FAITH
I stared into his green eyes, my expression dead serious.
I don't know what I was expecting, but it surely wasn't a chuckle from him. He literally laughed, and I swear to God, it was the most attractive sound I had to have ever heard.
Even in this situation, when my world had turned upside down, my heart reacted to the sound of his deep laugh.
“What?” he asked once he stopped laughing, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“What what?” I shot back, reverting back to my seriousness.
He tilted his head, confusion etched on his amused features. “I don’t get it. What are you saying?”
“Wait,” I paused, doubt flickering within me. “Are you not Jared’s boss?”
“Yes, I am. But I am not sure I know what you are talking about.”
“Jared said you would pay me $100,000 for sleeping with you,” I clarified. “So for personal reasons, I’m willing to sleep with you four times for $100,000 each time. No negotiations.”
His expression shifted from confusion to surprise as the implications of my words sank in. “Ohhh,” he finally let out. “It must have been my mother who told him to ask that of you. I swear…” he added, rolling his eyes slightly, a flicker of exasperation breaking through.
I was thoroughly confused. Why would his mother want him to sleep with me? Did she doubt he was gay or something like that? And she wanted to check?
Oh, well, whatever, it wasn't my headache. I already had plenty to worry about.
“I don’t care who asked what,” I interrupted. “I want to sleep with you. I need the money.”
“Look, you don’t want to do that,” he replied, his tone shifting to something more serious. “I mean, it’s a long-term commitment.”
I narrowed my eyes, more confusion flaring up alongside my anger. “I don’t care if it’s a long-term commitment,” I snapped back, internally freaking out about the number of times I’d have to sleep with him for $400,000.
For my mom, I would do anything.
“Even though I said no negotiations, I only meant that about the money. I don't care how many times I have to sleep with you for that. I am determined to do this,” I stated, my voice stronger than I felt inside.
He raised an eyebrow as he studied me, giving me a once-over from top to bottom, as if it was only now that he was checking if I was worthy to please him in bed or not.
As if satisfied with what he was seeing, intrigue sparked in his gaze.
“Alright then,” he said, his voice low and teasing. I noticed the smirk playing at the corners of his lips. “I am on my way to get discharged. Go wait in the car outside.”
Nodding, I walked toward the entrance. As the cold night air hit my face, the reality of what I had agreed to settle within me. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with fear. I had no idea what was awaiting me. I might have just signed up for something really terrifying.
What was I doing? Would this really help my mom?
My heart raced in fear, but I pushed it down; I had made a decision, and now I had to follow through.
When I reached the front of the hospital, I spotted an expensive car waiting by the curb, its sleek lines and shiny exterior glinting under the lamppost light.
For a moment, I stood there, staring at it. I didn’t want to get in just yet; it felt too awkward, too… intimate.
I shifted from one foot to the other, my nerves bubbling beneath the surface as I waited outside the car.
Just as my anxiety began to climb, the guy emerged from the clinic entrance.
“What are you waiting outside for?” he asked, a playful lilt in his voice. “Do you want me to open the door for you? You could have just motioned to my driver.”
I shook my head, mumbling, “I was feeling awkward.” My cheeks flushed as I realized how silly I must have looked, standing there like a scared teenager about to make a really bad decision.
He grinned, confident and charming. “You’re cute being awkward,” he remarked, his eyes glinting with mischief. “But I liked it better when you were confident.”
Something stirred in my chest at his words, a flutter of unexpected warmth.
I took a deep breath, trying to regain some of that earlier determination. Maybe I could embrace that confidence again.
I was about to slide into the front passenger seat when he called out, “Hey, sit beside me.” He was holding the door open to the backseat.
I paused, surprised. The invitation felt intimate, but I had to be confident. I was going to sleep with him in a short time, so what did it matter if I sat in the backseat with him? So, I turned back and climbed into the backseat next to him.
The plush leather enveloped me, and I felt a strange sense of comfort amid the tension. I tried to relax, despite the cloud of problems hanging over my head.
As the driver pulled away from the curb, I tried to calm my nerves, mentally preparing myself for what was about to come. I tried hard not to think about all the things that happened in the last few hours.
The car ride was mostly quiet, the soft hum of the engine filling the space as… What was his name again? Oh, well, it didn't matter. He was focused intently on his iPad.
