Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Despite her indignation, Luna managed to control her emotions as she reminded herself of the new handbag she held, bought during her trip to Xanier Island.
Ultimately, Luna could only suppress her rage, aware that when her son eventually assumed the role of heir to the Barrett Group, she would seek revenge for the humiliation she endured today.
As Mia descended the stairs and left the hospital, she couldn’t help but notice Shelly waiting on the ground floor. Shelly was incessantly taking selfies, clutching a handbag and a pair of shoes.
Mia approached Shelly with a cheerful demeanor. “Shelly, how do you like the shoes? Have you tried them on yet? Do they fit well?”
Seeing Mia, Shelly immediately set aside her phone and smiled, responding, “I’ve tried them on, and they fit perfectly.”
In truth, Shelly hadn’t bothered trying them on. Since they were a gift, she didn’t want to waste them even if they didn’t fit properly.
Mia could immediately see through Shelly’s lie, but instead of confronting her, she maintained a smile and remarked, “Shelly, I bumped into Ms.
Maynard in the restroom. She seemed displeased with me being with Mr. Barrett, insinuating that I’m merely a substitute for his ex-wife.” “Monalize, don’t let Luna’s words bother you. You’re not a substitute at all. Tim has always been loyal, and he has a particular taste in women. You’re much better than Tim’s ex-wife. You two are simply meant to be together.”
Shelly was overjoyed as she held onto the branded bag and shoes she had received for free. If Monalize ended up with Timothy, wouldn’t that mean she could continue enjoying such perks? After all, Monalize was much more generous than Luna.
Observing Shelly taking the bait, Mia frowned and inquired, “Was there a romantic history between Ms. Maynard and Mr. Barrett?” “No! It’s always been Luna who had feelings for Tim. However, Tim hasn’t reciprocated Luna’s feelings all these years. If they were meant to be together, they would have been a couple by now,” Shelly asserted.
Mia was somewhat skeptical of Shelly’s claims. She then dropped the bombshell, “I’ve heard rumors that Luna has a son living with the Barretts. Some say he’s Timothy’s illegitimate child.”
Shelly hesitated momentarily, her eyes shifting uneasily as she responded,” That’s not true. When Luna lived with the Barretts, she assumed the identity of Tim’s sister.
“Her son is from some random dude. Monalize, don’t concern yourself with it. When you and Tim are together eventually, the child you have will be the heir of the Barrett family.”
Upon hearing this, Mia’s eyes flashed with coldness. After all, she had already given birth to a pair of twins.
Mia realized that she wouldn’t obtain any useful information from Shelly at the moment. With that in mind, she turned and left the hospital.
Nonetheless, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Shelly’s words didn’t quite add up.
Why would Timothy keep Luna, a woman with no apparent family ties, in the Barrett residence and even raise Luna’s son?
However, such scenarios were not uncommon among affluent families.
Typically, they involved illegitimate children whose fathers were unwilling to acknowledge their mothers’ identity but also couldn’t bring themselves to abandon their children.
After settling into the car, Mia stole a glance at Ginger, who was still asleep beside her.
Regardless of the circumstances, Mia was determined not to allow her children to return to the Barrett family and compete with Luna’s son for any inheritance.
Meanwhile, upstairs, Timothy observed Mia’s departure from the window, his gaze deep and contemplative.
Timothy hadn’t expected Mia to personally bring the reishi mushrooms over.
Standing nearby, Caleb couldn’t help but interject, “Tim, so Monalize’s initial offer was for you to be her boyfriend? That seems like quite a deal. Why didn’t you agree sooner?”
Timothy’s glare swept over Caleb. “She also claimed Ginger was yours before. How could I have simply agreed to that?” “I’ve told you, she must have confused me with someone else. Ginger certainly isn’t mine,” Caleb replied, turning toward Timothy. “You were hesitant at first, but now look at you. You know how they say men’s words can be pretty deceptive, right? Turns out, it’s spot on.”
Timothy paused for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. “Did you verify the identity of the person who purchased the plane ticket?”
Deep down, Timothy couldn’t shake off his suspicions about Monalize.
She bore an uncanny resemblance to Mia, with a mysterious background and a personality entirely distinct from Mia’s.
Clearing his throat, Caleb spoke up, “Tim, you’re thinking she might be Mia, right? Frankly, I had my doubts too when she agreed to supply you with reishi mushrooms without asking for anything in return.
“Despite any animosity Mia might have toward you, she shares a strong bond with Mrs. Barrett Senior. Mia certainly wouldn’t stand by if anything were to happen to her.”
Timothy pursed his lips. He didn’t dismiss Caleb’s observations. He, too, found the situation perplexing.
If Monalize was indeed Mia, then everything would start to fall into place.
Caleb smirked knowingly. “Ah, so that’s why a certain someone readily agreed to the condition of dating. It seems he had his suspicions from the start.”
Timothy maintained his composure, hands tucked casually into his pockets. “You talk too much.”
