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Chapter 015
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The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire 016
Corporate ConscienceThe Los Angeles skyline was ablaze with the late-afternoon sun as Carlos leaned back in his leather chair, scanning the proposal before him. His gaze wandered momentarily to the silver-framed photo on his desk: Isabelle beamed radiantly with a smile as her hands rested on her small, rounded belly. A small smile nibbled at his lips before focusing once more onto the pages before him.A knock at the door broke into his reverie. "Come in," he said.Isabelle entered. Her pregnancy glow was palpable. "You wanted to see me?"Carlos nodded and gestured for her to take a chair. "I've been thinking a great deal about our conversation regarding community engagement and social responsibility. I think the time has come to really do something about it."Isabelle's eyes brightened. "Really? That's terrific, Carlos!""I want you to head the new corporate social responsibility initiative focused on our redevelopment project," Carlos continued. "It's an opportunity to make a real
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 017
Shadows of Corruption"Mrs. Fernandez?" The voice behind her drew her back to reality. Elena, the urban planner she had befriended weeks ago, came up to her, a look of concern etched on her face. "I think there is something you need to see."The California sun beat down relentlessly onto the site of Fernandez Holdings' newest project. Isabelle shielded her eyes, looking out over the activity, her hand unconsciously resting on her now-prominent baby bump.The heat and physical discomfort of advancing pregnancy couldn't detract her from the sense of purpose she felt here among the scaffolding and heavy machinery.Isabelle followed Elena to a quieter part of the site, away from all the noise and prying ears. "What is going on?" She noted the etched worry on her friend's face.Elena hesitated before she pulled out a folder. "I've gone over the bidding documents for this project, something doesn't feel right. Look at these figures."She wasn't halfway through the papers when her brow furro
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 018
The Price of HonorThe home office was fraught with tension when Carlos finally lost his cool to the incessant pacing and calm. Isabelle sat in the arm chair, cradling protectively her protruding stomach, eyes alertly focused on her husband, with concern."We have to expose them," Carlos said at last, the first time he'd been firm all day, but with a voice underlying with defeat. "Being truthful, that's before I can go on living with myself."Isabelle felt a wave of relief wash over her. "I'm so glad you have come to that decision, Carlos. It is the right thing to do."He paused in his pacing, turning around to face her, his expression torn. "It is. But understand, Isabelle, this decision will be risky. We could lose everything we've been building here in LA.""I know," Isabelle said softly. "But isn't that better than compromising our values? Than becoming the very thing we came here to escape?"Carlos nodded, a small grin pulling at the crooks of his mouth. "Since when did you becom
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 019
Rising from the Ashes"Ready for another day in the trenches?" Carlos asked this time. With a wry smile on his face, he handed Isabelle a cup of herbal tea.The early morning sun casted long shadows across the Los Angeles skyline as Carlos and Isabelle Fernandez stood in their office, looking out at the city. Three weeks ago they blew the lid off the corruption inside their company; since then, all hell had broken loose. The stock price at Fernandez Holdings still tried to struggle its way from where it had been; the high-stake projects are now put on hold, and the media just wouldn't give them a break.Isabelle nodded, her free hand going to her ever-growing baby bump. "Always. We have so much work ahead of us to rebuild trust."A first meeting of the day with a group of community leaders and local non-profits, working to build relationships for them in connection with their new strategy to more meaningfully engage with communities impacted by their projects and demonstrate their co
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 020
Unexpected TurnsIsabelle stood at the window of their hotel room, a hand resting on her very prominent belly, watching as the Singapore skyline glittered early in the morning light. She winced as she felt a gentle kick, excitement and nervousness moving through her.She heard Carlos adjusting his tie behind her. "Ready for this?" he asked, his voice giving away a hint of anxiety.Facing him squarely, Isabelle forced a smile. "As ready as we'll ever be. This could change everything for us."Today they were due to present their proposal for a major international contract regarding a sustainable urban development project in Singapore. It was their first big opportunity since the corruption scandal and potentially their chance to prove Fernandez Holdings was back on track.Walking up to the Urban Redevelopment Authority headquarters, Isabelle felt expectation weighing heavily on her shoulders. Their team had worked nonstop on this proposal, roping in all of the lessons that they had lear
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 021
Growing PainsThe gentle nightlight cast its rrays across the nursery as Carlos was dutifully and gently patting his son, Alexander. He was trying everything possible to make the crying child go back to sleep. On the other side of the room sat Isabelle in the rocking chair, nursing their daughter, Sophia. On the wall, the clock read, 3:17 AM— yet another sleepless night in the Fernandez household."Shh," whispered Carlos, his voice rough from his lack of sleep. "Papá's got you."Isabelle looked at her husband, the love teeming out mingled with great frustration. Since the twins had finally come three months ago, Carlos had been almost obsessively overprotective. While she was thankful for it, deep down inside, she felt he was somehow pushing her away.Finally, as Alexander's cries began to subside, a sigh of relief came from Carlos. He turned to Isabelle, the weariness that had etched itself into his face emerging in a smile. "I think he's finally calming down."Isabelle nodded wear
