OLIVIA
“I’m sorry, but he needs urgent surgery to survive.” The doctor said.
My mother choked on a sob, staggering backwards so violently that if I hadn’t been holding her, she might have fallen to the ground.
After hours of worrying, waiting and praying, this was not the sort of news we’d hoped to hear concerning my brother’s health. I felt goosebumps spread over my skin, my heart dropping at the realization that my brother might die.
“Please, doctor..” I stepped forward, my hands trembling. “There has to be another way to save my brother. Please help us.”
The doctor shook his head. “Unfortunately, the damage is too deep. Surgery is the only way out. And I’d advise you to hurry because he has less than twelve hours to live without surgery.”
My chest felt tight as I fought back tears of my own. I shut my eyes briefly and tried to breathe, but it seemed impossible right now. I was feeling way too much, way too soon.
It felt like my world was crashing down on me, and if I weren’t careful, it would end right before my eyes.
Where was I supposed to get the money to book my brother for neurosurgery? Even if I poured my life savings into it, it wouldn’t amount to even five percent of the bill.
And even if I got the money, how would I find a neurosurgeon who would book my brother within twelve hours? We would at least pay twice the normal f*e to bypass the list.
I felt tears spring to my eyes, but I forced them back in for fear that my mother, who was still sobbing quietly beside me, would see me cry. If I broke down in front of her, it would only make this so much worse to deal with.
As I watched her cry and lament, I knew that if anything happened to James, she would not be able to survive it. I scooted closer to her and took her hand.
“Mom, we’re going to save him,” I told her, even though my voice was cracking. “Nothing will happen to James. I will find a way to get the money. Stay here and wait, okay?”
She nodded and hugged me, her tears soaking my shirt.
I dashed out of the hospital immediately, heading straight to a loan agency I had seen a few streets away. But before I could even finish explaining my purpose of taking a loan, I was rejected.
I couldn’t give up, so I headed to the second loan agency. I broke down in tears while begging and explaining, but again, I was rejected. I already had outstanding debt, and as a student, I had no reliable means of repaying the loan. It was a reasonable decision, but for me, it was like a death sentence.
I was stranded and completely alone, with nowhere else to turn to. I couldn’t just give up. I couldn’t let my brother die.
My last option was to head to where I worked. It was not far, so I walked the short distance to the Michelin restaurant where I served as a waitress.
I had been working there for months, so I hoped that would give me some leverage. I tried not to expect too much, but I hoped my manager could give me a year's advance. I didn’t mind not getting paid for a year as long as my brother stayed alive.
I headed straight to the manager’s office as soon as I arrived, only to find him coming out at the same time.
“Good morning, Mr Gu. I was hoping to talk—”
“Ah, Olivia. Thank God you’re here and just on time too. We need extra hands here.”
I shook my head quickly. “I am not on duty today, sir,” I explained. I came here to see you, to beg you for a favour.”
Mr Gu turned up his nose. “You can either meet me after you join to serve the important guest we have, or you can forget about it and enjoy your day off.”
Left without a choice, I nodded. “Okay. I will help out.”
Grabbing a spare uniform from the storage room, I headed to the kitchen, where the head chef was already waiting.
He handed me a tray and gestured to the main area beyond the door. “Be careful. It’s for a very special guest.”
I nodded. I already knew that only the top 0.1% of the city came to this restaurant, so since this guest was special, I assumed that he must be among the 0.0001%. I balanced the tray in my hand and stepped out of the door, my mind still swarming with thoughts.
I tried not to think about how much time had already passed in the twelve hours my brother was given to live, or I would burst into tears. I silently prayed that Mr Gu would sympathize with me enough to give me the advance.
I reached the middle of the restaurant when suddenly, I slipped. I tried a second too late to balance the tray in my hand, but I fell, the food flying everywhere.
Bile rose in my throat as I stared at the mess, too terrified to make a move. With my heart pounding in my ears, I looked up to see who the special guest was. There were no words to describe the rate at which my heart dropped when I saw the familiar face of the man sitting at the table, his ocean-blue eyes piercing through me.
Christian Blackwood.
There was not a soul in the entire city who did not know him. Christian was the grandson of Mr. Blackwood, a trillionaire and one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country. He was the CEO of Blackwood Air, Blackwood Distribution, and Blackwood Hotel.
