Chapter 3

Zara'sPOV

“Optimal window today. Record vitals.”

I tapped the app quickly, noting basal temperature, hormone readings and vitals. 

At my desk the Spencers project was waiting for my final update and approval. The hospital has called and booked an appointment.  

I didn’t want any confrontation from Sebastian and today's reading….. No, I'm not taking any chances. I hung my bag, packed my essentials and left for New Dawn Fertility. 

Dr. Lennox greeted me with a professional smile. “Bloodwork is excellent. Hormones optimal. Uterine lining is thick and receptive. Everything looks ready for the transfer.”

“See me after the procedure.” She said smiling.

I nodded, forcing calm. My pulse thrummed anyway. The ultrasound technician guided me to the examination table. My eyes flicked to the monitor: tiny dark circles marked follicles, lining ready. Everything looked perfect.

Yet, a subtle hesitation among the nurses caught me. Whispers. Eyes darting between vials. Labels double-checked. My brow furrowed, unease prickling at my skin. Professionals, I told myself. They know what they’re doing.

The embryo transfer was over in minutes. painless, clinical, precise. But as I sat, monitoring vitals, I felt the gravity settle like a stone in my chest. Every heartbeat, every breath reminded me of what I carried now, and the secrecy I had to maintain.

Back  at Dr. Lennox’s office, The lawyer, slid the folder closer.

“Ms. Zara, this contract outlines your role as the surrogate for this IVF arrangement,” she said,  “Please review it carefully.”

I nodded, swallowing the dryness in my throat.

“Everything is confidential. We cannot reveal the couple’s identity, the process, or any details related to the embryo transfer,” she continued.

I skimmed the pages, noting payment milestones, medical responsibilities, and legal obligations.

“So, the first deposit is released today?” I asked.

“Yes,” she said, sliding a check toward me. “$2,000,000 The remaining payments will be released according to the milestones listed here, starting with confirmation of pregnancy.”

I picked up the pen, fingers shaking slightly. “And… the baby?” I asked softly.

“The baby will belong to the intended parents upon delivery. You understand?” Her eyes met mine, sharp.

“I understand.”

I signed. The moment I dropped the pen the weight of it hit me. What do I tell my mom? the responsibility, the life I would carry and give up.

“Congratulations. Everything is formalized.”

I folded the contract neatly, slipping it into my bag. $2,000,000 I didn’t allow myself to smile, but I felt  relief. This was only the start.

At the office, reports awaited my approval. Emails piled up, deadlines loomed. I adjusted my chair, trying to immerse myself in work

Before I could dive in, Sebastian appeared. His sharp gaze scanned my reports, cutting through the hum of the office.

“Ms. Zara,” he said,  “the client summary you sent this morning has inconsistencies. I need the corrected version on my desk within an hour.”

“Yes, sir,” I said, exhaling slowly. Fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, double-checking formulas, recalculating totals. Time felt compressed, every second stretched tight with tension.

A colleague passed by, whispering, “You okay? You look… tired”

“Just busy,” I said, masking the churn inside. 

Later Lily walked in and leaned against my desk, eyebrows raised. “You’ve been quieter than usual. What’s going on?”

I hesitated at first,  I wasn’t used to sharing, but the weight in my chest demanded it.

“I… I’m carrying someone else’s baby,” I said finally, voice barely above a whisper.

Her eyes widened. “Wait—what? How?”

“I’m a surrogate,” I said. “It’s through IVF. The couple needed a carrier. I… I needed the money.”

Lily opened her mouth but no words came. She just stared, letting me continue.

“I signed the contract. Half the payment is upfront, the rest… well, it’ll cover my mother’s recovery, my brother’s tuition, everything. I can’t afford mistakes, Lily. But this… this is a life I’m carrying, a life that isn’t mine.”

Her hand found mine, squeezing gently. “That’s incredible, Zara. Brave. But Why agree to this?”

“I don’t have another choice. My mother was sick, the bills… I can't do all that with zero balance. The salary advance I requested that was denied wouldn’t even do much. I needed a way out.”

Lily’s eyes softened. “Then I’ll help you. I’ll keep you grounded, keep you from spiraling at the office. You don’t have to carry everything alone.”

I managed a small, grateful smile. “Thank you. That means more than you know.”

The office buzzed around us, but for a moment, it was just us and the secret life growing quietly inside me.

Busy carrying a secret no one could know, busy balancing the embryo inside me with spreadsheets, deadlines, and a watchful boss. Virgin, professional, yet now pregnant. The thought made me shiver, not from fear, but from awe.

Sebastian’s voice cut through again. “Another error here. How did this happen?” He leaned over, hands folded, eyes unyielding. “This should have been caught in the initial review.”

“I…I’ll correct it immediately, sir,” I said, calm in tone but tense inside.

The evening blurred. Revisions, client emails, whispered reminders from colleagues about the office meeting I was to lead. Every task carried double weight now: professional responsibility and the delicate new life in my care, still invisible, still fragile.

I paused once, letting my head rest on the back of the chair, I rested my hand on my stomach and imagined the life inside of me.

I glanced at the city outside the window, endless and indifferent, yet full of possibility. The office hummed around me. Co-workers whispered, printers clicked, phones rang. But I existed in two worlds now, one public, one secret.

I finished the calculations for the Spencer project, triple-checking totals, formatting, and projections. Everything aligned. Accuracy mattered more than ever.

Evening arrived. LA streets glimmered with sunset reflections on glass towers. I packed my things carefully, laptop bag over one shoulder, coat draped across my arm. Every step was measured. Every breath is calculated.

The world outside didn’t know, couldn’t know, about the secret in me. A life conceived without intimacy, without romance, yet undeniably mine to protect and guide. Virgin, professional, pregnant. A paradox I carried with solemn pride and quiet fear.

And through it all, Sebastian Hale loomed, a silent, watchful presence in my mind. He believed he understood my world. He didn’t. He couldn’t.

But friction, scrutiny, and unresolved tension promised one thing: tomorrow, the battle between us, boss and employee, enemies by circumstance would continue.

I stepped into the fading LA light, the city stretching endlessly, and let the weight of the secret settle alongside the thrill of the unknown. Stakes were high, consequences immense, and yet… I was ready.