OLIVIA I groaned in exhaustion, glancing out the window. Miss Elowen had been yapping on and on for what felt like over two hours, and I was bored out of my mind. After everything that happened between us a while ago, I couldn’t focus in her class for the life of me. I tried to steer my thoughts somewhere else, but they kept drifting. Back to Christian. Back to the way his body had moved against mine last night. The way we were both sweaty and desperate, tangled up in each other, until I was half out of my mind. Sighing heavily, I picked up my phone. Liam had sent a few texts, checking on me, and I decided to respond to some. There was one from Nicholas too, but I didn’t even bother opening it. After a few minutes of scrolling through social media and getting even more restless, I huffed out a breath, feeling hot and uncomfortable in my own skin. What was this heat? In the haze of boredom, a thought crossed my mind. Chewing the inside of my cheek, I slid to my contacts and p
OLIVIAI chewed my lip anxiously, tapping my phone and waiting for his reply. Just as the tension in my chest built, Miss Elowen closed her laptop with a sigh, signaling the class was finally over. I glanced down at my phone again. He’d sent a string of even more ridiculous emojis, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking my head. His humor was always unexpected, yet it never failed to make me smile, even if it was in the middle of something so… intense. I sighed, sliding my book into my bag and getting to my feet as Miss Elowen exited the hall. Grabbing my bag from the desk, I moved toward the door. “Olivia!”I turned around to see Ivy coming toward me, smiling brightly. “Ivy, hey,” I greeted her, returning the smile as she linked arms with me. “You seem to be in a hurry,” she remarked, her eyes lingering on the phone in my hand. “Got plans?” I chuckled, a little too nervously. My fingers hovered over the screen, glancing at Christian’s last message. “You could say that.” He
CHRISTIAN “Yes, we’ll be arriving by six-thirty,” I said into the phone, as I stared out the floor-to-ceiling window. The sky, just an hour ago, clear and blue, was now heavy with dark clouds. A storm? I narrowed my eyes, watching the way the clouds thickened, pressing closer to the city like a warning. The restaurant manager’s voice droned on, polite but distant in my ear. I caught something about the table arrangement, maybe dessert options, but most of it blurred into noise. “Sounds good,” I murmured automatically, my attention slipping again. Some seconds later, a soft click ended the call. I turned away from the window, a slow grin pulling at my mouth. Olivia was probably losing her mind right now, trying to guess where I was taking her. Typical. Always overthinking, always so easy to read. And somehow, it never stopped being endearing. I shook my head, laughing under my breath. In less than an hour, I’d get to see her face light up and honestly, that thought alone mad
CHRISTIAN“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to steady my breath, but I couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in my eyes. Her gaze shifted slightly to me, and slowly, the faintest trace of a smile crossed her lips, despite the pain. “Are you… crying?” “Look at you,” I gasped, my voice strained. I blinked away the tears, but they came faster. “You’re hurt.” She shook her head slowly. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “Just had a glass stuck in my thigh, some cuts, and possibly a few broken ribs.” Her hand moved up, brushing my jaw with a weak touch that made my chest ache. “The baby’s fine too, hmm? See, I’m fine.” I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a shaky breath, feeling a deep, crushing wave of relief. “I was so scared,” I admitted. “I was scared too,” she whispered. “I thought I lost the baby… I thought I wouldn’t get to see you again. Everything we worked so hard for… it felt like it was just gone.” My eyes snapped open, locking onto her tear-streaked face. “Is that what you think?” I
CHRISTIANI stepped out of the ward room, and the nurse followed closely behind. I turned to face her, pausing just outside the door and she stopped a few steps behind, waiting for me to speak. “I need to ask you something.” “Yes, Mr. Blackwood?”“The other victims from the accident,” I started. “Where are they?”“You mean Miss Grace and…” she looked down at her clipboard, then up at me. “Mr. Gregory? They are both in surgery and you’ll be updated soon.” I frowned. “Just the two?” I pressed. “There was another car involved in the crash. Where’s the driver?”Her eyes flickered, and she hesitated. “There was no driver…”“Was he taken to another hospital?” I interrupted, my voice more insistent than I intended. She flinched, a slight tremor in her hands.I exhaled sharply, pushing a hand through my hair, trying to rein in the rising frustration.It made sense that she didn’t have all the answers. She was just a nurse, after all, and I was pushing her harder than I should. I knew that,