He was a powerful, ruthless businessman and a playboy—possibly the most eligible bachelor in the entire city. He was the last person I would ever want to offend, and now that it had happened, I knew I was dead.
I was going to be in so much trouble. Not only would a bad review from him negatively affect the restaurant, but it would also make Mr. Gu sack me. There was no hope of getting the advance for my brother’s surgery now.
I threw myself to the ground before him. “I’m so sorry, sir. Please forgive my incompetence. It was an accident..”
I was still pleading when the door behind me swung open. I saw Mr. Gu fall to his knees beside me and begin to plead. Christian’s gaze fixed on us both for a few seconds before he finally cleared his throat.
“Leave,” he told Mr Gu. “The girl stays.”
Mr Gu obeyed and left, leaving just me and him. I felt tears in my eyes as I wondered what he was going to do to me. Would he blacklist me? Then my life would be truly over.
“Sit,” he said.
I obeyed, although I was still trembling with fear. “I’m sorry—”
He raised a hand, and I took that as a signal to shut up. Swallowing hard, I waited for him to speak. I could hardly look him in the eyes as I sat across him in the space that now seemed too small for both of us.
“What’s your name?” He asked with a deep voice.
“Olivia Carter…s-sir,” I answered.
“Olivia,” he repeated. “How long have you worked here?”
“Seven months.”
He nodded. “I see.” He leaned back in his seat, his eyes raking my body casually. “Why do you need a loan?”
My mouth fell open as I stared at him, lost for words.
“Don’t be shocked. I can see the loan request slip peeking out of your pocket.”
I quickly pushed it back in, looking down to hide my tears. “I need to pay my brother’s medical bills,” I revealed.
After a short pause, he asked. “What is your greatest desire, Olivia?”
I did not need to think about it. “For my brother to live. To get enough money to pay for his surgery.”
He nodded. “I can help you.”
“What?” I lifted my head in shock to look at him. Was I dreaming? Why would he offer to help me? Was this not Christian Blackwood?
“I can pay for your brother’s surgery, change your entire life such that you’ll never have to work a day in your life. But you will have to help me.” He said.
I stared at him in shock. What could I possibly do for a billionaire like him? “What can I do?” I asked, my fingers shaking.
He leaned in. “I want you to be my surrogate.”
OLIVIAThis is a very vivid dream I'm having right now. That was my first thought as I stared at the man seated in front of me, certain that I must have heard him wrong. The chances of what he had just proposed to me being real were extremely low. I just couldn't believe it. Reaching out under the table, I pinched the skin on my arm hard. The pain shooting up my arm only meant that I was truly awake. This was not a dream. I was actually in the restaurant, seated across from Christian Blackwood, listening to him ask me to be his surrogate. He was still staring intensely, waiting for a response. "I…I don't understand," I finally said. And that was not a lie. I was lost here. "I am telling you that if you agree to this deal, you will never have to work a day in your life ever again. You won't need to raise a finger again if that is your wish. And as you said, your brother's health and survival are your top priority. From the look of things, I am your only hope."I swallowed hard, kno
OLIVIAJust like Christian said, my brother was booked for surgery. Twenty minutes after he made the call, my brother was transferred to the best neurosurgeon in the city, and a few hours later, his surgery was over.My mother and I spent the rest of the time in the lobby, overjoyed to learn that the surgery had been a success. My brother was still alive, and in a few weeks, he would be completely fine. I was so happy that I even cried tears of joy. I couldn't believe that I'd managed to pull this off and save my brother’s life. My mother was even happier. She was so overwhelmed with excitement that she did not even ask me where the money came from yet. But I knew in the back of my mind that she would soon return to it, and I had until then to come up with a reasonable lie. I shook my head in horror at the thought of how I would tell my mother about my arrangement with Christian. I didn't even want to think about how she would react or what she would do. Although I felt terrible fo
