Chapter Five: A Trap?

Alexander’s POV

“What exactly is going on here?”

Elara’s voice cuts through the silence like glass shattering on marble.

I don’t answer.

I can’t.

The name still echoes in my head like a gunshot.

Celyne.

Of all the people in the world… how is it her?

My fingers remain locked together on the desk as I stare blankly ahead, but my mind is racing with a thousand questions I cannot answer.

Across the office, Elara begins pacing slowly, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.

“How is Celyne suddenly a surrogate at our hospital after disappearing for five years?” she continues, her voice tightening with irritation. “And how convenient that she just happens to be carrying our child.”

Her words hang in the air.

Our child.

The phrase feels strange… foreign.

I still haven’t processed it.

I had walked into that clinic expecting a routine check. A quick confirmation that the surrogate agency had finally matched us with someone suitable.

Instead I walked into a ghost from my past.

Celyne Ardent.

My ex-wife.

The woman who shattered everything.

Elara stops pacing and turns toward me, arms crossed tightly over her chest.

“Alexander,” she says more sharply, “are you even listening to me?”

My jaw tightens.

Of course I hear her.

But all I see is Celyne’s face from earlier.

The way her eyes widened when she saw me.

The way she whispered my name like she had seen a ghost.

Then she ran.

Just like she did five years ago.

Elara sighs in frustration when I remain silent.

“This can’t be a coincidence,” she continues. “After all these years she suddenly reappears and just happens to be carrying our child?”

Her lips curl slightly.

“Don’t you think that sounds like a trap?”

A trap.

The word settles heavily in my chest.

For five years I convinced myself Celyne had played me.

That she had married me for the Hale name… for the fortune… for the prestige.

Then she disappeared overnight.

No explanation.

No goodbye.

Just gone.

Leaving behind rumors, humiliation, and a broken marriage.

My hands slowly tighten into fists.

Elara walks closer, lowering her voice.

“And let’s not forget something else.”

I finally glance up at her.

She tilts her head slightly, her expression thoughtful but cold.

“Celyne couldn’t even carry a child back then.”

The words strike something raw inside me.

Elara continues casually.

“She had what… five miscarriages?”

My throat tightens.

I remember every one of them.

Every hospital visit.

Every tear.

Every time she blamed herself.

Elara shrugs lightly.

“So forgive me if I find it strange that the same woman who couldn’t carry a pregnancy suddenly becomes a professional surrogate.”

Her lips press together in faint disbelief.

“It sounds… impossible.”

My silence seems to irritate her even more.

“Well?” she asks sharply. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

For a long moment, the room is silent.

Then I stand.

“I have work to do.”

My voice is flat.

Controlled.

Elara stares at me in disbelief.

“That’s it?”

I grab a file from the desk without looking at her.

“You should go home.”

Her brows draw together.

“Alexander—”

“I said go home.”

The edge in my voice finally shuts her up.

She studies me carefully for a few seconds.

Then she exhales slowly.

“Fine.”

Her heels click again as she walks toward the door.

But before leaving, she pauses.

“If this really is Celyne trying to crawl back into your life,” she says coldly, “I hope you’re not foolish enough to fall for it.”

The door shuts behind her.

The office becomes quiet again.

Too quiet.

I slowly sink back into the chair.

For a long time, I just sit there.

Celyne’s face keeps flashing through my mind.

The fear in her eyes.

The way she ran.

Then another thought surfaces.

A surrogate.

Celyne Ardent.

The same woman who once cried in my arms after losing our child… now renting out her womb to strangers.

A bitter laugh escapes my throat.

How pathetic.

The intercom buzzes suddenly.

“Sir?”

I press the button sharply.

“What?”

My assistant’s nervous voice comes through.

“The board just sent another notice regarding the heir requirement.”

My jaw tightens instantly.

Of course they did.

Ever since my father stepped down as chairman, the vultures on the board have been circling.

They want control.

And the easiest way to weaken my position is simple.

No heir.

No legacy.

No guarantee the Hale empire remains within the bloodline.

Which means no full authority as CEO.

My grip tightens around the receiver.

“What now?” I ask coldly.

“They’re requesting confirmation regarding the issue of the heir and a pregnancy report to prove it… or they’ll call for a reevaluation vote.”

My eyes darken.

Those bastards.

“Understood.”

I slam the intercom down.

The rest of the afternoon spirals into chaos.

Meetings.

Contracts.

Reports.

But none of it goes smoothly.

A manager presents the wrong numbers.

I tear the report apart.

Another employee stumbles through a presentation.

I dismiss him halfway through.

By evening the entire office floor feels like a war zone.

No one dares speak unless necessary.

My anger burns hotter with every passing hour.

Because beneath it all is one unavoidable truth.

Time is not on my side.

I need an heir.

Immediately.

And the only woman currently carrying my child…

Is Celyne.

The irony makes my stomach twist.

I reach for my phone and dial the hospital directly.

It rings twice before someone answers.

“Peace Medical Center, how may I assist you?”

“This is Alexander Hale.”

There’s an immediate shift in the voice.

“O-of course, Mr. Hale. How can we help?”

“I want a new surrogate.”

Silence.

Then the woman clears her throat nervously.

“Unfortunately, Mr. Hale… that may not be possible right now.”

My eyes narrow.

“Explain.”

“Our current surrogate pool is fully booked. The next available candidate may take up to five months.”

Five months.

My patience snaps instantly.

“I don’t have five months.”

“I understand, sir, but—”

“Cancel the current one.”

Another pause.

“Mr. Hale… you’re referring to Miss Celyne?”

“Yes.”

“I’m afraid that’s complicated.”

My voice drops dangerously.

“How.”

“She has already begun the early stages of the pregnancy process.”

I slam my hand against the desk.

“Then stop it.”

The nurse hesitates.

“We’ve tried contacting her since she left regarding follow-up appointments but…”

“But what?”

Her next words freeze the air in the room.

“She hasn’t responded to any of our calls.”

My eyes darken.

“What do you mean she hasn’t responded?”

“We’ve called several times today, but her phone appears to be off. She also hasn’t replied to our messages.”

A cold fury spreads through my chest.

She disappeared once before.

She will not do it again.

Not this time.

Not when she’s carrying my heir.

My voice drops to a lethal whisper.

“Listen carefully.”

“Yes… Mr. Hale?”

“Find her.”

The nurse stammers nervously.

“S-sir?”

“I don’t care how you do it,” I say coldly. “Check her address. Contact the agency. Send someone to her apartment.”

My grip tightens around the phone.

“Because right now… she has my child inside her.”

The silence on the other end grows tense.

“And I will not allow her to disappear again.”

My voice turns into a sharp command.

“Find Celyne Ardent.”

I end the call.

But as the quiet office settles around me again…

A strange thought creeps into my mind.

If Celyne really ran today…

Then why does it feel like she was afraid?

Not manipulative.

Not calculating.

Afraid.

My jaw tightens.

No.

That’s impossible.

Celyne Ardent taught me long ago that fear was just another form of deception.

Still…

My fingers drum slowly against the desk.

Because if she truly disappears again this time…

I will lose my only opportunity to get my company back.

While I was still lost in my thoughts, my phone rang, the moment I picked up I was shocked to hear her voice.

Celyne?