“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
Kate felt energized to continue her day. She no longer felt the need to take a nap. She went to her closet to check out her clothes.Tony’s things have since been moved to Agnes’ suite. Kate’s wardrobe wasn’t impressive, but she managed to find a lovely pink linen dress that matched her current mood. It was a Christmas gift from Aunt Lauretta.“Gosh, I owe her a phone call,” Kate said to herself.She went into the bathroom to relieve herself and then returned to the bedroom to get dressed. She styled her hair in a half-up half-down hairstyle and accessorized with some of her favorite Bohemian jewelry.After checking out herself in the full-length mirror, Kate went downstairs to find Tony. She was finally ready to start playing her role as his wife.When she got to the entrance of his study, she knocked on the door but there was no response. A maid was passing by, so Kate stopped her to ask about Tony’s wher
“What are you talking about?” Kate asked Athena while doing her best to remain calm.Athena’s smirk expanded. “I did a bit of digging and I found out that you met my father a few weeks ago when he traveled to Sundance on business.“You discovered his identity and managed to seduce him into marrying you. That way, he could fund your father’s church-building project while you would have permanent access to his money as his wife.”Kate suppressed her sigh of relief. She’d thought Athena had found out about her pregnancy. Thankfully, that was not the case.“So, that’s my secret?” Kate asked her.“Isn’t it?” Athena countered. “You came here acting like a princess who has lived a life of luxury until now, meanwhile, you’re nothing but a poverty-stricken nobody from a tiny town in Wyoming.”“I never claimed to be what I wasn’t. You drew those conclusions by yourself,” Kate told her calmly.“Well, guess what?” Athena continued triumphantly. “
Tony was surprised by Kate’s unexpected gesture of comfort. It took him a while to recover and wrap his arms around Kate. They stayed in each other’s embrace for nearly two minutes before Kate stepped away from him.“Thank you for that,” Tony said softly.Kate smiled and said, “You’re welcome.”“Have you had dinner?” Tony asked her.“No,” Kate responded. “I was waiting for you.”Tony smiled and said, “Give me a few minutes to change my clothes, and then we’ll go downstairs for dinner.”“Can we eat here instead?” Kate asked. “The dining room is so huge and we look kind of silly, just the two of us eating on that incredibly long table. How about we have a cozy dinner up here for a change?”“That’s fine with me,” said Tony. He turned to leave, but Kate’s next question stopped him in his tracks.“Did you mean what you said to Athena?” She asked him quietly. “You know, what you said about me making you happy.”Tony faced her
“Your boyfriend is Matt Carter?” Kate asked in shock.“Yes,” Wendy answered confidently. “And before you go off on me, I know he used to date your husband’s daughter, but they’ve broken up, OK?”“Is that what he told you?” Kate asked.“Yes,” said Wendy. “They broke up right after they returned from her birthday trip in Saint Tropez. Trust me, he’s single and I’m his girl.”Kate wasn’t keeping up with Athena’s love life, but this turn of events didn’t sit well with her at all. It was such an uncomfortable coincidence that her best friend was now dating Athena’s ex-boyfriend. It was indeed unsettling.“That’s kind of weird though,” said Kate. “I mean, of all the people you could have bumped into at that party, it had to be Matt Carter.”Wendy’s expression changed. “What do you mean by
Their five-day stay in Beaver Island was the best honeymoon Kate could have ever imagined. She and Tony made love at any opportunity they got.Kate was surprised by Tony’s stamina. When she jokingly made a comment about it, he told her he’d been celibate since Agnes’ death and that was probably why he was so sexually charged. Kate was impressed.When they returned to Chicago, she took Tony’s advice and started seeing a therapist to help her cope with postpartum depression. Her relationship with Nathan had improved a little, now that he was learning to sit and interact with everyone more.Athena and Adonis steered clear of the mansion but made sure to keep Tony informed on their progress with the family business. Kate didn’t mind their absence at all. In fact, she loved it and secretly hoped that it would be that way for a very long time.Tony practically spent all of his time at home with Kate and Nathan. He only left them fo
Tony’s birthday dinner was an elaborate affair unlike what Kate expected. Even though both of them were the only diners, Chef Yuto and his team who came with him treated the DaCostas to a delectable 5-course dinner.The patio had been decorated with strings of accent lights that cast a soft glow around them. Fresh flowers with green leaves were braided along the arches and pillars that surrounded the patio.Long white candles on gold-colored candlesticks lined the table from one end to the other. There were also fresh flowers with green leaves artfully arranged on the table.To top it off, Tony had invited an award-winning violinist to serenade them as they enjoyed their exquisite meals. It was indeed the stuff fairytales were made of.“This has been the most romantic night I’ve ever experienced,” Kate told Tony. “It feels surreal.”“That’s the whole idea,” Tony said with a pleased smile. &ldquo
