OLIVIA “I’m glad you could join us, Lydia.” I looked from Mr. Blackwood to Lydia, who beamed at each other, a slow burn of rage and discomfort working its way up my spine. When Christian had mentioned this dinner, I didn’t expect Lydia to be attending too. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have come because now, all I could think about was leaping across the table and clawing her face off. Sliding into the seat next to Michael, Lydia flashed me a sly grin. I didn’t bother acknowledging it, my gaze instead drifting to notice something else: Michael’s wife was absent tonight. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Was Lydia the reason his wife wasn’t here? At the far end of the table, Ophelia sat stiffly, shooting daggers at Lydia. Guess no one really wanted her here except Mr. Blackwood and Michael, judging by their faces. Christian, on the other hand, sat beside me, completely unbothered, as if no one of any significance shared this table with us. Letting out a silent breath, I wis
OLIVIAHe sat down heavily, his glare burning into both of them before turning it directly onto Christian. “I don’t think you have enough reasons to turn Miss Hale’s offer down.” Christian exhaled. “I understand you’re the chairman, Grandfather,” he said. “But I’m the president of Blackwood Hotel and Air. I have the full right to make these decisions.” He let the words settle in the heavy silence. “And frankly, having this discussion right now is an insult to my relationship and I won’t tolerate it.” His gaze slid to Lydia, his jaw clenching. “I won’t accept her investment, and I sure as hell won’t bring her onto my board. Not just because she’s an insufferable, exhausting human being but because she has no place there. Quite frankly,” he added. “She knows nothing about business. So why bother?” Lydia looked stricken, her mouth hanging open like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And for once, I could actually savor the silence that followed. Just then, Ophelia broke the
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
OLIVIAHe sat down heavily, his glare burning into both of them before turning it directly onto Christian. “I don’t think you have enough reasons to turn Miss Hale’s offer down.” Christian exhaled. “I understand you’re the chairman, Grandfather,” he said. “But I’m the president of Blackwood Hotel and Air. I have the full right to make these decisions.” He let the words settle in the heavy silence. “And frankly, having this discussion right now is an insult to my relationship and I won’t tolerate it.” His gaze slid to Lydia, his jaw clenching. “I won’t accept her investment, and I sure as hell won’t bring her onto my board. Not just because she’s an insufferable, exhausting human being but because she has no place there. Quite frankly,” he added. “She knows nothing about business. So why bother?” Lydia looked stricken, her mouth hanging open like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. And for once, I could actually savor the silence that followed. Just then, Ophelia broke the
OLIVIA “I’m glad you could join us, Lydia.” I looked from Mr. Blackwood to Lydia, who beamed at each other, a slow burn of rage and discomfort working its way up my spine. When Christian had mentioned this dinner, I didn’t expect Lydia to be attending too. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have come because now, all I could think about was leaping across the table and clawing her face off. Sliding into the seat next to Michael, Lydia flashed me a sly grin. I didn’t bother acknowledging it, my gaze instead drifting to notice something else: Michael’s wife was absent tonight. I narrowed my eyes slightly. Was Lydia the reason his wife wasn’t here? At the far end of the table, Ophelia sat stiffly, shooting daggers at Lydia. Guess no one really wanted her here except Mr. Blackwood and Michael, judging by their faces. Christian, on the other hand, sat beside me, completely unbothered, as if no one of any significance shared this table with us. Letting out a silent breath, I wis
MICHAEL “When’s he getting here?” I glanced at Lydia, who was tapping her foot against the gazebo floor, clearly losing patience. I let out a small sigh, scratching my brow. “Any minute now.” She turned away, and for a few moments, silence hung between us. “So let me get this straight,” I said, eyeing her. “You promised your parents some kind of partnership with my family in exchange for their investment in Blackwood Hotel and Air. More specifically, you promised them some connection to a Blackwood.” She glanced at me from the corner of her eyes, letting out a sigh. “Did you really think this was just about Olivia? She’s standing in the way of something bigger than she’ll ever know.” I raised an eyebrow. “Well, I think this started because you couldn’t handle the rejection, especially because of her.” I leaned in slightly. “And in your desperation to get closer to Christian, you made a deal with your parents. I wonder how they’ll react when they find out you’re no closer to gett
