As soon as Kate got to her assigned suite, she heard a knock from Agnes’ bedroom door. She nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound, but then she remembered that Tony had spent the night there.
“Come in,” she said, hearing Tony unlock the door.
When he showed up, he was wearing a black silk dressing robe over pastel-colored pajamas and soft slippers similar to the one Kate was wearing. He noticed her distress immediately and hurried towards her.
“What is it, Kate? Are you alright? Did something happen? Is the baby fine?” Tony asked almost breathlessly.
“Everything is not fine,” Kate confessed on the verge of tears. “And the baby is the reason why I’m in this situation, so I don’t care if it’s fine or not!”
“Please, don’t say that,” Tony told her tenderly. “What happened.”
“I woke up very hungry, so I decided to go downstairs and grab
While Tony showered in the bathroom, Kate continued eating and wondered why Tony wasn’t willing to tell her more about Agnes. Maybe he hadn’t gotten over her death as he claimed in Sommerville.After finishing her sandwich, Kate drank the orange juice that came with the meal in three gulps. She felt full and didn’t think she needed to participate in the family breakfast meeting.Maybe she should tell Tony that she didn’t feel so good so that he’d let her stay up here while he dined with his kids.“You’re not a coward,” Kate whispered to herself. She couldn’t hide in here forever.Tony emerged from the bedroom dressed in a mint sweatshirt and joggers combination with a pair of white sneakers. This casual outfit made him look young and attractive, and Kate was surprised that she actually found him appealing.“How do I look?” Tony asked her playfully.“Youthful,” Kate said immediately and bit her lip in regret. She hoped Tony didn’t feel insult
Kate could barely eat anything after that disturbing showdown with Athena and Adonis. Tony on the other hand ate his English breakfast heartily as if nothing was amiss.Kate guessed that he was already so used to clashing with his children, that it didn’t bother him anymore. It bothered Kate though. The thought of having a baby in this chaotic environment disturbed her too.Fredrick showed up in the dining room, dressed in a suit that Kate now believed to be his uniform. His bald head shone like an oiled egg.“Good morning, sir,” he greeted Tony and then turned to Kate and said, “Good morning, ma’am.”“Good morning, Fredrick,” they both answered him.“Sir, Martha informed me that you would like to have a meeting with all the staff at 10 a.m.,” said Fredrick.“That’s right,” Tony confirmed. “Please summon all of them and let them meet us in the sunroom.”
“I would like to get back to work soon,” Kate informed Tony.He looked at her with an expression of confusion on his handsome face. “I don’t understand. Why do you want to work?”It was Kate’s turn to look confused. “Why not? I’m a professional pastry chef and I enjoyed my job very much before I lost it.”“I don’t doubt that at all, but I don’t think you should work just yet,” said Tony. “You’re pregnant, remember?”Kate rolled her eyes and said, “Yes, I am pregnant, not handicapped. I can’t sit around all day doing nothing.”“You don’t have to,” Tony said with a grin. “There are tons of relaxing activities you can engage in to keep you busy every day. You could take on painting, gardening, or even learning a musical instrument. There’d be no spare time for you to be bored. There’s even a library here
Together, Kate and Tony went to the living room where an elegantly dressed middle-aged woman was waiting for them. The woman’s hair was styled in a stylish chin-length bouffant and her mocha skin shone like brass.The woman’s classic beauty reminded Kate of Dominique Deveraux in the Dynasty TV series. When she spotted Kate and Tony, she rose to her feet, lips parted in wonder.“So, it’s true,” she said in awe.“Good morning, Duchess,” Tony said dryly. “To what do we owe this unexpected visit?”Duchess appraised Kate with her eyes from head to toe before responding to Tony’s question.“Aren’t you going to introduce the young lady to me?” She asked.Tony sighed and turned to Kate. “This is a friend of the family. Her name is Duchess Ryland.”“Hello, Miss Ryland,” Kate greeted her politely.“And you are?” Duchess asked
“She was such a beautiful woman,” Kate said softly, while her eyes were till on Agnes' portrait.“Yes, she was,” said Tony. “This is how I like to remember her. This photo was taken a year before she fell sick.”“Where did you two meet?” Kate asked.“Here, in Chicago,” Tony answered. “I was invited to a business convention hosted by a group of CEOs, one of which was her father. At the time, I was already established in my hedge fund career while overseeing my family’s real estate business in Dallas. The event was part of Agnes’ training to take over her family business in the future.”“So, it was an event for rich people and their kids?” Kate asked sarcastically.“No. It was a business event which happened to be attended by some rich people and their kids,” Tony answered patiently.“If you say so,” Kate said with a sh
