Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
With a smile, she said, “Let’s save these discussions for later. Right now, the priority is for you to recover quickly. Then, in due time, you can face him assertively and settle the score.”
Mia now noticed a striking similarity between Sage’s temperament and Timothy’s. Not only did they resemble each other physically, but their characters and temperaments also appeared remarkably alike.
After chatting with Sage for a while, Mia noticed Rachel approaching. Dressed in a white lab coat, she appeared frail, aimost skeletal. Concerned, Mia asked, “Have you lost even more weight?”
Rachel replied calmly, “Well, the recent treatment’s side effects have been quite severe.”
Mia sighed inwardly. Rachel, standing before her, was actually Nicholas’ younger sister.
For years, Mia had been using Rachel’s identity to move around incognito.
As a result, during their investigation into her background, Timothy and his team could only trace it back to the Mendes family.
Rachel suffered from a rare disease similar to Sage’s, preventing her from leading a normal life.
While Sage’s condition was somewhat more manageable, stemming from various complications due to premature birth, Rachel’s illness presented greater challenges due to its rarity.
Nonetheless, Rachel had grown accustomed to her condition.
As she looked at Sage, a hint of excitement painted her expression. “Finally, Sage can receive treatment. I thought he would be pestering me in the lab for the rest of my life. Once he’s treated, he’ll probably want to leave quickly. Kids can be quite a handful.”
Unfazed, Sage retorted, “Who wants to stick around here anyway?” Observing their playful banter, Mia could discern the strong bond between Rachel and Sage. With a smile, she said to Rachel, “I believe things will improve one day.”
“I’m optimistic too. I’ve been researching a new medication lately that I’m confident will cure my illness.”
“I’m certain it will.”
Mia was aware that despite Rachel’s physical ailments, she possessed exceptional intelligence.
Over the years, Rachel had contributed significantly to the development of numerous medications in Nicholas’ lab.
Unfortunately, none of them had been effective in curing her illness. Shortly after, Nicholas arrived with the medical team. He turned to Mia and informed her, “The bone marrow has been examined, and everything looks good. We will commence treatment now. Please wait outside.”
Mia nodded, casting a reassuring glance at Sage. “Hang in there, Sagey! Mommy will be waiting for you outside.”
Upon hearing his nickname, Sage’s expression darkened. “Mommy, you’re not allowed to call me that anymore.”
After all, he had a name, and it wasn’t “Sagey.”
Mia replied somewhat regretfully, “Why not? I think it’s a lovely nickname, similar to your name.”
Her daughter was named Ginger Lane, and her son was named Sage Lane.
As Mia exited the treatment room, the smile on her face gradually faded, replaced by a worried expression.
Nicholas had pointed out that even with the bone marrow matching treatment, there was no guarantee of Sage’s complete recovery. Despite this, Mia clung to the hope that this treatment would allow Sage to attend school and socialize like any other child. That would be enough for her.
While waiting outside, a sudden realization struck Mia.
She turned to Peyton beside her and instructed, “Have someone look into the situation with Claude and Timothy at the airport. If Timothy has passed away, I’ll need to arrange for his body to be brought back.” Peyton nodded in acknowledgment. “I’ll dispatch someone to the airport immediately to assess the situation.”
Not long after, Dominic and Eva arrived, accompanied by Ginger. Upon seeing Mia, Ginger dashed over to her. “Mommy, is Sage going to get better?”
Mia reassured her, “Yes, Sage will be healthy like you after this surgery. It’s all thanks to you, my little hero. You saved Sage.”
Ginger beamed with pride; she had always been conscious of her intelligence.
As the surgery stretched on, Ginger eventually drifted off to sleep while waiting outside.
At that moment, Mia caught sight of Claude entering, his expression grim. She also noticed a wound at the corner of his mouth, likely from the recent altercation.
Had Timothy caused this injury?
Observing the injury on Claude’s face, Mia was overcome by a sense of unease.
It seemed evident that Claude and Timothy had engaged in a scuffle. Mia couldn’t shake off her concern for Timothy’s well-being at that moment.
Noticing Claude’s injury, Eva asked, “Claude, how did you get hurt? Did you get into a fight with someone?”
Mia’s heart raced with anticipation as she waited for Claude’s response. She, too, was curious about what had transpired during the altercation. Claude seemed a bit uneasy, taking a moment before replying, “Oh, it’s nothing. I just accidentally bumped into something.”
Mia’s expression shifted to one of surprise upon hearing Claude’s response.
She was surprised he didn’t mention Timothy. Was it because he knew Dominic was present?
With Connor now in the medical facility supervising Sage’s treatment, only Mia and Claude were aware that Timothy had arrived in Nord City with her.
However, it seemed improbable that this was the reason for Claude’s silence about Timothy.
A chilling possibility suddenly crossed her mind. Was Timothy already dead, silenced permanently?
