Thaddeus hugged Mona and kissed her for a long time. He only let go when he felt that she found it hard to gasp for breath. Afterward, he grasped her hair with his fingers and pressed his forehead against hers while looking ruthlessly at her. “Do you know you have a man waiting for you?” Mona closed her eyes to avoid his burning gaze. She almost cried out loud. “Thaddeus, speak nicely if you have something to say. Don’t treat me like this.” “Well then, how did you treat me?” Thaddeus softened his tone and lifted his hand to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes. “Don’t you know how you tortured me?” “I didn’t, I didn’t.” Mona shook her head and choked as she continued, “I didn’t torture you. It was you who did something wrong.” Thaddeus was the one who was entangled with another woman, whereas she simply refused to do what she did not want. She did not want to communicate with him, and she did not want to have physical contact with him. What was her fault? Mona fel
Mona did not sleep well the whole night. Thaddeus wrapped his arm around her. Seeing that he was sleeping soundly, she was afraid that she would wake him up by moving a lot, so she lay there quietly and did not move. She did not feel comfortable as she kept thinking about Thaddeus hugging another woman like that. As such, she was tormented by the emotions while she stared at the chandelier above without blinking. Mona could not blame anyone for the painful emotions and could only swallow them herself. Thaddeus slept until dawn. When he woke up and did not see Mona, he rubbed his messy hair and got off the bed. “Suzy?” In the empty villa, all that answered him were echoes and the sound of raging waves from not far away. A feeling of loss spread in Thaddeus’ heart. He froze in place for a moment and recalled Mona sobbing in his arms. Despite that, he could not make her happy. There were just too many things he could not say or let her know… …After leaving Gold Coast, Mona
Millie clapped happily and circled around Mona. “Did you come around?” Thaddeus’ voice was heard coming from the door. He held his arms and leaned against the door with a casual look on his face. Mona looked at him and ignored him. Neither had she come around,= nor would she let this go. She only decided to go home for the sake of the kids. Thaddeus took out his phone and called the driver to pick them up. Mona went into Linda’s house, packed her suitcase, and conveniently cleaned up the house. She left a note before she left. Thaddeus took her suitcase and took the kids downstairs. Mona locked the door and was about to leave when she suddenly saw a figure flashing past and disappearing into the storage room from the corner of her eye. Her heart skipped a bit, and she thought about the incident of the scary doll being placed on the doorstep. “Who is it?” The storage room was a small room without a lock. It was especially used to pile up old discarded items. There was
Mona could not dodge in time, so the woman managed to slap her face. The woman was just bluffing to vent her anger, so she did not use much force. As such, the slap on Mona’s face did not hurt, but unfortunately, Thaddeus saw it as he rushed up. How could he allow his woman to be bullied like that? He walked over and pulled Mona behind him to protect her, and then he returned a loud slap on the woman’s face. The woman was swayed by the blow, and the bag on her arm fell to the ground. The gift box in the bag rolled onto the ground as well. Mona looked at the woman’s face and then at Thaddeus. She was shocked by the fact that he would hit a woman. “You… How dare you hit me?! This is violence. I’m calling the police now to reason out with you!” The woman was furious. She pointed at Thaddeus while her hand trembled. At this point, her emotions were out of control as she was embarrassed and lost her dignity. It would be fine if it was Mona who slapped her, but it was a man who
Linda responded coldly, “Whatever. Stop bothering me.” “Don’t think I don’t know. You have my husband’s contact, right? Do you still want to sleep with him?!” As the woman spoke, she pounced over like a shrew and scratched Linda’s face until it bled. Mona wanted to go up to help but was pulled by Thaddeus to a far side. “You have a little one in your tummy. Don’t add to the mess.” Mona stood to the side and watched the messy scene in front of her. Linda was a professional taekwondo instructor. She grabbed the woman’s hair and gave her a beating. Linda pressed the woman to the ground and gritted her teeth as she glared at the woman fiercely. “You’d better take your trash with you and get out. I’ll smash your head if you come and disturb me again!” The woman’s face was pressed to the ground, so much so that it was almost deformed by Linda. She cried in a hoarse voice, “Do you think I want to? You destroyed my marriage and seduced my husband to sleep with you. I saw it with
Mrs. Jenkins’ cries became louder. Several neighbors opened their doors to come out and watch the fun. Mona was worried the neighbors would gossip about it without knowing what was going on, which would affect Linda’s reputation. She walked over to help Mrs. Jenkins up. “Mrs. Jenkins, you should get up first. Let’s not disturb the neighbors and head inside to talk.” “Suzy, you should take the kids home first.” Linda considered that Bobby and Millie were still waiting in the car. She did not want this to affect the harmony of Mona’s family. “Okay. Call me if anything happens.” Mona waved at Linda. She believed Linda was capable of solving this matter and did not need others to interfere. Mona turned to look at Mrs. Jenkins before she left. Mrs. Jenkins was also a poor woman hurt by love. Mona hoped that both she and Mrs. Jenkins could soon get over the betrayal they experienced. With that, Mona and Thaddeus went into the elevator. Thaddeus noticed her look of disappointmen
After sending the message, Mona put her phone away and closed her eyes to pretend to sleep. Thaddeus glanced sideways at Mona and felt somewhat disappointed. Back then, Mona would face him and watch him drive. Now, she was looking outside as though trying to draw distance from him. Like grabbing a handful of sand but not being able to hold them, the feeling of loss in Thaddeus’ heart grew.“Given how you’re craving sour food, it must be a boy.” He found a topic after racking his brain. Mona closed her eyes and hummed softly. She frowned somewhat impatiently. “It’d be nice if it’s a girl.” Thaddeus continued to ask, “What do you think?” Mona turned her face to the side. “How noisy. I want to sleep.” Thaddeus was mad at being given a cold shoulder. He thought, ‘How can she be so aloof? I can’t coax her at all.’ While feeling angry, Thaddeus kept quiet and remained cold as he drove back to Fontaine Residence. When he stopped at the entrance, he looked at Mona, who was s
Sure enough, as Mona expected, it was Ginny. Mona’s hand trembled as she held the phone. She did not know if she was angry or disappointed, but emotions instantly surged in her heart. She felt so oppressed that she found it hard to breathe. Thaddeus walked back after buying a drink. He opened the door and sat in the driver’s seat. When he saw Mona’s pale face, he knew something was off. He immediately asked nervously, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” As soon as Thaddeus’ hand touched Mona’s face, she pushed it away by reflex. “Don’t touch me!” The strong reaction was subconscious. Mona’s resistance and rejection for Thaddeus were obvious. Thaddeus could sense it. His heart sank, and he had an ugly expression on his face. “What’s the matter? Tell me why you’re unhappy.” Mona held back and took Thaddeus’ phone to unlock it. “You were just on the phone with Ginny.” Thaddeus looked down at the phone and reached out to take it. He responded calmly, “Yes. I was t
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