When the postnup arrived two days later, Tony rejected it outright. According to him, the document contained 10 pages of pure wickedness.The document stated that in the case of a divorce or Tony’s death, Kate was not entitled to receive anything from the DaCosta Estate. The only thing she gets is what she came into the marriage with and any monetary gift she gets from Tony.If Kate has a baby with Tony during the marriage, the child will get a specific sum of money as its inheritance and nothing more.The documents also highlighted a long list of rules and regulations that Kate must abide by while she remains a member of the DaCosta family. Charles had also sneaked in a little non-disclosure clause on the last page to make sure Kate never tries to say a word out of place against the DaCostas in public.“This is the most shallow and insulting piece of legal writing I have ever read in my life!” Tony raged at Charles.“It doe
Tony returned to his seat behind the huge desk and said, “Now that that’s out of the way, let’s schedule an appointment with my doctor. We need to know how far along you are and what medication you should get on for your health and the baby’s wellbeing.”Kate wasn’t interested in that right now. She leaned forward on the desk, looking into Tony’s eyes.“Please, tell me the truth, Tony. Why did you marry me?”“Are we back to that again?” He asked with a chuckle. “Don’t let what Charles said to bother you, my dear. I’m not losing my mind. The things I proposed to give you are a small fraction of what I’m worth. My children already have their share of all of that, so don’t worry about them. Trust me.”“I want to trust you, but I feel as if you’re not being completely truthful to me,” Kate confessed. “Why am I here?”&ldqu
“Do you want to leave?” Wendy asked Kate over the phone. “You’ve only been there for a few days.”“I know. I just can’t stand the nastiness anymore,” Kate cried.She’d tearfully narrated her experience in the DaCosta home since her arrival on Thursday evening. She was afraid that this was what her life would be for as long as she remained married to Tony.“Take it easy, Kate. Don’t make rash decisions because you’re upset,” Wendy advised.“Stop crying and listen to me,” she continued. “There’s nothing for you here in Sommerville. Tony did you a favor by securing your future when he married you. Don’t ruin that just because his children hate you. You didn’t expect them to fall head over heels in love with you at first sight, did you?”“No, but this level of hatred from them is too much,” Kate complained. “They don
Inside her suite, Kate stood in front of Tony and lifted her blouse to reveal her belly. With one hand, she cupped the little bump that was poking out above her skirt.“My little bun is growing,” she said softly.“Our little bun,” Tony corrected her and she chuckled.“Can I touch it?” He asked politely.“Sure, go ahead,” Kate said excitedly.Tony stepped closer to her and placed his hand where hers had been a few seconds earlier. His wide palm covered the tiny bump completely.“Wow…” he sighed. “There’s a little human in there.”“I have an app on my phone that I use for tracking the baby’s growth,” said Kate. “This week, the baby is the size of an avocado.”“Wow! How would they know that?” Tony chuckled.Kate shrugged and said, “I guess those medical people measured the babies in the womb a
When Tony returned from the office, Kate discussed Duchess’ high tea invitation with him. They were having dinner in the dining room.“You should go,” Tony advised her. “You rarely leave this house at all. I’m sure you’ll find the company of other women refreshing.”“Maybe,” Kate replied vaguely. “It’s just that, I don’t like Duchess. She strikes me as a middle-aged mean girl.”Tony chuckled and said, “You’ll probably change your mind about her when you get to know her. She knows all the important people in this city. You might make new friends through her, and when that happens, you wouldn’t need to hang around her anymore.”“So, you want me to use her to find new friends for myself?” Kate asked skeptically.“She’s already using you to boost her street credibility, as you young people say,” said Tony. “Do think
As soon as Duchess saw Kate approaching, she rose to her feet and smiled broadly. She was dressed impeccably as before and her makeup was flawless as usual.“Good afternoon, Mrs DaCosta,” she greeted Kate formally. “Thank you for agreeing to see me.”Kate wasn’t having any of the other woman’s fake congeniality.“What can I do for you?” She asked Duchess flatly.Duchess chuckled and said, “Well, I deserved that. But please, allow me to express my most sincere apologies for how I conducted myself the last time I was here. It was not my intention to insult you.”“Yet, you did,” said Kate.“I am very sorry about that,” Duchess apologized somberly. “I have also spoken to your husband earlier today and he has forgiven me.”“So?” Kate demanded with a raised eyebrow.“Darling, can we please bury the hatchet between us?&rdq
