LOGINElara POVThe dining table was quiet now.Too quiet.But even in the silence, the tension from earlier still lingered in the air, heavy and unsettling.I stood by the window, my arms crossed lightly, my gaze unfocused as my thoughts replayed everything that had just happened.Every word.Every expression.Every reaction.Or more importantly…The lack of it.A small frown formed on my face.“That wasn’t supposed to happen…” I muttered softly.At least… not like that.I had expected the tension.Of course I had.Celyne being back was already enough to stir things.And yes, I wanted her to feel uncomfortable.To remember her place.To understand clearly that she no longer belonged here.But something about tonight…Felt different.Wrong, even.I exhaled slowly, my fingers tightening slightly against my arms.“I thought…” I paused.Then shook my head.“I thought he would say something.”Alexander.My gaze hardened slightly as his image crossed my mind.I knew him.Or at least…I believed
Celyne POVThe door closed behind me softly.But the moment I stepped fully into my room…Everything I had been holding was shattered.My legs gave out before I could stop myself, and I sank slowly onto the floor, my back resting against the door as if it was the only thing holding me together.A shaky breath left my lips.Then another.And then—“I can’t…” I whispered.My voice broke almost immediately.Tears blurred my vision as I brought my hand to my mouth, trying to silence the sound that was threatening to escape.But it didn’t work.Nothing worked.Because everything hurt.Not just my body.But everything else.My chest tightened painfully as the scene from earlier replayed in my head.Every word.Every look.Every moment.“You are just a surrogate.”The words echoed again.Loud.Clear.Unforgiving.My fingers curled tightly into my clothes as more tears slipped down my face.“What is this…” I whispered weakly.“What is all of this…”My voice trembled as I lowered my head, my s
Celyne POVThe dining table felt colder than usual.It wasn’t the room.It wasn’t the air.It was the people sitting around it.I sat quietly in my seat, my hands resting lightly on my lap, my fingers slightly curled as I tried to steady myself.Everything in me felt off.My body.My mind.Even my breathing felt heavier than normal.But I couldn’t show it.Not here.Not in front of them.The soft clinking of cutlery filled the silence, but it did nothing to ease the tension pressing down on me.If anything, it made it worse.Because no one was speaking.No one—until a voice finally broke through.“Where were you today?”I didn’t need to look up to know who it was.Vivian.Her tone was calm.Too calm.The kind of calm that always carried something sharp beneath it.I lifted my head slowly, meeting her gaze.“I went out for a bit,” I replied quietly.Simple.Careful.Non-confrontational.But it wasn’t enough.It was never enough.“For a bit?” she repeated, her brow lifting slightly.“Ye
Alexander POVThe house felt too quiet.I didn’t notice it at first.Not until I stepped into the living room and realized something was… off.My gaze moved slowly across the space, sharp, observant.Empty.My jaw tightened slightly.“Where is she?”The question left my lips before I could stop it.A maid standing nearby hesitated before answering. “Madam Celyne is not in the house, sir.”Not in the house.The words settled heavily.My eyes narrowed slightly.“What do you mean she’s not in the house?” I asked, my tone calm—but firm.“She left earlier, sir.”Left.Just like that.Without a word.Without informing me.A slow breath left my nose as irritation began to build quietly inside my chest.“She left…” I repeated, more to myself than anyone else.Then why didn’t she say anything?My fingers flexed slightly at my side.She doesn’t make decisions like that.Not here.Not under my roof.Not when she’s carrying—I cut the thought off immediately.“Where did she go?” I asked again.Th
Celyne POVThe doctor’s words still echoed in my head even after I stepped out of the hospital.You have to be careful.Your condition is getting worse.If you don’t take this seriously, you could lose your life… and the baby.I tightened my grip on my bag as I walked slowly down the quiet street, each step feeling heavier than the last.Careful.The word sounded simple.But nothing about this situation was simple.Not my body.Not my life.Not anything anymore.I exhaled slowly, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach.A dull ache lingered there, constant now.Unsettling.Like a quiet reminder that something wasn’t right.“That’s all I hear now…” I muttered softly.“Be careful.”I let out a small, tired laugh.As if I hadn’t been trying.As if I had a choice.The air felt heavier around me as I kept walking, my mind refusing to stay still.Everything kept replaying.The doctor.The warning.Alexander.The message about the file.My chest tightened slightly.He’s already suspicious
Mandy POVIt has been five years.Five long years since I last saw Celyne.And now she’s back.Back in the same city, living her life like nothing ever happened… and yet she hasn’t even bothered to come and see me.A slow, bitter smile spreads across my lips as I stare down at my phone.Ignoring me.After everything.“Wow…” I mutter under my breath, shaking my head slightly.“What does she think of herself?”My fingers tighten around the phone as irritation builds slowly inside me.Five years.No calls.No messages.Nothing.And now I hear she’s back, moving around like she doesn’t owe anyone anything.Like she can just forget the past.Like she can forget me.A dry laugh escapes my lips.“Oh, Celyne…” I whisper.“You really think you can run forever?”I lean back into the chair, my gaze fixed on nothing as thoughts begin to settle into place.So it all came back to this.A surrogate.For her ex-husband.My lips curl slightly.“What a world we live in,” I say quietly.After everything







