Yvonne paced back and forth in her stylish penthouse, her bare feet making soft sounds against the hardwood floor. The morning light streamed through her floor-to-ceiling windows, but she barely noticed the beautiful view of the city below. Her mind was consumed with worry and regret.
She kept thinking of the slap she gave Clara and the way she pushed her, what hurt her the most was seeing the disappointment in Devon’s eyes for her. She had always been attracted to Devon, and when the alliance was fixed between their families, she got excited at the idea of marrying him, but as time went on, she realized she started developing actual real feelings for him and now Clara is in the picture and she feels her relationship is threathened, she is ready to stoop to any level to get her out of the way. But for now, she needs to fix things with Devon and that was her priority.
She glanced at her phone on the coffee table for the hundredth time that morning. Should she call
The air was thick in Clara’s hospital room, the tension in both men’s eyes were evident as James was really trying to get under Devon’s skin. “Excuse me” Devon said after hearing what James said. He turned to Clara as she also looked at James in confusion. They hadn't discussed this. When had he decided this?"We're back together now," James continued, turning to face Devon fully. "I know she's your surrogate, but that's all she is to you. She's not your woman. There's no sensible reason why she should be staying with you at your place."The room fell silent. Sarah felt her hands ball into fists. Elliot shifted uncomfortably. Clara stared at James in shock.Devon's expression darkened. He took a step closer to James, his voice low and dangerous when he spoke."I don't care if you think you're back together. I don't care if you want to get married tomorrow. But as long as she's carrying my children, she stays with me. That's final."Clara felt her heart break a little more. Even when D
Devon tossed and turned in his king-sized bed, staring at the ceiling of his master bedroom. The digital clock on his nightstand glowed 2:47 AM, but sleep felt impossible. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Clara's face in that hospital bed, heard James's voice claiming her back, felt the weight of all the words he wanted to say but couldn't.His mind kept replaying the events of the day like a broken record. Clara choosing James. Clara holding James's hand. Clara looking at him like he was just... nothing. Just the father of the babies she was carrying. Nothing more.He sat up and ran his hands through his hair, frustrated. The house felt too big, too quiet, too empty. He reached for his phone on the nightstand, his finger hovering over Clara's contact. Should he call? It was late. She was probably sleeping.But before he could change his mind, he pressed call.The phone rang once, twice, three times. He was about to hang up when he heard a sleepy voice."Hello?"It was Clara, her
Clara laid in her hospital bed, staring at the white ceiling. The beeping of the machines around her was the only sound in the room until she heard familiar footsteps approaching. She didn't need to look to know who it was. Sarah's perfume always gave her away."Hey girl," Sarah said softly as she walked into the room, pulling a chair closer to Clara's bed.Clara turned her head and saw her best friend's face. Sarah looked tired, worried, and something else - angry maybe? Clara let out a long sigh."I know you have a lot to say," Clara started, her voice weak from everything that had happened."Please, it's fine," Sarah interrupted, sitting down heavily in the chair. She looked at Clara for a long moment before speaking again. "Devon asked me not to say anything to you."Clara's eyes widened. "Devon? What does he have to do with any of this?""Everything," Sarah said, leaning forward. "What happened to your feelings for him?"The question hit Clara like a punch. She felt her heart ski
An hour later, they were lying in Yvonne's king-sized bed, both breathing heavily. James got up and walked to Yvonne's wine collection, selecting an expensive bottle of champagne. He popped it open with practiced ease and poured two glasses."To successful plans," he said, raising his glass in a toast.Yvonne clinked her glass against his and took a sip before setting it on the nightstand. James climbed back into bed beside her, pulling her close."That was easier than I expected," Yvonne said, tracing patterns on James's chest with her finger. "I thought Clara would give you a harder time, but she gave in pretty easily."James laughed, the sound cold and calculating. "Yeah, me too. I mean, I hurt that girl pretty badly, and there she was, believing my sob story all over again. She must be really desperate for a man. I can't believe how pathetic she is." they both laughed."Well, it works in our favor," Yvonne said. "Your favor not mine. I cant bel
The silence in Devon's car was thick as he drove Yvonne back to her penthouse. The events at the hospital kept replaying in his mind, and he found himself gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary.Yvonne had been watching him from the passenger seat, studying his tense jawline and the way his knuckles were white against the steering wheel. She could practically feel the anger radiating from him, and it thrilled her. This was exactly the reaction she had hoped for when she'd whispered those words about Clara needing privacy with her "boyfriend.""Devon," she said softly, reaching over to place her hand on his thigh. "You seem tense."He immediately moved his leg away from her touch, his eyes never leaving the road. "I'm fine."Yvonne smiled to herself. She loved it when he played hard to get. It made the eventual victory that much sweeter. In her mind, she was already planning their wedding, already imagining herself as Mrs. Devon Cage. It was on
Outside Clara’s hospital room. The tension was high as Sarah was so pissed she could pounce on James, but Devon however, masked his feelings as he was never one to cause a scene so he just stared at James angrily, but Sarah on the other hand couldn’t hold herself back as she yelled at him, "That's a lie," Sarah said, her voice shaking with emotion.James shrugged casually. "Feel free to ask your friend if you don't believe me. She'll tell you the same thing." He looked directly at Devon as he spoke. "Sorry, buddy. I know you two had your little arrangement, but the heart wants what the heart wants, right?"Devon didn't respond, but James could see the muscle in his jaw twitching. The silence stretched out for several long seconds before James decided he had made his point."Well, I'll leave you all to process this news. I've got to run, but I'll be back tomorrow to check on my girl." He started walking toward the elevator, then paused and looked back