Thaddeus was the most reserved in front of Mona. There were many things he wanted to say but was unable to and only kept them in his heart.However, Marcus worked closely beside Thaddeus, so he knew exactly what was going on in Thaddeus' heart.“I want to go back to Fontaine Residence. The children are there. They can’t sleep if I’m not around.”Mona’s expression shifted slightly. There was a trace of worry on her face.There were at least servants in Fontaine Residence, so Thaddeus held back and did not bully her unscrupulously.If she went back to Gold Coast where there were only the two of them, she would be falling into his trap and letting him bully her.“Second Young Master always wanted to prepare a honeymoon trip for you, but something unexpected happened in France. He has no way of leaving Worchester City now, so he thought of taking you to Gold Coast. That way, you two can spend more time together.”Mona bit her lip silently and sneered in her heart. He was just making
Mona understood what Marcus was trying to say. Since she was a part of the Fontaine family, he was worried that the family would be talked about by the public if she were to join the entertainment circle. People would say that the daughter-in-law of the Fontaine family was an actress in the entertainment industry. It did not sound pleasant at all.“I was in the mood and just felt like it,” Mona replied flippantly. Marcus nodded and said, “Yes, yes. Second Young Master has already agreed, too, so I don’t think anyone is qualified to say anything else. However, I think Second Young Master is really good to you. He has always silently supported you and never wants you to be restricted. He wants you to do whatever you want.”Although they had been in France for some time, they kept up with the happenings at home. Even so, Thaddeus restrained his anger and did not vent his emotions on his wife. Rather, he made those who spread rumors and nonsense suffer.Mona may not know it, but as soon
Maria stood to the side. As someone who was very good at reading people’s expressions, she keenly noticed the melancholic look on Mona’s face and immediately understood Mona’s inner thoughts.Smiling, she went up to Mona and explained, “Second Young Master doesn’t come here very often, so it looks very cold. However, I’ve cleaned the place up and added a lot of home decor that I think you’ll like. Since you’ve decided to move in here, I’m sure the house will become very warm now that the two of you are living together.”Mona smiled at Maria and thanked her. Maria seemed good at understanding people’s hearts, and her concern made Mona feel inexplicably comfortable and at ease.“Right, let’s go up and have a look. There have been many changes compared to before.” Maria continued to take Mona to familiarize herself with the environment. She had a gentle and kind smile on her face. “Your bedroom is on the second floor, and Second Young Master’s room is the one opposite yours, so it’s ve
At 7 pm sharp, Thaddeus returned. The lights in the living room were on, and the smell of home-cooked food wafted under his nose. The long-lost feeling of warmth was something he had not experienced in a long time. When he thought of there being a woman waiting for him to come home, his heart filled with a sense of belonging and security.He took off his coat, threw it at Maria, and looked around the villa, trying to find the figure he wanted to see.“Where’s Mona?”Maria pointed outside the living room and said softly with a smile, “She’s playing outside.”Thaddeus nodded and raised his long legs to walk to the back of the living room. He opened the door and stood behind her.He watched as her long and wavy locks blew in the wind. Her back looked thin in front of the magnificent seascape, and she looked quiet and lonely.The scene in front of him made the man mesmerized. His heart pricked as if it was being pierced by a needle.He loved this woman dearly. Because of his heartac
Walking back to the living room, Maria hurriedly brought shoes and socks for Mona to put on. “Madam, your habit of going around barefooted isn’t good. What if you keep that habit and catch a cold when you get pregnant?”At the mention of pregnancy, the look on Mona’s face instantly turned gloomy.Maria looked up and saw the change of expression on Mona’s face. She immediately realized she had said something wrong. Although she did not know the reason, it might be a sore topic for Mona. Maria was chagrined but quickly smiled, saying, “Well, the madam is still a child herself. There’s no need for another child. Besides, you already have a pair of beautiful twins. It’s a complete family.”Mona pursed her lips. To be honest, she liked people like Maria. She felt some kind of invisible force from her. Maria had experienced the vicissitudes of light but could still remain humble. That calm and peacefulness was most likely accumulated by her life experience. It was something a person might
Mona concentrated on the script, unaware that Thaddeus was by her side. The man was drinking wine casually while the woman was reading the script; the man with the glass of wine concentrated on looking at the woman. Sometime later, Mona finally finished the script from start to finish. She closed it and sighed a breath of relief. Mona stretched after she was done, and when she looked up, she saw Thaddeus in front of her. Startled, she had no idea the man had been standing in front of her for so long. “You’re not going to rest?” Mona asked. “I have time.” Thaddeus swirled the glass of wine in his hand and took a sip. He then asked, “You like the script?” Mona held the script tightly as if it was her baby. She nodded and said, “It’s good.” Thaddeus' lips curled into a charming smile. The man lowered his slender body and put the glass of wine on the table. As he leaned forward, Mona felt a massive shadow looming above her. It felt pressuring. She straightened her bod
Marcus continued, “Sophie is our ace agent at Timez. She’s great at carrying rookies in the industry and has already had many successful cases.” “Nice to meet you.” Mona extended her hand politely, but there was also a touch of frostiness. Sophie reached out her hand. As she shook Mona’s hand, she seized the opportunity to size up Mona’s face carefully. As a veteran in the industry and having raised many celebrities, Sophie was surprised to see Mona up close. She had seen many beautiful women in the industry, such as the pure, the innocent, the sexy, and the frosty. She had trained her eyes to see through a person at first glance, and she knew if one had the potential to grow big in the industry. Mona surprised her at first glance, and it got her excited. At first, she took this position because of the pressure from Thaddeus and the ridiculously high salary. She thought Mona was just a naive woman with ridiculous dreams, so she was never serious, and simply played along f
Sophie also signed the contract as Mona’s manager. Then, she said to Mona, “Mona, now that the contract is in effect, I’m officially your manager. I will handle your work and schedule, decide which jobs to take, and gather resources to promote your name. You just need to be responsible for how you look and enhance your acting.” Mona nodded and looked at Marcus. “Is the studio hiring? I have a friend who’s quite capable, and she’s interested in showbiz. I want her in the studio with me.” She was referring to Linda. She had made a promise before, and she intended to keep it. Marcus’s eyes flickered as he pondered. He asked, “Are you referring to the friend you met at the cafe yesterday? Linda North, right?” Mona nodded. “Yeah.” Marcus scratched his head with a troubled look. “I know Linda. I actually have quite the impression of her.” Linda was not a serious person, and her methods were always questionable. Marcus had no idea if Linda was the perfect fit. However, since M
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