His brows furrowed slightly in concentration, and I couldn’t help but think, he truly was a gorgeous man. Was he a celebrity? That could be why he was so rich and was willing to pay so much for a random girl. Maybe there was some secrecy issue or something.
I had half a mind to ask, but I didn’t want to disrupt the tentative peace that surrounded us.
As we pulled up to an expensive hotel, my breath caught in my throat. The exterior gleamed under the soft glow of the streetlights, and the grand entrance was lined with lush plants and elaborate decor.
Okay, he really was ‘rich’ rich. That kind of top 0.000001% of the population.
This place felt worlds away from my usual reality.
I swallowed hard, a knot forming in my stomach as I thought about what I was getting into.
The guy stepped out of the car first, glancing back at me with a small, reassuring smile. “Come on. We are here.”
I nodded and followed him inside. The lobby was stunning, with marble floors and chandeliers that sparkled like stars. If I wasn't in such a bad place in my head, I would have felt overwhelmingly underdressed.
He strode confidently to the elevator, and I found myself dragging my feet through a fog.
Once we reached the large suite, he opened the door and gestured for me to step in first. I walked inside, taking in the luxurious furnishings and expansive views of the city skyline.
He moved to the mini-bar, pouring a glass of wine for both of us and holding it up as if to toast. “To new beginnings.”
I was a little confused as to why he said that, but I brushed it off with something along the lines of, we would be sleeping together multiple times, that's why.
“Actually,” I interrupted awkwardly, “I want a contract written that you will pay me.”
He raised an eyebrow, appearing amused. “What? Afraid that I will scam you? Even after seeing this?” He gestured around the luxurious suite, emphasizing just how wealthy he was.
I frowned and crossed my arms, refusing to back down. “But what if you pay me less? Rich people can be miserly too.”
He chuckled, nodding in agreement. “Point taken.” He placed down our wine glasses and reached for a notepad and a pen resting on the side table.
As he scribbled something down, I felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation swell within me. Then he paused, signing his name with a flourish.
I almost gasped as I caught sight of the name at the end of the page: Blaze Weston.
There was nobody in this city who didn't know that name. Blaze Weston was the CEO of Weston Corporation—one of the most influential and popular multinational companies.
FAITH“Still doubting me?” Blaze asked, a teasing smile dancing on his lips.My eyes widened in shock. I couldn’t believe it. I was about to make a deal with someone so powerful. The sudden realization hit me hard, and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. I grabbed the wine glass and gulped down the entire content, desperate to calm my nerves. Suddenly, I was overwhelmed with performance anxiety. A little glad at the same time as well.If a man like that filed a lawsuit against me, I would have been doomed for life. What luck of mine to have bumped in front of his car of all the people in the world!“Can I please have more?” I requested, my voice slightly unsteady and panicked.Blaze smirked, clearly entertained by my reaction. He moved to pour me another glass but paused. He twitched his lips, as if thinking about something else. “It might not be a good idea to get you too drunk.”He stepped closer, his hand finding its way to my waist. The warmth of his touch sent a jolt t
FAITHI quickly scrambled to gather my clothes, my heart racing as I tried to process what had just happened. The reality of the situation settled heavily on my shoulders, and panic gripped me. I fumbled with the fabric, my hands trembling. “I had no fucking idea you were trying to get me pregnant! Isn’t this against the fucking law?!” My voice was a mix of outrage and fear, and I could feel my face flushing with a rush of emotions.Blaze’s expression shifted. “Surrogacy is well within the law. I thought you knew.” His voice was sharper than I expected, but I could see the frustration etched on his features.“How would I know if nobody told me?!” I shot back, finally pulling my shirt over my head, feeling the fabric stick to my clammy skin. My mind raced with the implications of what he had just said. I felt completely blindsided.The weight of Blaze’s words hung in the air, and the realization crashed down on me like a tidal wave. I couldn’t believe this was happening. “Oh my Go
FAITHThe day of my mom’s funeral arrived, yet it felt more like I was watching someone else’s life unfold. I stood in black, the weight of loss pressing down on me, but all I could feel was a hollow numbness. People approached me with sympathetic looks, murmuring words that barely registered, as if I were surrounded by a wall of fog.One after another, family friends and neighbors I barely knew came to pay their respects. I shook hands, nodded, accepted gentle pats on the shoulder, but my mind was elsewhere. It was lost in the life my mother and I had shared, in the small but precious moments, now gone forever.I turned, noticing a familiar face coming through the doors. Mia. She walked toward me, her face full of worry and sympathy, and gently pulled me into a hug. “I am so sorry, Faith,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. She pulled back, studying my face. “Have you… have you been able to cry?”I looked away, swallowing hard. The truth was, I hadn’t shed a tear ever si
