Mona did not want to spend the night at the hospital, so she asked the doctor to discharge her with some medicine. Linda was cooking at home when they came back. She came out looking surprised with the spatula in her hand. “Susan, you’re out already? Are you okay?” Victor said, “Susan can’t sleep on the hospital bed, so I brought her home. I’m here with her. It’s going to be okay.” Linda pouted. “You are just going to follow whatever she says? This is messed up.” “It’s okay, Linda. I feel a lot better after the drip,” Mona said as she patted Linda’s hand. She then looked at Victor and said, “You can go back now. Thank you for today.” Victor showed no intention of leaving. He asked, “Susan, how did my uncle know that you are sick? And how did he arrive so fast and bring you to the hospital?” “Victor, are you trying to question Susan? If you have questions about your uncle, why don’t you go ask him? How would Susan know? Are you suspecting that Susan called him here? “B
“Don’t be afraid!” Linda rolled her sleeves and grabbed the roller pin from the kitchen. “I’ve been a training coach in a dojo for so many years. It’s time to get myself a live practice target!” “Linda, calm down.” Mona followed her to the door and peeked through the peephole. They saw a woman, petite but well-dressed, seemingly from a decent family. Linda opened the door. “Yes? Who are you looking for?” The woman squinted and sized up Linda from top to bottom before she switched her gaze to Mona. There was surprise and jealousy on her face. Mona had fair skin. Even without makeup, her facial features were delicate and her petite face was astonishing. One glance at her and any man’s heart would pound. In fact, not only men, but even women would spare a few more glances at her face. Linda noticed the woman’s unusual stare at Mona. She moved to the side and blocked the woman’s view. “Miss, did you get the wrong address?” The woman recovered her composure and asked, “Um, d
“Susan is not a mistress! Both she and Victor have known each other since high school! You are the mistress. Your whole family is a mistress!” Linda scolded Isabel as she bolted up. She continued, “You can’t keep your man to yourself, yet you are blaming Susan? Victor has two legs and can go wherever he wants. It’s not like we are forcing him with a knife at his neck. “Besides, please understand the situation before you want to hold us responsible. It’s Victor who has been chasing after Susan, from high school until now. Susan can’t even shake him off. Wake up, lady!” Linda’s anger built up as she continued, “Victor is also a jerk! What the hell? Why is he trying to act like he’s loyal in front of everyone?” Mona calmed Linda down and said calmly, “Linda, calm down. Sit down and catch a breath.” “Ms. Graham, may I ask how long have you been with Victor?” “A month.” Isabel wore an arrogant look at Mona. She then added, “But we are planning to get married soon. His mother lik
Isabel pulled her phone out, dialed a number, and started to cry loudly, “Brother, you’ve got to come here now! Someone pushed me! It’s the woman that Victor is seeing and her friend. They pushed me onto the floor… Sobs… The address…” After the call, she glared at Linda and whimpered, “Just you wait! You will pay for what you did!” Mona frowned. It seemed like this would not end if she did not stoop in front of Isabel and possibly apologize. She rubbed the center of her brows and sighed. She was still recovering from the fever, yet trouble literally came knocking at her door, giving her a headache. A while later, a tall and bulky man arrived at the door. “Isabel, who has the balls to push you?!” Isabel pointed at Linda and cried, “Bro, it’s her! She pushed me to the floor! It hurts!” “Why did you push my sister? You are coming to the police station with me!” the man bellowed as he tried to drag Linda out of the apartment. “Let go of me! I didn’t even touch her!” Linda r
“It hasn’t been too long ago,” Isabel said. She noticed the expression on her brother’s face and realized that Thaddeus was interested in her relationship with Victor. He wanted to know more. “Victor and my sister were on a blind date a while ago, and they have been progressing smoothly since then. Our parents and Victor’s mother were already discussing the wedding, so we’re going to be family soon.” Thaddeus grinned. “I guess you’re right. Victor is not young anymore, and my sister is ill. We should really fix his marriage as soon as possible.” Isabel heard Thaddeus, and she assumed that he had acknowledged her as a part of the family. She stepped up and said meekly, “I also wanted to marry Victor as soon as possible, but there’s an obstacle in the way, and I’m trying to remove it. Mr. Fontaine, you’re a senior to Victor. Can I ask you to guide him the right way? We’re both the perfect match for each other, unlike some other woman outside who is just a temporary thrill.” She
Mona felt extremely confident at the moment. Maybe it was because she had a powerful man by her side, who could suppress everyone else with his aura alone. In fact, Thaddeus’ aura gave her a sense of safety. She felt protected in his presence. “What’s wrong with you, woman?” Brock was not a polite man either, and he felt challenged when Mona asked him to apologize again. “Mr. Fontaine, why don’t you share your thoughts on this? I apologized to her, but she won't accept it. She’s trying to give us a hard time.” “Oh? Did you apologize to her?” Thaddeus acted as if nothing had happened earlier. He questioned the man back with a grin, “I didn’t see you apologizing earlier, but I did see you drag her friend by the wrist rather rudely.” He had always been biased towards one of his own. If Mona wanted to punish the man, he would simply play along with her and be more than happy to do it. Brock was surprised by how fast Thaddeus changed his thoughts. “Wait, Mr. Fontaine. What do yo