CHRISTIANEven before he showed up, I’d known, no, I’d felt, this wasn’t some random crash.A stolen car, the driver trying to run, it was clearer now that someone targeted Olivia. And I knew it deep in my bones.I forced myself to move, retracing my steps back toward her ward.When I entered the room, her mother and brother were sitting close by, their faces lined with worry.And Olivia…Her wide, bright eyes found mine the second I stepped inside. And relief crashed over me again like I hadn’t seen her before. Truly, what the fuck would I have done if she hadn’t survived the crash? Even the thought alone put a sick ache in my chest.Reaching her bed, I cleared my throat, and Mrs. Carter and James turned their attention to me.“Well…” I licked my lips, my gaze locking onto her mother’s. “Olivia’s being discharged today.” I paused, swallowing hard. “And she’ll be moving in with me. Temporarily.”From the corner of my eye, I caught Olivia’s wide-eyed stare and her mother’s matching i
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
CHRISTIANEven before he showed up, I’d known, no, I’d felt, this wasn’t some random crash.A stolen car, the driver trying to run, it was clearer now that someone targeted Olivia. And I knew it deep in my bones.I forced myself to move, retracing my steps back toward her ward.When I entered the room, her mother and brother were sitting close by, their faces lined with worry.And Olivia…Her wide, bright eyes found mine the second I stepped inside. And relief crashed over me again like I hadn’t seen her before. Truly, what the fuck would I have done if she hadn’t survived the crash? Even the thought alone put a sick ache in my chest.Reaching her bed, I cleared my throat, and Mrs. Carter and James turned their attention to me.“Well…” I licked my lips, my gaze locking onto her mother’s. “Olivia’s being discharged today.” I paused, swallowing hard. “And she’ll be moving in with me. Temporarily.”From the corner of my eye, I caught Olivia’s wide-eyed stare and her mother’s matching i
CHRISTIANI stepped out of the ward room, and the nurse followed closely behind. I turned to face her, pausing just outside the door and she stopped a few steps behind, waiting for me to speak. “I need to ask you something.” “Yes, Mr. Blackwood?”“The other victims from the accident,” I started. “Where are they?”“You mean Miss Grace and…” she looked down at her clipboard, then up at me. “Mr. Gregory? They are both in surgery and you’ll be updated soon.” I frowned. “Just the two?” I pressed. “There was another car involved in the crash. Where’s the driver?”Her eyes flickered, and she hesitated. “There was no driver…”“Was he taken to another hospital?” I interrupted, my voice more insistent than I intended. She flinched, a slight tremor in her hands.I exhaled sharply, pushing a hand through my hair, trying to rein in the rising frustration.It made sense that she didn’t have all the answers. She was just a nurse, after all, and I was pushing her harder than I should. I knew that,
CHRISTIAN“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to steady my breath, but I couldn’t stop the tears that welled up in my eyes. Her gaze shifted slightly to me, and slowly, the faintest trace of a smile crossed her lips, despite the pain. “Are you… crying?” “Look at you,” I gasped, my voice strained. I blinked away the tears, but they came faster. “You’re hurt.” She shook her head slowly. “I’m fine,” she whispered. “Just had a glass stuck in my thigh, some cuts, and possibly a few broken ribs.” Her hand moved up, brushing my jaw with a weak touch that made my chest ache. “The baby’s fine too, hmm? See, I’m fine.” I squeezed my eyes shut and let out a shaky breath, feeling a deep, crushing wave of relief. “I was so scared,” I admitted. “I was scared too,” she whispered. “I thought I lost the baby… I thought I wouldn’t get to see you again. Everything we worked so hard for… it felt like it was just gone.” My eyes snapped open, locking onto her tear-streaked face. “Is that what you think?” I
