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Chapter 66
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The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 67
Unexpected AlliesThe Fernándezes had breakfast with an air of expectation heavy at the table—Isabelle had finished that conversation with Jack from the night before about the message from Richard and the mandatory family meet.A muscle in Carlos's jaw began to work; his knuckles turned white as he gripped that cup of coffee. "I don't think I'm ready for that," finally said, in a low voice.Sophia, too, had leaned forward, her eyes flashing with interest. "But Dad, don't you think it might help? To clear the air once and for all?"Before Carlos could answer, the doorbell rang out through the mansion, its echo reminding everyone that they didn't have visitors expected at this hour."I'll get it," Alex volunteered, pushing back from the table.He fell back in through the door about a minute later, his face a picture of shock. "Um, you guys aren't going to believe this, but… Allison's here."The whole table gasped. Allison—Carlos's ex-mistress, the woman who had almost fractured their fa
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 68
AlliesCarlos sat in his armchair, frowning at the screen of his tablet where all the news stories flashed one after the other. The twins, Sophia and Alex, were whispering secrets in the corner. Jack was standing near the fireplace, his face telling its own story, one of guilt and concern.The sharp rap on the door set them all off on an uneasy jump. Isabelle smoothed down her skirt, drew a deep breath, and flung open said door on Allison in a blaze of designer perfume and camera-ready makeup.Precious agonizingly shifted between amusement and exasperation. "Well, are you going to invite me in?" Allison asked.Isabelle sidestepped as her ex-best friend barged into the room. The whole feeling in the room shifted, became full of curiosity towards her mixed with caution."Look, I'll get straight to the chase," Allison said, her eyes flickering all around the room. "You need help, and I'm here to offer it."Carlos snorted, but Isabelle held out a hand, silencing him. "Continue," she said,
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 69
CrossroadsWarm light from the morning sun crept through the curtains and reached out to touch Isabelle as she stirred from sleep. She lay there for a few minutes longer, steeping in the peace of a new day, until feelings about the past few days crashed her back awake. She rolled over, only to find that the other side of the bed was empty, save for Carlos's shadow. On his pillow was a note in his handwriting:"Gone for early meeting. We need to talk later. Love you."Isabelle's gut twisted. Those four words: "We need to talk," never seemed to bring her glad tidings. She blew out a loud breath, running a hand through her tangled hair as she padded downstairs.The kitchen was in full swing this morning. Sophia crouched over her laptop on one side of the breakfast bar while Alex rustled around in the fridge. Jack was at the stove, flipping a pancake with an impressive bit of skill."Morning, Mom," Alex mumbled through a mouthful of cereal.Isabelle managed a smile, pouring herself a much
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 70
New HorizonsThe Fernandez family filtered into the living room; the air was heavy with tension. Isabelle's fingers drummed against the sofa's arm. To his left, Carlos paced, which wasn't at all like him. On the floor in the centre of the circle, the twins sat facing each other cross-legged: Sophia and Alex, both torn between excitement and terror; Jack stood leaning on the fireplace, attempting to appear casual but failing – his shoulders were bunched."Okay," Carlos said at last, somewhere around the middle of the night. "We all have had enough time to mull the options before us. It's about time we decide." Isabelle swallowed hard. "We agreed we'd do this together, as a family. So have everybody speak. Sophia, care to begin?"Sophia leaned back slightly and took a deep breath, as though waiting for an obviously analytical mind to digest. "I've been checking online about international schools in Geneva," she began. "The academic opportunities are literally incredible. And the great
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 71
Shadows of the PastThe Fernández family waded through the busy arrivals terminal at Geneva airport. Isabelle clutched her carry-on tenaciously, her eyes darting sideways un the unfamiliar surroundings. Beside her, Carlos strode with a reassuring hand.Isabelle stepped out into the crisp Swiss air, and shivers ran down her spine. Nothing to do with the temperature. This was it. Really. They'd done it. Left everything familiar behind to start a new life in a foreign country."Everyone okay?" Carlos asked, low and concerned.Isabelle managed to smile. "Just a little overwhelmed. It's really happening, isn't it?"Just as Carlos was to respond, Sophia gasped, "Look!" A sleek black car pulled to the curb, and a tall, refined-featured man came out in his suit, suitably holding up a sign reading, "Fernandez Family.""Our ride, I presume," said Carlos, as he slipped on, approaching the driver.As they were piling suitcases into the car, Isabelle couldn't shake the feeling that they were being
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 72
Quickly, the Fernandzes were feeling quite elated while strolling through the nice streets in Geneva every day. Sophia and Alex just went on watching the architecture, while Jack clicked away with his phone. Carlos explained all the landmarks his strong voice filling with bits of local history. But underneath this veneer of tourist interest was tension.Isabelle clutched her bag, the newspaper inside too heavy in her mind for comfort. They caught Carlos eyeing them once or twice; his eyes smiled. They needed to talk, but not here, not with the children being so blissfully unaware.Turning the corner, they had a view of the spectacular Jet d'Eau and its arching column of water firing into the air."Wow!" Alex admired, eyes popping. "Can we go closer?"Carlos glanced at his wristwatch. A momentary atavistic flicker of indecision passed over his face. "Why don't you three run on ahead? Your mother and I will catch up in a couple of minutes."The three kids exchanged very speculative look
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 73
Shattered IllusionsIsabelle's heart throbbed inside her chest as she stood glued to the bedroom door: the soft voices downstairs growing louder by the second, changing tone, becoming urgent, shuffling feet and muffled thuds giving pace to the argument. She reached for the phone on her nightstand, and her hands shook. But when her fingers were practically upon it, she had a thought—one so horrible it could have iced: Where was Carlos?She swallowed her fear and walked softly in the direction of the twin's room. The door opened with a slight nudge. Sophia and Alex lay there completely oblivious to what lay ahead of them. She carefully closed the door and proceeded in the direction of Jack's room. It was empty.Suddenly, a feeling of motherly protectiveness swept the fear off her heart. It's her family in harm, and she has to act.Taking in her hand a big crystal vase that was on the hallway table, Isabelle picked up firmly and started down the stairs. The treads creaked and groaned fr
The Unexpected Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire Chapter 74
Shadows of DoubtThe sun had barely risen over the vast Fernandez estate when Carlos Fernandez lay awake, his mind racing with thoughts from which he couldn't turn his attention. He glanced sideways at the empty space the king-sized bed held beside him, noticing that she had risen early—again—ahead of him. He didn't find that unusual for his wife, but lately. .. well, something didn't feel right.Carlos padded down the hall; the plush carpet was muffling his footsteps. He came around into the kitchen to find Isabelle's low voice, once more on the phone, speaking in that low, urgent tone he had become so used to in the past few weeks."I understand. Yes, I'll meet you there. Don't worry, I'll be very careful," Isabelle was saying. When Carlos came into the kitchen, she hastily concluded the call with a quick, "I gotta go. Talk soon.""Good morning," said Carlos, trying hard to keep his voice neutral. "Early call?"Isabelle turned, the practiced smile in place. "Oh, just some foundation
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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