Caleb’s expression shifted as he glanced at his phone, raising an eyebrow.” Speak of the devil. The investigation results just came in.”
Timothy turned his gaze to Caleb. “Let’s hear it.”
In reality, beneath Timothy’s calm exterior, his emotions were far from tranquil.
With a grin, Caleb began to read from his phone. “According to the investigation, Ms. Langford hails from Nord City. She’s the heiress of the Mendes family, known for their dominance in the electrical industry in Nord City.
“There’s a rumor that she had health issues as a child, so she didn’t often appear in public, and there isn’t much information about her.
“However, based on the details obtained from the ticket purchase, this is what the investigation has uncovered.”
After relaying the information, Caleb let out a soft sigh.
Timothy arched an eyebrow. “Judging by her appearance, does she seem like someone who has poor health?”
Caleb hesitated briefly before responding, “Honestly, no. But it’s plausible that after recovering, she adopted a more carefree lifestyle.”
Upon hearing this, Timothy looked out at the night sky and asked calmly,” Is there any familial relationship between the Mendes family and the Lane family?”
If there was no family tie, why would the young lady from the Mendes family bear such a resemblance to Mia?
“We’ll need to conduct further investigations to determine that. Currently, there’s no evidence suggesting any direct familial connection between the Mendes family and the Lane family.
“However, it’s not unheard of for large families to have had intermarriages in the past. But if that’s the case, wouldn’t it mean that Monalize isn’t Mia?”
As Caleb spoke, his voice dropped to a hushed tone.
Throughout their journey, Caleb couldn’t help but notice Timothy’s curiosity about Monalize. Just by her appearance alone, Caleb couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be a reincarnation of Mia.
This time, when Laura’s condition worsened, Monalize, who had initially been firm about not selling the reishi mushrooms, surprisingly had a change of heart and decided to give them up. She even made the trip to Bern City.
Caleb began to suspect that Monalize might indeed be Mia, after all.
However, the investigation results indicated otherwise.
It was a dramatic turn of events, where one door closed and another opened.
Timothy’s once gentle expression vanished, replaced by a stoic facade that concealed any hint of emotion. He firmly instructed, “Carry on with the investigation.”
Timothy couldn’t shake the lingering feeling that he had missed an important detail, but he couldn’t quite identify what it was.
Pressing on, he instructed, “Have someone keep an eye on Aunt Patricia. If Monalize truly is Mia, she’ll inevitably return to visit her.”
Timothy couldn’t fathom Mia enduring so many years without visiting Patricia, who had played a significant role in her upbringing.
Caleb nodded in agreement, choosing not to say anything more. After all, it was too early to jump to conclusions.
Similar to before, both he and Timothy detected a discrepancy in Monalize’s story. However, the evidence from her flight ticket purchase contradicted any link to Mia.
It appeared she wasn’t the heiress of the Lane family either.
Upon arriving at Ninth Manor by car, Mia’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she took in the grandeur of the villa.
Dominic had impeccably executed the property’s decor according to her tastes.
As the bodyguard gently carried Ginger out of the car, Mia was welcomed by Wendy Anderson, the maid standing at the entrance.
Without delay, Wendy carried the sleeping Ginger from the bodyguard’s arms.
Upon stepping into the living room, Mia was instantly struck by its familiar layout.
As she surveyed the space, memories of her past design work came flooding back to her. She hadn’t expected Dominic to incorporate her designs into the renovation of the villa.
Nonetheless, residing in a house she had personally envisioned brought her a sense of comfort.
As soon as Mia settled onto the sofa, her phone rang; it was Nicholas. In a cold tone, he asked Mia, “Have you arrived?” “Yes, I just got back from the hospital.” “Someone is investigating you,” Nicholas stated bluntly.
Mia narrowed her eyes. “I’m aware. Given how my flight details would reveal my identity easily, I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t exploit that.”
Nonetheless, Mia remained confident that Timothy’s investigation wouldn’t uncover her true identity, especially since she had boldly provided her ID.
Nicholas’ voice held a hint of resignation as he continued, “My sister has a message for you.”
Mia’s smile widened. “What’s on her mind? Let her know I’ve brought back something special this time, and we can enjoy it together later.” “She wants you to have another baby for her to play with.”
Mia smirked in response. “Consider it done.”
Nicholas couldn’t help but frown. “Don’t joke around! By the way, Timothy’s bone marrow is likely a match; we won’t need to use blood from the umbilical cord.” “I understand, but we can still have a child together,” Mia replied.
“I’m already exhausted from taking care of children; I don’t want to raise another one,” Nicholas retorted.
Mia’s voice carried a touch of regret; if they were Nicholas’ children, they would undoubtedly grow upto be stunning.
“Mia, aren’t you afraid your brothers will find out you slipped away to Bern City and might come to take you back in the dead of night?” “I’ve already sorted things out with Wade; keeping it under wraps for at least a week shouldn’t be an issue. They likely assume I’m still on Xanier Island with Ginger.”
A week would give plenty of time for Timothy’s bone marrow matching process to be done.