All Chapters of The Accidental Surrogate's Secret: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Dorian’s POVI leaned back slightly, watching her through narrowed eyes. Candice’s fingers twitched as she spoke, and her lashes fluttered too much—small, telltale signs of a liar.I hated liars.“Still lying, Candice?” I asked again when she didn’t respond fast enough.She bit her lip, looking away. “That’s not a lie, Mr. Dorian. The hospital arranged for me to replace the original surrogate.”Her voice was steady, but everything else about her screamed deception.I scoffed under my breath. “Is that so?” I murmured, tapping my fingers against my arm.Something about this entire situation didn’t sit right with me.As I studied her, my grandfather’s voice echoed in my mind.“You need to marry and have children, Dorian. It’s the only way to secure our family’s legacy.”For months, he had been relentless about this, as if my life belonged to him to control. I could still remember his sharp gaze, the weight of his expectations pressing down on me.“Do you think our enemies will hesitate t

Candel's POVThe moment the door clicked shut behind me, I pressed my back against it, letting out a shaky breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. My legs felt weak, and for a moment, I thought I might collapse right there. Every nerve in my body buzzed with unease, my heart hammering relentlessly in my chest.The tension between us had been suffocating—so close, I could feel his breath on my skin. I could still feel the weight of his gaze on me, like he was reading every thought, every flaw.For a second, it had felt like we might kiss. Almost.But no. I couldn’t let myself think like that. Dorian had made it clear—the pregnancy was the only reason we were even in the same room, let alone so close.“Don’t think you’re special, Candice. You’re just the surrogate.”I swallowed hard. I had to remember that. I wasn’t here for anything else. He didn’t care about me—not really.Why was I even thinking about our proximity when there was something far more important?He knew.Dorian kne

Candice's POVThe makeup artist froze at the sound behind her, her hand, which had been busy applying blush to my cheeks, froze mid air when Dorian stepped inside.My heart raced as I turned my head toward the door. Dorian towered at the door, his sapphire blue eyes glared at the makeup artist. He looked sharp in his tailored gray suit, but his clenched jaw made my throat dry.The makeup artist’s face went pale as she quickly forced a smile. “Mr. Anderson,” her voice trembled, “I didn’t hear you come in.”Dorian’s gaze locked on her, cold and piercing as he ignored her. “Repeat what you just said,” he demanded, his voice calm but icy.The makeup artist’s smile faded. “I—I didn’t say anything,” she stammered, taking a step back. “It was just a joke. Nothing serious.”Dorian took a slow step forward, his arms crossed around his chest. “I said,” his voice even colder, “repeat what you just said.”My eyes darted from the makeup artist to Dorian, I saw how her knees shuddered slightly as s

Candice's POVI turned around, my eyes widened at the sight of Violet hovering by the restroom door. She was dressed in a high quality dress just like mine.Violet looked exactly as I remembered her in the past. At first, it looked like she was surprised to see me, but it quickly turned to contempt, her lips curled into a disdainful smirk.“Well, well,” Violet began, her voice mocking as she folded her arms. “Look who managed to sneak into an event like this. How did you get past the security? Did you bribe the doorman with that pretty face of yours?…or your body?”I stiffened, clenching my fists at my sides, but Violet wasn’t done.“Honestly, how pathetic can you be?” Violet sneered.I blinked as I was taken aback. I refused to let Violet get under my skin, especially not here. “That’s enough,” my tone was as calm as I could muster, though my fists were still clenched at my sides.I cut her off immediately, my voice trembled with anger. “You’re the one with such low standards, Violet

Candice's POVThe car ride was heavy with silence, but my mind was anything but quiet. Dorian’s words kept repeating themselves in my head, tangled with Violet’s sharp insults that had left a deeper sting than I wanted to admit. I couldn’t figure out Dorian’s angle. He said he was just stepping up for me, but his actions always went beyond that. He had a way of making me question everything.I stole a glance at him. His eyes remained fixed on the road ahead, his jaw tightly clenched, and his hands resting still on his lap. Even in this calm posture, he seemed tense. It wasn’t unusual for him, but tonight, it felt different.A lump grew in my throat as I thought about what he had done. No one had ever defended me the way he had tonight—not even Joshua, the man I’d once believed loved me. Dorian’s actions weren’t for me, though. I knew that. It was all for the child I was carrying, his child. That was the only reason he cared.My hand instinctively went to my belly as the thought sank i