Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
“Stop playing dumb, Tim. I asked you whether you liked Mia back then and you denied it. You even suggested to divorce her. Now ask yourself whether you regret doing that. Things might have turned out differently if you hadn’t mentioned a divorce.”
Timothy fell silent instantly, tightening his grip on the 500-dollar toy. He’d never been particularly bothered by any gifts before, but this toy hit different.
He said after a long pause, “It’s a shame that I can’t turn back time. You can’t cry over spilled milk, after all.”
He never believed in love for the past few decades of his life. He never would have imagined himself going to such extreme lengths for a woman’s sake, yet here he was. However, he thought that this was what he deserved nonetheless.
Noting the tense atmosphere, Caleb shifted the topic promptly. “What do you plan to do next? Mia made it clear that she wants you to leave right away. Nord City is the Lane family’s territory, and you’ll surely get yourself into more trouble if you continue to stay here.”
“Nord City might be wrapped around the Lane family’s little finger, but they don’t necessarily have a say in every single thing,” Timothy retorted.
He glanced out of the window. He wanted to try his best at the very least.
The car came to a stop at the hospital shortly after. He brought all the gifts to the wards upstairs with Caleb trailing after him. It’d been a while since Caleb saw Ginger.
Mia was informed once Timothy arrived at the hospital. She immediately instructed Ginger to get changed and settled herself in bed while she reminded Ginger not to slip later.
Soon, Timothy entered the room with a handful of presents. Caleb greeted Ginger swiftly, “It’s been a while, Ginger.”
Ginger responded sweetly. “I was sick.”
Knowing what kind of sickness she was diagnosed with, Caleb felt sorry for her. “You’re about to recover soon though. Just treat your sickness as a measly cold. You shouldn’t be bothered.”
“Certainly! I’m brave.”
Ginger glanced up at Timothy, who was approaching her from across the room. An adorable smile spread across her face as she said, “Daddy.”
Timothy’s steps faltered when he heard her. His heart skipped a beat as he swallowed hard, a wave of complicated emotions washing through him.
The fact that he was already a father didn’t faze him before, but things changed once he heard Ginger call him her father. Only then did he realize there seemed to be a fluttering in his heart.
Was this what it felt to be a father?
Mia was surprised when Ginger addressed Timothy as her dad. She’d never thought it would come out from her that easily. That wasn’t what Ginger used to call Timothy back then, after all.
A pang of frustration shot through Mia when she chanced a glance at Ginger’s expression. She could tell that Ginger was very fond of Timothy. She’d always been close with him, be it when Mia mistook Caleb as her ex-husband or when she finally cleared up the misunderstanding. Was this the bond of blood relations at work? Timothy went up to Ginger and stroked her cheek. “Are you afraid?” “I’m not. I’m a big child now, and I’m not afraid of anything.”
He handed her a stuffed toy. “This is for you.”
Holding the toy, Ginger glanced over at the boxes piled up on the floor. “Are these all for me?”
Timothy nodded. “Yes. You can open them and see which one you like.”
Seeing the clutter of toys in the room, Mia immediately intervened. “Ginger has never been short of toys ever since she was born. You didn’t have to buy that much.”
She also noticed that the toy in Timothy’s grip appears to be the one that he bought with 500 dollars at the mall. It certainly held a different meaning to him, given that it was bought when he was at his lowest. Timothy replied calmly, “It’s fine. She can keep the ones she likes and discard the ones she doesn’t like.”
Mia winced at the lavish display of his wealth. Did he think he could buy Ginger’s affection with these toys? Ginger had been treated like a princess in the Lane family ever since she was young; she had every toy imaginable.
Caleb began, “Ginger, let’s unwrap the presents.”
Ginger scrambled off her bed in glee, following Caleb on her way to pick out her presents. Meanwhile, Timothy turned toward Mia. “Come with me. I need to talk to you.”
Mia nodded, exiting the ward with him. She knew what he was going to talk about.
They came to a halt in front of a window in the corridor. Mia glanced at him and asked, “You want to ask about Ginger’s condition, don’t you?” Timothy nodded. “She looks fine to me. It seems like she’s doing well for her recovery.”
A stab of guilt pierced through Mia. The reason why Ginger looked like she was in the pink was because she wasn’t even sick at all, thus there weren’t any signs of her ailing. However, Mia simply couldn’t tell him that.
Clearing her throat, Mia answered, “Her treatment has been processing smoothly. Now that you’ve seen her, please leave Nord City.”
“Are you in such a hurry to drive me away? Or are you feeling guilty for hiding something from me?”
“To be honest, Timothy, it’s not that I’m in a hurry to drive you away. I’m doing this for the sake of your safety. Do you still want to experience getting beaten up and ending up homeless in Nord City, even sleeping on a hospital bench alone?”
Mia certainly wouldn’t admit that she was indeed keeping him in the dark. She didn’t want him to find out about Sage, at least now.
Timothy took a step forward and chuckled. “So, you do care about me.” “Don’t read too much into it. It’s not that I care about you; it’s for the sake of our child. I don’t want her to lose their father at such a young age.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Mia recoiled a few steps, regaining her composure as she met Timothy’s eyes. “What else were you expecting? Do you think I still have feelings for you?”
“Won’t your family badger you to start a family after you’ve been single all these years?”
Mia was slightly puzzled. What did he mean? Why the sudden question?
