FlashbackSix months ago...âI canât do this, Callie. Heâs your husband.â Sierra stood up and walked toward the window of her roomâstaring at the wide yard of Callie and Axtonâs house, where she had been staying for the past few weeks after they agreed to have her as a surrogate for their child.Callie took a deep breath, and Sierra could hear it clearly.After the examination earlier that afternoon, everyone fell silent because their minds were full of problems.Callie had been diagnosed with an inability to produce healthy eggs, making the surrogacy process impossible. Her illness had affected the condition of her eggs, and even if she could produce eggs, their quality was not good enough, so it was likely their child would be born with defects.That explanation shattered all the hope they had.The initial agreement, where Callie and Axton would pay Sierra to be their surrogate and carry their child, became a grey area that couldnât continue anymore.No one talked about that agreeme
The situation was more chaotic than Sierra could explain.She cried loudly while Axton was still trying to plead with Callie in front of her bedroom door. He tried everything to get Callie to open the door, but the only thing he could hear was Callieâs crying from inside.Once again, Sierra fell to the floor as she watched Axton crying there.The memories of the pastâher friendship with Callie, the years they spent together, and how she had ruined everything in just the last few minutesârun in her head.Sierra would never forgive herself for everything that had happened, and she couldnât bear to stay there and watch Axton suffer from their mistakes. So, she got up and ran to her roomâlocking herself inside and hoping she wouldnât end up doing something crazy again.She knew she had made a huge mistake by allowing Axton to kiss her, but she also didnât understand why she kissed him back. She should have rejected him like she did two days ago instead of letting him influence her.Her ph
"I've ordered corn soup for you. They'll bring it here once it's ready. You don't mind if I stay here until your soup arrives, do you?" Damian walked into the hotel room and sat by the window, where Sierra had positioned herself.Sierra nodded. "Thank you, Damian.""I don't know when you'll stop saying that, Sierra. Haven't I already told you I don't mind doing any of this?"Sierra smiled stiffly and nodded again. She wasn't just grateful for the corn soup Damian ordered but also for how he had helped calm her down when she'd had a panic attack. In her entire life, she'd never expected something like that to happen to her, and when it did, she was utterly clueless about how to handle herself. Damian had stepped in calmly as though he truly knew what to do."How did you know?"Damian turned his head. "What?"Sierra shrugged, recalling what had happened minutes ago. "The panic attack."Damian stared at her without blinking, and Sierra instantly regretted asking when she saw the look on
FlashbackSeven Years AgoSierra felt a wave of nervousness as she stepped out of her dorm building.She shouldnât be doing this. She shouldâve listened to Callie and joined her at the party. At least Adrian or Paul were familiar facesâmen they actually knew, not some stranger she had only met through a dating app.Adrian and Paul were sleazy, sure, but at least they werenât serial killers or pickpockets, which had been making headlines lately.ButâĶ Adrian and Paul werenât the ones exchanging messages with her. They werenât the ones she confided in about her campus troubles or the classmates who dismissed her as a nerd.Adrian and Paul werenât the reason she had sprinted out of class, eager to get to her phone for another late-night chat.So, Sierra chooses to meet X, even though she isnât certain about him.She snuck out of her dorm, hoping Callie wouldnât catch her. If Callie did, sheâd drag her back to their room and force her to join the party. She had to walk a bit to catch a bus
Their steps out of the hotel lobby toward Axton's car drew the attention of several people. A security guard attempted to stop Axton when he saw the manâs face covered in blood and the visible injury on Sierra's face."Sir, could you stop for a moment? I need to verify something."Axton kept walking, ignoring the man."Sir, I need your time before you leave the hotel."Again, Axton disregarded the request. Sierra trudged alongside him, but her thoughts lingered on Damian, who was still inside the hotel."Are you okay, Maâam?" The security guard touched Sierra's hand, prompting Axton to stop abruptly."Donât touch her," he said sharply, his voice laced with menace.Sierra held her breath at his tone. She turned to Axton, silently pleading with him as his grip on her wrist tightened, causing discomfort."Sorry, Sir, but I need to know why youâre leaving the hotel in this condition. Could you please come with me for a moment?"Axton stared at the guard for a few seconds before resuming h
âIâm leaving,â those words were spoken by Callie after they were lost in painful silence.Sierra stared in disbelief. âNo, please, no!â She wanted to approach but couldnât do anything because she knew her touch would only make Callie more hysterical.âDonât do this, Callie.â Axton stopped her and tightly grasped her arm. âDonât ever leave my life.ââYou chose her, didnât you?âThere was no anger. No objects were thrown because Callie had already destroyed everything. This time, she asked with empty eyes as if she had no strength left for anything. And that made Sierra sink deeper into guilt.âI choose you and Sierra,â Axton said in one breath.Once again, Sierra had to hold her breath when she heard Axtonâs answer.âIâm leaving,â Callie shook her head. âI donât want anything here.ââNo, please.â Axton still begged, holding her hand. âPlease, Callie. I need you. You know that, right?âCallie turned her head to look at Sierra and immediately lowered her head when she realized what that
