Filed to story: Mia Bowen and Timothy Barrett Novel
Luna was furious. Having toiled her way to become a VIP member to spite Jasmine, she certainly didn’t expect Mia to help Jasmine.
Defiantly, she turned toward Luke and said, “I’m also a premium VIP, and I fancy this bag as well. Also, I called your store in advance and told them that I was coming to see this bag today. It should be mine according to a first-come, n first-served basis.”
Chapter 1004
Mia smirked. “Luna, you might’ve become a premium VIP, but you still don’t understand what it takes to become one. You can’t just call and demand for these limited edition bags, even as a premium VIP. Do you know why?”
Luna was clueless. But she didn’t want to appear weak in her response.
Jasmine seized the chance to chime in, “Premium VIPs are ranked according to their spending. If both VIPS desire the same bag, the higher-ranked VIP is prioritized to purchase the bag. It hasn’t been long since you owned this card, has it? Have you spent anywhere close to one million dollars yet?”
Jasmine’s taunts rendered Luna speechless. Based on her recent spending, she probably spent only around a few hundred thousand dollars. She didn’t have much allowance, after all.
Seeing Luna’s change in expression, Jasmine continued to add insult to the injury. “Mia is different though. She’s one of the highest ranking VIPS on their list, as she spends nearly a few million dollars each time. Having spent only a few hundred thousand dollars, you guys are nowhere near her level.”
Luna ground her jaw in rage. Meanwhile, Avril blurted out, “Why can’t Luna buy it when she’s also a premium VIP? So what if Mia spends a lot? Luna couldn’t spend that much because she has just acquired the card lately. She won’t have an issue splurging on these goods in the future though.”
In an instant, Luna’s features softened. “Exactly. Whether Mia will remain as a high-ranking VIP in the future remains unknown.”
Jasmine sneered. “Oh, such ignorance! Stop embarrassing yourself by pretending you’re loaded if you don’t even know this. A child of a mistress is truly just as disgraceful as the mistress herself.”
Infuriated, Luna snapped, “You’re still being kept in the dark, aren’t you? Dad plans to groom my son into the heir of the Shelbert family. Everything in this household will eventually belong to my son one day. What is there to brag about a VIP membership card? All of this will be mine anyway.”
She pivoted and took her leave angrily. She was determined to get back at Jasmine for being humiliated today.
Mia was also taken aback when Luna claimed that Raymond was going to groom Asher into his successor. Apparently, she had underestimated Raymond’s obsession with having a son. It would take years for such a young child to grow up, though.
It was all thanks to the family of Raymond’s wife, Alison, that allowed him to come this far. Yet, it only took a boy for him to change his mind.
Collapsing onto the couch in despair, Jasmine cried out, “What do I do, Mia? My mom hasn’t been in good health for the past few years. She’d be devastated if she finds out about this. After all, she loves my dad and she’s never doubted him.”
No one could ever expect the unpredictability of the human heart.
Mia also felt at a loss, unsure of how to comfort her. She paused and said, “Actually, I knew about this already. In fact, I arranged for you and Luna to bump into each other here.” She told Jasmine the truth. Gaping at her, Jasmine questioned, “Why did you do that?”
Chapter 1005
“You know Luna is related to the Barretts as well, right? My ex-husband is the CEO of Barrett Group, and the Barretts thought Luna’s son was Timothy’s son. She’d been staying with the Barretts before she returned to Nord City. She’s also hell-bent on having Asher take over the Barrett family.”
“How dare she?”
“She’s very ambitious. That’s why I’ve had conflicts with her before, and I wanted to get rid of her through you.”
Understanding her intentions, Jasmine murmured gloomily, “But my dad has already decided to groom that child into his successor. What can I do? Just because I’m not a boy, all my efforts meant nothing to my father no matter how hard I try.”
“You can’t give up just yet. You need to pull yourself together for your mother’s sake. Not only is Luna very ambitious and resourceful, she’s even willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve her goals. If you’re not careful, you and your mother might end up gaining nothing at all. Both of you might even be in deep waters by then. She won’t show any mercy.”