OLIVIABut most of them were too small, too fitted and definitely not made for someone with Christian’s build. After a few more minutes of searching and silently cursing myself, I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face. “This isn’t going to work. Everything here would look like a crop top on you.”I turned toward him, already dreading my next words. “I guess… we’ll have to ask James.” He raised an eyebrow, clearly entertained by my discomfort. I ignored him and hurried out of the room. Luckily, James was just stepping out of his room as I reached the hallway. Without thinking, I grabbed his arm and yanked him back inside, shutting the door behind us. “What the hell—?” he started, but I cut him off. “Can I borrow a shirt? And maybe some shorts?” He blinked at me, confused for half a second, then smirked. “For Christian?” I nodded impatiently. He shrugged and walked over to his closet. After a bit of rummaging, he pulled out a pair of loose black pants and a sky-blue flannel
OLIVIA A loud banging on the door jolted me awake. I shot up from the bed and immediately smacked my head against the headboard. Wincing, I clutched my forehead. Who on earth was pounding on my door like that? “Olivia!” my mother’s voice rang out from the hallway. I sighed and slumped back against the headboard. Of course. It was just her. “Go wash up and come downstairs,” she called. “Both of you. Breakfast’s ready.” I heard her footsteps fade away down the hall. Yawning, I stretched my arms over my head, trying to shake off the heavy sleep still clinging to me. Beside me, Christian shifted slightly. I glanced over, expecting him to wake up, but he stayed fast asleep. For a moment, I just stared at him. His face was so relaxed in sleep, the usual sharpness of his features softened. I couldn’t help myself—I reached out and lightly traced the line of his jaw with my fingertip and a small smile pulled at my lips. How could he be this handsome? I like you, Olivia. The words echoe
CHRISTIANIt was the quickest fucking quickie ever, because even though she said it was safe, I wasn’t about to take chances. “That was fast,” she murmured against my skin, her voice sleepy and satisfied. A corner of my lip tilted up in a smirk. “For saying that, I’m going to fuck you for hours after the baby’s out.” As she stared up at me, I realized what I’d just said, and the cheery mood evaporated like smoke. I sighed, shaking my head. “You’re about to say the contract ends once the baby’s out, right?” She shook her head, her big green eyes staring up at me — the same eyes that did something crazy to my heart, making me feel things I used to believe I couldn’t feel. “Why didn’t you…” she whispered, her voice soft, “Why did you turn Lydia away?” I chuckled under my breath. “Is that what you’re thinking about right now?” Her brows pinched together slightly and her lips twisted shyly. “It’s not like you.” She revealed. “I know you always made time for her whenever she showed
CHRISTIAN What am I doing? That’s a fair question. Because if someone had told me months ago that I would find myself in this position—kneeling before Olivia, my only focus on her pleasure, and my own desires secondary, I would have called them crazy. And yet, here I was, overwhelmed by the need to make her squirm, to hear her breath hitch, to watch her lose herself under my touch and consumed by a hunger I couldn’t control. Oh, how I’d missed the sight of her writhing beneath me. It takes a real man to admit when a woman has completely shifted his world and I was that man. So yes, I knew what I was doing, and the end result? It would most likely be her release all over my face. Soon. Slowly, I trailed kisses up her thighs, nearing the place where she pulsed with need and she trembled. “Relax,” I whispered against her skin, and somehow, that made her quiver even more. A groan rumbled in my chest as my eyes caught the sight of her…soft, wet, and waiting for me. I could lose
OLIVIA It was just a simple misunderstanding. And yet it had wrecked me for weeks. I’d cried, sulked, pushed him away, all because of something that was never even real. My eyes stung with embarrassment. I tightened my fingers in my dress and turned away, unable to look at him, memories of every stupid argument flashing through my mind. I remembered all the times he said there was nothing between him and Lydia. And all the times I hadn’t believed him. I thought about that night in the car, the way I’d thrown words at him like knives. I thought about how he had just sat there and taken it. I must have looked like a fool and sounded even worse. I swallowed hard and dropped my head, squeezing my eyes shut, and wishing I could erase everything. Then suddenly, I felt his hand on my shoulder, wrapping me with warmth. I opened my eyes, blinking back tears, just as he pulled me into a hug from behind. The second my back hit his chest, everything broke loose. I started sobbing — ug
OLIVIA For weeks, I’d waited for him to explain their relationship, to show that she didn’t matter, but I never got that. I couldn’t keep waiting for his words to match his actions. “What about her?” He didn’t answer right away, but his gaze didn’t waver either. His eyes searched mine, like he was waiting for me to say more. When I didn’t, he exhaled. “I didn’t fuck her, Olivia.” He took a slow step forward, like he wanted to make sure I understood every word. “Or whatever you think happened.” I shook my head, still not convinced. “Then just tell me the truth.” His eyes softened for a second. “Tell me why you think I’m lying. And say something more than me dancing with her at the ball.” Dancing with her at the ball? Was that all he thought this was about? I lifted my chin. “When I went to shop for a dress… Lydia told me you…” I paused, trying to steady myself. “She said you made her leave your bed that morning. I don’t think that means nothing.” He raised an eyebrow, a