After three rounds of drinks, Mr. Williams burped and scanned Mona’s body with a lustful gaze. Mona was cold. She cast a sidelong glance at him without saying a word. Mr. Williams wanted more and moved even closer to Mona. He tested the water by patting her shoulder. “Mona, are you feeling better?” Mona shifted with her butt, subconsciously moving away. When she avoided Mr. Williams, the old rascal got closer and picked up the glass of water on the table. “Here. Drink with us.” Mona pushed the glass of water, silently refusing. Mr. Lewis saw that and said angrily, “Mona, Mr. Williams cares for you and is letting you drink water instead of wine. How can you not appreciate his kindness?” “Richard, why are you being mean to her?” Mr. Williams looked insatiably at Mona. “Mona, are you scared? Don’t be scared. I’m here for you.” As he spoke, he reached out his wandering hand in an attempt to touch her. Mona frowned, raised a glass of wine, and poured it on Mr. Lewis’s he
Marcus immediately understood. He glanced at the private room Mona had just walked out from and strode straight over. “Can you walk? I’ll send you home.” Thaddeus did not ask for more details. He did not want to uncover Mona’s traumatic experience. If he wanted to know what happened, he could just look into it himself. Moreover, he would take care of everything quietly. “I don’t want to go home yet.” Mona hurriedly shook her head. “I can’t let the children see me like this. I’ll go to the hotel and get a room to take a shower first.” Mona reeked of smoke and alcohol. She felt very dirty. “There’s no need to go to a hotel. I’ll take you home. There are clothes for you there.” Mona hesitated before realizing that the home Thaddeus was referring to was the small villa they used to live in together. She pondered for a while. It was quite close anyway, so she agreed to it. With that, Mona followed Thaddeus to Gold Coast. It had been a few months. She was somewhat dazed as
Thaddeus frowned slightly when the beautiful Mona crashed into his arms. When he looked further down, he saw her bare and long legs. The water droplets from her bath trickled down her delicate curves and dripped onto her tender little feet. It was an uninterrupted view, and Thaddeus took everything in. Mona took two steps back and curled her ten delicate and lovely toes. She looked embarrassed but playful at the same time. It tickled Thaddeus’s heart a little. “I’m going to get my pants.” Mona quickly avoided Thaddeus’s sight and ran toward the room. Thaddeus looked sideways at the woman who had escaped like a little rabbit. His lips curled into an attractive curve. Not long after, his phone rang. It was his assistant, Marcus. Thaddeus walked to the end of the corridor and stood in front of the window with his coffee. Looking at the quiet night in the courtyard, his good-looking eyebrows looked hostile. Picking up the phone, Marcus’s voice was exceptionally clear in t
It was quite a far-fetch scenario to be in. For a proud person to talk about affection, Thaddeus must be referring to Mona’s docility. While Mona’s mind was all over the place, the man had turned on his heel and taken strides downstairs. “I made you pasta. Come downstairs for food.” Mona took the stairs to the first floor in a daze. The warm light in the dining room gave out a rather comforting glow. Taking a seat, Mona watched as the man brought the food to her. He tenderly uttered, “Eat it while it’s hot.” By the time she snapped out of her thoughts, Thaddeus had gotten on one knee before her, rolled up her trouser leg, and got a good grip on her ankle. “Ouch! That hurts…” Mona had felt funny about the pain in her ankle during her shower. Perhaps it was quite the boot she gave at the restaurant, or maybe she had sprained her ankle from fleeing in her heels. Thaddeus applied pressure on her leg and lifted his chin to give her a look. “I thought you were hungry, and
Mona took a fleeting glance at Marcus. By the looks of his disheveled and burned-out state, she could tell it had been the work of Bobby and Millie. “Mr. Steel, I’m sorry you had to watch over my children this late. Sorry for the trouble.” “Don’t mention it, Ms. Ortega. It was an assignment from the CEO. I’m just doing my part. Is there anything else I can help you with?” “That will be all. It’s late. You should head home.” Mona courteously offered her thanks before seeing Marcus off. Turning on her heel, she was met with the children’s wide Bambi eyes. It appeared they were trying to play innocent. “I’m sorry, Mommy, for causing you problems. Don’t be mad.” Millie drew close and tugged on Mona’s sleeve with teary eyes. She would burst out crying on cue should Mona say one word about her. “Mommy, we don’t like your boss and his assistant. Can you stop them from coming to our home?” Bobby pulled a deadpan look to reflect the severity of the matter. His annoyance was
Mona curled her lips and scoffed. “What? Did the cops arrest Baldie Lewis? I can’t say I’m surprised if that’s the case.” “F*ck! How did you know? Hang on. You had dinner with Mr. Lewis and a client. Mr. Lewis and Mr. Williams were taken to the station for further questioning today. How did you come out of it unscathed?” The news drove the sleepy bugs out of Mona. “What did you say? Were they really detained?” Truth to be told, Mona had intended to go to the police. However, she did not have the leverage or funds to go up against these men without concrete evidence in hand. “Yeah. It seems that they were apprehended in the private dining lounge where the dinner took place. Apparently, the police found a smoking gun to nail them. Weren’t you there? Tell me what happened.” Mona pursed her lips, not revealing anything on her face. “There’s nothing much to say. God has eyes. Karma is bound to hit back.” “Alright. You should get to the office. Our new employer should be here
If Mona remembered correctly, the newly appointed young boss was Raymond, the youngest son of the Rockwells— the retailer giant of general merchandise in Worchester City. He was also the most likely successor of the Rockwell family business. Mona had a good understanding of Raymond because the guy was close to Thaddeus. She would keep an eye out on reports of this young and charming heir whenever she read the finance page. Of course, Raymond must not know her since Thaddeus would never tell his friends about his less-than-desirable wife of a secret marriage. “I would like to introduce you to Starbright’s new boss – Raymond Rockwell. Please, everybody. A round of applause.” Amid the thundering reception around the office, some female colleagues eyeballed Raymon and clapped like a dolphin. The clapping gradually subsided when Ramond led his management team to a meeting room. “I can’t believe how young the new boss is.” “Not only is he young, he’s quite the looker too. I bet
Furious, Sasha bit her lower lip and glanced fleetingly at Raymond. Seeing that he showed no reaction, Sasha had no idea whether or not Raymond had read between the lines of her words. She embarrassedly lowered her head and fiddled with her freshly manicured crystal fingernails. Raymond narrowed his eyes at Mona. Although Mona had lost her memory and was sheltered all those years by Thaddeus, she had not lost her backbone. She was indeed her father’s daughter. “Come to my office. We have much to discuss.” Turning his head away, Raymond made his way toward the CEO’s office. Under everybody’s instructive eyes, Mona followed her new boss into the office. The crowd craned their necks and watched them leave before gathering around Sasha. “That was a bold move, Sasha. Why did you stand up and say that out of the blue?” Sasha saw herself as better than everyone else. “You won’t get it. I’ve always been vocal, and the good thing about being loud is that people will remember y
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