Mona walked out of the changing room after a change of clothes. She stood before a mirror to tie her hair into a ponytail. “Hello.” A beautiful girl emerged from the back and stood behind Mona with a smile. Mona lifted her gaze and looked at the young girl while tying her hair. The girl was pretty and exuded youth. She carried herself with grace and possessed charm and composure beyond her years. She would certainly stand out among a crowd. “Your dress is beautiful. What label are you wearing?” Mona smiled at the girl through the mirror. “I don’t know, but you can check the label.” The girl rubbed her hands together with glee. “Thank you. You’re really beautiful inside out.” She then approached Mona from the back to check on the label. “It’s a niche French designer brand. Yours is from its bespoke collection. Only one of its kind exists in the world.” The girl lamented, “It’s impossible to get it even if you have money.” Mona knew it. Thaddeus had exquisite taste, and
“I don’t want to do anything against my will, and this makes me unhappy. I don’t want to do it.” Turning on her heel, Mona took off in large strides. Thaddeus was taken by surprise. Who got under the woman’s skin? It was her duty as Mrs. Fontaine to attend events with him. The man put his hands furiously on his waist. He was livid, to say the least. He glanced at the woman’s back, his gaze falling on her dress. There was a blue glob on it. The sticky liquid looked rather unsightly. The movers and shakers on the other end turned their attention to Mona’s abrupt departure. Their eyes drawn to the stain on Mona’s dress. With a glint in his eye, Thaddeus took quick paces over and carried Mona in his arms. Mona shrieked as she fell into the man’s embrace. The man swiftly brought her into the changing room. “Your dress is dirty. Don’t you pay any mind to your appearance during important occasions?” The man lowered his head and stared at Mona. Dumbstruck, Mona felt around he
Mona left the golf course and returned to Fontaine Residence. Jennifer was not pleased that Mona stayed out all night. Nevertheless, her son’s wallet grew thinner every time Jennifer gave the woman hell. Hence, Jennifer kept all her grievances and complaints in mind so she could get even with Mona in the future. Not feeling quite herself, Mona proceeded upstairs. “Where were you yesterday, Mommy?” With his arms crossed, Bobby pulled a long face like a school principal supervising detention. Acting like a misbehaving student, Mona stuck her tongue out and made an excuse. “I went to your godmother’s home.” Mona got down on one knee and smoothened the little man’s knotted brows, feeling amused and loved. The only person in the world most worried about her safety was probably her precious son. “You went to Linda’s place? Don’t lie to me, Mona.” Bobby skeptically sized Mona up, unconvinced by her answer. Mona slapped Bobby’s bottom. “Hey, punk. Why are you addressing me by m
“I’ll remove the white hair and show you.” Bobby pulled two strands off Mona’s head and suddenly turned frustrated. “Oops. I must be blind. I thought I saw white hair. Sorry, Mommy. Did I hurt you?” Mona stared at the black hair in Bobby’s hand before giving her son a skeptical look. Was the little man seeing things, or was he up to something again?Before Mona had a chance to ask her son, Bobby slipped out of Mona’s arms and ran away. The little man was growing stranger by the day. “Mrs. Fontaine, someone is here to see you.” Not long after Bobby left, Maria came upstairs and knocked on the door. “Who is it?” Mona turned from her design sketch and looked at Maria at the door. “It’s your manager, but Old Mrs. Fontaine wouldn’t let her in. She’s waiting in the garden outside.” Mona put down her pencil peevishly. “Why didn’t Old Mrs. Fontaine let her in?” “Who knows? Old Mrs. Fontaine hasn’t been in a good mood since yesterday. She’s been giving everybody a sour fa
Seeing that Mona was confident, Sophie started to waver in her thoughts. “Just play by ear tonight. I want to pair you two up for a fauxmance, but considering Mr. Fontaine, I thought I should ask for your opinion.” The mention of Thaddeus brought Mona back to the unpleasant incident at the golf course this morning. She was upset. “Is the fauxmance profitable?” Mona asked her manager. “It will depend on how much press coverage you get. Good coverage can increase your popularity, promote the TV series, and build a bigger fanbase.” “Never mind, then.” Mona could not be bothered to invest her time in something without a visible financial gain. Plus, her popularity and fanbase were not her priority.“Alright. I don’t want you to be tied with another male celebrity anyway since you have this ethereal look going for you.” The live stream won Mona the public favor, and even though Thaddeus’ appearance stirred a storm, the public relation department took care of it. Overall, Mona
Mona put her hand over her mouth and smiled. From the corner of her eye, she watched as the staff carried the man on the stretcher. Her primary concern was that the man might be worse off if she had been the one doing the beating. If Sophie had not requested Mona to keep an ethereal portrayal, Mona would have put her kickboxing to practice and punted the man to kingdom come. For the man to harass Mona, he deserved punishment. Sophie ran over in a rush. She was not allowed on the red carpet as she was a working staff member. It was too late for her to make it to the scene when the incident happened, but thank goodness Joseph was there. Otherwise, it would be bad if anything were to happen to Mona. Mona was the money tree, and the whole company’s livelihood depended on her. Besides, Mona had a husband in high places. Sophie only prayed that Thaddeus was not watching the news or live stream.“Let’s get inside. The sheer number of paparazzi out here is overwhelming.” Sophie was reli
Mona instantly calmed down and walked over to open the lounge door. Joseph appeared in the doorway.“I just saw a man who claimed to be a staff member wearing the same clothes as the fan who attacked me earlier. He also smiled strangely at me...”Mona recalled the fake smile on the man’s face and could not help but feel creeped out.“I saw him too. I came over to check up on you since I got worried.”“Thank you.” Mona was grateful.“I’ll wait outside for you. Don’t be scared.” Joseph walked into the lounge, sat on the sofa, picked up a magazine from the rack, and casually flipped through it.“Okay.”Now that there was someone she knew outside, she felt more at ease.Mona went into the washroom. When she came out again, Joseph was nowhere to be seen.She went to the door to open it, only to find that no matter how hard she tried, she could not open it.“Don’t turn around.”A cold voice rang behind her, and a hood covered her head to block her eyes. The man took out handcuffs
The man uttered those words in a meaningful tone, making Mona pause.Joseph took off his suit jacket and draped it over Mona’s body covering the pistol, along with her hands that were handcuffed behind her.The man opened the door and let Mona go out first. She cooperated as much as possible, not making any noise and not bumping into anyone along the way. Then, she got into an MPV parked at the back door.It was very late, and the car sped all the way from the city onto the highway.Mona sat in the back of the car, exhausted. She lowered her eyes and frowned, mulling something over. She was not afraid of the upcoming unknowns. Instead, she was thinking about Joseph’s motives.Raising her eyes, she looked at the man sitting beside her looking sideways out of the window. His gaze was stagnant, and his expression was painful. It was as if he was remembering something sad.He looked more upset than she was, as if he was the one being kidnapped.Mona closed her eyes, unwilling to thi
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