MICHAEL The door to my office swung open. I looked up to see Lydia walk in like she owned the place, shoulders high and head held even higher. Slowly, I stood, my eyes locked on her as she crossed the room and sank into the couch without a word. “I know what you did,” I said, skipping any kind of greeting. She raised one perfectly shaped brow, pretending she had no idea what I was talking about. “What are you going on about?” “You went to my grandfather,” I said, my voice tight. “You asked him to bring you into Blackwood Hotel by promising an investment from your family, didn’t you?” She held my gaze in silence, like she was waiting for something. For a second, I wondered if I had it wrong. Then she let out a quiet breath, the corner of her mouth twitching like she found it all slightly amusing. “Oh,” she said quietly. “That.” My anger flared fast and I slammed my hand on the desk. “Why?” I yelled. “Why would you do that?” “Why would I do what?” she replied, her tone calm—t
OLIVIA I leaned back against the headrest, my eyes drifting past the tall buildings as we sped by. I tried not to think about Christian but the memories kept pushing their way in. Seeing him again yesterday had almost pulled me under. Those feelings I thought I’d buried came rushing back. For a second, I even questioned my decision about the party, until her name popped up again. This morning, I’d woken up with a clear head and a stronger sense of resolve. That part of my life, him, would not affect me anymore. Now, I was on my way to Blackwood Fashion with Greg and Grace to pick out a dress for the dinner party tonight. I sighed, letting my thoughts drift to what I might wear. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have options—I just needed an excuse to get out of my room because I was extremely bored. The car came to a stop in front of Blackwood Fashion. I stepped out, adjusting the flannel shirt I’d thrown on without thinking. As I walked toward the glass doors, I noticed a fain
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 car
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
OLIVIA I leaned back against the headrest, my eyes drifting past the tall buildings as we sped by. I tried not to think about Christian but the memories kept pushing their way in. Seeing him again yesterday had almost pulled me under. Those feelings I thought I’d buried came rushing back. For a second, I even questioned my decision about the party, until her name popped up again. This morning, I’d woken up with a clear head and a stronger sense of resolve. That part of my life, him, would not affect me anymore. Now, I was on my way to Blackwood Fashion with Greg and Grace to pick out a dress for the dinner party tonight. I sighed, letting my thoughts drift to what I might wear. It wasn’t like I didn’t already have options—I just needed an excuse to get out of my room because I was extremely bored. The car came to a stop in front of Blackwood Fashion. I stepped out, adjusting the flannel shirt I’d thrown on without thinking. As I walked toward the glass doors, I noticed a fain
MICHAEL The door to my office swung open. I looked up to see Lydia walk in like she owned the place, shoulders high and head held even higher. Slowly, I stood, my eyes locked on her as she crossed the room and sank into the couch without a word. “I know what you did,” I said, skipping any kind of greeting. She raised one perfectly shaped brow, pretending she had no idea what I was talking about. “What are you going on about?” “You went to my grandfather,” I said, my voice tight. “You asked him to bring you into Blackwood Hotel by promising an investment from your family, didn’t you?” She held my gaze in silence, like she was waiting for something. For a second, I wondered if I had it wrong. Then she let out a quiet breath, the corner of her mouth twitching like she found it all slightly amusing. “Oh,” she said quietly. “That.” My anger flared fast and I slammed my hand on the desk. “Why?” I yelled. “Why would you do that?” “Why would I do what?” she replied, her tone calm—t
OLIVIA “So,” Liam leaned further into the table, his eyes bright, “I can tell you hate parties, but there’s this…” He paused, twisting his lips, “This dinner.” I raised a brow in response, curiosity piqued despite myself. He smiled in return, clearly pleased with my reaction. “My father’s birthday is tomorrow,” he continued, “And he loves to throw these big, elaborate parties. I was wondering if you’d like to attend.” I chuckled softly, momentarily at a loss for words. This was unexpected, and besides, we’d only just started talking. Showing up at his father’s birthday party felt strange, didn’t it? “I don’t know,” I muttered, shrugging. “I just don’t think—” “Before you say no,” he quickly interrupted, leaning in slightly. “I think you should know that a lot of people from our school will be there, so…” He lifted one shoulder casually, his smile a little more hopeful. Was that supposed to convince me? The idea that people from school would be there didn’t exactly make it more
