Chapter 426

As Maya ended the call, she became more determined than ever to thwart Mia’s plans.

With Sharon’s assistance, Maya was confident she could stop Mia’s schemes.

Meanwhile, Mia had just left the hall. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of optimism.

Maya’s initial reaction had been priceless; her final act of tearing up the divorce agreement had

unexpectedly played into Mia’s hands.

At that moment. Kennedy approached Mia. “Mia, how did your discussion with Mr. Barrett go? Did he

have any opinions on the design of the hall?”

After a brief pause, Mia responded firmly, “He assured me that everything is in order and didn’t raise

any

objections.”

Even though Mia hadn’t had the opportunity to question Timothy earlier, she was certain he wouldn’t be

concerned about such trivial matters. It appeared there was no need for any inquiries at all.

Moments after she spoke, Mia was startled to hear Timothy’s deep voice behind her, saying, “When

have

I ever said such a thing?”

Surprised, Mia turned to see Timothy emerging. Wasn’t he supposed to clarify matters with Maya?

The atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

In an attempt to ease the tension, Kennedy interjected. “Mr. Barrett, do you have any thoughts to

share?”

Timothy approached slowly, his gaze shifting toward Mia, who kept her head bowed. His lips parted

slightly as he remarked, “Well, I believe Mia has some thoughts about me.”

Upon hearing this, Mia clenched her teeth in frustration. With a forced smile, she responded, “I just

assumed Mr. Barrett’s silence meant he had no objections.”

“If I hadn’t spoken up, couldn’t you have asked?”

Mia was taken aback. What was Timothy trying to say?

As Mia raised her gaze, she noticed the mischievous sparkle in Timothy’s eyes.

She immediately understood that he was teasing her on purpose. She calmly replied. “Isn’t that exactly

what I’m doing now?”

Timothy surveyed the arrangement of the hall before directing his attention to the center of the stage.

“It looks like there’s a problem with the stage decoration. That curtain over there seems overly

excessive

and out of place.”

“What’s so excessive about it? This setup perfectly complements the theme.”

Sensing Timothy’s critical eye, Mia approached the edge of the stage to inspect the drapery. Upon

closer

examination, it seemed acceptable to her.

Standing nearby, Kennedy found himself in a dilemma. Who would have anticipated discord between

this

married couple?

Riley, too, caught on quickly and exchanged a knowing glance with Mia.

Given Timothy’s status as the university’s main investor, making a slight adjustment to ensure his

satisfaction wouldn’t hurt.

Approaching Mia, Timothy suggested, “Why don’t you open the curtain and see how it looks?”

Mia furrowed her brow. “The stage effect is designed to sync with that machine. Once it’s activated, it’s

a one–time use, and we’d have to replace it for the next occasion.

“These gadgets aren’t cheap; they cost a hundred grand each.”

Timothy raised an eyebrow. “After investing so much, is another hundred thousand really a big deal?”

“You invested?”

Mia had been aware that all the equipment and materials in the hall were sponsored by external

companies, but she hadn’t realized Timothy was behind it.

Timothy remained composed as he stated, “You’re welcome to open the curtain and see the effect. I’ll

take care of the cost.”

“Alright, since Timothy is willing to pay, why not give it a try?” Mia pondered.

In reality, Mia was only assuming based on past experiences; she hadn’t yet observed the stage effects

of this particular design.

On the other hand, Kennedy was thrilled and quickly arranged for the stage effect to be demonstrated.

Soon, the hall was filled with music. As the stage curtain rose, Mia watched her design come to life;

she

couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.

A few minutes later, the opening stage effect came to a close.

Mia paused for a moment, contemplating. “You know, the curtain does seem a bit much. Let’s have it

removed.”

As Mia arranged for the curtain to be removed, she was suddenly overcome with nausea. Rushing to a

nearby trash can, she began to throw up.