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Chapter 046
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The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 047
Through the kitchen window, Morris watched seven-year-old Jacob Jr. kicking a soccer ball around the backyard. He seemed to have no regard for the fact that the sun was already below the horizon. Bursts of laughter from the young boy resounded in the air and, for one moment, it didn't lose the ability to warm up Morris's heart in light of the complicated arrangement of their family.A rap at the door drew Morris out of his reverie. Allison entered, her face pulled into equal parts exhaustion and determination. "Hey," she said softly. "How was he today?"Morris came up with a tired smile. "Good. We worked on his math homework, then he wanted to practice soccer. He's getting pretty good."The silence was awkward between them, heavy with unspoken words and lingering resentments. It was now seven years since this co-parenting arrangement was established, yet all of the hurdles seemed sometimes to never be totally out of the way."Jacob's coming by tomorrow to take him to the science museu
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 048
It had been an inundation of emotions and realizations during the past couple of months, after which Carlos stood more vulnerable than he ever did. He realized that it was time for him to right his misdeeds with Isabelle, to show her the man he really wanted to be.He took a deep breath and then dialed his assistant. "Anna, need you to clear my schedule for the next week, and book two tickets to Bora Bora. Whatever's most exclusive you find."As he hung up the phone, doubt crawled in like a shadow. Would Isabelle even accept his invitation? Things with her had been strained of late. Their relationship was barely hanging by a thread, but he had to try.That evening, Carlos went home earlier than usual, carrying a bouquet with Isabelle's favorite flowers—lilies. He met her in the nursery, gently swaying their babies, Sophia and Alex, to sleep."Isabelle," he whispered, not to wake up the kids or her. "Can we talk?"She looked up in evident surprise. It was not very often that Carlos man
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 049
Family DynamicsThe soft whine of the engines on the private jet hummed through the cabin as Isabelle pressed her face against the window, watching as the blue waters of the Pacific gave way to the familiar cityscape below. She felt Carlos squeeze her hand lightly, and she turned to meet his eyes, filled with both hope and uncertainty."Ready to face the real world again?" he asked, his voice chipping with a hint of his humor.Isabelle smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "As ready as I'll ever be," she returned. Their week in Bora Bora had seemed like a dream, an opportunity to plug back in and heal old wounds, to rediscover that giddy love that brought them together. Now, though, as they made the descent back into the messy lives awaiting them at home, she couldn't but help wonder how well their progress was going to stand up against the stresses that reached out to them from there.As soon as she stepped off the plane, Isabelle's phone buzzed with a message from Mrs. Winston - the
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 050
Growing PainsIsabelle Fernandez stood fixed at the wall clock on the counter. 10:30 PM and Sophia still wasn't home. She had promised to come home by 9:00 PM, and Isabelle's gut writhed with worry. She turned toward her phone lying on the counter. A fifth call to make or wake Carlos, usually snoring away in the study?Just as she was about to dial the phone, the creak of the front door announced someone's entrance. In a mad rush to the foyer, relief washed over her as she saw Sophia trying to slip in unnoticed."Where have you been?" Isabelle demanded, a mix of anger and concern in her voice.Sophia rolled her eyes in a manner so reminiscent of Isabelle during those exact years of teenager-hood that it almost made her laugh. Almost. "Chill, Mom. I was just at Jade's house. We lost track of time."The smell of cigarette smoke wafting from Sophia's clothes told an entirely different story. Isabelle's eyes narrowed. "Don't lie to me, Sophia. You reek of smoke, and I know for a fact that
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 051
The Business of FamilyWhile Carlos stood before his glass windows observing the beauty of the skyscrapers, his phone buzzed, and he read the message from Isabelle: "The meeting with the principal went as well as could be. We need to talk. Don't be late for dinner."Carlos sighed and ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper mane. All day he had been contemplating the meeting with the twins' principal. He should have attended the meeting, and yet a crisis that fell in his lap regarding a prime customer had him tied up in his office. Once again.Rap, rap, sounded from his door, and his secretary said, "Mr. Fernandez? The board is waiting for you in the conference room."Carlos adjusted his tie. He brushed off thoughts of his family.He went into the conference room to find the prattle dying, all the eyes turning to him with a mix of anticipation and wariness on the faces of the board members."Ladies and gentlemen," he said, the bass voice cutting through the murmur of conversation. "The
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 052
Secrets and LiesThrough the hotel window, the Shanghai skyline sparkled, offering a sparkling display of lights that seemed to match the thrum of excitement buzzing in Isabelle's veins. She and Carlos had been in China a week now, fighting their way through endless meetings and tours of facilities, tightrope walking on a high wire that was international business. It was exhilarating, challenging, and utterly exhausting.As she leaned back into the soft couch, her laptop balanced on her thighs, the first signs of a grin began to grow across Isabelle's face. She was good at it—better than she'd thought. All those years running their household and maneuvering through so many social circles had polished her skills as a diplomat, negotiator. Even Carlos had been impressed, deferring to her for counsel at some of the most critical moments of the negotiations.A notification flashed across her screen – a video call from home. She smiled as she hit accept, and her children's faces lighted up
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 053
Corporate EspionageTo Isabelle, the Fernandez mansion that once symbolized success and family unity had become a prison. It had been three days since her rushed return from Italy, three days of frantic searching, pleading telephone calls, and sleepless nights. Alex was still missing.Isabelle sat at the kitchen island, her sea of electronics around her, her coffee untouched in front of her. The words of that text haunted her: "Your son is safe. For now. But his debt is now yours. We'll be in touch." What kind of debt? Who is this? And why haven't they contacted her again?Carlos wandered into the kitchen, looking crumpled when he was almost always immaculately dressed, dark circles under his eyes that rivaled Isabelle's own. "Any news?" Isabelle asked, knowing from the defeated slump of her husband's shoulders that there was none. Carlos shook his head and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Nothing. The police are still treating it as a runaway case, but I've hired private investigator
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 054
The normally unruffled composure of Carlos Fernandez now replaced with furrowed brows and clenched fists, he paced around his dimly lit office. His mahogany desk was strewn with the latest quarterly reports, each page staring at him like a harsh reminder of the crisis unfolding in front of him. Fernandez Holdings' stock had just plunged 15% in one day after their supposedly top-secret clean energy project found its way to their toughest competitor—GreenTech Industries."How?" Carlos muttered, rubbing a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair. "How did they know about Project Helios?"A soft knock at the door broke into his reverie. Isabelle slipped inside, her expression a mix of worry and purpose. "Carlos, I came as soon as I heard. What can I do?"He turned to his wife; his eyes softened a moment, then hardened with resolution. "Isabelle, I need your help. There is a mole in our organization, and I want you to find him."Isabelle's eyes widened. "Me? But I'm not—""You are the only pe
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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
