Things had been going well for the Marshalls in the last few years as the family was coming strong to find a place second only to the four influential families. One of the four influential families – the Yandells had openly shown support to the Marshalls. Arguably, the Marshall family had been the underdog in the business world. Thaddeus fell into contemplation. In other words, the Marshalls were pulling rank thanks to the Yandells’ authority, and the Marshall family’s lapdog had the gall to pick on her daughter. At the end of the day, it was an exploit of another family’s power.Thaddeus callously curled his lips. He had an unsettled grudge against the Yandells, and now their lapdog was out to get his daughter. With a smirk, Thaddeus waved his arm at the member of the school board before stepping out to make another phone call. His connections should come in handy to sort this issue out. The conflict between the two children now involved a power struggle among a few families
By the time Mona was back from walking Millie to her class, both parties were stuck in a standoff, and no one was willing to budge. Exuding confidence, Thaddeus sat opposite Jim’s parents. While he remained discreet about his status, Thaddeus conducted himself as someone in power. Thaddeus had been keeping a low profile lately, not appearing in business magazines or financial news. He had been turning down social events around the elite circle because of the kids. Jim’s parents rarely had access to higher society, so they did not recognize who Thaddeus was. Sitting across from Thaddeus, the couple looked away from the aloof man and exchanged glances. They were left wondering about Thaddeus’s identity. While Jim’s parents stood their ground, they were actually refraining from making any reckless decision. Standing at the door of the faculty office, Mona could feel the tension at its peak. Although she believed everything was blown out of proportion, there was no need to drag in
Mona was a little exasperated. She really did not understand. It was just a small matter between children. Why was there a need to make it a big deal? There was no need to bring their family’s background into the matter. It seemed Mona’s thinking of this society was too simple.What was complicated was people’s thoughts, not the matter itself.In the end, she said in annoyance, “Our family matters are usually decided by the children’s father. If you want to persuade someone, you should talk to my husband. There’s no point trying to persuade me.”She said those words with a smile, and her tone was kind and soft. Coupled with her stunning and beautiful face, it was a smile that could not help but make people dazed. It was just like the spring breeze of March brushing across one’s face, wrapped with the fragrance of fresh flowers. It was enough to soothe a person’s mood.Thaddeus, who was sitting by the side, naturally did not miss the beautiful picture. His eyes never left his woman’
“Who is he?”“He’s the heir of the Fontaine family, the head of the four great families, Mr. Thaddeus Fontaine!”Jim’s dad froze. Before he could react, he saw Henry running up to Thaddeus, bowing to him and saying fawningly, “Mr. Fontaine, why were you free enough to come to the preschool today? I just found out that your daughter is studying here. By the way, the old master hasn’t come to my place to play cards for a while now. Is he in good health?”Henry fawned over Thaddeus like a mad dog, trying to pull the topic in another direction in fear that Thaddeus would continue to pursue the matter.His action made everyone in the office stunned.After all, Henry was the biggest figure in the school. No one expected that someone of his age would bow down and humble himself in front of Thaddeus. It was simply astonishing.Tim’s father’s head buzzed when he suddenly realized the truth of the matter. He also realized that he had lost his trump card. The person he offended turned out t
Henry was so frightened that his face turned pale, and his legs trembled.Although he had never seen Thaddeus’s drastic methods, he had heard about them before. There were rumors in the business world about how unreasonable and ruthless this demon was. He was extremely indifferent and cold. Furthermore, if someone went against his principles, that person might even lose their life.Henry made up a bloody drama inside his mind and was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. It seemed he could only look out for himself now. He had no intention of caring about his distant nephew. How could he when he was in danger too?He quickly approached Thaddeus, carefully putting on an apologetic and humble smile. “Mr. Fontaine, I have no relationship with that person. How you want to deal with him is entirely up to you. As for whether or not to dismiss the child, the decision lies in your hands too. We listen to all your arrangements. After all, you’re business partners with the Yandells,
The couple who was arrogant and domineering not long ago were now scared out of their wits. They helped each other to stand up and fled in haste.Although Henry’s words were a little harsh, it was clear he was trying his best to help his distant nephew. Since they were related, it could be regarded as a show of mercy.Thaddeus would not pursue it further, right? He tapped his long and slender fingers on the desk rhythmically. His elegant and calm posture was as if he was playing the piano.He narrowed his eyes with an interested expression. His calm and composed appearance made Henry feel afraid.It seemed Thaddeus had not had enough fun yet.A bad feeling gradually welled up in his mind, and he heard Thaddeus speak.The man said slowly in a light tone, “Now that my child’s matter has been solved, let’s talk about acquisition.”Henry was a little overwhelmed. He felt confused, unable to understand the meaning of Thaddeus’s words.“What do you mean by acquisition? What do you wa
Mona still more or less admired this man in her heart. After all, as such a rich and charismatic man, not many women would be able to resist the attraction he exuded.However, she soon realized that those thoughts might pull her in a bad direction. She shook her head hard, forcing herself to somehow crush the inexplicable affection in her heart and douse it with a bucket of ice water. No matter how good this man was, what did that have to do with her?She had to remain calm and rational in any relationship, or the one getting hurt would be her. She had fallen before and did not want to get hurt again.Maybe Thaddeus’s kindness to her was for another woman, but that woman was no longer in this world. She was just enjoying his kindness as a substitute.While this man had deep feelings, all his tenderness and patience were just him trying to make up for his regrets.It was better to stay clear-headed to avoid being hurt again. Mona’s decision to nip everything in the bud might be a
No one expected that the woman they once belittled would turn out to be the wife of the head of Fontaine Group. What was even more outrageous was that they had two children who were already so old.This news was more sensational than the headlines.Everyone sighed. It was really impossible to judge a person through one’s prejudice and look at the world through colored glasses. All that resulted in was misunderstanding and malice.That afternoon, Marcus implemented the acquisition plan in a hurry and carried out Thaddeus’ whim to the end.Jim dropped out of school, and Millie was overjoyed that Thaddeus bought the entire preschool for her. She would be in charge of the school in the future. How could she not be thrilled?That night, Thaddeus became the happiest man in the world. Millie stuck to him like a little pet, praising Thaddeus sweetly all night.The man liked it when she sang praises of him. When his daughter made him a hero, his heart was naturally full of joy with the fe
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