Jasmine’s expression changed drastically. “I won’t let Luna have her way. My mom sacrificed so much, including her health, just to help my father become the mayor. If Luna’s going to destroy all this, I’ll make sure my father falls from power the same way he rose to it.”
“Actually, there’s no need to go to such extreme lengths. It’s quite unrealistic to execute it as well, and it might ruin both of you. Your dad will pay a heavy price, but your family will suffer tremendously too. Moreover, your family’s business will be destroyed.”
“Mia, what shall I do then? I can’t just let them have their way. It’s all thanks to my mom that my dad has his current position. She had been tirelessly weaving out his plans for him over these years, causing her health to gradually decline. And yet, he still insists on taking his mistress’s daughter back to our family, even intending to groom her son into his heir. How could he?”
“You’ll have to plan it in the long run.”
“What should I do?”
“First of all, you need to feign innocence in front of your dad. Don’t let Luna get ahead of you. After all, your father is bound to feel remorse toward you.”
“If he really does, he wouldn’t have brought Luna and her child back to our family. He won’t groom her child into his heir if he was really remorseful.”
“Nope, you should act vulnerable now. Your dad just wants a grandson, right? Agree to let Asher into the Shelbert family, but under one condition-Luna isn’t allowed to return to your family.” Dumbfounded, Jasmine inquired, “I don’t quite understand. Why should I let that boy into our family and inherit everything from us?”
Feeling quite emotional, she continued, “It’s all thanks to my grandma’s background that my father got to where he is today. Why should I let his mistress’s daughter take everything away from us? Even if this is an act, I can’t do it.”
“This isn’t just an act. You have to be aware that your father is the head of your family now he no longer has to rely on your family. So, confronting him head-on won’t do you any good. You have to play along.
Chapter 1006
Jasmine fell silent.
As the silence stretched on, Mia continued, “Promise your father that you’ll take the child back to your family. But at the same time, you need to talk to your mother and your grandmother’s side of the family. Say that you’re willing to let this child stay in your family, and you’ll educate him properly. Both of you will support each other and inherit everything in the family.”
“My grandmother won’t agree to this. She’ll surely demand justice for my mother,” Jasmine said.
“I know your grandma adores you. However, you can make a secret deal with her. Put on an act and let your grandma scold you. This is a great opportunity for you.” Jasmine was perplexed. “I still don’t quite understand.”
“Your father will think that you’re on his side after you do this. It’ll seem like you betrayed your grandmother’s side for the sake of his benefit. So, he will side with you and Luna won’t have the chance to sow discord between you two.
“Then, you should seize the opportunity to gain control of your father’s companies and assets. If you take the child back with you, it’ll take more than a decade for the kid to grow up and compete with you for these properties. There will be plenty of time for you to work on your plan.”
Even Mia was slightly surprised at herself after laying out her plan. If she were her old self, she would probably feel as helpless as Jasmine was. Yet, she now knew how to handle such situations after going through various ordeals herself.
Jasmine began, “My father is a cunning man. He won’t buy it easily. Besides, my acting also sucks. He’ll definitely see right through me.”
“After all these arrangements, tell your father that you’re not going to marry in the future. Instead, you’ll have a guy marry into your family and your child will take on your family’s last name as well. In this case, Luna’s child will no longer be special.”
Rubbing her face, Jasmine expressed, “Thanks. I know you’re saying all this for my own good, but I still need to consider.”
Just then, her phone rang.
Mia noticed that it was Raymond calling her. Evidently, Luna was already one step ahead of Jasmine in seeking his empathy, which was why he called.
Jasmine answered the phone, “Hello, Dad.”
Raymond bellowed from the other end of the call, “Where are you now? Come back home this instant! I have something important to tell you.”
The call was disconnected before Jasmine could ask what’s wrong. She turned toward Mia with a sarcastic expression, saying, “You were right. Luna’s already made her move.”
“Don’t worry. Go back and see what’s going on first. I believe you’ll excel in this if you really set your mind to it. Having received the best education from your family, you wouldn’t possibly lose to Luna, right? She’s merely a trickster.”
