“Samantha, don’t you think you’re crossing the line?” Having kept his silence thus far, Victor approached with a wine glass in hand. With eyes on Samantha, he reflected a curt warning through his aloof eyes. “You’d better shut your trap if you wish to remain here. Cut the nonsense…” He then turned to Mona and then to Samanta before uttering, “Otherwise, I’ll have you thrown out.” The smile on Samantha’s face froze. Victor had put her in an awkward position. Smug, Linda put her hand over her mouth and snickered. She could barely cover the delight across her face. Victor looked over at Linda and frowned. Linda poked fun. “Mr. Cornwell, you’re a breath of fresh air. The other men were all over Ms. Mayers, trying to suck up to her while you gave her a dressing-down. Well, now she’s embarrassed herself.” She was not one to let things go. Linda would bite back at anybody who gave her hell. Mona immediately patted Linda’s arm so that the latter would quit it. Mona then pulled
Linda waltzed right up and came in Victor’s way. Victor tried to walk around her. “Could you step away, Linda? I need to see Suzy.” Victor was so focused on Mona that he did not notice the wine glass in Linda’s hand tipping over. The red wine spilled over him, especially in the crotch area of his pants. “Oops, sorry about that, old friend. It was a slip of the hand.” Victor turned ashen in the face, but he would dare not throw a huge tantrum in front of Mona. He waved his arm and left, pretending to let the matter slide. “It’s fine. I get a change of clothes from the car.” With Victor walking away, Linda and Mona sighed in relief. Mission completed. Mona smiled at Linda before getting up to hold her by the arm. “That’s some quick thinking. Come on. Let’s lay low in the private lounge.” Linda had always been an indifferent loner, so she did not like dealing with people. The exchange of words had drained her. The pair held hands as they advanced to the private lounge an
Outside the private lounge, Mona and Linda stood near the door and peeked through the door left ajar. The angle gave them a full frontal view of the couple embracing inside. Samantha clung tightly to Thaddeus’ waist without looking at his face. Nevertheless, they intimately snuggled together. There was an indistinct conversation going on, but it was hard to pick up on what was said. The situation inside the private lounge took Mona by surprise. She curled her lips and smirked. Linda was stunned too. She always had the impression that Thaddeus was a callous and ascetic man. No woman could ever come close to him, except Mona, of course. Nevertheless, he did not push Samantha away! Linda tried to read Mona’s reaction from the corner of her eyes. Seeing that Mona walked away with a poker face, Linda took quick paces to catch up to her. To think that Thaddeus had spoken confidently about getting back together with Mona not too long ago. Unable to find the words to comfort Mona
Taking a gulp, Samantha hemmed and hawed, “I ran into the second son of the Ortega family at a party not too long ago. He just got back from abroad, and we hit it off. After a few drinks, he started to talk to me about some personal affairs, and one of them included his late sister. I found out that the name of his sister is Mona Ortega, so… I made my own assumptions.” Thaddeus lowered his gaze and studied Samantha like a chief judge for any signs on Samantha’s face that suggested otherwise. He did not believe that the young man of the Ortega family was the type to loosen up after a few drinks. If anything, the young man was the most disciplined one in the family. Hence, Thaddeus did not believe a word Samantha said. “Thaddeus, I know that you married Susan because she has an uncanny resemblance to Mona. You don’t love her. You only love the shadow of her to make up for the regret of yesteryears.” Seeing that Thaddeus did not refute, Samantha conceitedly added, “I have been d
The cab pulled up at a residential building, and Linda and Mona got out of the car. There, they saw a black sedan parked in the middle of the main road. Mona narrowed her eyes as the car plate number looked rather familiar. With the door of the sedan opening, out came Victor. Linda gave Mona a nudge. “Look who’s here. What do we do? Should we make a run for it?” Mona shook her head. “You should head upstairs. I’ll have a chat with him.” “Don’t. I’m worried about you.” “I’m not a child. Go on. Help me put the kids to sleep.” “Alright then.” Linda kept looking back as she moved to the residential building. Her mind could not be at ease. Mona drew close to Victor and stayed three steps away from him. Victor had lost a lot of weight, and he had this sullen air to him. He seemed to be a different person since leaving the hospital. There was something grisly in his eyes. He appeared to be an injured animal, lurking in the dark to lick his wounds as he got ready to pounce on
Mona knew something was up. Samantha must have used Thaddeus’ phone to send her a text so that Mona could watch their live show. Room 1801 was on the highest level of the club, and there was only one room on the entire floor. Standing at the door, Mona hesitated whether to enter the room or leave… A strong smell of perfume, mixed with something bizarre, filled in the room, stirring an arousing feeling from within. Samantha was all over Thaddeus. “I’m burning, Thaddeus…” Thaddeus growled and pushed Samantha away in disgust. His eyes were bloodshot, the muscles underneath his shirt bulged, and the veins along his arms popped out. He was able to explode from holding everything in. He grabbed a bottle of ice water from the fridge and downed the drink to ease the fire in his loins for now. At this point, Thaddeus could tell that something sexually stimulating had been blended into the scent. He could barely keep it together while Samantha acted like an animal in heat. She
Thaddeus steadied his quickened breathing before making strides toward Mona. The man carried a heavy smell of perfume on him, and his white shirt dangled off his chest with two buttons unfastened. His exposed sun-kissed skin was tainted with imprints of red lipstick. Disgusted, Mona furrowed her brows and repulsively took a step back. “Why were you standing at the door? Why didn’t you go in?” Mona curtly curled her lips and raised her hand, before speaking in a flat tone. She indifferently looked at Thaddeus. “Thaddeus, return my house keys to me.” Picking up that the woman was trying to avoid him, Thaddeus scowled and put his hand against her opened palm. “Quit it. It’s not what you think it is.” “Don’t touch me.” “Mona, you don’t care at all. You won’t even give me a chance to explain myself!” He was furious. Despite her attempts to push him away, it only fueled his burning need to get closer to her. Thaddeus hoisted her and carried her over his shoulder. Mona
“Our home.” Thaddeus lifted his gaze and looked at the rearview mirror. Soon, the car pulled up at Gold Coast – the villa Thaddeus and Mona had once lived together in. With her heart sinking to her stomach, Mona clutched onto the door handle as fear reflected in her dark eyes. “I want to go home, Thaddeus,” Mona pulled herself together and spoke in a calm voice. Thaddeus was drugged and was able to hold out until now just by sheer willpower. Samantha had tampered with the perfume, releasing the largest dose of stimulant in the air. Thaddeus had stopped at nothing to shut her out by remaining conscious in his mind throughout the whole thing, even to the extent of hurting Samantha. Nevertheless, all of his self-control was gone with the wind in the presence of Mona. “This is your home.” Thaddeus unlocked the door, unfastened his seat belt, and got out of the car. Mona took the opportunity to jump out of the car. Her foot barely hit the ground or got a firm holding befor
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