FAITHI felt Reagan’s push, sudden and forceful, sending me tumbling forward. The cold, hard ground stung against my hands, and a sharp jolt of humiliation flared in my chest. My instincts screamed to fight back, but I swallowed them down, taking a slow breath as I pushed myself up.“Who do you think you are?” Reagan’s voice cut through the air, dripping with disdain. “How dare you ignore me, Faith? How arrogant can you be?”I took a deep breath, brushing off the dirt, meeting her gaze with all the strength I could summon. “I am not arrogant,” I said, keeping my tone steady, but I could feel the anger rising within me. “You are the one who is insecure, Reagan. You had to go after a taken man and win him over just to feel better about yourself. That’s not confidence; it’s pathetic insecurity.”Her face twisted in shock, and her mouth opened in a silent gasp. She shot a pleading look at Austin, who was just standing there, silent. “Are you seriously going to let her talk to me like tha
FAITHI could feel my heart sink as I stared at the "On Sale" placard swinging in the wind. The words seemed to blur in front of my eyes, the finality of it all hitting me in waves.I had barely even processed the dread creeping up my spine when I heard the front door creak open.I ran towards the house, my breath sharp, my mind racing. The world around me felt suspended, like I was caught in a storm and the only thing I could do was hold on and wait for it to pass.But the storm had already arrived.When I walked in, I froze in the doorway, my heart skipping a beat when I saw an unfamiliar figure inside.
FAITHIt had been a month since I left that town behind. A month since I set fire to everything I knew—every tie, every memory.Now, I was in Iowa. The place where no one knew me, where the ghosts of my past didn’t haunt the streets. It was quiet. Too quiet. But it was better than the alternative.I was working at a small diner. The kind of place you didn’t remember unless you needed to. It wasn’t anything special—just a bunch of grease, some old men chatting about nothing important, and a few tired faces behind the counter.A monotonous rhythm I’d quickly grown accustomed to.Wake up, clock in, work through the day, c
FAITHThis had to be a joke.The air in the room felt too thick, too heavy. My chest was tightening, my heart hammering like it was trying to break free of its cage.Pregnant.I kept replaying the doctor’s words in my head, trying to make sense of them, but it was like a puzzle with a thousand pieces scattered across the floor. Nothing fits together. I had no idea how this had happened.I tried to think. I tried to run through every moment, every possible slip-up. My mind kept racing back to that time, the chaotic mess that was my life when my mom died. The funeral, the confusion, the numbness. And in the middle of all of that, I had stopped thinking about anything else.I didn’t take birth control pills the first few days after having sex with Blaze.The realization hit me like a slap to the face, and I cursed myself under my breath. How could I have been so careless? How could I have let this happen? I felt sick, not just from the shock of the news, but from the weight of my own
FAITHThe air was thick with tension as I stepped into the private jet, my feet feeling heavier with every step. Jared followed behind me quietly, guiding me through the sleek, polished cabin. His steps were measured, quick, but I couldn’t help but feel the weight of his presence pressing down on me. As much as I tried to focus on the luxurious surroundings, the throbbing ache in my head and the heavy reality of what I was about to do made it impossible to enjoy any of it.The interior of the jet was immaculate. Plush leather seats, a glossy wood paneling, and soft lighting that somehow made everything seem surreal. A far cry from the cramped locker rooms and dive diners I’d left behind.I let out a long, tired breath as Jared stepped aside to leave me alone. His parting words were as sterile as ever: “I will leave you two to talk. Let me know if you need anything.”I didn’t have the energy to acknowledge him. Instead, my eyes drifted to the figure waiting at the far end of the cabi
FAITHI held my breath, bracing myself as the doctor studied the ultrasound images with a careful gaze. The room felt too still, too charged with anticipation.My fingers curled tightly over the thin sheet covering my stomach, my heart pounding so loud I could barely hear anything else.Blaze sat beside me, unnervingly silent, his piercing gaze fixed on the monitor as if willing it to reveal the answer he wanted.The doctor finally turned to us, offering a small smile. “Well, from what we can see at this stage… it looks like you’re expecting a boy and a girl.”I exhaled sharply, a rush of relief crashing over me like a tidal wave.
