“Dr. Huer, AB blood is running low at the bank. What should we do?” “Do a broadcast and see if there’s a donor around the hospital.” “Right away.” Mona held the doctor’s arm and asked, “Doctor, how is my father? Please save him.” The doctor had a quick glance at Mona and said in a rather heavy tone. “We’ll do our best.” He then returned to the operating room. The door swung shut before the noises from inside sounded again. Mona’s heart clenched tightly. Fear rose in her. She was afraid it might be the last time she would see her father. Thaddeus was not in a good mood either. He went over and put his hand on her shoulder to offer some comfort. “It’s going to be okay.” Mona pushed his hand away and bellowed with teary eyes, “If my father doesn’t make it, I will never forgive you.” Thaddeus frowned. “He’s more important than me?” Mona scoffed and found the question ridiculously amusing. The man was too arrogant. What made him think he was more important than her f
Thaddeus lifted his wrist to look at his watch. He grabbed Mona’s hand and headed outside. “What are you doing? Let go of me!” Mona was furious and confused, but she could not break free of the man’s grip. Thaddeus turned around to see a confused and angry Mona. He said, “Mona, listen to me. Whether that man is dead or alive has nothing to do with you. He’s not important to you.” “Are you insane?!” Mona shook Thaddeus’ hand off. “My father is inside there, fighting for his life, and you’re here being like a cold-hearted monster.” Thaddeus took a deep breath and said strongly, "Someone will stay here and keep me informed of his condition. You are to return with me to Fontaine Residence and pay our respects in the ancestral hall."“Thaddeus Fontaine, are you out of your mind? Where’s your humanity?” Mona was furious. How could some tradition be more important than her father’s life? “I’ve told you he’s not important to you. Don’t waste your time on him.” Thaddeus grabb
Makeup was all over the floor, startling the servants and the makeup artists. It was an important day with many guests waiting, yet the mother-in-law showed no respect for the daughter-in-law and attempted to exert her dominance. Mona was a lot calmer, or rather, cold. She grabbed Jennifer's fingers pointed at her face, and shook them away. Then, she said coldly, "Mrs. Fontaine, just cancel this ceremony if you’re unhappy with me. I don't want to waste my time putting on makeup here either." Jennifer was infuriated by Mona’s attitude. She trembled in disbelief. “You!” She flattered and fell on the couch behind her, breathing heavily. Mona took a deep breath to calm herself down. She glanced at the servants and makeup artists at the window and sighed. No matter how rude Jennifer was, she was her mother-in-law. Family affairs should be settled behind doors, not in front of others. “Can I have the room, please? Come back in half an hour.” The servants and makeup artists
Jennifer narrowed her eyes in disbelief at Mona. Like a deflated balloon, she suddenly forgot what made her so angry. “Since I’m already here, I’ll follow the rules. From now on, you are my mother-in-law, and I am your daughter-in-law. I will adhere to your thoughts and opinions. You find me disgraceful for being in the entertainment industry? Cancel the ceremony, then.” “The ancestral ceremony can not be canceled.” As soon as Mona’s voice subsided, Thaddeus’ voice came from the door. The man had changed into a set of formal attire. He overheard the servants and makeup artists gossiping about an incident. Only then did he know what had just happened. When Thaddeus stepped in, he sized up Mona from top to bottom to look for any obvious signs of injury. He only sighed a breath of relief when he confirmed she was fine. He walked to his mother and frowned. “Mother, I thought I told you not to cause trouble.” Jennifer was furious. “What did you say?” She bolted up instantl
Thaddeus was caught off guard by the question. It was indeed his weak spot. His face had a layer of frost on it. The man glared at his mother and said, “Mother, your marriage with Father was not based on feelings either, but that did not affect you two from staying under one roof and giving birth to me.” Jennifer’s eyes widened. She pointed at Thaddeus grudgingly and bellowed, “What is wrong with you? Are you trying to follow in our footsteps?” She was so loud that it startled the others around them. Thaddeus stood on the spot with a frosty look. It was not the first time the mother and son had a confrontation in front of others, especially the servants. The servants had gotten used to the arguments that happened now and then. To the outsiders, Thaddeus was a cold-hearted monster who did things with an iron fist. Everyone respected him, revered him, and assumed him as a God. However, that was not the case to the servants who had worked for the family for more than a few
“Nonsense,” Thaddeus said with a frown. Master Fontaine looked up at his grandson, who was taller than himself. The boy sounded like he was scolding him for saying something pessimistic, which amused him. He jokingly hit Thaddeus’ leg with the walking stick and said, “If you speak to me like I’m your employee, I’ll whack you.” Thaddeus put his arm around Master Fontaine’s shoulder and smiled. “If you can still whack me, I’d be happy to let you do it. Though, I would save my energy if I were you.” The grandfather and grandson’s interaction was heartwarming. A while later, a screeching noise of a car engine came from the gate, attracting everyone’s attention. The luxury sports car drifted into the porch and stopped right in the center. Everyone exchanged a tacit look as they sensed another confrontation happening. It was Victor, the eldest son of the Cornwells and Master Fontaine’s favorite grandson. Judging from his entrance, he was not here for the ancestral ceremony
The boy was loud, and he repeated his words again and again. Almost everyone present heard the boy. They all leaned forward to listen to what else the boy had to say. The boy was audacious enough to speak the thoughts in everyone’s minds. Just whose child was he? Thaddeus looked down at the boy, grabbed his jacket, and lifted him in the air. “Kid, do you know what a dupe is?” The boy swung his legs in the air and struggled. “I know. I know. You are a dupe. You don’t want the girl who likes you but the one who dislikes you. That’s why you are a dupe. You had it coming!” Thaddeus narrowed his eyes and slapped the boy on the butt. “Who taught you that?” The boy could barely walk properly, yet he was able to spew words that even adults dared not say. Someone must have instigated him to say those words in front of everyone else. He wanted to know whose child it was trying to test his patience. “Let me go! Sob… Let me go! I won’t say it anymore!” The boy, frightened by Th
In a pavilion garden away from the crowd, the boy who wet his pants was talking to a woman. The woman was none other than Jennifer. She paid the boy to call her own son a dupe in front of the guests and make him look like a clown. Since her words no longer worked, she resorted to dirty tricks to pull her son away from the woman’s charms. “How was my performance? Good, right?” the boy said as he wiped his snot away. He stretched his hand out to ask for his reward. “Where are my two hundred bucks?” Jennifer pulled out a piece of one hundred dollar bill and waved it in front of the boy. “Here.” The boy frowned. “We agreed on two hundred! Where’s the other hundred? You lied!” Jennifer clicked her tongue and patted the boy’s head. “You can’t do great things if you are this impatient. That man you made fun of is a thousand times more mature than you. What you did just now didn’t even affect him, which is why you failed your task, and I can only give you one hundred.” “No way! G
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