Mona asked Sophie in disbelief, “That’s insane. Where did I get that kind of money for investment?” She joined showbiz to make money, not to throw money around like a sucker. “Mr. Fontaine put a hundred million dollars in the company account when the office was established.” Mona was speechless. She believed that launching the office would require funds, but it never crossed her mind that Thaddeus would be willing to put that much money into it. Concerned that the newfound information would put a lot of pressure on Mona, Sophie explained, “You got a part on the TV show, and you’re also putting money into the production. There are two outcomes to this. Your good acting will double the investment, but there goes the money if the TV show is a flop.” Sophie patiently made the whole thing clear to Mona who quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind. “It’s not a bad idea.” In fact, it worked out perfectly for Mona. She would be earning big bucks if the TV show was a success,
Unable to get a word out of Thaddeus, Maria stopped interfering in his business. Thaddeus asked Maria about what Mona had been up to lately. After Maria answered his question, he dismissed Maria back to the kitchen. The man took strides to the entrance leading to the backyard and opened the door. He drew close to Mona who was sitting on a white rocking bench. With downcast eyes, he looked at Mona and asked, “Are you cold?”Mona was irritated as the man would not shut up. He would not stay out of her business, and it was suffocating. Seeing that she was still sulking, the man bent over and picked Mona up to sit with her on the bench. Mona tensed her body as the man pressed the back of her head toward his chest. She could barely breathe buried under all that skin. Clenching her fists, she started to pound Thaddeus on the shoulders. He refused to let her go despite the multiple blows he sustained. Nevertheless, he released the intensity of his grip to allow her some breathi
The man’s gaze fell on Mona. From the brief eye contact, Thaddeus was brought back to the past when Mona had been simple and innocent. Back then, he had picked her up from the road and brought her home. Barely dressed, she had sat on the edge of the bathtub and crossed her legs. Her toes were curled up, and her clear eyes read of fear and reliance. Standing there, he looked at her and could tell that from then on, he had become the woman’s whole world. It was a memory that often played in his mind. As time went on, those eyes were no longer clear enough for him to read her mind again. Mona had since then played mind games with him. Gathering her thoughts, Mona picked her head up and propped against Thaddeus’ shoulders to stand up. Just as the man found her unfathomable, Mona stared at the man, who had been missing for a few days, and found him a stranger. The pair sat in silence as an invisible distance grew between them. Yet, they were powerless to stop the distance from
“So, you’re saying that I should just give in to your needs?” Gritting his teeth, Thaddeus fixated on Mona’s tiny waist. The only thing on his mind was to pick her up and give her a good spanking. Mona innocently blinked and took a bite out of the banana before turning her attention back to the cringy TV show playing on TV. Thaddeus gnashed his teeth as Mona managed to awaken the beast within him. With a brooding look, he got up and approached her like a wolf locked onto its prey. Thaddeus took strides toward Mona and held her up by the waist. Feeling the world spinning, Mona soon found herself hanging off the man’s wide shoulders. The banana dropped from her grasp. “Put me down, Thaddeus!” Thaddeus hoisted her all the way to the bedroom upstairs. The man’s eyes burned with a vengeance. “How long will you be away at production? Huh?” he hissed through clenched teeth. “A month!” Mona bit the man’s shoulder. It would be a great month because she would not have to fa
Thaddeus carried Millie into the residence while Mona handed the luggage to the maid before catching up from behind. The picture of father and daughter together triggered something in Mona. The man seemed to love kids. Since their move to Gold Coast, he had thrown away all the contraceptive pills from the drawer. Mona had a clear idea of her health, so she let him be. It was not as though pregnancy was on the table for her anymore. That night, the family of four sat at the dinner table and enjoyed dinner together for a change. After dinner, the adults strolled and fooled around with the kids in the garden. The rare bonding moment could block out all the unhappy events for now. It was time for the kids to go to bed at nine o’clock. Thaddeus took up the task of giving the kids a bath and putting them to bed while Mona let out a yawn and retreated to bed. As the man and children’s frolicking echoed through the corridor, Mona sat in bed and stared at the shut door to the study.
“Aunt May, can you let your master know that the drug in the dessert tastes a little bitter? I might help myself to another serving if more sugar or honey is added to the recipe.” Still keeping up with the façade, Aunt May let out an embarrassed smile and went downstairs to report to Thaddeus. It then struck the man that the woman had practiced alternative medicine. His little trick would not go past her. Nevertheless, Thaddeus did not mind her little temper tantrums so long as she gobbled up the dessert… … Mona stayed at Fontaine Residence for a week, spending most of her time and energy with the kids. The remaining free time she had was spent reading the screenplay, memorizing lines, and working on her acting to be ready for filming. A week soon went by. On the first day of filming, Sophie and Linda arrived first thing in the morning in a company-assigned luxury MPV to pick Mona up. Linda had access to the filming location as Mona’s personal assistant, and she was in ch
Mona took the coffee and held the cup between her palms before taking a tiny sip. Looking indifferent, she replied, “I know. Joseph Marshall.” “Yeah! It’s Joseph Marshall! Do you know how much he is in demand now? He’s highly sought after. Besides, he attended the film festival in Swertland and won an award last month. He’s a rising film star in the film and television industry now.”Kneeling by Mona, Linda made big gestures while speaking. She was beyond thrilled, to say the least. Mona leisurely took another sip of coffee. She knew the lead actor was Joseph, but she had no idea that he was an award-winning actor. It appeared the man must be a discreet and dedicated actor. This was Mona’s impression of the male lead. When afternoon rolled around, the director called Mona to the dressing room as Joseph had just arrived on the set. They could run lines together and try to get the feel. Mona went to the general dressing room where the director and actors were resting. She loo
The people in the dressing room flocked to the door upon Joseph’s arrival. They held their breaths and widened their eyes in disbelief as Joseph showered Mona with compliments. It was the same case with Linda and Sophie. Joseph the film star came from a line of actors in his family. Later, he took classes in drama school and worked his way to winning an award in an international setting. Such a big name spoke highly of a rookie like Mona and even had respect for her as an equal co-star. Mona had earned respect before she even showed what she got! Giordan made his way through the crowd and into the dressing room. He looked at the lead actor and actress of the TV show and introduced them with a smile, “Joseph, this is Mona.“Mona, I’m sure no introduction is needed for the man. You must know him by now.” Mona courteously smiled at Joseph. “Yes, I do. I’ve gone through almost all your TV shows, Mr. Marshall.” Raising his brow in amazement, Joseph teased with a grin, “Oh, real