Noticing the look in Mia’s eyes, Claude suddenly felt a bit disheartened. It appeared that Timothy was truly at odds with their family!
While they waited outside, Dominic turned his attention to Mia and remarked, “Mia, I heard someone from the Barrett family was responsible for the bone marrow incident.” His tone dripped with malice.
Upon hearing this, Mia swiftly clarified the situation to Dominic. Dominic’s expression immediately turned grim. “Indeed, the Barretts can’t be trusted.”
Claude agreed, nodding in affirmation. “I feel the same way.”
Eva spoke up, advising Mia, “Now that you’re back, please refrain from going back to Bern City and stay away from the Barretts. They bring nothing but trouble.”
Mia obediently nodded and replied, “I understand.”
After all, her sole purpose in going to Bern City this time was to find Timothy and secure his bone marrow.
Ginger, who was nearby, caught snippets of the adults’ conversation. She let out a yawn, rolled over, and quietly covered her Apple watch. Sage’s treatment continued until midnight before finally coming to an end.
Nicholas stepped out and addressed them, saying, “The surgery went well, but Sage needs a few more days of observation. There’s no need for you to go in and see him at the moment. It’s best to head back and get some rest.”
Upon hearing this update, the Lanes breathed a collective sigh of relief. With tears welling up in her eyes, Mia expressed, “As long as the treatment is successful, that’s what truly matters. Thank you, Nick.” “Don’t thank me. You should be grateful to yourself for swiftly finding a matching bone marrow,” Nicholas replied.
Standing nearby, Eva chimed in, “It’s late now, and since the treatment went well, let’s all head back and get some rest. We can visit Sage in a couple of days once we’re allowed to.”
Following Eva’s suggestion, Mia returned to the Lane residence.
The news of Sage’s successful surgery filled her with joy. However, after finishing her evening routine, she found herself too energized to sleep. Perhaps it was because she had dozed off excessively during the plane ride.
Just then, Mia received a WhatsApp message from Peyton: “Mr. Barrett and Mr. Claude had a one-on- one fight at the airport, and it looks like Mr. Claude lost.”
Mia hadn’t anticipated that Claude and Timothy would end up in a physical altercation.
It made sense now why Claude didn’t mention anything when Eva inquired about his injury; he must have been embarrassed about the loss.
Mia quickly replied to Peyton’s message: “Where is Timothy now?” “He’s at the hospital.”
“Why is he at the hospital? Didn’t he win the fight?”
“After Mr. Claude lost, he ordered his bodyguards to beat up Mr. Barrett, which led to Mr. Barrett being hospitalized. I’ve heard his injuries are quite severe.”
“Do you think his injuries could be life-threatening?” Mia asked.
Peyton replied: “I don’t think so.”
Upon hearing that Timothy’s injuries weren’t life-threatening, Mia let out a sigh of relief. As long as he didn’t lose his life, it wasn’t too serious of a matter.
Reflecting on Timothy’s altercation, Mia couldn’t suppress the hint of amusement creeping up to her. She had advised him against leaving the plane with her, but he ignored her warning. Now, he was facing the consequences.
The next morning, Mia headed straight to the hospital after breakfast. She couldn’t possibly miss such a golden opportunity to add insult to injury, could she?
Upon entering the hospital ward, Mia spotted Timothy lying in the bed, dressed in patient attire and sporting bandages on his head and hands. Mia cleared her throat and approached Timothy, trying to suppress her laughter. “Mr. Barrett, how are you feeling now? Have you learned your lesson?”
Timothy instinctively looked up at the sound of her voice, his expression turning somewhat awkward.
This was undoubtedly a new low for him.
Seeing Timothy with bandages around his head, Mia struggled to contain her laughter.
Timothy’s expression darkened. “Why are you laughing?”
“My apologies, Mr. Barrett. It’s not often that I laugh, but sometimes the situation just gets the better of me,” Mia replied, approaching Timothy with feigned innocence.
“Remember my warning yesterday? I told you not to disembark with me, but you didn’t listen. Now, you’re dealing with the consequences,” she continued.
Timothy’s complexion paled as he gritted his teeth. “I was careless.” “Calling it careless is an understatement. We’re in Nord City, not Bern City. You need to come to terms with this reality.”
Timothy’s resentment was palpable. He knew that Claude had only acted tough because of the backup he had yesterday.
Speaking with a cold tone, Timothy vowed, “It’s because I didn’t have a group of bodyguards with me at the time. But once I’m out of this hospital bed and back on my feet, I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“Timothy, I suggest you maintain a low profile and leave Nord City promptly,” Mia cautioned.
However, Timothy shifted the conversation, asking, “My bone marrow sample arrived yesterday. When will Ginger’s treatment start? I’d like to stay until it’s finished.”
Acknowledging Sage’s successful treatment, Mia replied calmly, “Her treatment has already commenced. Don’t worry, I’m optimistic it will progress smoothly.”