“Girl, those photos were fire!” Wendy squealed excitedly. She was on a video call with Kate who has returned to Chicago with Tony.Even though the magazine interview and photoshoot happened weeks ago in Brazil, it had only been recently published in print for the world to see. The article had quickly gone viral, making Kate and Tony the hot topic all over the country.Even Kate’s parents have seen the article and called her on the phone to congratulate her on it. Now. She was on the phone with Wendy, reliving the experience.“It’s like a modern fairy tale in real life,” Wendy gushed. “Every picture ate!”“Thank you,” Kate laughed. “Every inch of that island looked like something out of a storybook. I loved it there.”“I can imagine,” said Wendy. “Also, I loved the cover story. I like the fact that you and Tony didn’t lie about how you met or how quickly
“Now, I see why you married her so quickly,” Tony’s mother said with a smile. “She is a very beautiful girl.”“There’s more to Kate than her beauty,” Tony told his mother.“I don’t doubt that,” she replied and winked at Kate. Tony was right. His mother did have a great sense of humor.“Mȃe, allow me to officially introduce my wife to you,” Tony began dramatically. “Meet Katherine Analise DaCosta, formerly known as Kate Harrison.”“Your names are as beautiful as you are,” said Tony’s mother.“Thank you, ma’am,” Kate replied brightly.“Kate, this is my mother, Senhora Adele DaCosta,” said Tony with a flourish.“Please, call me Adele,” said Tony’s mother. “We’re family now, so there’s no need for titles.”“Of course,” said Kate.&ldquo
Kate woke up in the morning feeling very refreshed. To her surprise, Tony wasn’t in bed. She assumed he was in the bathroom but after waiting for several minutes and not hearing any sound from there, she called out his name.There was no response. She got out of bed and went to knock on the bathroom door. Still no answer.Kate went into the bathroom and noticed that the shower stall was wet and smelled of the same soap she’d used last night.She wondered where Tony must have gone to. After freshening up, Kate went back to the bedroom to get dressed.The sun was already rising and Kate suspected it was going to be a warm morning. She put on a short-sleeved cotton dress and her leather sandals.Kate stood in front of the dressing mirror and silently debated what to do with her hair. It was overdue for washing but she wasn’t ready to deal with it right now.She untied her hair and fluffed it out with her fingers. It was the be
Kate knew that Mama Gabriela’s reaction must be a result of Tony introducing her as his wife.Mama Gabriela asked Tony a question and he responded to her in a level voice. His answer seemed to have pleased the old woman because she started smiling again.She motioned to them to follow her and she led them to the main entrance of the house. She opened the big black double doors and let them into an absolutely stunning front room.Some domestic staff showed up to greet Tony and Kate. The people looked as if they’d been woken up from sleep. They quickly went outside to get Tony and Kate’s bags from the courtyard where the golf cart driver had dropped them.They followed Mama Gabriela up a windy staircase that led to a beautifully furnished living room. The old woman led them past the living room to a wide corridor with doors on both sides.She turned to face them and said something to Tony. He nodded and responded to her.&ldq
It took Kate only a couple of minutes to pack a bag for her trip to Brazil with Tony. Fortunately for them, they didn’t run into Athena or Adonis during their brief stopover at the house.Tony had already made all the arrangements for their trip, so when they got to the airport, his private jet was waiting for them. They boarded the jet immediately and within minutes, they were in the air.Kate savored this experience. She felt like she was in a dream, a beautiful, extravagant dream. She took a few selfies with her phone and sent them to Wendy via email.Meanwhile, Tony was busy on his laptop, sending and responding to emails. He made a few calls to his assistant, his lawyers, and his human resource manager.They had lunch together and watched a wild life documentary afterwards. Halfway through the flight, Kate took a nap and woke up two hours later with a severe morning sickness.She spent the rest of the flight going back and forth between
Fredrick greeted them warmly at the front door and ushered them into a silver Bentley that was waiting in front of the mansion.“He’s not getting fired, is he?” Kate asked Tony softly in the backseat. She didn’t want the driver to overhear her.“I don’t want to,” Tony admitted. “He’s practically a member of my family. He has been here since my children were little.”“Do you trust him?” Kate asked Tony.“More than I trust the others,” he answered.Kate nodded and relaxed in her seat. That was that then. Fredrick would not lose his job. She couldn’t have that on her conscience too.They drove up to Willowbrook where one of Tony’s restaurants was located. When they arrived, the head waiter showed up promptly to take them to their table in a secluded VIP section. It was curtained off and unavailable to anyone else as long as Tony and Kate were there.