CHRISTIAN “But after that, I’ll never speak to you again.” Those words kept echoing in my head, distracting, unsettling and confusing me. I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. My head throbbed faintly, probably from staying up all night, replaying Olivia’s unexpected outburst, trying to make sense of the mess she’d left behind. What the hell was that supposed to mean? I leaned forward at my desk, my fist pressing into my jaw, frustration bubbling inside me. “I’ll live my life?” Hasn’t she always lived hers? I scoffed, knocking my knuckles against the desk in irritation, still seething. And what was that crap about never speaking to me again once the contract ended? Did she honestly think it would be that simple to walk away? After everything we’ve been through? What about the baby on the way? Was she implying that one of us wouldn’t have custody? Where the hell did she think she could go on this earth without me finding her? The agitation was shooting straight to my head
OLIVIA I stepped out of the lecture hall, pulling my hoodie tighter around my stomach as I glanced around. No one was paying me any attention, but ever since I found out I was pregnant, I couldn’t shake the feeling that people could tell. Even though my body hadn’t changed much yet, I still felt exposed. Taking a deep breath, I headed toward Mr. Sylas’ office. I should’ve met him sooner about the 30% he gave me on my project—the one I’d poured hours into, only for him to accuse me of using AI. But with everything going on, I didn’t have the time or the energy. Now, I wasn’t in a hurry to go home. If I did, I’d start thinking about Christian. About everything. And right now, I just needed a distraction. So, today was as good a time as any. I knocked softly on his door, and his voice came almost immediately. “Come in!” Pushing the door open, I stepped inside. The moment he saw me, his face lit up with a wide smile. “Olivia Carter,” he said, setting down the paper he was r
OLIVIAI exhaled shakily, trying to steady my breath. Why the hell was he looking at me like that? Like I was crazy? My heart sank. Would he have looked at me this way if I’d been stupid enough to confess my feelings tonight? If I had told him I was jealous of his ex-girlfriend, who he was still hooking up with, by the way? So, he would have scoffed and told me I was overreacting? That he didn’t understand what I was saying? I sighed heavily, silently grateful I hadn’t said a word about how I felt. “Listen,” he began, his voice showing some signs of worry now, “I know you’re still pissed about how I reacted the other day… and like I said, the baby is—” “I’m not pissed, Christian!” I snapped, my voice rising despite my best efforts to stay calm. “I’m not angry at all.” “Then what should I call this outburst?” he shot back quietly, and I scoffed. “You can call it whatever you want, but let me tell you this.” I locked eyes with him, fighting to hold back the tears. “From tonight,
OLIVIA “You need to see my grandfather before you leave.” Christian said. “He’ll be disappointed if you leave without a word.” Numb, I nodded, following closely behind him as we returned to the hall. Staring at his back, my irritation rose. The nerve he had, putting his hand on my body after dancing so intimately with Lydia only minutes ago. The anger simmered inside me, but I kept it in check. As we walked to Mr. Blackwood, his gaze immediately fell on me, his eyes sparkling with warmth. “Olivia,” he said, his voice soft and affectionate. “I hope you enjoyed the ball.” “It was very remarkable, Mr. Blackwood,” I replied, forcing a smile. “I was glad to be part of such a phenomenal event.” He smiled back. “I’m very happy you honored the invitation,” he said before his eyes flicked to Christian, who stood silently behind me, and then back to me. “Are you leaving already?” I pressed my lips together, nodding slightly. “Yes, sir. I have a slight tummy ache, so I can’t
CHRISTIAN A FEW MOMENTS AGO I scanned the hall, searching for Olivia. Where was she? Most of the women had already left the game room, while a few were still trickling out in pairs. But she was nowhere in sight. I scoffed, shaking my head. She was probably caught up admiring the exhibits and completely forgot about everything else. After all, she had a way of getting lost in shiny things. A small smile tugged at my lips as I decided to go search for her. But before I could go far, someone stepped into my path, blocking me. I stopped short, irritation flaring in my chest as I met a familiar face. “Lydia,” I said flatly, my tone cold. “Excuse me.” She planted her hands on her shoulders abruptly, tilting her chin up at me. “Dance with me, Christian. I’ve been waiting all night for you to ask. Since you won’t, I’ll do it myself.” I rolled my eyes and stepped to the side, but she mirrored my movement, still blocking me. My patience thinned. “Lydia, don’t piss me off.” “
OLIVIA I turned to Christian, meeting his gaze after Ophelia’s announcement. “I’ll see you after the exhibit,” he said. “We have a lot to talk about.” My heart skipped. I nodded, slowly letting my hand slip from his shoulder. I should have walked away, but curiosity held me in place. “What do we need to talk about?” I asked, hoping it was about the truth and not something that would break my heart. “Everything,” he said, standing a little taller. “I think I know why you’re unhappy, why you feel alone. And I want to talk about it. I want to make sure you never feel that way again. I want to do better to understand how you feel at this time.” For a moment, I wanted to forget the exhibit entirely, to stay and hear every word. My heart pounded, but I forced myself to nod, smoothing a hand over my dress. “I’ll see you soon,” I murmured before turning and following the other women to the game room. I tried to blend in with the sophisticated women in the game room, holding my he