Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
“It’s simple. I can take over the market of luxurious hotels if we work with Aide Castle. This market has yet to form a systematic structure, and I’m certain that we would dominate the entire market in Bern City if we collaborate with Aide Castle. It’s a win-win situation!”
Mia saw the proposal offered by the Barretts before. She knew their intention, which was mainly to penetrate the market in Bern City by leveraging Aide Castle’s brand. Coupled with the Barretts’ influence in Bern City, their plan would be extremely successful.
She contemplated for a while and said, “The owner of Aide Castle is quite wealthy as well. He could’ve just developed this project on his own in Bern City, and there’s no need for him to share the cake with another party.”
“There is still a difference. If the owner of Aide Castle refuses to cooperate with me, I’ll come up with a similar project and find a way to eliminate his resort from Bern City’s market.”
Mia winced. “Mr. Barrett, you’re playing dirty.” She totally didn’t expect him to be so ruthless if she refused to cooperate with him.
Timothy was really intending to eliminate her Aide Castle! He was really as ruthless as rumors had painted him out to be, being an absolute menace toward his enemies.
Mia had actually thought of taking over the market in Bern City without needing to work together with Timothy. Little did she expect him to target the same market so quickly, prompting him to approach her for a cooperation deal.
She was intrigued to find out why he intended to work with her. After all, she had to be extremely cautious nowadays to avoid being taken advantage of by others. Timothy didn’t let her down, indeed.
He replied calmly, “That is how it’s supposed to be in the business industry. You die, or I perish. There’s no in between. If I can’t work with the owner of Aide Castle to secure this project, he’ll be my foe instead.”
He dropped his gaze and stared at her. “You know how ruthless I am with my competitors—they don’t stand a chance to get the upper hand.”
Meeting his eyes, Mia saw the ruthless determination flaring in his eyes. She had been in the business for some time now, and she certainly understood why he would resort to this method. She plastered a smile on her face. “You make a good point, Mr. Barrett. Well, I certainly can help you reach out to the owner of Aide Castle, but only under one condition—I want a 1% commission of the total project revenue.”
Timothy arched his brows. “1% of the total revenue? Isn’t that a bit too much for this favor?” Involving the entire Bern City, the project’s revenue would go up to at least a few hundred billions, or even trillions. Mia would reel in hundreds of millions if she succeeded in getting the 1% commission.
She nibbled on a piece of fruit. “It’s not easy to get in contact with the owner of Aide Castle, but I can help you. I can even ensure that the deal works out for both parties. So, I think I’m worth that much. If you think you can’t afford it, go to someone else instead.”
Since Timothy came to Nord City with the intention of cooperating with her, she figured he’d probably prefer working with her instead of severing their ties. It saved more time, after all.
In this case, there was still room for negotiation between her and Timothy.
Mia was just trying to put him in a tight spot with her demand of a 1% commission. She wanted to get back at him for trying to get rid of Aide Castle from Bern City.
Since this was a collaboration, she had to negotiate to her advantage regarding the revenue distribution.
Seeing how resolute she was, Timothy smirked.
“I’ll agree to your terms under one condition,” he countered.
“What is it?”
“You will remain as my girlfriend, and we’re not going to break up.”
“That’s out of the question. I don’t sell myself, and it’s not like I’m short of money,” Mia rejected flatly.
She saw right through him
It was a long flight, so Mia played on her phone after her meal before she took a nap.
However, Timothy was indulged in work. He took his laptop to the back when he had to attend an online meeting, and spoke in a hushed tone because Mia was sleeping. Soon, everyone in the meeting also began whispering due to the way he spoke.
Timothy received a text from Caleb after he was finished with his work.
His text read: “I heard that you’re flying over to Nord City. Are you planning to court your ex-wife?”
Timothy remained composed as he typed his response: “That’s right.”
“I’ve just come from the hospital after seeing Luna. She has a noticeable gash on her face, and if not treated promptly, it’s likely to result in a permanent scar.”
Maintaining his composure, Timothy replied: “I see.”
“Did Mia seriously do this? She’s left Luna disfigured and is even pushing for her imprisonment. It’s been four years, but she appears to be an entirely different person now.”
Caleb’s understanding of the situation shifted dramatically as soon as Sharon confirmed that Monalize was indeed Mia Bowen.
What had previously been mere speculation now stood as an undeniable truth.
Timothy glanced at the sleeping Mia before him and calmly typed his response: “Luna should face the consequences of her actions. This was all orchestrated by me. I offered Luna a chance, but she didn’t appreciate it.”
“To be honest, this situation is quite challenging. I never expected Luna to do something like this. She seems different from the person I once knew,” Caleb said.
Caleb was also shocked to learn that Luna had secretly stolen Timothy’s bone marrow—a crucial element in Ginger’s life-saving treatment. Caleb couldn’t help but feel some resentment toward Luna.
Interfering with a child’s life-saving treatment was completely unacceptable!
Timothy didn’t say much; he simply asked Caleb to keep an eye on Sharon, wanting to ensure that her and Luna wouldn’t cause any further trouble.
As Timothy returned to his seat, he noticed that Mia had already fallen asleep.