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 022
Carlos and Isabelle were dancing around each other in the living room, their intricate choreography of avoidance made tenser by the tension still hanging precarious in the air from the previous fight. Isabelle was working on her laptop on the kitchen table, with the twins playing in their pen at her feet. In walked Carlos in his little tie, off-center, which spoke volumes in itself: the Loom of Distraction."I've got one meeting after another all day," he said, avoiding meeting her gaze. "I might be late tonight."Isabelle nodded, that old stab of frustration touching her chest. "Of course. Don't worry; I have everything taken care of here."Carlos hesitated, wanting to say more but awkwardly searching for how to bridge that chasm that seemed to have opened wide between them. He nodded finally and headed for the door.As it closed behind him, Isabelle let out a really emotional sigh. This space between them was starting to become unbearable. She looked through to the twins—Alexander t
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 023
CrossroadsThe soft glow of the laptop screen cast its blue rays on Isabelle's face as she stared back at the email incredulously. Her heart raced from the initial excitement to a stringent trepidation. There it was - a new job offer to head some groundbreaking sustainable energy project, setting a new course of pioneering in the industry. Then attached to this kind of expectation, came the catch: extensive traveling for at least six months in a year.Her gaze fell into the twins' room where Alexander and Sophia lay sleeping serenely, and she felt her tummy turn at the thought of being away from them like this. Yet professional fulfillment beckoned irresistibly.She heard the turn of Carlos's key in the lock and slammed her laptop shut. He came into the room, looking drained but able to raise a smile on seeing her."You're up very late," he said, his tie coming loose.Isabelle nodded, thinking of telling him about the job offer now or after. "How was your day?"Carlos blew a sigh and
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The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 86
The End Morris sighed and looked at the floor, “Carlos, I. . . I owe you an apology.” He was feeling regretful standing in front of the Fernandez family’s large living room. ”I’ve been wrong about you for far too long. ” The man, who once was called the ruthless billionaire Carlos Fernandez, stared at Morris in surprise. The passage of time had made him bitter and a little less cruel; the man had a glimmer of humanity in his gaze. "Morris, we have both sinned, and maybe it is time that we let that go, and start afresh." ,. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . Two days later, there was a tense atmosphere in the Fernandez mansion as the family got ready for the last day in court. Isabelle walked around the room, her twins, Sophia and Alex watched their mother with concern. They were teenagers, still they were not dumb enough not to feel the gravity of the situation although not wise enough to understand it fully. “Mommy, are we going to be okay?” Sophia asked, her face registered with concer
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 85
Price of Redemption In the airport lounge as they waited for their flight back home, Carlos turned to Isabelle, out of the blue it seemed, deadly serious."We need to talk, Isabelle," he said, with the voice just loud enough despite the background noise of the terminal.Isabelle put down her magazine, knowing whatever he would say next carried weight. "What is it, Carlos?"He paused again and looked over to the kids, who were all busy with their phones and snacks, apparently noticing nothing of the tension palpably drawn between their parents. Then he turned back to Isabelle, his fierce gaze softening. "This trip. I realize now more than ever how much we have run away from facing things. I mean, we have been so ensnared with the trial, that we paid no heed to how much we needed each other."Slowly, Isabelle nodded and put the magazine aside. Of course they would have had to discuss it sometime. This vacation had been an escape route for the time being, but they had not been able to
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 84
Isabelle's POV A Change of SceneryCarlos had grown distant and busy, and Isabelle could barely remember the last time that they had really spoken.The children were affected by this too—reportedly. Alex, who was otherwise so cheerful and full of life, grew into a quiet individual who spent more time in his room compared to before. Sophia watched her parents with a worried look in her eyes, which seemed to pick up on an air of tension.She knew something had to give. They couldn't go on much longer this way, dancing around each other and barely holding together as a family unit. One evening while they sat around the dinner table almost in complete silence, Isabelle cleared her throat to speak."I think we need a break," she said, her voice slicing through the tension. "A real break. I've booked us a vacation; just the four of us. We leave tomorrow." Carlos's head jerked up from over his plate, his eyes flashing with surprise. "A vacation? Now? Isabelle, with the trial coming up, I d
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 83