Just before leaving the house for the yacht cruise, Tony received an email from Athena wishing him happy birthday. The email also included a non-apology about the scandal with zero accountability for her actions.“Well, that’s disappointing,” Tony commented after reading the email.“What is?” Kate asked him. He showed her the email and she too was disappointed by the content.“Don’t allow this to spoil your day,” Kate said sympathetically.“It won’t,” Tony said confidently.Tucking his phone away in his pocket, he joined Kate, Nanny Ella, and baby Nathan in the back seat of the glossy red Cadillac Escalade-V. Their bodyguard, Philip, was seating in front beside the driver.Once the family was settled in, the driver started the car and drove smoothly out of the DaCosta Estate. They were followed by a Range Rover Sport carrying the second bodyguard, Rayce, and two domestic staff
“Did you mean what you said about us taking a trip out of town?” Kate asked Tony as they headed towards the sunroom together.“Yes,” he answered with a smile. “We don’t have to travel too far. I just want us to have a change of scenery for a few days and fully recover from this madness that my stupid children brought on us.”Kate chuckled but sobered up almost immediately. “I hope you don’t intend to actually disown them. Please, don’t let your relationship with them collapse to that extent.”“I won’t disown them,” Tony said sagely. “I’m just so disappointed in them… I don’t have the right words to describe just how hurt I am. They put their emotions over family values. What kind of people are they? Athena did not even think to apologize for what she did. Instead, she was hellbent on defending her vindictive actions.”Kate could feel Tony&rsq
The days following the phot leak were nothing short of crazy. Both the mainstream media and social media platforms dished out multiple hot takes on the matter.Kate was labeled as the cunning young woman who seduced an elderly billionaire to marry her while pregnant with another man’s child. Tony was called a senile old man who let lust blind him until he fell for the conniving Jezebel he married.Some press people even had the audacity to camp outside of the DaCosta property, shouting out questions to nobody in particular. Tony eventually called the police to get rid of them after enduring the madness for two days.He’d also summoned his children to come to the house for an important family meeting, but they’d both been conveniently out of the country on some extended business trips.Kate’s family called her as soon as the news reached them and she assured them that she was OK even though she wasn’t. The same scandal that se
Kate’s family returned to their homes five days later. It had been a rather enjoyable period for Kate. But with everyone gone, she was forced to confront her struggle of bonding with her child.Athena and Adonis have been noticeably absent from the DaCosta mansion since their last cameo appearance (according to Tony). Their absence didn’t bring Kate relief, but instead, made her edgy.She could feel it in her bones that the siblings were up to no good. Additionally, the possibility that Duchess may already know about Nathan, bothered Kate seriously.“I think we should travel to Brazil soon, so that Mȃe can finally meet our baby,” Kate suggested at dinner one evening.Tony gave a curious look. “What’s the hurry? The poor boy is barely a month old. He’s not fit to go on such a long trip.”“I’m not saying we should go right now,” Kate argued.Tony chuckled. “A trip abroad s
Kate’s party was a fun gathering comprising of her family and a surprise visit from her Aunt Lauretta. She was a younger, taller version of Kate’s mother.“I was mad as hell when I heard you got married and didn’t invite me,” she told Kate as soon as she was welcomed into the DaCosta home.“But when I found out who you married, my anger disappeared instantly,” Lauretta continued brightly. “You have all of my blessings, darling.”Kate giggled. “Thank you, Aunt Lauretta,” she said happily. “And thank you for coming to my party on such short notice. This is the best gift I’ve gotten today.”“You flatter me,” Lauretta laughed. “So, where is your baby?”Kate’s mood sank. She hated that she always felt this way each time someone asked about her baby.“He’s taking a nap upstairs,” Kate answered. “And speaking of
“About time,” Tony said in response to Kate’s request for a dialogue. He led her to his study, sat quietly behind his desk and waited for her to begin.“First of all, I want to apologize to you for lying to you and going to confront Adonis,” Kate started. “And second, I am sorry for putting us in a very embarrassing situation in front of your son.”Tony simply nodded his head to acknowledge Kate’s apologies.“With that said, let me be very clear on this, Tony. I have never ever cheated on you and I never will,” Kate declared sincerely. “Everything Adonis accused me of were outright lies.”“Did you ever give him a reason to think that you were interested in him?” Tony asked her.“No. Quite the opposite,” Kate stated firmly. “He made a pass at me the first week I came to this house, and I made it clear to him that I would not take it lightly if