Kate couldn’t be bothered to admire the opulent mansion as Tony led her upstairs to his quarter. Her mind was troubled by the disturbing scene that had just played out downstairs.
Tony led her into a huge suite that was furnished like a Renaissance palace with gold-framed furniture, large oil paintings on the walls, and green plants in big flower pots around the room. There was also an ornate fireplace which gave the room a true vintage vibe.
An arched entryway led to the bedroom where a king-sized bed stood. There was a dressing table on one side of the bedroom and a walk-in closet on the other.
“This is my suite,” Tony informed Kate calmly. “But it will be your bedroom from now on. I’ll ask a maid or two to clear out my things from here and move them to Agne’s room over there.”
He pointed at a door beside the fireplace. Kate had thought that the door led to the bathroom.
“Who is Agnes?” She as
Kate wasted no time in unzipping one of her bags and bringing out her most comfy pajama set and her toothbrush. She went into the bathroom and found herself in the most luxurious bathroom she’d ever seen.Everything here was done in white and gold. The shower stall with its marble tiles, was big enough to fit four people comfortably. The boat-shaped bathtub looked like a mini swimming pool.“I could live in here,” Kate laughed to herself.After a deliciously relaxing hot shower and brushing her teeth, Kate got dressed and returned to the bedroom. She was so exhausted that as soon as she got on the extremely comfortable bed, she fell asleep.She was woken by the sound of her phone ringing. It was morning already and she couldn’t figure out where her blasted phone was ringing from.Kate dragged herself out of bed and traced the shrill sound to her purse which she’d carelessly tossed on the ottoman at the foot of the bed
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’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
Kate and Tony’s relationship became strained yet again. While they were in the presence of her family, they acted all lovey-dovey, but when they were returned to their suites, they acted like acquaintances.It didn’t help that Adonis refused to double-down on his claims of having an affair with Kate. Even though Tony didn’t quite believe that to be true, he was a firm believer of the saying, ‘There is no smoke without fire.’The day before Kate’s birthday, she was alone in her bedroom with the baby when she got a video call from Adele DaCosta. She had been notified of the baby’s birth previously but she hadn’t seen him.“Let me see my newest grandchild,” Adele said excitedly. Mama Gabriela was standing beside her with an eager look on her wrinkled face.Kate hesitated. She wondered if Tony had already informed his mother about the baby’s appearance.“He is asleep right now,&rdq
“I’m not going to keep sneaking around with you, Kate,” he said seriously as if he meant what he was saying. “It’s time for my father to know the truth about us.”“Stop it!” Kate screamed at Adonis in frustration. “I know you hate me, but to try and hurt your father like this, is beyond cruel. Stop it.”“No, Kate. What you are doing is cruel,” Adonis countered. “How can you keep deceiving my father like this? Have you no conscience?”“What is going on here?” Tony cut in. “Why are the two of you speaking in riddles?”“Nothing is going on,” Kate answered him hastily. “I came up here to talk to Adonis about his behavior earlier in front of my parents, but instead of listening to me, he dragged me into his suite and tried to force himself on me.”Adonis roared with laughter.“Seriously?” He aske