Jasmine nodded. “Alright, I’ll see how it goes. Thank you, anyway. If it weren’t for you, my mom and I would still be kept in the dark. By the time we found out, it’d definitely be too late.”
“You don’t need to thank me. In fact,
I’m only doing this for my own sake. I have a feud with Luna as well, so have to eliminate her advantages in this situation. She can’t become your father’s legitimate daughter. Otherwise, I’ll also be in trouble by then.”
Luna would surely become a nuisance once she gained power She had almost prevented Sage from receiving his bone marrow treatment. Thus, Mia had to stop her from climbing up the social ladder.
Chapter 1007
“Rest assured, I won’t let Luna have her way. She’s merely a woman who is still serving a prison sentence, so she has no right to dally around in Nord City. She should be back at Bern City, serving her time.” Jasmine rose and left swiftly, leaving Mia alone on the couch. She glanced at the latest edition bag and said to Luke, “Wrap it up and send it to the Shelbert family.”
Luna would be infuriated if she saw the bag. The bag suited Jasmine, though.
Mia was intrigued to find out how Luna would act if Jasmine convinced her family to accept Asher into the family, but not Luna.
After all, Luna was only acting the way she was now because Raymond agreed to adopt Asher, which granted her grandeur in return.
If the Shelberts agreed to adopt Asher only, Luna would lose her leverage. Raymond desired a boy as his successor, and it’d be best for him if the Shelbert family was willing to accept the child. It would be a breeze for him to take a child away in Nord City.
Mia felt a little sympathy for Asher. Ever since he was born, Luna had used him as a bargaining chip for her own benefit. She came to the Barrett family first, and now she’d turned to Raymond once the Barretts appeared unreliable.
When Mia left the mall, Peyton approached her and said, “Yellow Island has already sent someone over to deal with the situation, and Mr. Dominic’s assistant has gone to handle it. Do you want to contact Mr. Dominic and discuss how to handle this? Yellow Island is a sensitive topic, after all.”
“I know. I’ll go home later tonight.”
Mia knew trouble was inevitable after she got into a conflict with the Yellow Islanders. Dominic would definitely intervene by then, but she was unfazed. Louisa had caused such a huge scene at the research institute that day, so how could she stand by and let her disrupt the staff’s routine?
Sage’s treatment depended on the research institute, after all.
Mia noticed Ginger was making some handicrafts when she arrived home. Surprised, she went up to her and asked, “What are you doing, Ginger?”
“Sage is coming back to school with me next month. I’m going to make some gifts for him to give to my teachers and classmates, so he can get close to them. Then, he’ll have friends too.”
Ginger beamed at her. It was the first time Mia saw her being this attentive in making handicrafts.
Stroking Ginger’s head, Mia said, “With you around Sage, he’ll definitely have friends in kindergarten. I don’t have to worry because you’ll protect him.”
“Of course you don’t have to worry, Mommy! I’ll take good care of Sage.”
Eve chuckled. “Ever since Ginger found out the exact date Sage is returning to kindergarten, she has been insisting on preparing gifts. She didn’t go out to play all afternoon today. Instead, she has been making gifts in the living room. She didn’t ask for help from others either.”
Ginger has always been pampered by everyone in the Lane family, and even the maids doted on her. There would always be people assisting her if she were to do something. Her past creations used to be crooked, and the maids always helped her perfect her handicrafts. However, she didn’t let anyone help her this time.
Casting a benevolent look at Ginger, Mia remembered that Sage only agreed to attend kindergarten after hearing Ginger boast about having a brother. He didn’t want to disappoint her.
Chapter 1008
Dominic returned home on time for dinner. Eva turned toward him and quipped, “I can’t believe my eyes. You actually came back for dinner despite being so busy.” Dominic took her hand after removing his coat. “Yeah, right. You wouldn’t have texted me and said that Mia came back for dinner if you didn’t want me to come back.” As he spoke, he glanced at Mia. “Mia, come. I’ve got something to discuss with you.”
Mia knew Dominic wanted to talk to her, so she came back home for dinner today. She went outside with him and stared at him.
“Dominic, did I cause you any trouble because of the Yellow Islanders?”