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
Biting her lip, Mona shook with rage. With a discolored face, she yelled, “You’re a brute, Thaddeus!”Thaddeus looked at the woman under him. Her exquisite and tiny face showed some emotions for a change. Mona looked animated and adorable to him. He curled his lips, delighted to see the changes in her. Honestly speaking, he loved to see her with an attitude. How could a cat without claws make an impression on men? Mona, in a fit of temper, was like a kitty with claws that could ensnare men. “Don’t touch me. You disgust me!” Mona did not dare to put up a fight or even move. She looked vacantly into Thaddeus’ lust-filled eyes. Sensing the despair in her, Thaddeus tried his best to keep it in his pants, and his efforts showed in the bulging veins along his arms. “Get lost!” The words vibrated through his suppressed vocal folds as Thaddeus clenched his fists. Mona widened her eyes in fear, thinking that he was about to hit her in a fit of rage. Closing her eyes, all she co
Mona stared at the red liquid in the bath as panic stirred within. Even though she resented and hated the man, he was the father of her two children. Bobby and Millie would lose a father if anything were to happen to Thaddeus. Regardless, he was still family.She grabbed Thaddeus by the arm to yank him out but could not pull him out. Hence, she kneeled by the tub and cried in his ear, “Thaddeus. Thaddeus. Don’t sleep. Wake up…” Thaddeus heard someone calling his name amid the haziness. The voice sounded like Mona’s, but he could be dreaming. He had told the woman to get lost. How could she be back for him? Mona painstakingly pulled the man to sit up and drained the bathwater. Her eyes welled up when she saw the long cut on the man’s thigh. “You’re an adult, Thaddeus. How could you be so reckless to your body?” Thaddeus opened his eyes and got a good look at the woman standing before him. It was Mona. Out of instinct, he pushed her away. He did not want her to see him thi
“If you’re not going to do it, I’ll also let the press know that you pushed Suzy off the cliff.” Shocked, Samantha stared at Victor in disbelief. “What did you say?” “Samantha, it’s time for you to pay for what you’ve done.” “What about you?! You’re no better than me,” Samantha yelled as she jumped out of bed and got dressed. She then grabbed her handbag and headed to the door in a haste. However, Samantha was stopped by two burly and strong men at the bedroom door. Ignoring Samantha, Victor took his phone and called the press. He told the journalists that a woman with ill intent drugged the heir of the Fontaine Group in the club. Victor looked as if he had just gotten rid of a problem after the call. He offhandedly glanced at Samantha in disdain. He teamed up with Samantha, thinking she could handle Thaddeus. Now it appeared that the pawn was no longer of use to him. Victor had found a better partner, so it was time to ditch the useless puppet. The next day, news abou
“Samantha, you have lied to me one too many times. I can’t trust you anymore.” “That’s up to you to decide. I shouldn’t have called and wasted my breath on you then.” Samantha offhandedly chuckled. With that, Samantha hung up. Mona grew hesitant as she listened to the disconnected tone on the other end. Samantha had given Mona the feeling that she was serious. Regardless of Samantha’s motive for calling her, Mona could not dismiss the matter since it was about her mother. Rising to her feet, Mona grabbed her phone and returned Samantha’s call. “What now?” “You said it was about my mother. I’ll come and see you now. We’ll talk in person.” “Forget it. I’m short on time.” Samantha raised her phone in the air so the airport announcement reached Mona’s ears. Samantha had not been lying. She was at the airport, and by the looks of things, she was leaving soon. “Where are you going? I’ll find you.” Mona stood up. The only thing on her mind was to get there and hear about h
Mona withdrew her arm. Looking at the man’s smiling face, she realized that Thaddeus had gotten the wrong idea. He probably thought she was worried and came to visit him. “How is your injury? Shouldn’t you stay in the hospital for a little longer?”“It was just a minor cut.” With his keen senses picking up that Mona was avoiding him, Thaddeus wiped the emotions off his face and resumed his poker face. He walked into the ward and sat on the sofa before lifting his profound gaze to meet Mona’s. “What did you come here for?” Getting the cold energy from the man, Mona rubbed her nose and followed the man into the room. Although she stood before Thaddeus, she did not feel comfortable being outdone by his commanding presence. While Mona wanted to get to the bottom of her mother’s situation, she knew that now was not the time. The man had a meticulous and complex state of mind. Mona did not have to say much for the man to read her mind. Since Mona decided to put faith in
Thaddeus even locked the door when passing by the entrance. Now that no one would intrude, they could enjoy some alone time together… After handling the discharge papers, Marcus returned to the private ward only to find the door locked. He quietly stood outside and was surprised by the slapping noise coming from inside the room. Um… Marcus rubbed his hands, and his ears went red. At a loss on whether to stay or leave, Marcus did not know what to do with himself. He should just wait. What if he was needed to run an errand…?The door of the ward opened after nearly an hour had passed. Thaddeus' voice was heard from inside the ward. “Come in, Marcus.” Marcus had nodded off in a seated position at the door. With Thaddeus summoning him, he wiped his saliva and got up to go into the ward. “Is there anything I can help you with, sir?” Thaddeus lit a cigarette and looked at the closed bedroom door. Mona’s earlier statement painted a grim look on his face. “Go and get 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