OLIVIAI could tell he expected me to make a move from the way he looked at me, and I fiddled with my dress, melting under his dark, hot gaze. Slowly, I took off my dress and let it fall to the ground, standing in nothing but lingerie. Heat rushed to my skin as his eyes ran all over my body, his eyes lingering in certain places. Gosh. This was driving me crazy. “Everything.” His voice came again. I locked eyes with him and immediately realized what he meant. He was asking me to strip before him. With shaking fingers, I slowly unclasped the bra. Christian let out a sharp intake of breath, his eyes drenching in the gaze of my body. As I was still contemplating taking off my panties…delving right into it boldly, Christian closed the gap between us, cupping my cheeks and taking me by yet another surprise. But this surprise was nothing compared to the one I felt nanoseconds later when Christian’s lips claimed mine. No, no, no. A protest started in my mind but never made it out of my
CHRISTIAN'S POV THREE DAYS EARLIER "Grandfather is rewriting his will and plans to cut you out of his inheritance." My jaw ticked as I stared at the phone in my hand, reading the text I'd just gotten from my sister over and over again. If I didn't know any better, I might have brushed this off as an expensive joke. But it was real. According to Ophelia, she overheard our grandfather talking about rewriting his will, and immediately, she'd decided to warn me. To solidify this claim, she'd managed to take a picture of the new will's draft. That could only mean one thing: our grandfather was serious. With great difficulty, I pieced together the words on the image. "My successor must have the following qualities: He must have a child and, in the absence of one, a wife to guarantee the continuity of the Blackwood Enterprise.""Fuck!" I hissed, slamming my hand against the table and cursing under my breath. The betraying, sly old man. How could he do this to me? Was this how he pla
OLIVIA'S POV My eyes fluttered open as I stretched out on the soft sheets beneath me, yawning loudly. This room looked unfamiliar.I gasped, sitting up in a flash and letting my eyes roam through the room. The fragments of my memory pieced together, and it all came back to me. Yes... Last night. Christian's room...My steamy first sex.I had eagerly given up my virginity to Christian Blackwood, joining the long list of women who had been intoxicated and enraptured by his looks and had toppled into his bed. I closed my eyes, a flush creeping up my cheeks as I remembered how I had begged him to take me, groping and yearning for him. "Ugh!" I groaned, hitting my arms and legs against the sheets and kicking them away. What had come over me? How could I have been so easy? Giving myself to him so eagerly? Begging to be devoured like my life depended on it?This was next-level embarrassment. I was still on Christian's bed, fully nude and only covered by the duvet hanging over my ches
CHRISTIAN'S POV I'd slept with several women, but something about Olivia was nerve-wracking. Why? What could it be? What was it about her?I've had several wild nights with women: Veronica in Mexico, Lydia in England, Isla in Italy, and many more than I could recall. I've had fun, fulfilling several fantasies with different kinds of women. So why was one night of meaningless sex with a surrogate eating away at me?I couldn't understand it. Why couldn't I get the thoughts of last night out of my mind? Why did I get these crazy flashbacks? It was all I'd been thinking about the entire day. Which didn't make any sense to me. Was it the way she stared at me while I took her, her eyes filled with innocence and passion? Was it the way she clung to me like a lifeline, her fingers digging into my shoulders as her moans filled my ears? Or was it the way she wanted me? Begged me?She had felt so tight....nearly driving me insane with pleasure.I inhaled sharply and ran my fingers through my
OLIVIA'S POV I had to get used to my new lifestyle. Fast.It felt like being thrown in the middle of a bustling, chaotic roller coaster. It was practically one thing after another, back-to-back to the point where I felt like I could hardly breathe.Mr Dennison dropped me at Blackwood Hotel after the longest hours of shopping I'd ever experienced in my life. You would think shopping was invigorating and fun, but I had never been more wrong about anything in my life.After trying over a hundred different outfits, I was exhausted to the bone. It might have been shorter if my PA, Grace, hadn't kept discarding and disapproving of every outfit I actually liked."Wasn't fashionable enough," She had said. Wasn't Christian's taste...blah blah.Excuse me? Wasn't I the one to wear these dresses?We'd had to scour the entire store to pick out outfits, shoes, and accessories. I was too terrified to even look at the receipt because the price tags were enough to show me that we had splurged thousan
