Bobby stood up and drew close to Master Fontaine. Appearing a little shy and reserved, the boy politely bowed at Master Fontaine. “Hello, Great-Grandpa.” Master Fontaine squeezed his cheek and uttered with joy, “Good boy. Bobby, you really resemble your dad when he was a boy. You’re too young to develop a poker face. You might become boring like your dad when you grow up. Smile more, okay?” Bobby took a glance at Thaddeus. They shared the same deadpan look. “Great-Grandpa, my dream is to become a man like Daddy. A man should keep a straight face to be a qualified leader.” A certain man in a corner took delight in Bobby’s words. Although he did not show it on his face, his lips curled ever so slightly. It was a proud moment for Thaddeus. Even more so than when he closed the deal on a multimillion-dollar project.“My. Look at your son. That’s some great insight coming from a child. He shows more promise than you two.” Master Fontaine looked at Mona and Thaddeus with a smile be
Flashing her pearly whites, Millie nodded her head and grabbed Thaddeus’s hand to put on her heart. She said, “This spot here missed you the most, which means I missed you lots and lots.” The comment made Thaddeus’s heart melt. He dabbed on Millie’s nose and uttered in a raspy voice, “My good girl.” “Mommy, where have you been the last few days?” Bobby turned his attention to Mona. His keen eyes picked up on the ligature marks on Mona’s wrists.Bobby jumped off the sofa and grabbed Mona by the wrists. Tension ran along his little face. “Didn’t you say you were away on business? What are these injuries? Who did you get in another fight with?” “Oh, I got the marks from retrieving my baggage after I got out of the plane. I wasn’t paying attention and hurt myself.” Pretending as if nothing had happened, Mona withdrew her arms and knocked on Bobby’s head. “Can you not put me on the spot and lecture me in front of your great-grandpa and others? Hmph. I think someone is asking for
Dinner was set at a nearby restaurant in the neighborhood. The place was crowded since it was dinnertime. Seeing that there were no tables available, Mona was ready to move on to another restaurant when the restaurant owner became solicitous at the sight of Thaddeus, who had just arrived after parking the car. “Mr. Fontaine, what a wonderful surprise. I can’t believe you would dine here. You should have informed me in advance, and I would have gotten a table set up for you.” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes at the man while digging through his mind for information on him. If Thaddeus remembered correctly, he had met the man at a business dinner. The man was the PR manager of a food and beverage company. Their interaction had ended after the business dinner since Thaddeus was not close to him.Thaddeus courteously smiled. “We’re only having a family dinner. I wouldn’t want to trouble you.” “So they are your family, Mr. Fontaine. You should have said so. We’re usually full at this ho
Mona put her cup down before glancing at Thaddeus and Master Fontaine. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about that as well. Do you have any suggestions?” A child’s education was a crucial part of their lives. She used to worry a lot about providing her kids with the best education, but things were no longer the same now. With Thaddeus’s status and resources, he would be able to provide some of the best, if not the best, education for them. A lot more choices we now available to them. “In my opinion, send them to an international school from elementary to high school. After that, send them abroad to train them to be independent. That’s how all the children of the Fontaines were brought up.” “I had a similar thought as well. Send them to an international school first. As for studying abroad, we can discuss that with the kids once they’re older and let them decide if they want to further their studies.” The grandfather and grandson talked about many things. From the kids’ education
Thaddeus, aware of Master Fontaine’s persistence, no longer tried to dissuade the man. “If you insist, sure, but aren’t you afraid of being too tired? You would be traveling from Worchester to Oakfield with two kids. It’s not a short trip.” “It’ll be fine. Just arrange for more men to come along. I’m old. How many more times can I go back to Oakfield? Bringing the two kids along for once will make up for my regrets.” Master Fontaine sounded sentimental, and the emotion spread to Mona. "Grandpa, don't say that. You can still go back to visit the ancestor's grave, and if you don't mind, I'll let Bobby and Millie follow you every year. Even after they attend primary or high school or enter a rebellious stage, as long as you don't mind, I'll let them follow you.” “Mona, you really know how to make me happy.” Master Fontaine stroked his beard, cackling with laughter. “Bobby and Millie are good kids. I don’t think anyone would dislike them. I’d like for them to accompany me.” As
“Okay…” Master Fontaine was rendered speechless. He then turned to Mona and the kids playing happily at the mini playground. A heart-warming smile appeared on his face. “Thaddeus, do you know why I insisted on bringing the kids back to Oakfield with me?” Thaddeus wiped his mouth after finishing Mona’s leftovers. He glanced at his grandfather and said, “Because you are a proud man, and you want to look good in front of the extended family by telling them you have a pair of great-grandchildren?” Master Fontaine chuckled. “You’re so short-sighted. While that’s one of the reasons, I actually did it for you.” Thaddeus was surprised. “What do you mean?” Master Fontaine said after a heavy sigh, “I’m taking the kids away because I’m trying to create space for the two of you. There are many things a couple can not say when the kids are around. I hope you and Mona can make things right while the kids are with me. It’s important for a husband and wife to have good communication.”
Thaddeus waited outside the door before Mona came back with a locked safety box. “We’ll talk outside.” Mona took the safety box to the living room and sat down on the couch; Thaddeus sat down opposite her. He was anticipating what Mona would do next. Mona keyed in the password. Click! The lock opened. She took a bank check worth ten million out of the box. It was the alimony Thaddeus gave her when they had the divorce, which was one of the many compensation she got. “Take this. It should be enough to buy the house from you.” Mona pushed the bank check to Thaddeus. Thaddeus glanced at it. He could still see his signature and stamp on it, which made him laugh. “You’re using the money I gave you to buy a house I gave you?” “What’s the problem with that?” Mona sat up straight and said confidently, “The money is rightfully mine. I can use it to buy the house, or however I see fit. There’s no problem with that.” “Yeah. Whatever you said.” Thaddeus laid his hands open.
Mona ran out of strength. When she was carried out of the study room, she had a glance at the clock on the wall. It had been three hours! The man was like a beast, ravaging her tirelessly for three hours straight! The man looked down at Mona’s pale and petite face. He felt guilty for making her this weak. He asked softly, “Are you okay? Do you want me to get some medicine for you? You can take them after washing up.” Mona clenched her teeth tightly. She really wanted to slap him, but she was too exhausted to. She did not even have the strength to speak. So she simply shut her eyes to voice her dissatisfaction. Thaddeus sighed. He said with utmost affection and helplessly, “You adorable little thing.” As a grown man, he had urges, especially since he never had s*x with other women after their divorce. It had been torturous until now. His sanity broke in front of Mona tonight, and he knew he would never fall for any other woman for the rest of his life. The man kissed the
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