Chapter 2

Harper’s POV

I knew very well it was impossible that he was the man in front of me—and yet I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of Cade.

We had fallen in love in high school.

Cade was my neighbor. His grandmother raised him since he had never met his parents—his mother had abandoned him when he was born.

Back then, we were as inseparable as could be. It felt as if it were meant to be us against the world.

At the time, my mother was terminally ill and my family desperately needed money. My father drank, did nothing, and my younger sister—Michelle—was still young enough that someone had to care for her.

Cade told me that after high school graduation, we could work together, support each other, and get through life forever side by side.

I wanted that life he pictured. I wanted to believe it was possible to have that life that he promised.

However, Cade was a brilliant student with a bright future of possibilities ahead of him. The longer things went on, the more I felt like I was holding him back—that I was indebted to him.

Then one day, out of nowhere, Cade’s mother suddenly appeared at my door.

“I’m going to take Cade to where he belongs.” She said. “His father needs him now.”

“Okay,” I answered. “Why are you telling me this instead of him?”

“It’s because of him that I need you to listen to me.” She paused and looked me dead in the eye with determination. “I demand you break up with Cade."

I laughed and immediately refused, of course. I could never give up Cade for someone as heartless as her, especially not for her.

Her expression softened when I had finally settled down enough for her to speak again.

“I know it’s a lot to ask.” She said. “And I know that I’m probably the last person who should be asking. But Cade needs this.”

I blinked in confusion, wondering how she could ever come to that conclusion.

“Cade has a future far beyond this small town,” she continued, “and you know it. If he comes with me, he’ll have a life of wealth and opportunity where he can be all he can be. He has more than this simple life waiting for him, and if you don’t break up with him, you’ll be taking that away from him.

Her words struck a nerve and made me unsure of myself.

She took my hand gently and patted my shoulder.

“Could you really bear dragging him down with you when he has a bright future at his feet?"

I didn’t have to think about what the right decision was.

“For Cade’s happiness,” I said sadly, “I’d give up mine a thousand times over.”

But, Cade was a stubborn man. He would never give up on me easily, not when he still had hope that I loved him.

No, for Cade’s sake, I had to make him give up completely so he wouldn’t try to come back…which meant I had to break his heart in the cruelest way possible.

I went to the yacht club where all the trust fund kids went and paid one of the valets to put on a show—the kind of show that would hurt Cade most.

The valet showed up in front of my house in some trust fund kid’s fancy clothes and a sports car, looking the part perfectly.

Cade came out of his house immediately when he saw us leaning against the car and talking.

“Harper?” He said. “What are you doing? Who is this guy?”

I forced myself to go through with it, I didn’t want to, but I had to do it for Cade. I put on the face of someone only interested in money.

“Oh, I’m sorry you had to find out this way, Cade.” I said.

“What? Find out what?”

“This…” I hooked my arm into the valet’s. “This is William Von Drake from the city, I’ve fallen in love with him.”

“...What?”

I sighed, hoping I was putting on a good enough performance.

“Look, Cade. There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to be brutally honest with you. He can guarantee me comfort and security and all the things you can’t. I don’t want to be poor with you anymore, I don’t want this life with you.”

I could practically see the heartbreak on Cade’s face, but I could also see that he didn’t fully believe me—he knew me better than anyone, so I had to convince him that he didn’t.

“No, you don’t mean that.” He said. “You wouldn’t do that, Harper. I know you and I know you love me. So, there’s no way that—”

I grabbed the valet by the shirt and pulled him down to me forcefully, kissing him on the lips to convince Cade what I said was true.

When I pulled away with a smile, my eyes went to Cade. He had tears in his eyes and held his heart as if it caused him pain. I wondered if he felt the same pain I was feeling in my chest, the pain that I couldn’t let him see.

He turned around and ran back into his house.

I got into the fancy car and made a show of us driving off in case Cade was still watching, then settled things with the valet when it was time for us to go our separate ways.

I went back to my house and watched out the window as his mother drove up to his house.

He left with his mother that night and never came back.

Two years later, my mother died of her illness.

My father was devastated at losing her and couldn’t stand to be in a place that reminded him so much of her. So, he brought my sister and me to the city, claiming he would take full responsibility for us. That he would work and support the family.

My own career as a doctor slowly began as I got accepted into medical school, Michelle started to have a bright future ahead of her, and things looked like they could get better

And then, faster than the blink of an eye, my father accumulated massive gambling debts and disappeared to God knows where.