Sierra didnât know what to say about everything that had happened recently. Almost two months had passed since the worst thing she had ever seen in her life. It is as bad as the death of her mother.Since that night, Sierra and Callie had stopped talking. They no longer ate at the same dining table, and Callie would always walk away whenever she saw her coming.Axton and Callieâs relationship had improved, thank God. Sierra didnât know what she would have done if they hadnât been okay. However, she knew that not everything that looked good was as it seemed.At least she knew that Axton and Callie still spoke to each other, even though Axton had to try harder to make Callie talk to him.As for her pregnancyâĶSierra didnât know what to say. Her belly had grown because she was now six months pregnant, and she probably couldnât hide it next month. She could wear loose clothing when leaving her room to conceal her belly, but most of the maids already knew.She had stopped working a month a
âIf you want to work here, then use your hands and feet. I donât need your mouths.âCallieâs voice echoed from the kitchen, and Sierra knew she had to stop this. Ignoring her phone ringing with Damianâs name on the screen, she walked into the kitchen, where three women stood with their heads bowed.âCallie, maybe itâs better to leave this alone,â she said carefully, trying not to make things worse.âI can fire you all right now without my husbandâs permission because he gave me authority over this house.â Callie shot them a look full of arroganceâsomething Sierra had never seen in her friendâs eyes before. âI can bring in anyone I want and kick out anyone I dislike from my house. Youâre just insignificant parts that wouldnât change a thing even if I dismissed you right this second.ââWeâre sorry, Mrs. Scott. This wonât happen again.â One of them fell to her knees in front of Callie, and the others quickly followed suit.Callie stood there with her arms crossed as if she was enjoying t
Lately, Sierra had grown fond of gardening. She enjoyed planting flowers, and since she had a spacious backyard, she was free to do whatever she pleased there.After returning from their honeymoon across various countries, she had already planned a beautiful concept for her backyard. Her mother used to love gardening, even after coming home tired from work, though they didnât have an adequate plot of land to do so. Now that Sierra had better opportunities than her mother ever had, she wanted to honor that hobbyâbringing something her mother loved into her new home.When Sienna was with her grandmother, Sierra found herself with free time to indulge in something she enjoyed, keeping herself entertained so she wouldn't feel bored. Occasionally, she would step out to purchase gardening tools and thoroughly enjoyed those moments.In the past, she couldnât afford this kind of relaxed lifestyle because she always had a demanding schedule. Since college, sheâd been accustomed to working part
Axton made Sierra leave the United States for a honeymoon in Europe one month after their wedding. He didnât tell her where they would go or how long they would be on vacation, leaving Sienna with her grandparents. He only said that he had everything planned but wanted it to be a surprise, so the only thing Sierra had to do was to look beautiful every morning and look forward to each surprise he would give.This morning, they woke up in Norway after spending the night watching the beautiful Aurora Borealis. It felt like a dreamâa place so beautiful it seemed unreachable by humans. But Sierra was there with Axton, and it was a truly wonderful experience.Then, in the night, they traveled to Switzerland and stayed there for an unknown number of days, visiting places they would explore.âI canât believe Iâm unemployed and traveling the world with you,â she commented while standing near the window of the villa they were staying in.The view of nature there was so soothing to her eyes. Eve
Sierra and Axton had agreed to host a simple wedding celebration attended only by close family and friends. Most of the guests were Axtonâs family and friends, as Sierra didnât have either.Well, she had invited Andreaâif the woman could even be categorized as a friend. And DamianâĶActually, Sierra wasnât the one who invited Damian. It was Axton, which had completely surprised her.âTo my daughter-in-law, Sierra Scott, I love you, pretty girl,â Axtonâs mother said, blowing an air kiss and smiling warmly. Sierra laughed as she stood next to Axton.After all the formal wedding, it was time for speeches from the coupleâs closest people. Sadly, Sierra had to remind herself once again that she had no parents or close friends to speak for her.âI always wished I could have met Sophia, Sierraâs mother because she raised such an incredible woman with all her strength,â Axtonâs mother began. âSierra is a passionate woman with a beautiful perspective on everything in the world. She loves everyo
