Stella’s question was creepy. Sophie wanted to inform Thaddeus about what happened, and just when she was about to touch her phone, knocks came from her door. She went over to the door and looked into the peephole. A towering man was standing outside. It was Thaddeus. Sophie breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him. With the man around, all problems would be solved. She opened the door, and the two kids dashed into the room. With each of them carrying a bag, Bobby and Millie greeted Sophie politely, “Aunt Sophie!” “You two little rascals are like little puppies, following your parents everywhere.” Millie sat down and rubbed her nose awkwardly. She looked aggrieved. “Millie missed Mommy, and Daddy said he wanted to see Mommy, so we came together.” “Then, you two sit tight. I’ll get some fruits and candies for you.” Sophie put a bowl of delights in front of the kids before turning around to Thaddeus. The man was typing on his phone, seemingly dealing with work. So
Sophie clapped her hands and breathed a sigh of relief. The burden was finally lifted from her heart. “Mr. Fontaine, I can rest assured with your words. Next will be the collaboration as usual. I will arrange for someone from our studio to keep an eye out. What do you think?” Thaddeus nodded. “That’s it for now. Remember to update me if anything happens.” “Alright, Mr. Fontaine.” Sophie rubbed her hands. She turned around and saw the kids playing with each other quietly. “Mr. Fontaine, your kids are really obedient. They never throw a tantrum and just follow you and Mona everywhere without a question. It must be hard for them as well. I’ll go get a room for you and the kids. They should rest soon.” “Thank you.” Thaddeus nodded at Sophie. “Daddy, I want to eat this.” Millie waved a pink teddy bear candy in front of Thaddeus and tugged on his sleeve. “It’s so hard, I cannot open it. Open it for me.” Thaddeus took the candy from the girl. He had a look at it but did not find t
“Someone will explain the situation to you when you arrive. Just come to New Astrid City. It’s late now. Get some rest.” Thaddeus then hung up the phone. His hand was shaking when he hung up. His condition was acting up again. He grasped his chest and went to his luggage. He took a bottle of medicine out and swallowed several pills at once. His condition had been getting worse lately. His second personality was getting restless and had been trying to take over control of the body. He had to consume medicine to suppress the second personality for now. After Mona finished her shoot, he would bring her home. After that, he would have to prepare for the election of the family heir, but before that, he had one more hurdle to overcome. As for whether he could overcome it, it was up to fate. Fortunately, he had everything planned out. The man lifted his head up to swallow the pills without any water. His mouth was assaulted by the bitterness. He sat down on the chair, and the dark
As for what really happened, Linda had no idea. Thaddeus informed her of the trip on such short notice, so it must be something big. Sophie looked at the travel-weary Linda. She did not expect Thaddeus to take the matter so seriously. Mona was just going for a movie shoot, yet he almost moved his entire family to the city. “Thaddeus called you?” Mona was confused. “Why? Why would he call you to come here?” “Let’s leave the questions for later. We must be on set soon, Mona.” Sophie dragged Mona into the elevator after looking at the time. Everything happened because of a single word from Mona. Sophie knew that Thaddeus loved Mona, but he chose to protect her from the dark and did not want her to know too much. While Mona was being dragged into the elevator, she waved at Linda to signal her to follow. Linda yawned after she got into the elevator. She could barely keep her eyes open. “I think your man cares a lot about you. He brought me here just to become your personal bod
“Linda, you didn’t get enough sleep last night, did you? Go have a rest in the lounge. I’ll call you when I’m done.” Linda yawned and headed out. “Alright. I really need to rest. I am seeing two of you already. Remember to call me when you are done.” “Okay. Go rest.” Through the mirror, Mona saw Linda head out to the lounge. While waiting for the makeup artist to come in, Stella came over. The red shawl on her shoulder entered Mona’s sight through the mirror. Mona sat facing away from Stella and froze when she spotted her presence. Stella took off the red shawl and gave it to Mona. “You will be wearing a black dress later. Be sure to put this on. You will have to stand in front of the well of the old house and jump down.” Mona took the shawl. For some reason, when she heard Stella saying ‘jump into the well’, she shuddered. “But the script says the first scene is when the police get to Harmony and tell her that her parents left her an old house in Santorini…” “No. No.
Linda did not hold back on her kick at Stella’s hand. The hairpin fell, and the jade embedded in it shattered. Shocked, Mona turned around to Stella. Before she could find out what happened, Linda dragged Mona behind her. The kick might have broke a few bones on Stella’s hand. The pain made her frown, and she fell on the chair in front of the makeup table. “Stella, are you alright?” Mona went over to check on her. Stella’s palm was swollen, and it looked serious. Mona told Linda to call the crew doctor over. “I-I’ll go get the doctor right away!” Linda ran outside, but then when she recalled Stella’s movement and gaze, she stopped. When Stella approached Mona with the hairpin earlier, she had sensed danger. Was it a mistake or was Stella trying to hurt Mona? Linda turned around and returned to the makeup room. She was here to protect Mona, and whenever she suspected anything, she had to step up to fulfill her duty. She had to side with Mona no matter what. Mona saw Li
“I saw you aiming the hairpin at Suzy’s back…” “Linda, stop it.” Mona pulled Linda away. There were times when a straightforward personality would cause more problems than it solved. Even if Stella wanted to hurt Mona, it was unwise to expose her without solid evidence, or else they would lose the initiative and control of the situation. Mona stepped forward and confronted Stella. “Stella, I know it’s Linda’s fault for hurting you. How about I pay for your medical fees and compensate you for whatever losses you experience today? Or if there are any other requests, just name them, and I’ll do my best to fulfill them.” Stella scoffed. She waved her injured hand in front of Mona and said, “My hands are used to write novels. They are my livelihood. Now that she has suddenly injured me, if I lodge a report, this will be wounding with intent.” “Ms. Stella.” Mona switched to a colder tone and looked into Stella’s creepy eyes. “If you want to make a fuss out of this, I’m all in. But
Linda listened to Mona’s meaningful words and pondered. The more she thought, the more sense it made, and she got scared. She was scared of Stella getting revenge on her behind her back. “Okay, let’s put it aside first. This is a modern society that is governed by law, and we are on a movie set, not her horror fantasy world where she can do whatever she wants. Don’t make it so creepy.” "Come to think of it, I acted rashly, too." “But you did it because you wanted to protect me, so it’s fine. Just keep an eye out and be careful. You have to protect yourself first before you can protect others, agree?” Mona dragged Linda out of the room and went to the set. The crew and cameras were ready, and they were all waiting for Mona. When the assistant director saw Mona, he informed the crew to get ready while he returned to his director’s seat. Sophie and Stella were not around, and Mona knew no one on set. Fortunately, she was an experienced actress, and shooting a movie and a d
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