“I have freedom. I don’t need to report everything to you, Mr. Fontaine.”“I told you that no matter where you take the children, you must first report to me. It isn’t a matter of your freedom but the safety of the future generation of the Fontaine family.”Xavier stood to the side and watched the two gamble on who would take a step back first. It was clear at a glance that they were sulking and quarreling.“Thaddeus, can’t you speak to your wife in a better tone? There’s no shame in a man compromising for his wife.”Xavier always stood on Mona’s side to defend her regardless of who was right or wrong. This time was no exception.“Grandpa, this is my family’s business. My wife and I will solve our problems ourselves. There’s no need for an outsider to interfere.”Thaddeus spoke to Xavier with an expressionless face and pulled Mona to leave.Xavier froze, looking at his grandson as if he were a stranger.In his memory, this young couple in front of him quarreled several times, b
Thaddeus stood in front of Xavier, a little stunned by the latter’s yell.Only then did he start to face this old man in a serious manner. This grandfather made him feel very strange.In his memory, when he was a child and his father abandoned his wife, Thaddeus spent most of his time living with his mother at Fontaine Residence. Every month, his mother would bring him to the old residence to visit his grandfather, who was a very legendary and capable man. Xavier had brilliant achievements in the business world and was a figure Thaddeus admired and respected.Then, he developed dissociative identity disorder due to the extreme pain and torture he suffered, and was helpless to take care of anything else. In the past few years that his second personality occupied the body, many things became thin and unimportant to him, and even his feelings for his grandfather faded a lot.“Grandpa.” Thaddeus opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.Xavier stomped on Thaddeus’ leg hard, causing t
Xavier was the most sensible person in the family, as well as the last person who wanted to see this happen. Thaddeus’ actions made him extremely disappointed.“Grandpa, this matter is very complicated. I can’t explain it at the moment, but I’ll definitely handle it. Please rest assured.”“Your wife already brought her children to live in my house. If this is what you mean by handling it, I’d be senile to believe you!”Thaddeus frowned. He did not like hearing his grandfather’s words.“Mona is staying here because you asked her to. I came here to pick up my wife and children. I told you that this is a matter between me and Mona. I hope you won’t interfere too much, Grandpa.”Xavier was instantly displeased.“So, are you blaming me for adding to your troubles?”“You can say that. I don’t want you to get involved. It’ll only make things more chaotic.”While Xavier really cared about Mona and the two children, it was easy for that concern to cause chaos. Problems could not be solv
Thaddeus saw how tough Xavier’s attitude was. He knew it was impossible to convince him, so he decided to let Xavier do what he wanted.It would be best if Xavier could solve the problem. He was just worried that Xavier’s good intentions would cause a bigger mess. That was the last thing he wanted to see...“Since you want to go, I won’t stop you.” Thaddeus said calmly, “The Fontaine Residence always welcomes you. If possible, move there to live with us in the future. It’ll be more convenient for Mona and me to take care of you if you stay with us.”“Take care of me?” Xavier snorted coldly and knocked Thaddeus’ head. “You want me to move in with that unreasonable mother of yours? What’s the difference between that and abusing me?”Thaddeus fell silent. His grandfather was right on that point. According to his mother’s nature, she would not be able to live under the same roof as his grandfather. Rather than letting Xavier stay at Fontaine Residence, it was more comfortable to let hi
Mona looked at the two sleeping children. Why could she not just endure it for the sake of the children’s bright future?Although she was deeply involved in a matter now, it could not be solved if she ran away. She had confidence she could defeat the third party who barged into her home and get rid of her wicked mother-in-law, who made things difficult for her at every opportunity.In that case, she should just stick to it. If it really came to the point where things could not be resolved, then she would leave. However, would Thaddeus allow things to progress that far?To be honest, she was the only one maintaining this relationship. Thus, when she finally got tired, the relationship would end sooner or later.Mona still held hope somewhere in her heart, but as she thought of what the man had done, she felt full of disappointment.The sound of footsteps came from the doorway and stopped at the door of the guest room. Mona sat up alertly and looked at the closed door through the fa
Thaddeus stood by the bed and looked at the two children sleeping soundly on the bed with Mona. Neither of them spoke. The light of the wall lamp shone lightly on the two people, projecting a long shadow on the ground.Mona looked at her shadow covered by his. Their shadows overlapped as if she was sheltered by him, and they became one.She was in a trance and suddenly wished that time would stop here. If tomorrow did not come, she would not have to deal with those annoying problems.“The children’s eyes look like yours, but their features take after me.”Thaddeus suddenly spoke, his eyes turning from the two children to Mona’s face. He looked at her gentle face, also enjoying the comfort of the moment.Mona looked sideways at the man and smiled faintly. “Yes. Sometimes, when I look at Bobby, I think he’s a miniature version of you. That’s the magic of genes.”The man’s eyes rested on Mona’s quiet face. This woman was sometimes strong and sometimes gentle. She was most likely wha
Mona vented the anger in her heart. “You obviously chose what was beneficial to you and ignored me and the children. You agreed to fight alongside me but then suddenly left me in the lurch. Why don’t you think for yourself whether or not you lack in virtue?”Thaddeus curled his lips, smiling as he listened to Mona vent. He nodded every now and then, agreeing with her assessment of himself.“Lacking in virtue.” The man nodded. “My image in your mind is all but gone now.”“Obviously.” Mona’s eyes were covered with a layer of coldness. “That’s one thing. My trust in you is fractured. This is a very serious matter, Mr. Fontaine. Can you please stop smirking?”“Okay, okay.” Thaddeus put away the laughter on his face and pinched Mona’s chin, raising her delicate little face. He said very seriously, “If I said I have my difficulties, would you forgive me?”Mona turned her face away and refused to make eye contact with him.She did not want to look at his eyes, or she would be easily swe
“A pretty picture?” Thaddeus was puzzled. “What does that mean?”Mona laughed at him for being an old man who did not understand slang.“It refers to pretty words that have no substance. It’s like sketchy men attempting to get girls to take the bait using cheap methods.”“That’s your evaluation of me? You think I’m trying to bait you using a cheap method?” Thaddeus felt like he had a sudden realization.Mona shook her head and explained, “How can you be such a person in my eyes? I was just saying it casually. If I really thought of you that way, then I’d be chiding myself too. If your efforts were sincere, then they aren’t cheap. I think they’re something very precious.”When Thaddeus heard Mona say this, his tightly knitted brows loosened.Men loved to hear women praise them. Even though he seemed unmoved, his heart was already full of joy.“I see there’s the latest issue of a magazine by your bedside that displays your favorite jewelry brand. Which one do you like? Just buy it
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