“Mommy, look! It’s Daddy’s car!” Millie came down from Tim’s car and spotted Thaddeus’ car further away. She ran over to her father’s car with open arms. Thaddeus got out of the car and squatted down to welcome the girl’s hug. The girl ran excitedly and jumped into Thaddeus’ arms. The impact almost knocked him off his feet, but he managed to maintain his balance while carrying the girl in his arms. He put his strong hand on the girl’s back and comforted her, “You little rascal. I’m still strong enough to hold you now, but when you grow up and I’m old, I won’t be able to carry you like this anymore.” Millie hugged Thaddeus around the neck and looked at him with her adorable eyes. She said meekly, “Daddy won’t grow old. Daddy can always carry Millie.” Thaddeus smiled and pinched the girl’s cheek. “Okay. Daddy will stay healthy and live longer so that I can accompany my little princess. How’s that sound?” Millie nodded strongly. “Yay!” The father and daughter put their for
Thaddeus had a quick scan of Mona’s expression. He noticed the anger on the woman’s face when she was defending Tim. ‘This woman… I’ll show you later…’ “Take Bobby and Millie upstairs. I’ll be there in a minute,” Thaddeus said to Mona as he put Millie down. Mona told Bobby and Millie to go upstairs on their own. After seeing them in the elevator and making sure they could not hear the adults talking, Mona turned to Thaddeus to demand, “Who gave you permission to go up?” Thaddeus gritted his teeth. He looked at the woman and simply said, “I want to see the kids.” “You were not there to pick them up from the airport, and you weren’t there when they wanted to see you. It’s late, and they have to go to bed now. You really know how to pick a time, Mr. Fontaine,” Mona criticized him and Thaddeus somehow felt guilty. “I had something important to do today.” Mona scoffed. “Yeah, and I didn’t disturb you. Now the kids and I are going to rest, so please don’t disturb us.” Thaddeu
“I’ve been taking care of my kids at home lately. How could I have gotten into trouble?” Mona was slightly annoyed. She looked into the studio and saw a woman with a child on the couch in the parlor. Even though she could only see the woman's back, it looked familiar. It was the woman who had stopped her car when she had gone to pick Bobby and Millie up at the airport a few days ago. She could not bear seeing the woman’s child drenched in the rain, so she had given the woman her name card and told her to come to see her if she needed help. “It’s okay. She’s not here to cause trouble. I believe she’s here to ask for my help.” Mona calmed Ben down and assured him that nothing bad would happen. Ben sighed a breath of relief. “Thank goodness. Who is she? If you are not close to her, how do you know she’s not a bad person? She’s really angry and somewhat unfriendly.” “How unfriendly? How can you tell?” Mona asked. Ben pouted and grumbled, “Her child kept crying, and she didn't
Mona frowned. She remembered what Marcus had told her the other day. The woman’s husband had died of a heart attack when he went to a spa after work. The company had nothing to do with it. Moreover, Thaddeus had personally given the woman five hundred thousand after the employee died, and the whole company had held a donation campaign just for the employee’s family. The sum should be quite a sizable amount. However, the woman made it sound like the donation and Thaddeus’ personal compensation was not enough. She should not have accepted the donation without hesitation since Thaddeus was not legally responsible for it either. Fortunately, Mona had learned about the truth from Marcus, or else she might have fallen for the woman’s words. “Madam, based on what I know, Mr. Fontaine has given you quite a lot of money.” The woman cried louder after hearing Mona, which made the baby wail as well. The studio was filled with the sound of the woman and the child crying. It started t
The woman widened her eyes with anticipation. “What is it?” Mona looked at Ben and asked, “How’s the recruitment going lately? I believe we still have a position for a janitor, right?” Before Ben could speak, the woman voiced her rejection, “I was a full-time housewife before this, and I’ve always hired a cleaner to clean the house. I can’t do this.” Mona looked at her flatly. “It isn’t a difficult job, and it’s flexible. You will have the time to take care of your child. More importantly, you will be paid well, so it will be enough for you to maintain your livelihood.” The woman considered Mona’s offer. She asked, “How much are you going to pay me?” “Four thousand five.” Ben widened his eyes in disbelief. Mona was not trying to hire a janitor; she was trying to run a charity! To their surprise, the woman’s reaction rendered them speechless. “That’s it? It’s not even enough to pay for the surgery.” The woman’s greediness astonished Mona and Ben. Ben got annoyed. H
“Mona, someone is here for you.” Mona switched her attention from the design draft to Ben. “Who is it?” “Speaking of the devil, it’s Mr. Fontaine. He’s downstairs. Strange, how did he know you are here?” Mona squinted. She had a feeling that Thaddeus came to talk about the headline that she saw earlier. “Let him in.” Mona sighed. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to face Thaddeus’ wrath. The man was over-possessive and liked to have full control over everything, including the things that did not belong to him. Rather than losing it to someone else, he would destroy it than give it away. An unreasonable tyrant indeed. Ben went down and soon Thaddeus came up. Mona thought he was going to lash out at her, but surprisingly, he did not. He came with a bouquet of fiery red roses. She sized him up from top to bottom. The man had dressed up for the meeting. The handsome suit he picked was glistening with diamonds and it set off his handsome looks. He was like Prin
“When do you want to celebrate your birthday?” Mona said coldly, “It’s none of your business, Mr. Fontaine.” He sounded like he used to care about her a lot, but in fact, he had never celebrated her birthday once. Mona’s mockery tickled Thaddeus’ heart, challenging his rationality. He really wanted to press the woman on the table and forced himself inside her to silence her. Mona did not hold back at all. “Is there anything else? If not, you know your way out. I’m busy.” Thaddeus took a deep breath and looked at the troublesome woman. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her into his arms. “Mona, stop this at once.” Mona found the man’s words amusing. She scoffed and said, “What are you talking about? I’m not doing anything.” Thaddeus wished he could knock some sense into the woman’s head, but he was helpless against her even when she spoke to him in a provocative manner. “I’ve told Marcus to take the kids back to Grandfather’s place. I’ve also booked a table at the
Thaddeus leaned on his car as he waited for the woman to come out. He crossed his legs and stared at the woman as she came out of the door. It was as though he was looking at a piece of treasure. The roses made her look extremely beautiful, and they even set off her fair and tender skin. Knowing that the woman he raised for all these years had flown out of his control, a strong displeasure and grievance drowned his heart. Mona walked up to the man. When she locked eyes with the man, she sensed the danger behind his eyes, as if he was a predator looking at his prey. She knew the man was up to no good. She shrugged, walked around the man, and got into the car from the other side. Thaddeus leaned over to look at the woman inside his car. His deep gaze was like a black hole with mixed emotions sucked up inside. He got into the car and drove towards Universal Tower. It was evening rush hour. The night scenery of the city slowly came alive like a scroll of painting unveiling it
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