CHRISTIAN'S POVI shoved the files off my desk, barely registering the thud as they hit the floor.When did it get to this?Olivia clung to me, her breath hot, her hands running over my body in a wild frenzy as we kissed, my tongue tracing hers in slow strokes.Where did this fierce energy come from? Where did the passion come from?Last night, she had been begging beneath me, writhing with pleasure. Now, she wanted to be in control so badly.And just minutes ago...we were only talking.So when?Oh...I had crossed over to her, hadn't I?After she had blatantly denied suggesting we fuck in my office, I had been baffled by her boldness, and audacity, which was a clear contrast to the innocent look on her face.But no...she wasn't innocent.The way she kissed me now, pressing her body against mine, tugging me closer...every movement of hers ignited something primal in me, something I'd kept buried.I kissed her harder, more urgently, like I couldn't get enough of her. And frankly, I was
Michael’s POV“When is he going to show up?”I glanced over at Lydia, who wouldn’t stop tapping her foot against the gazebo.I let out a small sigh, scratching my brow. “Should be here anytime soon.”Just as the words left my mouth, the butler showed up with a man trailing behind him.Finally..I rose to my feet, stretching out my palm as the man behind came forward. “Cain,” I greeted with a slight nod of my head.“Michael, you bastard,” he responded with a smirk, and I smiled, offering him a seat.“Thank you for coming,” I replied, adjusting my suit and letting out a whoosh of air.“So,” I turned towards Lydia, pointing a hand in her direction, “this is Lydia, and Lydia, this is Cain.”“Hey,” he said to Lydia, with so much of a nod in her direction, and Lydia returned the gesture in the same exact manner.“So,” he continued, returning his gaze to my face, “you contacted me for a job—come on, have a seat, will you?” He gestured me towards a seat, and for a moment, I felt embarrassed t
Olivia’s POVThe banging on the door penetrated my dream, and I bolted up from the bed, banging my head against the headboard.Who could be banging so heavily on my door?“Olivia!” My mother’s voice came from the doorway in a yell, and I sighed, relaxing fully against the headboard. So it was her…“Go wash your mouth and come down,” she continued, “bath of you. Breakfast is ready.”The shuffling of feet indicated she’d left, and I yawned heavily, stretching my arms and body.Just then, I felt Christian move beside me, and I glanced down at him, thinking he would wake up, but he doesn’t.Staring down at him with so much curiosity and inquisitiveness, I reached down and traced the lines on his face with my index finger, a smile tugging on my lips as I thought about how someone could be this handsome.I like you, Olivia.I blushed deeply as the words re-echoed in my head, pressing my lips together.I couldn’t really say the Christian I’d met months ago, cold and staunch, was the same one
Christian’s POVWhat am I doing? Good question.Because if someone had told me months ago, that I would be doing this, kneeling between her thighs, my only desire to make her happy, to satisfy her own pleasures before mine, I would have gotten them arrested. Yet, here I was. The overwhelming desire to tongue-fuck Olivia, coursing through my veins.Oh, how I’ve missed the sight of her writhing underneath me. In pleasure.It took a real man to admit when a woman had swayed his entire life, and I was a real man.So yes, I had no freaking idea what I was doing, but the end result would most probably be cum all over my face. Soon.She shivered in my palms as I kissed a path up her thighs, to her visibly pulsating core.“Relax,” I breathed against her skin, and that somehow seemed to make her quiver even more.Letting out a sigh, my eyes strayed to her pink, soft wetness, and a small groan escaped my throat. I loved the way she looks for me. I could stare at the beautiful sight all day.Gen
OLIVIAHis lips tilting up in a small smirk, he lifted his palm and caressed my chin, and very visibly unable to stop himself, he pulled me into another hug.“I’m glad we’ve cleared the air,” he mumbled into my hair, splaying his fingers against my lower back, “so you can stop seeing Nicholas now.”As if I’d just been stung, I quickly pulled away from him, glancing up at him. “Do you think I’m meeting Nicholas because of you?”He scoffed, shaking his head. “Even though jealousy is a lousy emotion, it makes people do things.“I knew it!” I exclaimed. “You stalked us, didn’t you? Nicholas and I?”“I regret it, you know, because I found out you truly do have terrible taste in men,” came his sarcastic reply.“Uh,” I scoffed in derision. “How—“The words were snatched from my mouth as he suddenly reached out and grabbed me by the waist, smashing his lips down on mine.It was a hungry, fervent kiss that has been long overdue, fired up by all pent up emotions, and I melted into him, relaxing
