“You’re imagining things.” Linda walked over. Mona smiled silently and deliberately left the seat opposite the man to Linda.As they ate and chatted, Mona learned about the man’s situation.His name was Caleb Zimmer. He bought a house in an old district as he thought the area was most likely to be demolished, and he could relocate if it happened. Furthermore, he also introduced his line of work.His frankness and sincerity made it impossible for people to hate him.After dinner, he actively cleaned the dishes and did some housework, then walked out with the garbage bag.All in all, he left a good impression on the two ladies.After leaving Mona’s house, he went back to his apartment next door and took out his phone to call Thaddeus, who was working at the company.“Everything went well, Mr. Fontaine. The two ladies didn’t suspect a thing.”“Good job. Wait a little longer before leaving.”“Yes, sir.”Thaddeus hung up the phone and gazed at the stock trend chart on his computer
“Sir, I think this plushie is good. My girlfriend loves large soft toys very much. Ms. Ortega should like them as well.”Marcus pointed to a row of big furry plush toys and spoke as if he was a strategist.“Who said I was buying it for her?”Thaddeus lifted his eyes and asked Marcus in a cold voice. Then, his gaze swept over the row of colorful plushies.At that moment, the man, who had always been swift and decisive, was having difficulty choosing.It was not that he had never sent gifts before. In the past, to save time, he would tell his secretary to buy luxury goods at the end of his business trips. He always thought the woman liked money, so the more expensive the gift was, the happier she would be. In exchange, she would be more obedient in bed.Now, it seemed like the woman’s acting skills had been too good. She had only given him the illusion that she was greedy for money.Thaddeus frowned as he looked at the dazzling plush toys in front of him. He wondered why he wanted
The next morning was a working day. After sending the children to preschool, Mona went to work at Starbright.Today, she wore a black tweed jacket and tall leather boots. It made her entire person look domineering with a cool and sultry aura, and heads seemed to turn as she walked into the company.She headed straight to a large and spacious office that was at least sixty square feet. Inside, there were not only a dressing room and lounge but a walk-in closet and an en-suite as well.This kind of special treatment was something only A-list artists in the company could enjoy. The fact that Mona could work here was Raymond announcing to the whole of Starbright that Mona would be treated as an A-list artist to raise from now on.Raymond had shown enough sincerity, so Mona naturally could not refuse. It meant she could set up her own modeling studio and take on projects she was interested in.She stood in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the unobstructed scen
“Luke, is this show important?”Mona asked her agent tentatively. Mrs. Yale was not a person to be messed with. Back then, they had argued rather unpleasantly.This time, the person holding the reins was Mrs. Yale. According to her vengeful character, she would most definitely use it to her advantage to fulfill her personal vendetta.“Of course, it’s important. It’ll be your first gig after setting up a studio. Don’t you want a good start?”Luke paused and realized something was wrong.“Why did you ask? Do you not want it?”“I’ve had a problem with the designer before. I think no matter how perfectly I perform, there’s no way she’ll let me have the center position.”Mona expressed her thoughts in a flat tone. Her nonchalant look made Luke frantic.“What? You offended the designer?” Luke exclaimed, “Mona, you really— Do you know how powerful her family is? How did you even come into contact with a person of her class?”Mona pinched the bridge of her nose and frowned slightly, a
Tim tugged the white shirt on his body and smiled faintly, revealing two dimples on his handsome face. “No, I just think I should respect you since you’re my boss.”Mona grinned. She looked friendly, but at the same time, he could not figure out what kind of person she was. “What kind of boss am I? Do you think I’m scary because you saw me scold Luke earlier?”Tim scratched the back of his head and nodded. “Yeah.”“Haha.”Mona laughed brightly and did not explain. At that moment, Ben drove the car over. They got in and set off for the venue.The company had equipped Mona with a spacious and magnificent Mercedes-Benz MPV. Mona sat nearer to the front while Tim sat by the door.Ben was a chatterbox and helped to maintain a good atmosphere. He occasionally found a topic to talk about.“You look quite young. How old are you?”“Guess.”“It’s not easy to guess. While I think you look like you’re in your twenties, people nowadays take good care of their skin. Especially beauties like
The person in charge of the show heard Mrs. Yale’s words and looked at Mona, who was standing to the side.To be honest, she was not late. Her clothes had not fit her, so her styling was delayed for a moment. There was no need to be so harsh.“Mrs. Yale, Mona is the model recommended by Mr. Rockwell of Starbright. She’s a good candidate. How about we interview her first before making a decision. How does that sound?”When Mrs. Yale heard that, her expression darkened. She was instantly displeased.“Haven’t you always been very strict? Why are you being perfunctory now? You should know that this is my show. The first requirement I need from a model is a good character. Everything else is out of the question.”Mrs. Yale raised her head with a demanding expression. It was clear she wanted to block Mona’s way.Ben was angered by Mrs. Yale’s look and wanted to stand up for Mona, but she held him back.“My apologies, Mrs. Yale, for delaying your precious time with my tardiness. How ab
Mona stood up. Ben and Tim came over to help her carry her skirt and walked to the back of the catwalk.Mona looked through the curtain at the other candidate, who had just finished her walk and was heading down the stage.Realizing it was her turn soon, she straightened her dress and tensed her body to find a balance point she could use for support.“On stage.” The person in charge backstage ordered in Mona’s ear. She held her head high and walked on stage with a catwalk that made her look like a professional model.The other two candidate models had a dazzling spotlight shining on them. However, once Mona got on stage, all the lights went out. A beam of white poured down from above her head, enveloping her in white.Mona froze for a moment. With the light shining on her like that, it would only make her face look white and puffy. The effect must not be desirable.She quickly regained her composure and did her best. As a professional model, she would inevitably encounter unpredi
“It’s about Mona.” Raymond’s long fingers tapped on the screen, arranging for a driver to take him to the show.Thaddeus was displeased. “Mona? When did you guys get so close?”Raymond picked up his suit, stood up, and hurried outside.“Let’s save that for later. Your ex-wife is being bullied at a show, and I have to go save her. Are you coming?”Thaddeus stood up immediately, and his expression became tense.The two tall and handsome men walked out of the cafe, turning heads wherever they went.Raymond’s driver drove the car to the entrance of the building and took the two men to the direction of the show.Along the way, Raymond showed Thaddeus the video of Mona’s catwalk. After watching it, the man’s expression suddenly turned cold and sullen. The tense air around him made the driver nervous, so he sped up.Raymond saw Thaddeus’s worry written all over his face. The latter did not look like the usual cold and aloof CEO at all.As the saying went: It was impossible to hide on
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