Ever since they moved to Gold Coast, they had never used any protection during sex. They had been having sex frequently lately, so there was a chance she might be pregnant again. The man narrowed his eyes and said in a commanding tone, “Let’s go to the hospital tomorrow and do a check. If both of us are healthy, why wouldn’t you be pregnant?” Mona’s eyes flickered. She evaded the man’s judgmental gaze and quickly came up with an excuse. “It’s okay. It’s not you, it’s me. I have been taking pills.” The anticipation in Thaddeus’ eyes faded and was replaced by despair and disappointment. The woman’s body was allergic to birth control pills. Whenever she had a stomach ache, she would usually see a doctor at the hospital. She knew it better than anyone, but still, she had been taking it behind his back. How resistant was she to bear his child? Anger rose from his heart. He was shrouded in gloominess and emanated a frosty aura. Mona shuddered. “Don’t take it anymore. It’s n
The man went to Mona’s room and opened the door. The moon shed its brilliance on Mona’s quiet face. She was sound asleep. Thaddeus scoffed. While he left the house in anger, the woman went to sleep as if nothing had happened. He went inside and sat by the bed before lying down and staring at the woman’s quiet face. His eyes fixated on her. The moon’s brilliance emphasized her flawlessness, and it somehow reminded him of another woman. Guilt started to rise in his heart. He acknowledged that he treated her poorly at first because of hate, and he treated her well because she was Mona Ortega. As time went by, he realized he had developed feelings for the woman. The feelings for her sprouted little by little over the years and piled up into a mountain so big that even he was surprised how much he was infatuated with her. The feelings got so heavy that he could not blurt it out. He was unsure if it was true love or just his desire to possess her as his plaything. The man sta
Mona arrived at the restaurant around the promised time. It was a high-end restaurant that served expensive food. If she was not asking Thaddeus to dinner, she would not have chosen such a restaurant with looks but served overpriced food. Ten minutes after ordering, Thaddeus arrived. Unlike his usual casual clothes, the man dressed up for the occasion. His handsome look turned heads as soon as he entered from the entrance. “You are not wearing your jersey today?” Mona was not used to seeing the man in formal attire since she had gotten used to his casual attire. Men were visual animals who liked impactful and enticing things, and so were women. Although Thaddeus was in his early 30s, his casual attire emanated the same youthful energy of university students in their 20s. Thaddeus took his jacket off and rolled his sleeves up to reveal his forearms. Every move from his hands was elegant. “What about it? You like to see me in my casual look?” the man said scornfully as he
She invested a lot in the man, even her life. The man admired her confident and timid self. The smile on her face as she sipped on the glass of wine melted his heart. Dinner was at its end when both of them were full. Mona took the glass and drained the wine inside. Her cheeks, blush-stained; her eyes narrowed as she stared at the man opposite her. There were three of him in front of her. She must be drunk. When Thaddeus noticed Mona’s concentration fading, he took his jacket off and put it on her shoulder. He whispered softly into her ear, “You’re drunk. Let’s go home.” Mona felt tipsy. She grabbed her purse from the side and reached inside for a card. She waved it in front of Thaddeus and said, “Pay with my card.” Mona might be generous with dinner, but her heart was bleeding knowing that the dinner would cost her at least four figures. Thaddeus stroked her pink cheeks, looking worried. “Keep the card. How much did you drink? Why are you so drunk?” Mona shov
“How did my mother die?” Thaddeus was not surprised by the question at all. The woman had broken into his study room a while ago. It was almost impossible for her not to see the death certificate. Since he simply put the death certificate in the drawer, he never planned to keep it a secret forever. He knew she would ask or find out sooner or later and just did not want her to face the problem herself. His disheartened gaze veiled his feelings from her. He explained, “It was an accident. I told you you need not know so much about that woman.” Mona was disappointed by the man’s frosty reply. The man was cold-hearted. How could she not ask about her own biological mother? Mona stood up from the swing and stood in front of Thaddeus. “That’s my mother you’re talking about. As her daughter, do I not have the right to know the details? At least tell me the truth.” Thaddeus scoffed. “Your mother never cared about you since she gave birth to you. Her marriage with your fathe
The man’s intimidating aura drowned Mona. She shuddered and leaned back against the door. “Yes, I met Victor, but I don’t know about the thumb drive you’re talking about.” Why must she explain herself? There was nothing between her and Victor or Tim. “That is why I’m reminding you to stay away from the two of them! Once is more than enough. If you do it again, you will have to be responsible for what you have done.” Thaddeus found the woman unreasonable. She had always been careless and naive, and her stubbornness was the worst. He suppressed his anger after that last sentence and continued driving home. He stepped on the acceleration pedal and sped faster than usual. Mona side-eyed the man. Her mood was ruined by the man’s crazy outburst of anger. Fortunately, it was not her problem if the man’s anger ruined his health. Mona retracted her gaze and leaned backward. She had drunk a lot tonight. Her head was heavy, and she was troubled by many scattered thoughts. She wo
Mona sighed a breath of relief. She tiptoed to the bed and laid down beside him. She switched off the lamp next to the bed and turned away from Thaddeus, showing her back to him. Then, a strong and warm palm was placed on her waist, holding her in with just the right strength. A deep and soft voice tickled her ear. “Mona…” Chills ran down Mona’s spine. She had never felt so strange hearing her own name. Not only her name but even the man’s tone was unusual. It was like he was calling someone else with the same name. She opened her eyes in the dark. The anger in her boiled, and she could no longer hold it back. She bolted up all of a sudden. Thaddeus was half asleep when Mona sat up. The thoughts in his mind scattered as he rubbed his head and sat up. He switched on the lamp and saw the angry look on the woman’s face. She was like a startled kitten. “What’s wrong?” The man hugged her waist and wanted to hold her in his arms. “Is it because of what I said just now
“I have never cheated on you or betrayed you as you claim,” Thaddeus stared into Mona’s eyes and said seriously. He sounded firm and assuring. Mona bit her lips and said, “What about the woman you visited at the hospital, then? Is she staying at Dragon’s Bay? Is she the real Mona Ortega?” Thaddeus got up and walked to the window. The moon’s brilliance highlighted his towering figure. He was a man constantly troubled by thoughts and did not know how to express them to the people around him. However, he looked extremely fragile and soft on this particular night as he decided to open up to the woman he loved. He turned around and looked at Mona with probably the most sincere eyes. “Mona Ortega and I were friends from college, and our families have been close for generations. The Ortegas once helped the Fontaines overcome a financial crisis, hence the close relationship. Mona was always a sister to me, and since we used to study together, I took good care of her. That is all I wa
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