Tony blew up at Thaddeus in the hospital. This was Ginny’s second visit to the hospital, and the Fontaines were once again the cause for her medical attention. Besides, Ginny seemed to be in a worse state than before. Furious, Tony let out his grievance and took his anger out on Thaddeus. Tony could only do so at times like this. The boy was cocky, and people had to suck up to him. Tony was not going to say no to the opportunity to unleash his fury. Thaddeus looked askance at Tony, taking him like a deranged man flipping out. Without a word, Thaddeus watched Tony make a fuss until the latter ran out of breath and had nothing else to say. Thaddeus put his drink down and unhurriedly said, “First of all, your daughter wanted to stay at my family residence. No one held a knife to her neck and made her move.” “Don’t try to change the subject, Thaddeus. She’s a guest at your place and got food poisoning on the second day. It’s clear someone is trying to drive her out of Fontaine Resi
Thaddeus knew his mother too well. He, as her son, was subjected to his mother’s extreme mood swings, much less the supposed daughter of her mortal enemy. Jennifer scoffed. “Adoptive mother? So, Mona is related to the vixen, then. The homewrecker definitely raised her daughter to be the same b*tch. I’m telling you, Thaddeus. You can stay married, but I will never accept Mona. Not now, not ever.” Thaddeus was furious at his mother’s snarky comments. Alas, he felt defeated and helpless that he could not change his mother’s mindset to treat Mona with kindness like him. “You’ll regret it sooner or later, Mom.” Thaddeus said before turning on his heel to leave. Jennifer coldly smirked. Regret? All she wanted was to watch Mona suffer. Why would she regret it? With Thaddeus moving to a corner to call home and speak with Mona tenderly, Jennifer was filled with bitter resentment. Jennifer turned her head away and entered Ginny’s ward. Seeing that Jennifer was there, Tony pulle
Mona wiggled to avoid his touch and murmured blushingly, “Stop it, Thaddeus. Many people are looking...” Thaddeus stared at the shy woman. Mona was determined and stood on her own in matters that meant the most, but last night, she showed a different side to her. Her many faces overwhelmed Thaddeus with admiration and respect. The woman was like an eventful book. Thaddeus could get enough of the book as there was always something new. It was a good thing Mona’s name was soon broadcast. She threw the waiting number to Thaddeus. “Go and retrieve the test results.” “Sure.” Thaddeus grabbed the number and entered a room. It did not take long before he returned with a report in hand. “So? What does it say?” Mona drew close and clung close to Thaddeus to read the report in his hand. “There was something added to Ginny’s food. Two types of herbs…” Thaddeus furrowed his brows. Mona was dumbstruck as these two ingredients were poisonous in nature, and an overdose would be fatal.
Stunned, Mona lowered her head and looked at the girl clinging to her thigh in tears. The girl was unfamiliar. Mona believed she had not met the girl, let alone known her. With Thaddeus getting out of the car and heading her way, Mona glanced at him and helplessly shrugged. What was going on? “Get up and talk. It must hurt to be on your knees.” Mona pulled the girl up and straightened out her hair. She then got a good look at the girl and was confident she had never met or known her. “Are you new?” “Didn’t you bring me to work at the residence, ma’am?” Mona had a sudden urge to laugh. The girl looked like she had just turned eighteen. Despite her innocent look, everything that came out of her mouth was lies. “Do I know you?” “You do.” The girl bobbed her head. Mona summoned the butler and looked at the girl before asking, “Sebastian, you manage the domestic help. Let me ask you. Did I bring this girl to work in the house?” “Yes, ma’am. Don’t you remember? The gi
Only Thaddeus and Mona were in the bedroom. “Someone’s trying to frame me.”Crossing her arms, Mona stared at the man sitting on the sofa offhandedly. Mona was getting dragged into the matter, but the man did not seem concerned. “Who do you think would do such a thing?” Thaddeus picked his gaze up and asked Mona nonchalantly. “I don’t know, but the person is out to get me. They’re definitely trying to drive me out.” Thaddeus nodded his head. “That’s true.” Mona pursed her lips. “That’s easy for you to say. You don’t seem worried.” “What’s the use of getting worked up? We should sit tight and watch what happens next.” Thaddeus crossed his legs. “What if they insist I poisoned Ms. Kimball and want to put me behind bars?” “No way. Do you think I’ll allow that to happen under my nose?” “I can protect myself even if you’re not in the picture.” “How are you going to do that?” Raising his brow, Thaddeus looked curiously at the woman. Mona lifted her chin proudly and wi
Hiding the untamed glint behind his eyes, the man pinched Mona’s waist and lifted her onto her two feet with one arm. “You say one thing but have something else on your mind. I’ll take you to the beach once everything has been sorted.” The man straightened out the wrinkles on his shirt. With her eyes lighting up, Mona got on her tiptoes and straightened Thaddeus’ tie.“No take-backs.” “Of course.” Thaddeus grabbed his jacket and walked out. “Stay at home. I’m going to the hospital.” “Hey. Let me get this out first. I’m going to give you hell if they frame me for poisoning.” The man sneered and replied, “All you do is threaten me.” He turned on his heel and walked out of the bedroom. His head suddenly throbbed with pain the moment he closed the door behind him. Putting his hand against the wall to steady himself, Thaddeus saw flashes of broken memories running before his eyes. These were events that his secondary personality had gone through. It was all the moments betw
“You can have me arrested, too, if you want to call the cops. I told Mona to poison the food, so I should take responsibility for it. I will turn myself in now.” Thaddeus pulled a menacing look. With Thaddeus getting up to leave, Jennifer panicked and took strides forward to pull him back. “Don’t do anything foolish, son. This has nothing to do with you. Why are you turning yourself in?” Thaddeus gave Jennifer a chilling look. All he saw from her face was two-faced, selfish, and snarky behavior. Since the day his father betrayed his marriage and abandoned his wife and son, Thaddeus lost his kind and gentle mother. The person Jennifer was now occupied two-thirds of Thaddeus’ childhood and left a lingering psychological trauma to Thaddeus. He understood the awful feeling of being suppressed and could relate to Mona. Due to their shared understanding, Thaddeus would not let her down. “Mom, how can you say it has nothing to do with me? What if I insist that I instructed Mona to p
Thaddeus read out his social security number, and the attending officer keyed into the system for a look. It was Thaddeus Fontaine. A well-known name in the city, Thaddeus was the heir of the Fontaine Group. The man, who had the potential to rock the economy of Neuffield in the future, had laced food with poison.“Let’s take your statement.” The attending officer led Thaddeus to the interrogation room. However, before the line of questioning could happen, Jennifer rushed to the police station together with a team of security. Jennifer looked like she was here for a fight. “My son is in his thirties, but it’s like he hasn’t grown up. He throws a fit every time we have an argument. I’m sorry you had to see that, officer.” Jennifer courteously smiled at the attending officer and made up an excuse that would not harm the Fontaine family’s reputation. She then turned to the security team behind. “Hurry and take him away.” The few bodyguards gathered around Thaddeus and carried
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