Folding his arms, Thaddeus idly sank into the back of the chair and flashed his bad-boy smirk. “Thank me? How do you plan on thanking me?” Mona curled her lips, stood up, and nonchalantly said, “You get a free meal from me, and that’s it. Take it or leave it.” Thaddeus grinned and watched her from behind as she advanced to the counter to settle the bill. The woman sure had an attitude. After the brief lunch, the pair exited the restaurant and went their own ways. None of them said a word as they simply went on with their business. It was close to two o’clock in the afternoon by the time Mona returned to the jewelry design studio. Ben sat in the lounge area and buried his head in his packed lunch, gulping down the food. Standing at the door, Mona looked around the empty studio. There was not a customer in sight. She turned her attention back to Ben, feeling a catch in her throat. It was just pathetic. She went over and filled a disposable cup with water before placing
Ben took note of Mona’s plan and immediately looked alive. Snapping his fingers, he said, “Alright. Let’s go with your plan. I’ll get ready to go in the next two days.” Mona balled up her fist and made an encouraging gesture. “Cheer up! I believe everything will get better.” “Yes. What about the issue from across the street?” “Leave it to me. They can sue me all they like. How can they twist the story after stealing my stuff? Surely, justice will prevail.” Ben echoed her sentiment, “I know, right? You must let me know if those people give you hell again. I’ll stand up for you.” “Sure. I’ll tell you if anything happens. Go on and finish your lunch.” Rising to her feet, Mona circled around the studio and went to the second floor. This was the space for the designers. Ben had jokingly said that Mona was the lead designer and that they could hire a few people to help her out on the second floor. He even poked fun that the second floor was reserved for Mona’s harem. Past the b
Megan was fixated on Mona without a word. Mona pursed her lips, unable to read what could be going on in the girl’s head. It was a good thing she had a picture of the situation beforehand and understood that Megan was a little withdrawn due to her upbringing. Maybe the girl was scared of strangers. Perhaps Mona was a little too forthcoming and enthusiastic for Megan to accept. With that in mind, Mona ruffled Megan’s hair. “It’s okay if you don’t have a thing for dessert. We can go straight to dinner.” Mona got to her feet and rounded the family up for dinner. Feeling a sudden tug on her sweater, she looked back and saw that it was Megan. The little girl widened her eyes and murmured, “You’re beautiful like the princess in storybooks, Mrs. Fontaine.” Mona smiled. “Thank you for the compliment. You’re pretty too.” Megan responded, “My mommy must be as beautiful as you.” Mona froze a little. The word “mummy” coming from Megan called to Mona’s attention to practice caution.
As a girl, Millie could pick up on the most subtle shifts in her environment. Plus, she easily felt insecure due to the absence of a father in the first years of her life. Thaddeus had spoken with a child psychologist, so he knew the importance of establishing a sense of security for the kids. Hence, Thaddeus had been keeping an eye open to detect any mood changes in Millie. Having received comfort from Thaddeus, Millie happily nestled in his arms. Her face beamed. Mona watched the sweet moment between the father and daughter as Jennifer’s words came into her mind. Jennifer wanted Mona and the two kids to disappear from Thaddeus’ life. However, the kids had bonded with the man. It would hurt Thaddeus and the kids to leave again… The dinner carried on with laughter and joy, and nobody noticed that Mona was secretly worried about something… The activity after dinner was what the kids had been looking forward to. It was time for snowmen and fireworks. Dressed in thick down
“Don’t try and look for an excuse.” The man held Mona’s wrist and pulled her into his arms. Trapping her in his embrace, he domineeringly declared, “We’ll send the little ones to their great-grandfather tomorrow. It won’t affect our honeymoon.” Mona’s eyes popped out. Honeymoon?Honeymoon, her *ss. “Thaddeus, do you know how much of a hold-up you put on my stuff with your rash decision?” Mona was frustrated. “I won’t go with you to Swertland. You can go by yourself. I want to stay here and take care of my stuff.” Thaddeus smirked. Despite the smile on his face, he carried himself in such an imposing manner. “So, you don’t want to come along? Well, I have a hundred and one ways to make you go with me.” Mona shivered from the fear she had of the man. “Stop with the intimidation tactics. That’s just a low blow.” Thaddeus smiled wickedly and rubbed down on her lips. The hot breath from his parted lips blew against the side of her face. Amid the frisky air, he asked, “How low?”
Mona was shocked. Did Thaddeus not tell Grandpa where he was going? Truth be told, it had been a few days since she saw the man. Could Thaddeus have left for a trip to Swertland as the kids mentioned? Mona was frank. “How would I know if you don’t, Grandpa? He must be busy with work.” Master Fontaine was disappointed with the answer. He was taking the kids to Oakfield just so the couple could have some alone time together. Well, that went well. Of all the times Thaddeus could go missing, it had to be now. It was infuriating. “I’ll call him to ask him what’s up. All the work is only an excuse. Does he think he’s the president of a country with that busy schedule of his? Even a president has a life.” Master Fontaine ran his mouth as he pulled out his phone to dial Thaddeus’ number. Before he could rip one into Thaddeus, the busy tone interrupted the call. Master Fontaine called the number again, but he was hung up on. Steamed up, Master Fontaine threw a fit. Mona was unab
Mona probably would not regret her decision as loneliness had been a long-time friend of hers. She would still live life to the fullest even at an older age. With that in mind, Mona flung her head to shake the negative feelings away. It was not a time to dwell in sorrow as she had a lot to do before she could have a comfortable life in her advanced years. Rising to her feet, she got a grip on herself and got ready to drop by Ben’s studio. The issue with plagiarism was unresolved, but she gave Ben an idea as a step forward. Since the flagship designs were no good anymore, she was on a time crunch to design something better. They could have another opening day but with a catwalk this time. Mona had some resources from when she worked as a model. With a bit of money, she could hire a few well-known models to set the runway on fire. She had it all thought out. The venue of the runway would be set across from the rival shop, and it had to be huge to outdo the competition. Mona
Ben scoffed. “You bought the place. We can forget operation if you pull out now.” Tim glanced at Ben and uttered in earnest, “Can you keep a level head for once, Ben? How am I supposed to leave the studio in your hands with that quick temper of yours?” Dumbstruck, Ben frowned and uttered in confusion, “What do you mean by leaving the studio in my hands?” Tim pulled a straight face and solemnly said, “While I may not be a part of the operation anymore, that does not mean you have to pull out of the investment. My assistant will provide the equity transfer contract later. Just sign it, and the studio is yours.” Ben’s jaw dropped. He pointed at himself. “You’re giving the studio to me?” Tim straightened out his shirt collar, which had been crumpled by Ben. He looked sharp and had the makings of a business elite. “Yeah. It’s yours, but it doesn’t come with no strings attached. You don’t get it for free. The money goes to profit sharing. Call it my investment.” The pie in the