Chapter 4

Cael Moriane sat back in his leather chair, staring at the frosted glass of his office window. The air conditioner worked tirelessly. Muffled sounds of the Moriane Empire filled the hall outside, assistants tapping on keyboards, executives barking commands. Inside, the only sound was the faint hum of his phone vibrating on the desk.

He looked at the screen, it was an email from his assistant.

His lips pressed into a thin line. He hadn't cared about the candidates personal stories. Dependability, discretion, and the ability to follow through was all that mattered. Everything else was just noise but after last night he had been uncharacteristically curious.

He had noticed that it was her first time with a man and he soon wanted to know more about her.

He had instructed his assistant to run a proper and complete check on Anaïs. He wanted to know more than what the agency was able to gather about her.

The buzz of the intercom broke the silence. His assistant’s voice came through, deliberately professional. “Your eleven o’clock meeting is ready.

“Understood,” he replied in a calm, collected tone.

He ended the call and turned his gaze to the city skyline. His mother’s words echoed in his mind: “Cael, it’s not just business, it’s people.”

He pushed the thought aside and stood, adjusting the fit of his tailored suit. He wondered why he seemed to act out of character. This is meant to be nothing more than a transaction.

He didn’t dwell on why he had chosen surrogacy over conventional relationships. Emotions complicated things, and he didn’t need unnecessary distractions.

He got out of his office and walked toward the boardroom with purpose, but the thoughts of Anaïs Iluak lingered in the back of his mind. He didn’t have time for distractions. Surrogacy was practical, a clean solution to a complex problem. It was a simple path to securing his legacy without the complications of emotional investment. After all, he had witnessed how love could unravel even the most carefully constructed empires so it bothered him as to why he suddenly has become interested in knowing more about her. 

A curiosity he couldn't simply shake off.

His father’s voice crept into his mind again: "The only thing that matters is the family name. Your feelings are a liability."

Cael shook his head, dismissing the thought. He entered the boardroom where the usual buzz of Moriane executives filled the air. The meeting began. The discussion was about forecasts, numbers, growth, the usual. Cael listened with icy precision, his questions sharp and deliberate. His colleagues fumbled to match his intellect, but Cael felt no satisfaction. Power was all that mattered.

Devries, his chief strategist, ventured cautiously, "There’s also the matter of selecting ambassadors for our European expansion. We’ll need your approval."

Cael’s gaze was unwavering. "Choose someone trustworthy. Integrity over celebrity appeal."

"Yes, sir."

The meeting concluded with murmurs of relief as the executives filed out. Alone in the room, Cael drummed his fingers on the polished table. He had everything: wealth, influence, and control. But with every decision, there was a gnawing emptiness that lingered. What was it all for?

Shortly after the meeting, In a private executive lounge, Cael sipped scotch, the amber liquid gleaming under the low lights. This was his refuge, a place to escape the relentless demands of the empire he ruled.

His phone buzzed on the table. Another email from his assistant.

Iluak, Anaïs.

He tapped her profile again, studying it more closely. A photograph accompanied the synopsis, of a young woman with striking features and determined eyes.

Leaning back, he hovered his thumb over her name. Sympathy or admiration didn’t stir in him, those emotions had long been exiled from his life. Instead, there was curiosity. How far would someone like her go to survive?

The creak of the lounge door interrupted his thoughts. His sister, Celeste, entered, her heels clicking softly against the floor.

“Drinking alone again, big brother?” she teased.

“What do you want, Celeste?” he asked without looking up.

Pouring herself a glass of wine, she settled into the seat opposite him. “Relax, I’m just checking in. Mom says you’re ignoring her calls again.”

“I’m not ignoring her,” he replied curtly. “I’m prioritizing.”

Celeste smirked. “Of course. Prioritizing is what you do best.”

Her eyes drifted to his phone. “What’s got you so engrossed?”

“Business,” he said, locking the screen and setting the device aside.

Her tone softened. “Business is all you ever think about. You can’t keep shutting the world out, Cael. Eventually, it’ll catch up to you.”

He drained his glass and stood. “I run the world, Celeste. Everything else is a distraction.”

She watched him leave, her expression a mix of concern and frustration.

On the rooftop terrace of Moraine Tower, the city stretched out before Cael in a riot of purples and gold under the night sky. The crisp air carried the faint hum of traffic far below.

He stood alone in the cool night air, gazing out at the glittering city, a realm he commanded but had yet to truly enjoy.

Control and order defined his life, yet tonight his thoughts were uncharacteristically scattered.

The surrogacy arrangement and  Anaïs occupied his mind. His decision to pursue this unconventional path wasn’t driven by sentiment; it was a necessity.

No messy relationships. No complications. The child would inherit the empire and carry his name, ensuring the legacy his father had built endured. That was all he wanted.

Still, a vague unease gnawed at the edges of his thoughts.

“Moriane, are you second-guessing yourself?” he muttered a rare note of humor in his voice.

Anaïs Iluak

His curiosity about this unknown damsel seemed to grow by the hour.

For a brief moment, he wondered about her story, the sound of her voice. But he shook the thought away. 

“Get a hold of yourself Cael”! , he said to himself.

Stories didn’t matter. Outcomes did.

He would meet her again that night, though he had no idea how intertwined their fates had become.