Candice’s POV
The sound of my heartbeat pounded in my ears as I stormed into the hospital. My feet carried me almost on autopilot, through the familiar hallways and up the stairs to Dr. Ruby’s office. The world around me blurred—a mix of sterile smells, distant voices, and fluorescent lights—but I wasn’t focused on any of it.
I needed answers.
I flung the office door open without knocking. Dr. Ruby sat behind her desk, startled by my sudden entrance. Her face was pale, her usually composed demeanor replaced with visible anxiety. She looked exactly how I felt: trapped.
“Candice,” she said softly, as though her voice could soften the chaos swirling in my head. “Please, sit down.”
“Don’t,” I snapped, my voice trembling. “Don’t ask me to sit down. Just tell me what’s going on.”
Her shoulders sagged, and she motioned toward the chair again. “Candice, this is… complicated.”
“Complicated?” I repeated, my voice rising. “You called me earlier and said there was a mistake. You told me it wasn’t Joshua’s sperm. What does that even mean, Dr. Ruby? Because I can’t wrap my head around it.”
She hesitated, her fingers gripping the edges of her desk like she needed the support. “Candice, I need you to stay calm,” she began, her tone laced with caution.
“Don’t patronize me!” My voice cracked, and tears burned the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over. “I deserve the truth. I’ve been through hell for years, blaming myself for something that wasn’t even my fault. So if you know something, just say it.”
Her eyes filled with regret, and I could see how much she hated what she was about to tell me. “Candice,” she said quietly, “Joshua doesn’t have any active sperm cells. He’s completely infertile. He never could have fathered a child.”
The words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest.
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “That… that doesn’t make sense. We were told…” My voice trailed off as the weight of her revelation settled over me.
All those failed attempts. The tears. The arguments. The guilt. And it was never me.
My knees buckled, and I sank into the chair, my hands trembling. “You’re saying… all this time…”
She nodded, her expression solemn. “Your fertility was never the issue, Candice.”
Anger flared, hot and sharp. How could he not tell me? How could he let me bear the blame for all of this? And then another realization hit me.
“Violet,” I said, my voice cold. “She said she’s pregnant with his child.” I let out a bitter laugh, the sound harsh in the quiet room. “She’s lying. She has to be. If Joshua can’t have kids, then what the hell is she playing at?”
My head spun, but there was still a question lingering. “If it wasn’t his sperm…” My voice trailed off as I looked at her, dread building. “Then whose was it?”
Ruby froze, her face tightening. She glanced toward the door before leaning closer. “Candice… this is where things get dangerous. Promise me you won’t tell anyone what I’m about to say.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked, my heart racing.
She hesitated before whispering, “The sperm… it belongs to Dorian Anderson.”
I blinked. The name rang faintly familiar, but I couldn’t place it. “Who is that?”
Ruby’s voice dropped even lower. “He’s not just a billionaire, Candice. He’s… dangerous. The kind of man you don’t cross if you value your life.”
I frowned. “Dangerous how?”
“He controls this hospital,” she explained, her voice trembling. “He wanted a surrogate, and his team arranged everything. Your file was accidentally swapped with the one he approved. I didn’t realize until it was too late. If he finds out…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “This could cost me my career—or worse.”
I stared at her, stunned. My voice was barely a whisper when I asked, “You mean I’m pregnant with his child?”
Ruby nodded, her face pale.
I sat back, trying to process the weight of her words. “Maybe…” I started hesitantly. “Maybe I can talk to him. Explain the situation and convince him to co-parent. I mean, I’ve wanted to be a mom for so long. Now that I’m finally pregnant. Not to mention that this might be the last chance I could be a mother.”
Ruby’s head snapped up, her expression incredulous. “Candice, you have no idea who you’re dealing with. Dorian Anderson doesn’t co-parent. He takes what’s his. Do you understand?”
Her words sent a chill down my spine, but I am refusing to back down. “There has to be a way,” I insisted. “He’s human, isn’t he? Maybe if I explain, he’ll—”
“Stop,” Ruby interrupted, her voice sharp. “You’re too naive. Dorian Anderson is not the kind of man you reason with. If he feels like his plans have been derailed, he won’t just come after me—he’ll come after you. And the child.”
I looked at Ruby, my voice softer now. “You and I… we’re both orphans. We’ve had to fight for everything we have. I know what it’s like to lose everything, to feel alone. I don’t want you to lose your career because of this.”
Ruby’s eyes filled with tears, and she looked away. “Candice, this isn’t about me. This is about keeping you safe. Promise me you’ll stay away from him.”
Before I could answer, heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Ruby froze, her face draining of color. “Oh God,” she whispered. “It’s him.”
I stared at her in confusion. “What? Who?”
Before she could respond, the door swung open.
A man stepped inside, his presence dominating the room. He was tall, his tailored suit emphasizing his broad shoulders and lean frame. His jet-black hair was perfectly styled, and his sharp, angular features looked as if they’d been chiseled from stone. But it was his eyes—cold, calculating, and an icy sapphire blue—that stole my breath.
Behind him, another man in an expensive suit followed, his expression just as unreadable.
Dr. Ruby rose shakily to her feet.
“Dr. Ruby,” the second man said smoothly, his voice calm but firm. “Mr. Anderson would like an update on the surrogate’s progress.”
Ruby’s hands trembled as she gripped the desk. I stayed seated, frozen under Dorian Anderson’s piercing gaze.