Thaddeus’ words silenced both Isabel and Brock. They finally realized that Thaddeus was on Mona’s side instead of theirs. How could they win against the man? While Mona was no one, the man beside her was someone they could not afford to offend!The brother and sister were forced to concede the battle and gave Mona a cheque worth a hundred thousand. They then left bitterly. After settling the problem, Mona could finally relax her mind. Her temples swelled while her head buzzed and the lingering fever made her dizzy. She started to lose her balance. “Susan, you look terrible. Are you okay? Let’s go back inside.” Linda wanted to bring her back inside, but Thaddeus carried her with both arms and entered her apartment. Linda was left behind. She watched as the man carried the woman inside. His broad back and the petite figure in his arms formed a drastic contrast. The scene resembled that of a romance movie. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, pondering. “The
The man failed to see through Mona’s expression. She would never display her true thoughts on her face. “I believe you, I really do,” Mona said with a frivolous smile. She then pointed at his pocket and said, “Mr. Fontaine, your phone is buzzing.” Thaddeus regained his composure and realized that the phone in his pocket was indeed vibrating. He pulled it out and saw the name on the screen: Samantha. He hesitated but ultimately answered it. “Thaddeus, where are you?” “A friend’s house.” The man glanced at Mona before he walked out. Mona finally sighed a breath of relief after Thaddeus left. It was tiring trying to compete with the man, both mentally and physically. “He left? Who called?” Linda came in and asked. “Who else? Of course, it’s his fiance.” Mona had a satisfied look at the hundred-thousand-dollar cheque before she kept it away. “What do you think Thaddeus is thinking? He’s dating Samantha, almost marrying the woman, but he’s still coming back to you. He ca
The couple was tired after a time of bonding, and they lay on the wicker chair, closing their eyes before slipping into dreamland. Sometime later, Thaddeus felt a chill and opened his eyes. His T-shirt was wet, and Bobby and Millie were spraying water at him with water guns. The youngest child was nearby too in her stroller. She suckled on a pacifier and watched the bustle. “Where’s your mommy?” Thaddeus shuffled his hair and looked around, searching for Mona. “Freeze, Daddy. We have held Mommy captive. Surrender yourself to us.” Acting like the boss, Millie pointed her massive water gun at her daddy. Thaddeus had indulged his eldest daughter so much that the girl would only have things her way. Nevertheless, Thaddeus played along since it was only a game. He knew his children well. Millie took after Mona and was shrewd. Still, Millie would be on her best behavior when in public. “Hurry up and surrender, Daddy. Put your hands up, and we will release Mommy.” Millie poked
It was a cooling breeze for the Summer as flowers bloomed in the garden of Fontaine Residence. Mona rested on a wicker chair under the wine arbor, holding in hand the latest issue of the weekly design magazine, with her face on the cover. In the photo, she held a trophy up on the stage of a design competition, standing out amidst the radiant background. Since the birth of her youngest, Mona took a month off for rest before picking up her passion again and returning to the world of design. Recently, she won first place in an international design competition and found fame. Mona was happy with her life and enjoyed the rich and peaceful state of things. She had time to herself for once during the weekend, so she found a quiet spot to enjoy time alone while the kids had a nap. The sunlight shone over Mona through the leaves, basking her in warmth. She let out a yawn and closed her eyes for a nap. Thaddeus walked out of the house and saw the woman enjoying the moment of bliss. The t
“Mommy, did the baby kick you today?” Millie wobbled her way over and placed her hand on Mona’s belly. She could feel the baby stirring inside her mommy’s stomach. Millie was pleasantly surprised. “The baby kicked me! Mommy, is the baby swimming inside your belly?” “Yeah. The baby is kicking.” Mona affectionately caressed her belly. The fetus had been kicking and rolling a lot more lately, so she could not get much sleep. The tall and strong man drew near and looked tenderly at Mona. His husky voice lingered in Mona’s ear. “Weren’t you craving strawberries? I placed an order, and the fruit is being airlifted here as we speak. It’ll arrive tonight.” “Yay.” Mona was gleeful. Since the beginning of her pregnancy, she had become quite fussy and craved the strangest food. She wanted caviar from Japan, cookies from France, and strawberries from the highlands. Anything she asked for would be transported fresh to the house the next day.The man had taken good care of her during her en
