Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
At the mention of “little traitor,” Ginger immediately grew anxious. “I’m not a little traitor! I will always support Mommy!”
“But you were just praising that man a moment ago! You’re being a little traitor!”
Furious, tears welled up in Ginger’s eyes; she certainly didn’t consider herself a betrayer.
Just then, Mia pushed open the door and entered the ward. “What’s going on? Are you two arguing?”
Ginger rose to her feet, huffing indignantly. “You’re so dumb, Sage. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”
With that, she stormed out of the ward without looking back.
Mia couldn’t help but glance at Sage. “What happened?”
“She’s just a bit petty, getting worked up over a few words.”
“But she’s your younger sister; you should be kinder to her.”
Sage replied arrogantly, “I’m doing her a favor by telling her the truth. You all spoil her too much. She might end up being taken advantage of in the future.”
Seeing Sage behave like a little adult, Mia couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “Stop acting so grown-up. You’re only four years old, you’re not a forty or fifty-year-old man.”
As Mia spoke, she affectionately tousled Sage’s hair.
Sage’s expression shifted uneasily as he asked, “Mommy, now that I’m feeling better, when will you send that man away from Nord City?” Mia paused briefly before replying, “He’ll be leaving soon. Why do you ask?”
“It’s nothing. Since I’ve recovered from my illness, I don’t need that man’s assistance anymore. It’s pointless for him to stay around.”
“I understand. You don’t need to concern yourself with him.”
Mia’s main focus at the moment was Sage’s well-being.
Thus, following their ruse with Timothy at the hospital today, Mia promptly brought Ginger to visit Sage.
While Sage’s recovery was progressing positively, he hadn’t completely regained his health.
Mia had initially believed that with a timely bone marrow transplant, Sage would fully recover and lead a normal life like any other kid. However, reality didn’t always align with expectations.
Despite this, Sage’s health had shown remarkable improvement. He was now able to attend kindergarten, albeit with some precautions due to his medical condition.
For Mia, seeing Sage well was a relief in itself.
She couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Sage, noticing his uncanny resemblance to Timothy.
Mia’s gaze grew complex as she asked, “Sage, would you like to meet him?”
The “him” she referred to was Timothy.
Chapter 919
Glancing at Mia, Sage inquired, “Mommy, why are you asking this question?”
Given Ginger’s affection for Timothy, Mia was interested in comprehending Sage’s viewpoint as well.
A smile graced Mia’s lips as she responded, “Just curious, that’s all.” “Mommy, I have no interest in seeing him. Ginger might have been influenced, but not me.”
Sage’s stance was unwavering; he had no intention of acknowledging Timothy.
Mia couldn’t help but notice the striking similarities between Sage and Timothy, extending beyond mere physical resemblance to encompass their personalities.
Therefore, Sage’s hesitation to acknowledge Timothy didn’t come as a surprise.
Two men, one older and one younger, both exhibiting a common streak of stubbornness.
Mia offered Sage a comforting pat on the head. “It’s alright. However you choose to engage with him, it’s entirely your decision. Mommy won’t meddle.”
“Mommy, does that mean you won’t intervene if we choose to accept that man in the future?”
Feeling a pang of sorrow, Mia replied, “Yes, I won’t interfere.”
After all, she believed that every child deserves to have a father.
Sage spoke sincerely, “Mommy, since that man didn’t want us before, I won’t acknowledge him now. Don’t let his sweet talk fool you.” “Mommy won’t,” Mia assured him.
Observing Sage thrive and grow stirred a complex array of emotions within Mia. When Sage was born, doctors had predicted he wouldn’t survive past a month.
Yet, in what felt like the blink of an eye, he was already four years old. At dinner, Ginger and Sage eventually made amends, their earlier argument seemingly forgotten.
As Mia checked her phone, she spotted a missed call from Peyton. Stepping outside to return the call, she asked, “What’s up?”
“Ms. Mia, remember how you tasked me with keeping an eye on Mr. Barrett? Well, today he went straight to the Barrett Group’s branch office. I suspect it’s probably to handle the partnership with the Bowen family.”
“Okay, thanks for letting me know,” Mia said before hanging up.
She had expected Timothy to take charge of the situation. However, Ralph’s involvement would undoubtedly complicate matters. Regardless, it appeared that Timothy would encounter some trouble ahead.
Another day had passed.
At the luxurious five-star hotel, Timothy found himself immersed in managing the conglomerate’s affairs. Having been absent for several days, there was a considerable backlog of work demanding his attention.
Upon concluding a video conference, he turned to Heath and inquired, “When is the signing ceremony with the Bowen family scheduled?” “It’s set for 2:00 pm, at The Grand Auburn Hotel,” Heath responded promptly.
“Very well, is everything arranged?” Timothy asked, his eyes glinting with resolve.
He was determined to thwart any potential partnership between the Barrett Group’s branch office and the Bowen family.
In the past, Timothy had never directly overseen the operations of the Nord City branch.
Given the Lane family’s considerable influence in the city, they consistently undermined the branch’s business operations.
Timothy understood the underlying reasons and therefore refrained from imposing any demands on the subsidiary’s performance.
Despite these obstacles, Timothy had no desire to pursue a partnership with a company such as the Bowen Group.
Caleb cast a glance at Timothy and inquired, “Any updates from Mrs. Barrett’s end?”
Given Timothy’s recent visit to the subsidiary to discuss terminating the partnership, it seemed likely that Ralph would enlist Sharon’s intervention.
Before Timothy could respond, his phone buzzed with an incoming call from Sharon.
Waving his phone in his hand, he commented, “Well, speak of the devil, right?”
Caleb cleared his throat before saying, “I was just asking casually, but what a coincidence.”
Timothy glanced at his phone but chose not to answer.
He was well aware of Sharon’s purpose for calling, but he had no intention of complying this time.
Putting his phone into his back pocket, Timothy turned and made his way outside.
Once everyone was in the car, Caleb broke the silence. “Hey, Tim, do you think Mia will show up?”
Timothy quipped, “You’re the one who asked Mia to come.”
Caleb paused, feeling a bit sheepish. Had mentioning her name struck a nerve?
Taking out his phone, Caleb suggested, “I’ll give her a call and find out.”
Chapter 920
Timothy shot a glance at Caleb. “I can handle these minor issues myself.”
“I understand. I just thought it would be amusing to have Mia witness the spectacle, you know? It’ll be quite satisfying, and it would be a shame if she missed out. And with Mia’s touch, the Bowens might squirm a little more.”
Soon, Mia’s phone rang with Caleb’s call.
Glancing at the caller ID, she answered, “What’s up?”
“Have you forgotten what today is? It’s time to step out and enjoy the show,” Caleb reminded her.
Mia, of course, was well aware of what Caleb meant by “enjoy the show.”
Nonetheless, she found herself taken aback. “Wasn’t the partnership with the Bowen family supposed to be terminated? Why are they still proceeding with the signing ceremony?”
Mia had assumed that the ceremony would no longer take place.
At first, she felt a twinge of disappointment, realizing she might miss witnessing the Bowen family’s embarrassment firsthand.
Yet, as it unfolded, she was in for a surprise!
Caleb elaborated, “Initially, the plan was to scrap the signing ceremony altogether, but you know how stubborn Tim’s uncle can be. So, Tim has decided to unveil everything during the ceremony itself. Might as well give everyone a taste of reality, right?”
“Ah, I understand now. Well, it looks like there’ll be some entertainment after all,” Mia remarked.
“So, are you joining us to witness the Bowen family’s downfall?”