Hearing Thaddeus, Marcus was also aware of Mona’s sudden change of attitude. Her eagerness to enter the entertainment business did not fit her calm and steady personality at all. In fact, her asking Thaddeus to marry her again was already suspicious enough. “Sir, do you think Madam still loves you? You two have been together for so many years and you are raising two kids together. For the sake of the kids, I believe she wants to be with you as well.” Thaddeus glanced at Marcus and scoffed. Marcus was naive, but it also stated that Mona was a good actress, a natural one, in fact. She was able to cover her intentions perfectly without any traces and always showed others her innocent side. Even Marcus could not see through her after so many years. Thaddeus picked up his glass of wine and continued to look outside the window. He switched topics and asked, “Have you investigated everything on Linda North?” Marcus took a stack of papers out from his briefcase and placed it on T
Mona could not see the woman’s face clearly but she was able to recognize her. It was Sophie. Sophie’s attire made her easily recognizable. Her tailored Chanel suit from the latest season and her beautiful hair made her look professional. At a closer look, Mona spotted the bag hanging on her arm. The limited edition bag was just published in a famous fashion magazine two days ago. The value of Sophie’s attire from top to bottom equaled Mona's car. As expected from the industry's ace manager, she had become so successful that even celebrities wanted to grovel before her. Judging by her expensive style, she was also the fashion icon that luxury brands favored. Mona went up to her with a smile. “Morning, Sophie. What brings you here?” “A job just came in. I’m here to brief you.” Mona's heart raced. She could also spot the excitement on Sophie’s face. For a job that made Sophie sacrifice her sleep and brought her to Mona’s place, it must be a big and exciting one. Mona br
Sophie was confident about Mona getting the female lead in Athena’s Legend. Not only did Mona have strong financial support, but she was also promising herself. Most importantly, Thaddeus had heavily invested into this project. Athena’s Legend was not a show with a big budget. Most of the investors were not confident in Giordan coming out of retirement, and because of that, the show had difficulties in the funding stage. Thaddeus, on the other hand, jumped on the project with a hundred million investment. He literally funded the whole show himself. In other words, Mona was already the female lead the moment Thaddeus decided to invest in the show. The producers agreed to give Mona the female lead as well since money spoke the loudest. It was not a difficult choice either. Mona actually had no idea that Thaddeus invested a hundred million into the show. She only learned about the show and the audition from Sophie. She then invested her time into the script and novel. She
Mona covered her chest while her face was stained with a pink blush. She stared grudgingly at Thaddeus and grumbled, “You’re rude for not knocking.” Thaddeus’ frosty face looked rather disheartened. This was not the reaction he was expecting after investing a hundred million in the woman. If he had a hundred million worth of coins and threw them onto the floor, he would get a lot of clinks and clanks. He invested a hundred million in the woman, and all he got was a grudging stare and complaints. Regardless, he chose his wife himself, so he had it coming. “Maria said you didn’t eat for the entire day.” “I forgot, and I’m not hungry.” “If you don’t eat, I’ll call the production crew and tell them I am taking back my investment.” Mona got nervous. “Okay, okay! I’ll eat!” Thaddeus was relieved when Mona decided to cooperate. He added, "If you won't eat, I have a hundred other ways to make you.” The man then walked out of Mona’s room and went into the study. He did not c
The next day, Mona followed Sophie to the audition. The audition was rather quiet since it was being held in private. Sophie and Mona waited for their turn outside the room. She already got the part because of Thaddeus, but she still had to win Giordan’s approval. Giordan was a director with a specific taste, and he had many requirements for his shows. The actors and actresses must all match his expectations. Even if Mona got the lead role with Thaddeus' money, if she could not act or did not live up to Giordan's expectations, the show would not go on. Mona was given a part to act and she was practicing on her own. It was a minor scene in the show. Although Mona had no idea why Giordan picked this scene which was not much of a challenge, she took it seriously and started to get into character. An hour later, the door opened. One of the staff popped his head out and called Mona in. Mona got up. She gave Sophie the script. Sophie calmly said, “Do your best.” She cross
Mona added her own flair on a detail. She picked up some props prepared by the production staff and sat by the rock. With a piece of charcoal in hand, she scrawled a few lines on a leaf before tossing it into an open flame. Athena and Theo watched the bonfire together, and Athena’s gaze trailed the highest peak of the smoke. The actor playing Theo cocked his head to look at Athena’s side profile, surprised by the tears streaming down her smiling eyes. At no point in the script was Athena depicted to weep. However, Mona played such powerful emotions that tugged at the co-star’s heartstrings. Theo reached out and curled his arm around Athena without making any physical contact. It was as if Athena and Theo were happily embracing each other. Since they had their own crosses to bear, Theo was letting his stance known to Athena in his own way. Not one to show emotions, Athena was shedding tears of joy for once, and Theo vowed to preserve her fragile happiness. Mona closed her eye
“It’s utter perfection!” Giordan’s hands were sore from clapping. The others whispered praises among themselves. Truth be told, Mona’s audition knocked them out of the park. Mona bought her way into the production team and found fame through a photo on the runway. Like other hyped-up influencers, she had nothing to show except the knack for doing publicity stunts. At least, that was everybody’s first impression of her. Now, everything they knew about Mona was thrown out the window. It was bizarre to the judges that they had gotten the completely wrong idea about Mona. Giordan emerged from the panel and walked across the room in strides before putting his hand out to Mona. “Hello, I am Giordan Capullaci. Let me be the first to welcome you on board Athena’s Legend’s production team.” Mona took Giordan’s hand, feeling the tremble in the tips of his fingers. Holding his hand tightly, she returned a warm smile and spoke in a raspy voice, “It’s an honor to be able to work togethe
For a moment, the hashtags on Athena’s Legend, Mona Ortega, and the female lead went viral all over Twitter.Opinions varied about Giordan’s unconventional approach to his return to showbiz. He gave a leading role to an influencer, who had not been known to the world for more than a month, with no accomplishment under her belt. The public even went so far as to make assumptions that the production team was on a tight budget to afford an A-list actor. The best the production team could do was a nobody. Amidst the doubtful voices, Mona’s had supporters standing behind her, refuting the disapproving claims. Both parties stood their ground and jumped at each other’s throats. Mona took a fleeting glance at the fiery comments before turning off Twitter to shut off the noise. Sitting by the window, Mona spread the script on her lap. She was accompanied by blue skies and turquoise waters. The white noise of the seagulls’ calls and waves slapping against the shore worked best than anythi
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