Double CrossIsabelle's POV While Carlos and I pretty much were picking our way carefully through a brittle truce, truth got entangled—an undercurrents of mistrust and suspicion run too deep underneath.Morris was back in our lives, busy with Carlos, planning an appeal that hung over us all like the sword of Damocles. I played the supportive wife, but my stomach twisted with each glimpse of the two of them huddled together in strategy sessions. Not to forget Allison—always there to remind me things were not just as they seemed.Somehow, Allison had wormed her way back into Carlos's favor. Now, she just made herself useful in ways that left me wondering at her motives. There wasn't much I could do, though, I didn't have a lot to argue with results for. We needed all the help we could get.Yet something in the way she smiled at Morris, maybe something about it, in her eyes' glitter, when she thought herself unobserved jarred on me. I could see that she was plotting something. I only wo
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 82
Unlikely AlliesIsabelle's POV As I came home after the trial, the silence was palpable. Carlos and I had sort of reached a compromise to work things out, but the chasm of distance between us now seemed larger than before. We tiptoed around each other, trying not to detonate the fights that had become all too frequent. The weight of everything that had happened hung over us like a dark cloud, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to give.It was late in the day, but I found Carlos in his study, nursing a glass of whiskey. His face seemed to hold more etchings of worry lines than even a few days ago. Hesitating at the door, unsure if I should intrude, before I could retreat he looked up and caught my gaze."Isabelle," he said, his voice soft, almost vulnerable. "Come in."I walked into the room and sensed the tension in the air. "What's on your mind?" I inquired, attempting to keep my tone light.Carlos let out a sigh and raked a hand over his hair. "It's everythin
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 81
Hidden AgendasIsabelle's POV The silence was so thick, so palpable, you could cut it with a knife in that courtroom. Then the voice of the judge finally broke the quiet, reading the verdict. It was almost as though time had slowed down—draggy, very long words. There it was, folks; the last words: "Not guilty." The disbelief was hard to digest. Wave upon wave of relief washed over me, and then I was numb the next moment.We had finally won, and we were clean for sure this time. But something didn't feel quite right in this wave of relief. What was wrong?Carlos turned to me with a mix of victory and exhaustion on his face. "We did it," he whispered, his voice hoarse with emotion.I nodded to him with a try at a smile. "Yeah, we did."In a flash, Morris was beaming reassuringly upon Carlos, shaking his hand, and at my side. "That is a victory for all of us," he declared, quite assured and composed in voice but with eyes that gave a flicker, the very doubt which was gnawing at me.As
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 80
Courtroom DramaIsabelle's POV Carlos had already been downstairs in his suit, impeccable, with an artfully done-up tie, sitting at the kitchen table with an empty, long stare into his coffee. His suit was impeccable, the tie artfully neat, but in his eyes, I could feel the tension. This trial was getting to all of us, I thought, but with Carlos, it felt like it was bearing down on him the most."Ready?" I asked softly, trying to sound surer than I was.He looked up at me then, his expression a mix of determination and exhaustion. "As ready as I'll ever be."We rode to the courthouse in dangerous, silent words. I felt there was some unseen poison spreading between the two of us. The pressure of our relationship overworked by the months tugged tighter and tighter until finally, the impending trial was just enough. Across the chasm in my mind, stretching between us, I could feel the impossible divide to bridge; at least that was what I felt right now.By the time we got there, the cou
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 79
Race Against TimeIsabelle's POV Among other things, this document we just received was something game -changing, this last bit of evidence, which would finally shift the tide in our favor. But as much as it brought hope, it also put an immense sense of urgency into the situation. We knew our opponents—all those dark figures who had set this whole scandal up in the first place would move heaven and earth to discredit or suppress it. Every second counted.That evening, we all sat in the living room. The air was heavy with tension; the fear was unsaid. I could see the worry etched on everyone's faces: Carlos, Jack, Sophia, Alex, even Morris, who had rapidly turned into an indispensable part of our efforts."We have to authenticate this evidence now," Morris said, his voice steady, but urgent. "If we don't, they'll find a way to discredit it before we can ever present it." Carlos leaned forward, his elbows propped on his knees, and deep stress lines etched on his face. "Do we have the
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 78
Damage ControlIsabelle's POVHere I was in my old familiar role as the squall of accusation and scandal reared its ugly head all over again, trying to hold everything together. An apparent impulsive act on the part of Carlos to issue a press statement without consulting any of us boomeranged. Far from quietening the rumors, it stirred the embers and set them even higher in the public perception of our family.Early the next day, the dawn was breaking right after the news along with a hundred calls, emails, and messages. In my mind, a thousand thoughts raced, but then I realized that I really had no time to panic; I needed to act."Carlos, we need to talk. I almost bumped into each of his study doors. His eyes were black with fatigue, his features etched with stress. The weight of the world seemed to be sitting on his shoulders."What's there to talk about, Isabelle? The damage is done."I took the deep breath of courage to say, "Yes, but we can still manage the narrative. We can't le