The door creaked open, and Christian stepped into my room, locking the door behind him.For some reason, that makes my heart skip.In the minutes that followed his entrance, a heavy silence hung between us, as we stared at each other from where we stood.After a while, I cleared my throat quietly. “So, did you mean what you said downstairs?”He looked at me for a while, a quiet expression on his face. “Of course.”Tears immediately rushed to my eyes, and I blinked them back, trying to not think about how his answer had filled my heart with warmth.“What about Lydia?”At the question, he moved closer towards me. “I didn’t fuck her, Olivia, or whatever assumptions you have in your head.”I shook my head, still not satisfied. “Then just come clean,” I replied.“Tell me why you think I’m lying,” he urged, “and say something that could be the problem, other than me dancing with her at the party.”Sniffling, I wiped the back of my hand against my face. “When I went to shop for a dress for t
Olivia’s POVThe ride home was hellish.My mother had always had a temper with small things, and now that it was actually something big, she was crashing out real bad.She’d been yelling nonstop ever since we got in the car, making the ride as hot and uncomfortable as it could get.I remained mute, because I knew there was nothing I could say in this moment.What could I even say?That Christian offered to pay me to get pregnant for him? And I used that same money to pay for my brother’s surgery?Would she understand?“Ma’am, we’re really sorry you had to find out this way,” Christian’s voice penetrated my thoughts, and I whipped my gaze to the side to look at him, shocked.Christian Blackwood…apologizing?But just as I’d expected, his apology did nothing to soothe her anger, neither did it stop the yelling. It continued right until we got home.No…it got worse. As soon as we stepped through the front doors.“So what was it you were saying?!” She yelled, flinging her purse on the couc
Olivia’s POVMy face terribly flushed, I stared up at the nurse, who stood a few feet away from the bed, a patient chart in her hands.“We’ve run a series of tests,” she started, “and you’re fine.” She paused, studying the chart meticulously. “Apparently, you were just stressed out.I nodded as she spoke, touching my wrist. Actually, I felt okay now, almost like nothing had happened to me in the first place, although I’d literally passed out earlier.Maybe it was the IV fluid that was coursing through my veins right now, but I really wanted to leave there.Letting out a small sigh, I turned my head to the other side of the bed to see Liam standing there, staring down at me, and I couldn’t tell if he looked shocked or appalled by the sudden, unplanned discovery that I was pregnant.There was no way this was avoidable.He was going to find out sooner or later, because coincidentally, I’d been rushed to the same hospital where I’d registered for prenatal care.“How long do I have to stay
Olivia’s POV Wiping her nose with the handkerchief I offered her, she sniffled, then zeroed her gaze into space. “When I was twelve,” she started after a few moments, her tone laced with a deep emotion I couldn’t put a finger on, “my mom would always tell me to make friends with girls that are in the same bracket with me.” She scoffed, lifting her arms. “You know, status-wise,” she added, bracketing the last two words with her fingers. I stared at her as she spoke, my attention rapt and silent. “Guess what?” She continued. “She even forbade me from being friends with a girl whose mother was a hair stylist. Can you imagine that?” “And at 17,” she continued without missing a beat, not giving me a chance to respond to her possibly rhetorical question, “she started taking me to parties filled to the brim with old men. Passing me around and asking me to climb my way to the top on their backs.” She tilted a corner of her lips in a small smirk then, her eyes darkening in pain, “I mean,
Olivia’s POVWiping her nose with the handkerchief I offered her, she sniffled, then zeroed her gaze into space.“When I was twelve,” she started after a few moments, her tone laced with a deep emotion I couldn’t put a finger on, “my mom would always tell me to make friends with girls that are in the same bracket with me.” She scoffed, lifting her arms. “You know, status-wise,” she added, bracketing the last two words with her fingers.I stared at her as she spoke, my attention rapt and silent.“Guess what?” She continued. “She even forbade me from being friends with a girl whose mother was a hair stylist. Can you imagine that?”“And at 17,” she continued without missing a beat, not giving me a chance to respond to her possibly rhetorical question, “she started taking me to parties filled to the brim with old men. Passing me around and asking me to climb my way to the top on their backs.”She tilted a corner of her lips in a small smirk then, her eyes darkening in pain, “I mean, what