FAITHThe car ride was quiet at first, the soft hum of the engine filling the silence between us. I stared out the window, watching the buildings blur past, but my thoughts were too loud to focus on anything outside.I bit my lip, hesitating, but finally, I turned to Blaze. “What if the baby is a girl?”He looked at me, slightly confused. “What do you mean?”I shifted in my seat, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I mean… I’d love to have a daughter,” I admitted. “But… I don’t want the baby to be a girl at this point.”Blaze frowned. “Why?”I sighe
FAITHThe dining room was grand, but somehow, the atmosphere around the breakfast table felt tense.Maybe it was Marcus’s looming presence, his strict posture as he sat at the head of the table like a king overseeing his kingdom. Or maybe it was the fact that Blaze, still unusually quiet, was eating his food with the composure of a soldier in a disciplinary camp.I tried to focus on my own plate, but my stomach was still a little unsettled from earlier.Jessica, Blaze’s mother, sat gracefully across from us, sipping her tea. Elegant and poised as always, she placed her cup down and looked at both of us with an expression that m
FAITHI felt my stomach drop the moment recognition dawned on me.Marcus Weston.Blaze’s grandfather.The Weston patriarch. The man who practically built the empire Blaze now ruled.The man I had heard so much about—powerful, ruthless, and impossible to impress.I instinctively glanced back toward the bed where Blaze was still sleeping, his face relaxed, unaware of the storm brewing just outside his door. Then, forcing myself to breathe, I turned back to Marcus.His expression hadn’t changed—sharp and displeased."Wh
FAITHThe sound of the closet door clicking open made my head turn, and suddenly, all the exhaustion I felt evaporated.Blaze walked out, toweling his damp hair, his movements casual, effortless—completely unaware of the effect he had on me. But that wasn’t what caught my attention.It was the fact that he was shirtless.My breath hitched.I had seen him in crisp suits, in casual button-downs, in gym wear that hinted at the strength underneath—but this? This was different.The way the soft bedroom lighting cast shadows over every sharp plane of his body, the way droplets of water clung to his skin, sliding down the ridges of his mus
FAITHThe first thing I noticed was the heaviness in my head.My thoughts felt sluggish, like they were wading through molasses. My eyes fluttered open, but the room was blurry and dim. Voices echoed faintly around me, muffled as though I were underwater.I forced myself to focus, straining to catch the conversation. Someone—maybe a man—was speaking in a calm, clinical tone.“…the chloroform intake was too high. Combined with the pregnancy, it’s no surprise she hasn’t woken up until now. But her vitals are stable. She needs rest.”I blinked again, my vis
BLAZE“Faith!” I shouted, my voice breaking with panic.My feet pounded against the pavement as I bolted toward the van. Faith’s body was limp, the man shoving her inside with a disturbing lack of effort. Every muscle in my body screamed to move faster, to stop them before they could get away.But just as I closed in, someone appeared in front of me.“Watch it!” they snapped as I collided with them, the force sending me sprawling onto the ground.“Get out of my way!” I barked, scrambling to my feet.By the time I regained my balance, the van’s doors slammed shut, and the engine roared to life. My chest ti
BLAZEJared rolled his eyes so dramatically that I was tempted to grab the nearest object and throw it at him.“You know,” he began, dragging out his words like a know-it-all, “for someone who claims to have everything under control, you really have no idea how to handle this situation.”I rolled my eyes. “What’s your point, Jared?”“My point,” he said, leaning against the desk, “is that you’re dancing around your feelings. Stop playing games with Faith. You either make an effort or let her go.”“Stop with that attitude,” I said, my voice laced with irritation. “I just don’t want to mislead her or make her fall for me when I can’t promise her a future together.”
BLAZEThe rhythmic tapping of my pen against the desk was the only sound in the room.My gaze was fixed on the skyline outside my office window, but my thoughts were far away.Faith.Lately, she’d occupied my mind more than I cared to admit. There was something about her—her energy, her stubbornness, her unshakable resolve—that managed to cut through the monotony of my days.She was unpredictable, and maybe that’s what I liked most.A knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts.Jared strolled in, his usual air of casual arrogance intact. “You are doing that thing again,” he sai