Meet My Brothers by Red Thirteen ( Mia Bowen )
Chapter 561

Mia was taken aback by the slippery floor and exclaimed in alarm.

"Watch out!"

"Mia!"

Both Timothy and Jeremy reacted swiftly, extending their arms to catch her.

Instinctively, Mia reached out and grabbed onto them. She couldn't help but notice a muffled grunt from Timothy, a clear indication of pain.

Looking down, she realized she had inadvertently grabbed Timothy's injured right hand from the night of the accident during the heavy rain.

Timothy had shielded her during an abrupt stop in the car, injuring his arm in the process. It seemed his arm hadn't fully healed yet.

Mia promptly released Timothy's arm and reached for Jeremy's arm to steady herself; she wanted to avoid any further injury to Timothy's hand.

However, Timothy perceived this scene differently.

Observing Mia let go of his hand and lean toward another man, Timothy's gaze hardened, and his mood turned sour.

Timothy cast a displeased glance at Jeremy. Why did it consistently seem as though men were always appearing by Mia's side, displacing one, only for another to take his place?

In the past, there was the studio owner. What was his name again? And now, there was someone new?

After regaining her balance, Mia let out a relieved sigh and looked up at Jeremy. "Thanks for helping me just now."

Jeremy felt somewhat embarrassed. "You don't have to thank me. The floor in this diner can get slippery. Especially with Cagon cuisine, it tends to be a bit oily."

Now, Jeremy was starting to regret his choice of bringing Mia and Timothy here.

"You shouldn't say that. It's been a long time since I've been to this diner. It's nice to come back and reminisce," Mia said.

In reality, Mia had a preference for lighter flavors. Nonetheless, her initial intention was simply to gauge Timothy’s reaction. She never anticipated ending up flat on her back. 

She stole a glance back at Timothy. Despite his coughing having subsided, a subtle flush lingered on his complexion, his brows knit in discomfort.

It was evident he wasn't accustomed to the pungent air saturated with paprika.

The three of them proceeded to a private room on the second floor, where the environment was slightly better.

Jeremy promptly handed over the menu. "Mia, feel free to order whatever you like."

"I'll go with the house specialties, Cagon corn chowder, and some vegetable jambalaya," Mia replied.

She was mindful of avoiding overly spicy dishes, opting instead for lighter vegetarian options.

Jeremy swiftly handed the menu to Timothy, adopting a conciliatory tone. "Mr. Barrett, why don't you select a few dishes as well?"

Timothy glanced at the dishes Mia had chosen—light options that matched his usual preference for milder flavors. It seemed Mia was still looking out for him.

Considering this, Timothy's expression softened. He spoke with a hint of pride and composure, "It's alright. What she ordered is suitable."

Jeremy paused, acknowledging, "Well, it seems like Mia has a good understanding of Mr. Barrett's preferences."

Mia looked puzzled. She clearly had no idea of his preferences. Why was he making assumptions? She had ordered for herself, without taking Timothy's tastes or preferences into account.

However, Timothy's past preferences did lean toward lighter flavors, coincidentally matching her order.

Nevertheless, Mia hadn't anticipated Timothy to be so brazen.

After placing their orders, the room fell into silence.

Sitting between the two men, Mia remained quiet, sensing Timothy's gaze on her.

Feeling a bit uneasy, she turned to Jeremy and asked, "So, what brought you to campus today?"