Dorian’s POVI had sent out invitations to almost every major media outlet in the city. Reporters. Paparazzi. Entertainment bloggers. Even a few wedding magazines. I wanted this moment to be everywhere. It had to be seen. Watched. Recorded.I wanted the world to witness what was coming.Not long after I sent out the invites, the phone calls started rolling in.The first came from Alora’s mother. Her voice was high with excitement. “Dorian, dear, thank you so much for doing this. This means the world to us. Alora has been dreaming about this day since she was a little girl.”I kept my tone soft. “Of course. I just want her to be happy.”Another call came from my stepmother. She sounded even more emotional. “Dorian, you have no idea how proud I am of you. You’re finally making the right choice. This wedding… this moment… you’ve made the entire family proud.”I gave her a short chuckle. “I’m just doing what’s expected of me.”If only they knew.—I was seated inside my black car, parked
Dorian’s POVIt had been several days.I sat in the same position I always did, eyes fixed on my phone screen, where the live feed of Alora’s hospital ward played silently. She was always alone, pretending to be weak, pretending to be innocent.But that was the problem.She wasn’t doing anything. No sudden movements, no strange phone calls, no whispers, no weird visitors—nothing. Just lying there like a patient waiting for healing.I raked a hand through my hair and let out a frustrated groan. “Why the hell isn’t she slipping up?” I muttered under my breath. “Damn it.”“Can’t you for once do something that would serve as solid proof to me??” I leaned back and shook my head, talking to myself like a madman. “If this is all she’s going to do every damn day, what proof am I supposed to take to court? Just my word? That’s not going to cut it…”I facepalmed and let out a tired breath.“I’ve had enough of this,” I muttered, rubbing my eyes and picking up my phone again.I opened the survei
Candice’s POVI was lying still on the hospital bed, facing the wall, pretending to be asleep.My heart was tired. My body was aching.Then, I heard the door open quietly.I didn’t have to look.I already knew who it was.That scent—clean, musky, familiar—wrapped around the room. I hated how easily my body still recognized him.He walked in slowly, his footsteps careful like he didn’t want to disturb me. I heard him take a deep breath.“Candice,” he said softly. His voice sounded lighter… almost happy. “I came back as fast as I could. I have something really important to tell you. It’s good news.”I didn’t respond.I didn’t even open my eyes.I just couldn’t pretend to care anymore.Whatever “good news” he had… it didn’t matter to me.He came closer. “Candice,” he said again. “Please… just listen for one minute, okay?”Still, I didn’t move. My hand curled slightly under the blanket. “I know you probably don’t want to hear me talk,” Dorian said. “But I want you to hear this.”Then I
Dorian POVShe cracked.Her lips trembled. Her hands shook as she gripped the edge of the bedsheet. For the first time, she looked scared.“Dorian, wait… wait—please,” she said quickly, her voice rising. “It wasn’t just me! I didn’t plan it alone!”I narrowed my eyes. “So who did?”“It was your stepmother,” she said in a rush, as if the words had been pressing on her chest. “She was the one who told me what to do—she gave me the idea.”I folded my arms across my chest and stared down at her. “So now it’s her fault you drugged me?”Alora shook her head rapidly. “No, no! I mean, yes—she… she said if I wanted to get you back, I had to remind you what it felt like to be with me. That if I just got you into bed, everything would go back to how it used to be. She said Candice was just temporary—just a distraction.”I could barely breathe. I was disgusted. Disgusted with her. With myself. And with the people I let too close.“You really thought this was going to work?” I asked quietly, my vo
Dorian POVI couldn’t breathe.I just stood there like a statue, staring at Candice while her words echoed in my head over and over again like a nightmare on repeat.I never thought I’d hear those words from her. The same woman who smiled softly when I entered a room… the same woman carrying my child.Now she wanted to leave?No. No, I couldn’t let that happen.“I… I can’t believe you just said that,” I muttered, shaking my head as if trying to erase her voice from my memory. “You want to leave me? Just like that?”Candice didn’t say anything. Her eyes were glassy, swollen from crying. “I thought…” I paused, my voice breaking. “I thought we were in love.”“We were,” she whispered. “Maybe I still am. But I can’t keep hurting myself just to stay in love with you.”I stepped forward, heart pounding. “Candice, listen to me. This—what happened with Alora—it wasn’t supposed to happen. I swear to you, it wasn’t even real. I was drugged. You have to believe me.”She looked away. “Even if tha
Candice POVI heard the door swing open with force. The loud sound echoed through the hospital room. I drifted my eyes to see who it was and I immediately turned my eyes away after I saw who. I just stared blankly at the ceiling, my hands resting on my stomach, my heart… completely numb.“Candice!” Dorian’s voice was filled with panic. “Candice, are you okay? What happened?!”He rushed to my side with a worried look. But I didn’t answer him.What was the point?“Don’t act so surprised,” another voice said casually from across the room. I finally turned my head slightly and saw Marcus still standing at the corner of my bed with a calm, smug look on his face.Dorian’s eyes narrowed in confusion. “What are you doing here?”Marcus chuckled and took a slow step toward him. “Why do I look like the bad guy here? I’m just doing the job you failed to do.”Dorian blinked. “What the hell are you talking about?”Marcus tilted his head and smiled like a devil. “I’m the one who saved your child