Sierra stared at her reflection in the mirror, disbelief evident in her eyes.It was hard to accept that all of this was real. But of course, she wasnât dreaming as she stood there in her wedding gown, her face adorned with flawless makeup. She was almost too afraid to touch her own skin, worried she might ruin the carefully applied look.âYou look absolutely stunning,â Axtonâs mother said, wiping tears from the corner of her eyes as she admired Sierra standing in front of the mirror. âYou are the most beautiful bride Iâve ever seen.âSierra smiled and turned her head slightly. âDonât exaggerate, Mom,â she replied, taking a deep breath. âI feel unsure about walking out there. What if people judge me?âThe woman immediately took her hand, looking at her with genuine warmth. âWhen Callieâthe most important person in your lifeâgives her blessing for what youâre about to do, why should you care about what anyone else thinks?âSierra had read the letter Callie had given her. She must have
âIâm here,â Sierra said softly.A week after receiving Callieâs letter and all the gifts the woman had sent her, Sierra finally decided to visit Callie.âI also stopped by the store you worked with, just to thank them,â Sierra said, taking a deep breath as she sat down on the damp ground of Callieâs grave, ignoring the possibility of her skirt getting dirty. âThey were confused, looking for me at your old house. I donât live there anymore, Callie. I moved after giving birth because Axton thought it would be better for us to find a new home. Staying there made it hard to move on, constantly reminded of you.âShe glanced at Axton, who was walking toward her from a distance.Today, she wasnât alone. Axton and Sienna had come with her. But when they arrived, Sienna wanted to breastfeed, so Sierra left them in the car. Axton could handle her to help her drink her milk, and it wasnât an issue for him.âIâm sorry I didnât realize how much you cared for me and Sienna. I thought you were angry
Sierra couldnât blink, and it felt like time had stopped for a moment. Her body felt stiff, even though the only thing she desperately wanted to do was run away.What Damian had said entirely left her at a loss for words. If she were honest, those words moved her deeply, making her feel even guiltier toward him.That wasnât what he should have said. Damian should have angrily cursed at them for causing a scene in front of his apartment in the morning. He should have... He could have said something harsh to her if he truly wanted to show how upset he was with everything.But instead of doing that, Damian chose to say something kindâwords that should never have come from someone who had been wronged.Thankfully, Axton could read her mind well enough to step forward, grab her hand, and lead her away from there.âLetâs go home!â he said, walking briskly.Of course, Sierra followed Axton. She walked without turning her head because she didnât want to see Damian again.âI never knew that Da
This morning, Sierra cooked breakfast for everyone because she knew that the maids in her house must be exhausted after participating in last night's party. She didn't just prepare breakfast for her family but also for the entire staff."This is a simple menu, but I hope you'll like it," she said with a quick smile. "I'm not great at cooking, but I made sure it's safe to eat." She brought the food to the dining table near the kitchen. Usually, the maids and workers gathered there to eat together, which is why Sierra had come in now."You really shouldn't have gone to so much trouble. You must be exhausted after last night's party," said one of the staff.Sierra waved her hand with a playful smile. "Please, don't be so stiff when talking to me. If I'm tired, then you all must be tired too. This is just a small thing I can do. But this afternoon, I'll ask Axton to buy food for us all so you donât have to cook.""Oh God, looks like this party made you happy," Percy commented casually, un
Sierra felt much more relaxed once she was back with Axton and Sienna. Of course, they were still the center of attention since it was their party, but now she didnât have to stand alone in the middle of it all.âI donât know what to give her, but she seems to like everything I give her,â a middle-aged woman, whom Axton introduced as his aunt, handed Sierra a large paper bag with the logo of a luxury brand.Sierra was quite stunned by this, but she quickly nodded and offered a polite smile. âThank you for taking the time to visit Sienna. I hope you enjoy the party tonight.ââWell, of course, Iâm enjoying it,â the woman smiled. âIsnât Alicia the one who organized all of this? Iâve been to every one of her parties, and I can always tell which ones sheâs organized. And I can say this one is definitely hers.âSierra turned her head toward Axton and smiled again. âShe put this together in just three days, and it amazes me.ââSheâs a legend when it comes to parties in New York,â the woman c
Siennaâs bedtime routine often started with the family gathering in the living room after dinner. Percy and Bethany would prepare light snacks, and once Sienna fell asleep, Axtonâs parents would head back to their home.âIâve been thinking about this since Sienna was born,â Axtonâs mother began with a warm smile, holding Sienna close in her arms. âBut things have been quite hectic lately. I just wanted to spend as much time as possible with this beautiful girl. However, all our relatives and acquaintances keep asking about her, and I donât want us to waste too much time hosting them one by one.âSierra frowned slightly, resting her head on Axtonâs shoulder as he held her hand and played with her fingers.âSome family members managed to visit the hospital, but others havenât had the chance yet. They keep asking me when they can come, but I donât know when to let them. Iâm worried theyâll take up too much of our time.âSierraâs frown deepened, but she remained silent.âSo, what are you