He left Michelle and me all alone, always hiding in our apartment as debt collectors knocked on the door day after day.

That was when I saw the advertisement for surrogacy and ended up here.

“Have you ever been married?” The man with a voice like Cade’s asked, pulling me out of my memories.

I shook my head firmly, snapping myself out of the memories washing over me.

“Do you have any tattoos?”

“Yes, one.” I answered matter-of-factly.

The man paused, as if expecting me to elaborate, but it was none of his business. If he didn’t need to know for the interview, I didn’t feel the need to tell him.

“Have you ever cheated on a partner?”

I widened my eyes in surprise, not sure how that was relevant to anything, and shook my head even harder.

“No,” I answered, “I’ve never cheated on a partner.”

The man huffed like he was amused, almost like he didn’t believe me.

My hands clenched into fists under the table, my irritation starting to grow.

“And you’ve had how many sexual partners?”

“One.”

“How many sexual partners, Miss Sinclair?”

He enunciated the question, clearly insinuating that I’d obviously had many—many—more than one.

“One.” I reiterated then bit into my cheek to stop myself from saying what I thought about his judgements.

“Right, one, sure.” He continued. “If you say so. Would you sell yourself then?"

“Excuse me?”

“...To Science. Would you sell yourself to science for something like organ donation?”

“Oh. Um, yes. I’m an organ donor.”

“So, you would sell yourself? Typical.”

I grit my teeth and fidgeted my fingers. I kept telling myself that I needed to keep it together, I couldn’t lose my temper.

I expected personal questions, but these questions were strange—sharp, intrusive, and far more detailed than the earlier medical questions. I might have been fine with those kinds of questions had the man interviewing not reacted to each of my answers like he knew a thing about me.

Some of the questions even carried unmistakable emotion, questioning my character and giving me a mocking response when I answered truthfully.

“Why did you come here today?” He suddenly asked directly. “What, are you hoping to get close to me and sleep your way to the top? Are you just doing this to get a chance at my fortune?”

I took a deep breath and shoved the urge to tear this man a new one as deep as I could—I was almost at a breaking point.

“No, sir, that’s not my intention.” I answered as patiently and politely as I could. “I still want to rely on myself and continue working. But I do believe that surrogacy is a very meaningful process that helps people have children.”

The man scoffed in disbelief.

“Who do you think would believe that?” He said coldly. “You really think people come here out of kindness? Let me guess, you just failed at climbing someone else’s social ladder, so you came for this opportunity? Pathetic.”

I had been patient and understanding through this whole intrusive process. But that? Implying I would do all this to climb some ridiculous social ladder?

Implying that everything I’ve done was for nothing more than to act selfish and vain for my social standing? No, that was the last straw.

I stood up abruptly from the table, surprising the assistant.

“That’s it, you jerk.” I growled. “How dare you! You don’t know a thing about me, mister. You have no reason to speak to me like that and you have no right to judge me with disgust. I am a person, and if I am going to be a surrogate, I refuse to do it for someone who doesn’t respect me.”

I whipped around toward the door, bumping the chair over in the process and knocking it loudly to the ground. A small part of me felt the need to pick it back up for the assistant’s sake, but I was too angry to stay in that room for another second and deal with that tension.

I walked out the door with clenched fists.

Cade’s POV

After Harper left, my head assistant—Max—cautiously and curiously approached me.

“Cade,” Max asked, “what happened? Did you…did you lose your temper?”

I avoided his eyes as memories of the only girl who had captured my heart and ripped it to pieces ran through my head. With her suddenly appearing right in front of me, I couldn’t be bothered to hold my tongue.

“I didn’t like her.”

I turned my head away, not intending to give Max any further explanation.

“Okay, that’s fine, boss.” Max continued. “We have plenty of other options. Let me find you what you’re looking for, what was it you didn’t like about her?”

I grit my teeth and clenched my hands into fists.

“I just didn’t like her.” I reiterated threateningly.

Max hesitated, then cleared his throat.

“If you didn’t like her, you could’ve just rejected her outright.” Max said gently, trying to understand what just happened. “You’re the Mafia King of the city, and there’s no need to waste your time on a wrong surrogate. And she wouldn't mind either. If she doesn’t pass this one, someone else will probably choose her anyway.”

Someone will choose Harper…

No, I decided immediately that wouldn’t be happening.

“Stop all further interviews.” I suddenly said.

My assistant froze, his eyes widening as if I grew a second head.

“We’re choosing that one.” I ordered. “Choose Harper Sinclair.”