CHRISTIAN “Yes, we’ll be arriving by six-thirty,” I said into the phone, as I stared out the floor-to-ceiling window. The sky, just an hour ago, clear and blue, was now heavy with dark clouds. A storm? I narrowed my eyes, watching the way the clouds thickened, pressing closer to the city like a warning. The restaurant manager’s voice droned on, polite but distant in my ear. I caught something about the table arrangement, maybe dessert options, but most of it blurred into noise. “Sounds good,” I murmured automatically, my attention slipping again. Some seconds later, a soft click ended the call. I turned away from the window, a slow grin pulling at my mouth. Olivia was probably losing her mind right now, trying to guess where I was taking her. Typical. Always overthinking, always so easy to read. And somehow, it never stopped being endearing. I shook my head, laughing under my breath. In less than an hour, I’d get to see her face light up and honestly, that thought alone mad
OLIVIAI chewed my lip anxiously, tapping my phone and waiting for his reply. Just as the tension in my chest built, Miss Elowen closed her laptop with a sigh, signaling the class was finally over. I glanced down at my phone again. He’d sent a string of even more ridiculous emojis, and I couldn’t help but chuckle, shaking my head. His humor was always unexpected, yet it never failed to make me smile, even if it was in the middle of something so… intense. I sighed, sliding my book into my bag and getting to my feet as Miss Elowen exited the hall. Grabbing my bag from the desk, I moved toward the door. “Olivia!”I turned around to see Ivy coming toward me, smiling brightly. “Ivy, hey,” I greeted her, returning the smile as she linked arms with me. “You seem to be in a hurry,” she remarked, her eyes lingering on the phone in my hand. “Got plans?” I chuckled, a little too nervously. My fingers hovered over the screen, glancing at Christian’s last message. “You could say that.” He
OLIVIA I groaned in exhaustion, glancing out the window. Miss Elowen had been yapping on and on for what felt like over two hours, and I was bored out of my mind. After everything that happened between us a while ago, I couldn’t focus in her class for the life of me. I tried to steer my thoughts somewhere else, but they kept drifting. Back to Christian. Back to the way his body had moved against mine last night. The way we were both sweaty and desperate, tangled up in each other, until I was half out of my mind. Sighing heavily, I picked up my phone. Liam had sent a few texts, checking on me, and I decided to respond to some. There was one from Nicholas too, but I didn’t even bother opening it. After a few minutes of scrolling through social media and getting even more restless, I huffed out a breath, feeling hot and uncomfortable in my own skin. What was this heat? In the haze of boredom, a thought crossed my mind. Chewing the inside of my cheek, I slid to my contacts and p
OLIVIAI smiled. “Yeah, I’m good.” He nodded once and rose to his feet, casually shrugging off his shirt. I didn’t even pretend not to look. The hard lines of his body, the way his muscles flexed when he tossed the shirt aside, it was enough to send my thoughts spinning. Without thinking, I reached for him, my hands finding his waist. He stilled, his eyes dropping to mine. “What’s that look for?” he asked, a slow smile playing on his lips. Smirking, I tugged at his trousers, pulling him down onto the bed with me. He landed beside me with a low grunt, and before he could catch his breath, I pushed him onto his back, climbing on top of him with a wicked grin. I bent low, dragging my tongue slowly down his chest, savoring the way his body trembled beneath me, each shiver sending a pulse of heat straight to my core. His muscles tightened, his hand coming down with a sharp slap to my ass, making me gasp and then laugh, breathless with excitement. I kissed my way back up to his
OLIVIA I sat beside Christian in the backseat of the moving car, stealing glances at him when I thought he wouldn’t notice. “You know I can feel you staring, right?” he said without opening his eyes. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I quickly turned to the window, pretending to admire the passing streets. He sighed and shifted slightly toward me. “What is it?” I fiddled with the hem of my dress. “I’m just… surprised,” I admitted, sneaking a look at him. “The way you stood up for me tonight, how you made it clear to everyone that I come first.” My voice trailed off in a shrug. “It was… kind of hot.” He scoffed under his breath, the corner of his mouth lifting. “You fixate on the smallest things, Olivia. Sometimes it’s cute, other times, it’s just…” he trailed off with a low chuckle. “What?” I turned toward him, pouting. “I mean,” I waved a hand, “you see it all the time in movies and books. The guy just sits there like a dumbass while his girlfriend gets humiliated. Isn’t that weird
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