She turned toward him and gave him a look. “Why did you ask? Does this have anything to do with you?”
“I admit that I was in the wrong back then. But now I want to start all over with you.”
Mia froze. She had never expected Timothy to say that to her. In the past, she would have been elated, but now she was perfectly composed.
“Start all over again?” she questioned. “Going back to how I was treated four years ago?”
Timothy knew how she was treated back at the Barrett residence four years ago. She definitely wouldn’t tolerate it now like how she did before.
His gaze faltered. “No. That’s unfair to you.”
“It seems like you still have some conscience left, but let bygones be bygones. It’s impossible for us to start all over again,” Mia refused flatly. Timothy wasn’t caught off guard by her refusal. Averting the topic, he said, “Where are Ginger’s medical records? Let me have a look.”
Mia immediately grew wary. “She’s doing well with her recovery. Why do you need her medical records? You’re not a doctor anyway.”
“I suppose it isn’t too much for me to ask for her medical records as her father, isn’t it? I’ve set up a medical team on my end once I found out about her illness. That’s why I needed her records.”
“Save the hassle. The Lane family doctors will deal with Ginger’s sickness. Her recovery is going well now, so she doesn’t need any consultation on her prognosis from your team.”
Mia feared that the intervention from Timothy’s team would expose her. “Having more doctors ensures better recovery for Ginger. As her mother, I don’t think you have any reason to object,” Timothy countered.
“I know, but I believe that Nick will make her treatment a success. I’ve never worried about this issue.”
Timothy looked visibly displeased upon the mention of Nicholas’ name. “You trust him, but I don’t. Ginger’s my daughter, and I certainly have the right to be involved in her treatment.”
“Timothy, Ginger and I would’ve died if it weren’t for Nick back then. He saved our lives. Who do you think you are to judge his skills?”
Mia’s righteous stance rendered him speechless. He could never bring himself to explain himself once the issue regarding their child and her miscarriage was brought up.
Timothy’s tone finally softened as he looked at her. “I’m just worried about Ginger’s condition. I mean well.”
“And I told you she’s doing perfectly fine. I don’t need any help from your medical team.”
“Fine, I won’t let them get involved. However, I insist on having a look at Ginger’s medical records. This isn’t too much to ask for, is it?”
Mia drew in a deep breath. “Yeah. Come with me.”
Fortunately, she was prepared for such situations in advance. She didn’t expect her preparation to come in handy.
They took the elevator downstairs, only to bump into an acquaintance after they exited the elevator. In fact, it was one of the Bowens. Tucked in a wheelchair, Connie pointed at Mia as she hollered, “How dare you show up at the hospital! Whether you’re here to apologize or beg for mercy, I won’t accept it.”
Mia was utterly bewildered.
Mia was utterly bewildered. Little did she expect to bump into Connie in this hospital. It was a small world indeed.
The fact that Connie thought that Mia was here to apologize was even more absurd. Connie’s audacity was truly palpable!
It seemed like the Bowens hadn’t learnt their lesson. They were still as arrogant as always and didn’t hesitate to abuse their power.
Connie had walked up to Mia while she was still stunned.
Connie hollered, “You’re nervous because we’re about to close the deal with the Barretts, aren’t you? Well, it’s too late for you to apologize now. I won’t forgive you.
“We won’t accept you into our family as well. You used to look down on us, but you’ll have a taste of your own medicine now.”
Mia’s gaze darted between Connie and her attendant. “I’d like to ask whether there’s anything wrong with Mrs. Bowen. Is her brain injured?” Mia asked nonchalantly.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t explain the absurdity of her speech now.
“Mia, do you think I can’t sense your insinuation? I have a perfectly sound mind now, even after you guys schemed for me to be hospitalized after a concussion. My son will definitely target the Lanes once he cooperates with the Barretts. You Lanes will pay a heavy price by then,” Connie retorted.
Mia was getting tired of Connie’s threats. Frustrated, she turned toward Timothy and asked, “Are you guys really going to cooperate with the Bowens?”
She thought she’d just told him yesterday to hurry back to Bern City and contact his subordinates so they could investigate this matter thoroughly. She really couldn’t stand the sight of the Bowens making a fool of themselves every single time. She doesn’t even feel a sense of achievement when dealing with their pure stupidity.
Timothy replied coldly, “I’ve already sent someone to investigate this matter. Regardless of what the previous team negotiated with the Bowens, it’s impossible for us to work with the Bowens under my watch.”
Mia nodded and glanced at Connie. “Did you hear that? The Barrett family isn’t going to cooperate with the Bowens. Stop daydreaming.” Timothy wasn’t a fool either. Why would he still cooperate with the Bowens after they’d called him a gigolo right in his face? They might be retards, but he certainly wasn’t one.
Connie snorted. “What do you mean? Isn’t he your bodyguard? What makes him have a say in this?”
Mia contemplated for a while and said, “He’s the one in charge of the Barrett family, so he certainly has a say in this. You claim that you’re going to cooperate with the Barretts, but apparently, you can’t even recognize the CEO of Barrett Group.”
“The CEO of Barrett Group? Don’t tell me this loser right here is the CEO of Barrett Group,” Connie said, her tone tinged with mockery.
Mia nodded. “That’s right. You might not believe it, but he really is the CEO of Barrett Group.” She had expected Connie to be taken aback by this information.