LOGINAlexander povThe moment the door closed behind Celyne, I stood there staring at it.She had walked away from me again.Just like that.No explanation.No argument.Nothing.One moment, I had been standing in front of her, asking if she was okay, trying to understand what had happened to her, and the next, she had shut me out as though I were a stranger.I slowly clenched my fists.“What is happening?”I turned away from the door and walked into my study.Everything had been going well.At least, I thought it was.Celyne had started talking to me again. We had gone to appointments together. There had been moments when she smiled around me, moments when the tension between us seemed to disappear.For the first time in years, I had started believing that maybe things between us were changing.Maybe we could finally stop hurting each other.Maybe I could get through to her.And then, in the blink of an eye, everything had changed.Again.I slammed my hand against the desk.“Why?”The wor
Celyne povMy hands were still trembling.Even after Keon and his men drove away, I couldn’t move.Their words echoed endlessly inside my head.“Stay away from Alexander.”“Be the surrogate.”“Leave when the time comes.”“I’ll be watching.”I slowly looked down at my wrist.His grip had left angry red marks across my skin.A sharp pain shot through my arm as I gently rubbed the bruises.What… just happened?I don’t understand.Who exactly were those people?And how did they know so much about me?About Alexander.About Elara.About the contract.None of it made sense.Unless…My heart skipped.The Wynn family.Right from the beginning, they had never truly accepted me.They tolerated me when they had to.Ignored me when they could.But would they really go this far?Would they actually threaten me?I shook my head.“No…”“They couldn’t.”But another voice inside me answered immediately.Could they?After everything that had happened over the last few weeks…The push on the stairs.The
Celyne povI needed air.After everything that had happened over the past few weeks, the walls of the Hale Mansion felt like they were closing in on me.I couldn’t breathe.Mandy’s visit.Alexander’s concern.The baby.The contract.Everything was becoming too much.Maybe a walk would help.Pulling my cardigan tighter around myself, I stepped out of the mansion gates and followed the familiar walking path.The evening breeze brushed against my face as I inhaled deeply.“This is what I needed,” I whispered.For a few minutes, everything was quiet.No arguments.No expectations.Just me.And my thoughts.But the peace didn’t last.A black SUV suddenly pulled up beside me with a loud screech.I stopped walking.“What…”Before I could react, the passenger door opened.A tall man stepped out, dressed in black from head to toe.His expression was cold.Emotionless.Instinctively, I took a step back.“I’m sorry,” I said cautiously. “I think you have the wrong person.”I turned to leave.Only
Alexander povSomething didn’t feel right.The moment I walked into the Hale Mansion, an uneasy feeling settled deep inside my chest.I couldn’t explain it.Maybe it was because of the conversation I had with Mandy earlier.Maybe it was because the doctor’s words still echoed in my mind.Or maybe…What I feared most was about to happenIt was simply instinct.I loosened my tie as Bella hurried toward me.“Welcome back, sir.”I nodded.“Where’s Celyne?”Bella smiled faintly.“She went for a walk this afternoon.”I frowned.“A walk?”“Yes, sir.”“She said she wanted some fresh air.”I glanced at the clock.“What time did she leave?”“After two.”I checked my watch.It was almost eight.Six hours.“Hasn’t she come back yet?”Bella’s smile slowly faded.“I…”“I thought she was with you.”My heart skipped.“You thought”“With me?”She nodded nervously.“No, sir.”“I haven’t seen her since she left.”You could have put a call acrossI immediately pulled out my phone.Her number was still at
Celyne POVThe moment Bella walked into my room, I knew something was different.“Miss Celyne.”I looked up from the book in my hands.“Yes?”“There’s someone here to see you.”I frowned.“Me?”“Yes.”“They’re waiting downstairs.”My brows knitted together.Who could possibly be looking for me?I hadn’t told anyone I was here.The only people who knew were…No.It couldn’t be.I slowly stood, adjusting my cardigan before making my way downstairs.The closer I got to the living room, the faster my heart beat.Then I froze.“Aunt Mandy?”She turned immediately.“Celyne.”Before I could react, she grabbed my hand firmlyFor a brief second, I couldn’t place a feelingWhat brought herNot again, what is she up toDamien is not hereI tried to remove my hands, but the more I doThe more she held it firmly, which began to hurt and dragging me outside“What are you doing here?”Do I now need permission to come see you or you are purposely avoiding and not reaching out to meShe raised my chin
Alexander povEver since we left the hospital, the doctor’s words refused to leave my mind.“Spend quality time together.”“The baby responds to emotions.”“Stress isn’t good for either of them.”I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my forehead.For the first time in a long while, I wasn’t thinking about the company.I was thinking about Celyne.She looked exhausted.Even when she smiled, it never reached her eyes.Something was weighing on her.Something she refused to tell anyone.Then there was the person who pushed her down the stairs.I still couldn’t wrap my head around it.Someone had tried to hurt her.Someone had almost cost me my child.Yet after weeks of investigating…Nothing.No witnesses.No fingerprints.No useful footage.It was as if the person had disappeared into thin air.A knock interrupted my thoughts.“Come in.”Ryder stepped inside.“Sir.”“What is it?”“We’ve gone through every lead again.”“And?”He shook his head.“Nothing.”“They covered their tracks well.”
Celyne POVI stood at the entrance for a moment before stepping inside.Home.It looked the same.The same walls. The same furniture. The same quiet atmosphere that used to feel comforting.Now it felt different.Wrong, almost.Like nothing had changed… except me.I slowly walked in, my steps caref
Celyne’s POVI stare at my phone in my hand for eleven minutes seeing the name once again after so many years before I dial.I know because every memories keep flashing through my mind as I count every one of them.Sitting on the cold bathroom floor of Clara’s apartment, back pressed against the tu
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
Celyne POVThe blood wouldn’t stop.By the time I reached the hospital, my vision had already begun to blur. Nurses rushed toward me the moment they saw the state I was in. Their voices overlapped as they guided me onto a stretcher.“Get the doctor.”“She’s losing a lot of blood.”“How far along is