Upon seeing her face, his expression became unreadable. In truth, he had spent all these years searching for her, and he couldn’t quite fathom why—he just couldn’t bring himself to let her go. Perhaps, as Caleb once suggested, Timothy started developing feelings for Mia four years ago, but he didn’t recognize it then, or maybe he simply didn’t want to acknowledge it.
Love, after all, defied logic and explanation; it only required a sudden spark to engulf everything. That individual became one’s entire world, perhaps even the sole person they could imagine spending their life with.
In the past, Caleb had questioned Timothy about what made Mia so special.
Now, Timothy acknowledged that while Mia may not possess extraordinary qualities, she was incomparable in his eyes—the woman who had captured his heart.
With a gentle touch, Timothy reached out to tuck Mia in, his expression revealing a tenderness he hadn’t recognized before. He carefully adjusted the chair beside her and lay down.
Glancing at the sleeping Mia beside him, Timothy’s resolve solidified. This time, regardless of the challenges, he was determined not to let her slip away.
In his heart, Timothy yearned for both Mia and Ginger.
Upon awakening, Mia realized that the plane was already descending as she felt the sensation of weightlessness.
However, as she opened her eyes, she found herself sleeping in the arms of a man. Bewildered, she wondered what was going on.
As Mia processed the situation, she suddenly lifted her head and accidentally hit something, causing her intense pain. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly.
At the same time, she heard Timothy let out a muffled groan, indicating that he too was in pain. Clutching her throbbing forehead, Mia asked, “Timothy, why are you so close to me?”
Timothy held his bruised chin as he looked down at her. “You leaned over on your own.”
She leaned over on her own?
Mia hesitated briefly before rebutting, “That’s not true. I always sleep in a certain position. How could I have possibly shifted to your side by myself?”
Timothy looked at her and countered, “Are you absolutely certain about your sleeping position? We’ve been married for years, and I’m familiar with all your sleeping habits.”
Upon hearing Timothy’s confident tone, Mia was overcome with guilt. After all, she had been sleeping alone all these years, and no one had ever mentioned her poor sleeping posture.
But admitting that she had willingly cuddled up to him felt too embarrassing.
Mia retorted, “That was then, this is now. My current sleeping habits are fine. You must have leaned on me on purpose while I was asleep.”
If she didn’t adhere to moral standards, nobody could use morality against her.
As they argued, a flight attendant intervened, “Ms. Lane, Mr. Barrett, the plane is about to begin its descent. Please adjust your seats and fasten your seat belts.”
Upon the flight attendant’s arrival, Mia finally stopped talking and silently adjusted her seat, fastening her seatbelt.
Soon, the plane touched down at Nord City International Airport. Seeing the familiar surroundings, Mia reached for the box beside her and opened it to ensure the bone marrow was safely inside. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
As the plane came to a stop, Mia peeked out the window. Upon spotting the people waiting for her arrival, she felt her body stiffen. Turning to Timothy, she asked, “Are you sure you want to disembark with me?”
Mia was taken aback by how quickly her brothers had arrived.
She was convinced that if Timothy came down with her, it could escalate into a violent confrontation later, potentially resulting in Timothy getting injured.
After all, they were now in Nord City, a far cry from Bern City, which was under the control of the Barrett family. Adding to the tension, Mia’s brothers harbored a long-standing grudge against the Barretts. Timothy calmly sorted through the documents on the table. “Will there be an issue if I accompany you?”
Pointing outside, Mia said, “Look, my brothers are here. For your own safety, it’s better if you stay on the plane. You can come down after we’ve left.”
Timothy couldn’t help but notice a car parked on the tarmac, accompanied by several men who seemed oddly familiar.
With a narrowed gaze, Timothy expressed his concern, “But now you’re my girlfriend, and you were even my ex-wife once. Is my identity something to hide?”
It seemed like Timothy was oblivious to the situation.
Observing his confident stance, Mia hesitated before responding, “Mr. Barrett, when I mentioned being your girlfriend, it was meant as a joke. I didn’t anticipate you taking it seriously.”
Timothy’s frown deepened. “What do you mean?”
His expression resembled that of someone scrutinizing a scoundrel, suspicion clouding his features.
Mia cleared her throat and continued, “Mr. Barrett, as adults, we’re accustomed to playful banter, and I’m sure you’ve encountered it before. There’s no need for me to spell it out. It’s all in good fun, after all. Clarifying it might just spoil the humor, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Mia, I don’t joke around when it comes to relationships,” Timothy said firmly.
“Then let’s just treat it as a lighthearted joke between us, alright? Mr. Barrett, we’re all here to have a good time. If you take it seriously, that’s on you.”
Mia felt it was crucial to address certain matters immediately. If her brothers caught wind of her actions in Bern City, they’d surely reprimand her. Mia realized she needed to end things with Timothy before disembarking the plane!
As her words faded, Timothy replied in a serious tone, “Mia, I cannot agree to break up. You also have a responsibility toward me.” Responsibility? Did she hear him correctly?
Mia gazed at Timothy’s stern expression and poked his chest. “Mr. Barrett, to be frank, the words I’ve said aren’t exclusive to you.