“No. I won’t let myself go.” The man huffed heavily after finishing his sit-ups. Then, he rolled out of bed and got changed in the walk-in closet. Mona stared at the man’s well-toned back, gasping at his body upkeep. People would probably have a hard time believing he was a father of three. With that in mind, Mona became aware of a potential threat. She got up and drew close to the man. “You’re responsible for taking care of the baby once the child is born.” Thaddeus straightened his tie. “Alright. I can do that. I want to be present in the baby’s life and your pregnancy. You should rest at home once your belly gets bigger. I’ll handle Bobby and Millie’s school run, okay?” The man pinched Mona’s face dotingly. “Now you’re talking. Are you heading out?” Mona got up on her tiptoes to brush off the dust from his shoulders. “Yeah. I need to sort out a lot of paperwork.” “I wrote down notes of the meeting I attended on your behalf a few days ago.” Mona walked out to retrieve a
Thaddeus was in the hospital for a week before he was discharged. The election day for the successor of the Fontaine Group was two weeks later, but Thaddeus had not made a full recovery in his legs. He remained in a wheelchair and persisted in his daily physiotherapy. Mona had a room freed up in Fontaine Residence for Thaddeus’ rehabilitation. A specialized doctor would come around the house every day to help Thaddeus with his recovery. Thaddeus was a strong man to fight through the pain in his physiotherapy sessions. That day, Mona watched as the workers hung a decorative painting on the wall in the hallway. She ordered paintings of her preference and had them shipped from abroad. Mona instructed the workers to put it up, not paying attention to the wobbly painting that had been hung behind her. The painting was about to hit her from the back. Thaddeus was exiting the rehabilitation room when he caught sight of the danger. Getting up from his wheelchair, Thaddeus took large stri
The few pictures of Mona and Victor at the height of a tussle gave the impression that they were having an intimate moment. Thaddeus went through the photos with a look of disdain. “So you stood there and pretended to take pictures of me to show me these? You set my wife up with another man to tell me she was cheating on me?” It was not hard to guess the game the paparazzi were playing, but who was he trying to fool? The man was dumbstruck, as it never occurred to him that Thaddeus could see through him. It had taken the three of them to come up with the idea. However, it had not taken much for Thaddeus to foil their plan. Mona let out a relieved smile. She thought that Thaddeus would be furious at the look of the pictures and had prepared herself to give a long explanation. She was surprised that Thaddeus quickly saw through the attempt to drive them apart. Their relationship was solid, and no one could come between them. Mona thought to herself with glee when she took
Mona stood in front of Thaddeus, blocking his face as she confronted the paparazzi who took their picture. “Hand over the camera!” “There’s nothing in the camera. Besides, it’s my personal property. Why should I give it to you?” “You clearly took a picture of my husband. You have some nerve to say there’s nothing.” Mona grabbed the man by the wrist and lifted her foot to kick. Thaddeus grabbed her wrist to stop her. “You’re pregnant. Think about the child.” Thaddeus pulled Mona back, leaving himself exposed to the paparazzi. “Why do you want to photograph me? Do you want to see me in a wheelchair? Take a picture then.” Thaddeus pulled a straight face. His nonchalant gaze spoke of intimidation. Dumbstruck, the paparazzi looked at Thaddeus’ legs and smiled dryly. “What happened to your legs, Mr. Fontaine?” Thaddeus did not answer. However, his dark eyes flicked chillingly as he looked murderously at the paparazzi. Even in a wheelchair, Thaddeus did not have to say anythi
With the help of the two caretakers, Thaddeus sat in the wheelchair. He had overcome his emotions and pulled himself together. His mind was clear as he sorted out what he should do next. Thaddeus called the assistant into the room and laid out the following plan. “I won’t attend any media interviews before the election, but I won’t disappear from the public eye either. I don’t want to give the press something to talk about. My wife will represent me. Going forward, whatever she says or does will be considered my own. She has the authority to attend all corporate conferences, big or small.” Mona dropped her jaw in shock. She was to attend company meetings and speak on his behalf. It was trying to make the impossible happen. On second thought, Thaddeus must have his reasons to do so. She had the confidence to do a good job anyway. The assistant took note of everything Thaddeus said. The Fontaine Group was about to choose its next leader, and with Thaddeus still in recovery, the
“It’s okay. That’s normal after surgery. The doctor gave me a heads-up. Since it’s a brain operation, you might have damage to the motor nerve. With the help of physiotherapy, you’ll be back to running in no time.” Mona consoled Thaddeus. Thaddeus lifted his hands and gave Mona a gentle push. “Leave.” Mona froze. She looked at the man who was fine a second ago, not knowing what to do. “Can you leave? I need some time alone,” Fixing his gaze on Mona, Thaddeus spoke callously. “Okay. I’ll be right outside if you need me.” It dawned on Mona why the man was persistent in driving her away. He did not want her to see him at his worst. In a way, he was trying to protect his pride and dignity as a man. However, they were a married couple. Mona would never turn her back on him. Mona could understand the man’s vulnerability and his feelings at the moment. Hence, she said nothing and quietly left the ward to give Thaddeus the time and space to sort his emotions. Instead of doing n