’s business.”
Her brows arched. “That must be a huge business.”
It finally dawned upon her that Timothy hailed from a well¨Coff family.
“It’s our family’s legacy. What about you, Ms. Monalize? Are you from Chesterfield?”
Her hands froze momentarily. “Did Ginger tell you that?”
“Yes.” Timothy nodded.
Mia felt a sense of disbelief at Ginger’s betrayal. Nevertheless, she smiled and said, “You know so much about me. Are you trying to flirt with me?”
He stared at her deeply when he heard that.
For four long years, Timothy had been tirelessly searching for Mia.
His gaze fixated on the mole beneath the corner of her eye. His hand couldn’t help but reach out for it, but she dodged him.
She leaned back in the chair, her gaze cold. “Isn’t that a bit premature? We haven’t built that level of closeness yet, Mr. Barrett.
Mia couldn’t help but feel let down. As she had expected, all men were the same.
Timothy apologized, “Sorry. Have you always had that mole beneath your eye?” “Yes.” She found that question weird. She wondered why he asked that.
Timothy’s heart sank the moment he heard Mia’s answer. If the mole had always been there, then she wasn’t Mia Bowen!
“Why the question?” Her eyes didn’t leave him.
He filled his wine glass and downed it all.
Noticing the shift in his mood, she wondered if the mole was ugly on her.
He placed the wine glass down, and a drop of wine trickled from his lips to his clothes.
It took a fleeting second for him to become a deflated balloon.
His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Let’s talk business, Ms. Monalize. The reishi mushrooms, what should I do to get them?”
It was Timothy’s attempt to switch the topic. Mia realized that he didn’t want to talk about the previous topic anymore. Suppressing the curiosity in her, she beamed. “That depends on what you can offer.”
The glint in his eyes dimmed. “Tell me your terms.” 2
“How am I supposed to do that when I have everything? Besides, you’re the one making a request. You should think about how to make me happy so that I’m willing to give them to you.”
Timothy watched her. “I don’t know how to do that.”
She snorted. “I’m not buying that. Don’t tell me you have never tried to make your girlfriend or wife happy before Haven’t you been in a relationship before?”
He stared at the face that looked so much like Mia Bowen. “I’ve been single for many years.”
“You’ve been single for many years,” she repeated. “Which means you have been in a relationship. Have you not tried to make your partner happy before?”
Memories from four years ago struck him. “I did, but I failed.”
That answer didn’t surprise her¨Cnot one bit. He didn’t seem like the romantic guy to let his partner have it their way.
He was rich and handsome. And based on those labels alone, Mia reckoned the ladies were always the ones swooning over him.
She took a small sip of drink. “And you broke up?”
The frustration led him to drink again. The question was left hanging in the air.
To her, Timothy was a hard nut to crack. She wondered if he had lingering feelings for his first love.
She was reluctant to admit defeat. If this kept going, she wouldn’t be able to evaluate him.
She leaned forward on the table as she brushed her hair back. “Mr. Barrett, you want me to name my term, didn’t you? I’ve thought of something.”
“Pray tell.”
“Let’s get together. Besides, you’re handsome and have been single for years.” Her tone was confident.
She made a deliberate effort to show him her most flattering side. The confidence she gained from wearing the sexy black outfit fueled her determination to take Timothy down.
As long as he said yes, he could have the reishi mushrooms and save 10 million dollars. It would be a steal.
No one would be foolish enough to turn down the offer. Not a single man could resist beauty and money.
Quietly, he studied the woman in front of him. Without warning, he narrowed the distance between them, and the temperature rose palpably.
Despite her deepened smile, she had her guard up.
It was a test. Would he take her bait?
Mia was able to study his features thanks to the proximity. His skin was flawless.