When afternoon tea was delivered, Mona turned her back on Thaddeus and put the powder into his drink. “Have some juice.” Mona put the glass of juice on the mini table in front of the man. “Be sure to finish it.” Mona stroked the man’s hair and looked into his eyes. Trying to knock him out cold made her a little nervous. Thaddeus leaned on the bed and stared at the glass of juice lazily. “Put it there. I’ll drink when I’m thirsty.” Mona pouted. What a spoilt king! She hoped that when Anna performed the hypnotherapy on him, he would be dead as a doornail. “If you don’t want to eat, I’ll start first.” Mona picked the sushi up from the plate and started eating. The man was tempted by the way she ate, so he leaned over and had a bite. “I thought you didn’t want to eat.” Mona turned away and took another bite from her sushi. She rolled her eyes at him. He smiled brightly and pinched her cheek. “I really love and hate your little temper.” Mona jokingly gave the man a pun
“It would be great if you can go with him.” “He’s not a three-year-old.” Mona pouted. “I have my own things to do as well.” “Just in case. I’m just reminding you. It’s your call, Mrs. Fontaine.” Anna waved. “I’ll be going back to my work. I wish Mr. Fontaine good luck tonight.” Mona watched Anna walk away without pause and was somehow intrigued by her. The woman was not any older than herself, yet she sounded experienced and professional. She must be someone who had seen years of experience.Mona believed that people were attracted to each other by certain traits, and Anna had one of those qualities that attracted people to her. “Suzy, come in.” Thaddeus’ voice came from inside the ward. Mona regained her composure and returned to the void. Anna strutted away in high heels and professional formal attire that was shrouded by a doctor’s robe. Her hand was pocketed as she strode in confidently. When she made a turn into a corner, she bumped into another man who was also m
Anna followed Alex through the long and quiet hallway; Alex was in front while Anna followed from behind. It was sunset. The golden light shed its light on the man’s towering figure, highlighting him with a layer of gold. Anna was fascinated by the dreamy scene. She walked faster to be in the man’s extended shadow which made her feel safe. She looked at their overlapped shadows and somehow had the urge to cry. It had been eight years since she had a crush on him. In the past eight years, she had shown signs of her feelings for him, and she believed he was not an idiot to ignore all those signs. He was just pretending not to care because he had never reserved a spot for her in his heart. If he had feelings for her too, he would not have feigned ignorance for so long. Anna rubbed her nose. Her eyes were teary, and they started to blur her vision. She wanted to scold herself for being a coward, but she could not hold her feelings back. Even though she was a specialist that cou
If he brought up the topic, something must have happened, such as the only woman who could make him feel like getting married coming back. “Vivian came back,” Alex said casually. He glanced at Anna when he mentioned the name. “You guys should have met before. She’s two years older than you.” Anna was surprised. She smiled and echoed, “Vivian Beacon? Her name was like a goddess’s back when we were still studying. You’ve hit the jackpot, Mr. Ortega.” Alex narrowed his eyes as he looked at Anna. He smiled softly. “Yeah, I’ve hit the jackpot.” Anna locked her fingers together and looked down at her shaking hands. She tried her best to suppress the urge of breaking down in tears. A few seconds later, she looked up at Alex. “Let’s get working. I’ll arrange the documents.” She took the documents from the man and fanned them out on her desk. She swiftly and deftly arranged the documents according to Alex’s requirements. Alex stood aside and watched her work. He went over with c
Alex went over to Thaddeus’ ward. The door was not fully shut, and he could hear the husband and wife fooling around inside. Through the crack, the man was like a puppy, bothering Mona to help him put on his tie. Alex found it surprising. He had never seen his friend so shameless before. There was a saying about men being stupid and childish when it came to love, and it must be referring to Thaddeus' current condition. Alex knocked on the door and walked in. Mona was helping Thaddeus with the tie. Since the second personality woke up, the man behaved like a fool. He could not even take care of himself properly. Mona pushed the shameless man away when Alex came in. She smiled and welcomed Alex. “Mr. Ortega, have a seat.” Thaddeus was angry that Alex interrupted his time with Mona. He yelled, "Who let you in? Get out!" “Why are you being so fierce?” Mona tapped Thaddeus’ shoulder and then smiled apologetically at Alex. “I’m sorry, Mr. Ortega. Thaddeus is acting up a
Anna bent over to pick it up; Mona did the same. When Mona touched the document on the floor, she suddenly realized that two drops of tears had fallen from Anna’s eyes and wet the paper. Mona was shocked. She looked up and saw tears rolling down Anna’s face. She was stunned and did not know what to say. Anna pressed a finger to her lips, signaling her to remain silent. Mona nodded and continued to tidy up the documents. Anna seemed to have been through an emotional breakdown and had cried outside the door. Her eyes were red. Mona had gotten used to her professional and frosty side, and it was her first time seeing Anna’s emotional side. She did not know what to say to comfort her. “Are the documents messed up again? Anna, can’t you do anything right?” Anna snorted. She looked up with an apologetic look and said, “I’m sorry, Mr. Ortega. I didn’t…” “Yeah they are messed up, but Anna doesn’t need to apologize.” Mona took the documents from Anna and put them in Alex’s han
“I am impressed. You are really brave.” Mona hugged Anna and patted her shoulder. Anna put her pinky finger up and waved it in front of Mona. “That’s all I am telling you. Keep it a secret.” Mona made a pinky promise to her and said cheerfully, “No problem!” Women always talked about love and relationships, and sharing a secret about it brought them closer.Mona had to admit that she was strangely attracted to Anna. They always shared similar topics, and she could treat Anna like a close friend. “Honey, are you done?” Thaddeus’ voice came from outside the door. Mona shrugged at Anna before she went over to open the door. Thaddeus came in with a gloomy face. “What are you two talking about that I can’t know?” “It’s women's business, so it’s not suitable for men.” Mona looked askance at Thaddeus. “I told you to memorize the agenda. Have you memorized them all?” The man grunted in displeasure and said, “Come with me later.” “What for?” “As my partner.” “No.” “No o
However, the men looked at Thaddeus with understanding. Thaddeus was in the midst of a power struggle to win the company, so he knew the importance of projecting a positive image to the public. Women in powerful and wealthy families were often seen as mere tools. Even Mrs. Fontaine before them had no distinguished background, and she only acquired her title due to her physical appearance. “Mr. and Mrs. Fontaine really love each other.” The men spoke insincerely with fake smiles on their faces. Mona saw the ridicule in their eyes and knew immediately what the realistic and intelligent men were thinking. For men in the business world, there were many women who would flock to them like birds, making it easy and natural for them to objectify women. Mona knew it clearly, but no matter what people thought, she was a woman with dignity and self-respect. She would never allow others to look down on her. “Of course. We love each other.” Thaddeus tightened his arm to hug Mona int
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