Thaddeus had guessed that Mona went to the hotel. He had checked his call records today and saw that there were several missed calls from her last night. She definitely went to the hotel to find him. While drinking the soup, Thaddeus felt extremely warm. In the elevator, Thaddeus deliberately told Mona that Sherry was taking care of him. It was a move just to stimulate Mona a little. Although it was a childish approach, Thaddeus seemed to notice from Mona’s expression her care for him. “Mr. Fontaine, Ms. Foster seems to have come to Worchester City this time with an ulterior motive.” Marcus’s words pulled Thaddeus back to his senses. “I’m her motive. It’s obvious what she’s up to.” “Besides, how could there be so many media waiting at the hotel last night? It’s too strange.” Thaddeus’s face turned cold. “There’s no need to guess who did it. It’s a farce staged by the bossy lady with a few phone calls.”He hated women who played tricks on him. If there were no business in
“Oh, don’t worry about it. It’s quite easy to stall a cab here. Thanks for your offer, Tim.” Mona refused firmly, not giving Tim any hope. “What are you doing? I failed to pursue you, and now we can’t even be friends anymore?” “Tim, you’ve misunderstood. There are just many times when I can solve a problem on my own and don’t need to rely on others. I rarely bother my friends because I believe I can handle things well myself.” “You’re doing this on purpose—you deliberately don’t want to have any contact with me. Does my liking for you disgust you so much?” Mona sighed faintly and looked at Tim. At the end of the day, he was a fresh graduate who liked to act on impulse. “Tim, since you like me, it means you recognize me as a person. While I’m very thankful, can you distinguish what it means to like someone? Liking someone isn’t about possession but respect. If you truly like someone, you’ll respect all her wills, including the fact that she doesn’t like you.” Tim was start
The news of Victor and Isabel’s engagement spread through the media and magazines in Worchester City. A third of the people present were journalists from the press. Mona held her invitation and slowly entered the venue of the engagement party. It was the only French-style manor in Worchester City and occupied an area of 100 acres. The venue was beautiful and extravagantly decorated. Being in such a lively scene, Mona scanned her surroundings and noticed many familiar faces that were seen on TV. All of them were dignified figures. Mona held a gift she had prepared in advance for the couple. She walked along the long red carpet toward the hall. Before she could find her seat, she saw Sherry carrying a pearl shell clutch not far away and entering the hall in a pink-tailored gown. The entrance of the wealthiest family’s daughter instantly attracted countless attention and followers. A bunch of celebrities and young ladies gathered around her and greeted her warmly to connect with h
Mona frowned. She was not loud, but her voice was firm as she asked, “Do you want me to throw you down again?” Thomas restrained himself a little as he was somewhat afraid. The fall earlier made him question himself. Nevertheless, given that so many people were watching, his reputation and dignity were now at stake.“I’m telling you, I don’t care which family you’re from. Since you tricked me and hurt me today, you must be responsible!” Mona sneered. “How would you like me to be responsible for them?” “Apologize to me—on your knees! Otherwise, I’ll have my legal team send you to prison!” “You should be the one going to prison. How could I have touched you if you hadn’t harassed me first?” Thomas was furious when he heard that. He cursed, “I’ve seen a lot of your kind, women who have slept with tons of men—you sell your body for a living. At the end of the day, you’re just a high-class product. Who are you to say I harassed you? It was you who took the initiative to seduce
Mona was unmoved. She clutched her phone and continued to record the scene. The more arrogant these people were, the better it would be for her to collect evidence. “I told you to stop recording, you d*mn woman!” Thomas was furious. He shouted at the few men on the side, “Hurry the f*ck up and help. It won’t do you any good if this b*tch releases the video!” The few men were the rich sons who said nasty and vulgar things to Mona earlier. As soon as Thomas called out to them, the most dissolute one among them walked up to Mona and grabbed her wrist. He could not help but hiss when he touched Mona’s soft and delicate skin. He was also excited when he saw how attractive she was. The man wondered how nice it would be to take her home and keep her as his mistress. “Leave with me if you don’t want to invite trouble. You can have whatever you want as long as you don’t cause trouble here.” Mona looked coldly at him and broke free of his grip. Then, she slapped the man. “Get los
After learning that Mona was backed by Thaddeus, Thomas, in particular, directly kneeled on both knees, his eyes rolled over, and he fainted in fear on the ground. Of course, Mona did not know about it. She only noticed Thaddeus and Sherry standing together. Mona looked at them from afar in a daze. It was as if she had been like this all these years, coldly watching as his companions change one after another. It was as though she was an outsider, watching them entwine and separate. The more she watched, the tougher and colder she became. There were some things that she would never have. Feelings, for instance. She no longer had any expectations because she saw through too clearly. “Why didn’t you tell me about what happened just now?” Thaddeus had unknowingly appeared in front of Mona. Coldness and anger could be seen on his attractive face. “Why did you handle it on your own instead of calling me?” Mona looked down and hid her emotions well. She answered with a straight
Mona paused and looked down at the man kneeling beside her. She struggled to move her hand away and said, “I can do it myself…” Thaddeus had no emotions shown on his handsome face. He tore open a bag of cotton gauze with his mouth and dipped it into some ointment. Afterward, he pulled Mona’s hand over and applied it to her wrist. His action was domineering and forceful yet gentle at the same time. Mona looked down. Her long fan-like eyelashes were reflected beneath her eyes, making her look charming. She looked at Thaddeus’s face and reached out to touch the bridge of his high nose. She mumbled softly, “Thank you.” Most of the sons of reputable families were fops. They would only humiliate and flirt with ladies who had no famous background like her. While Thaddeus was cold and aloof, he at least understood respect. This was the difference between people, and it was why Thaddeus could climb to the top of the pyramid of power in his early 20s. “You don’t need to thank me. I
Thaddeus closed the door of the lounge, walked to Mona’s side, and sat down. He held her waist with his big palm and helped her up. “Get up. Let’s attend the engagement party together.” Mona sat up and returned the suit jacket to Thaddeus. She straightened the gown on her. “Let’s leave separately. It won’t be good if your mom or your other family members saw us.” Thaddeus tightened his grip to clutch Mona tightly. He pulled her out of the lounge and asked, “So what?” Mona followed behind him blindly. She felt indescribably warm as she looked at his tall and straight back. Even so, she knew very well she was only being temporarily sheltered by him. However, that was enough. At least she no longer had to single-handedly face the battle alone at the engagement party today. When Thaddeus and Mona walked out of the lounge, Mona let go of his hand. Thaddeus looked back at her and frowned in dissatisfaction. “Many people are watching. I just need to be able to see you. Y
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