LOGINLyana Dela Merced grew up with nothing but grit and determination. Life had never been kind to her. From abandoned by her lover, and later losing her only child to illness, she learned the hard way that pain doesn’t pause for anyone. But even when the world kept breaking her heart, she refused to stay down. Her younger brother, who battled mental illness, depended on her strength, and that was enough reason for Lyana to keep fighting. From one side job to another, Lyana took on every decent work she could find just to survive. Cleaning houses, waiting tables, running errands—name it, she’s done it. So when her doctor friend one night offered her a stable job with the wealthy Tejada family, she didn’t think twice. But what she didn’t expect was that the job came with a shocking twist. Instead of being hired as a simple housekeeper, the Tejadas wanted her to be their surrogate mother. They couldn’t have a child of their own, and they wanted Lyana to carry the baby for them. Torn between desperation and morality, she faced an impossible choice: become the billionaire’s baby maker, or walk away from the one chance that could change her family’s life forever. Years later, fate plays its hand again. The widowed Preston Tejada crosses paths with Lyana Dela Merced, the woman who once carried his child. Old secrets resurface, hearts begin to stir, and both must confront a past that refuses to stay buried. Can Lyana right the wrongs she once made with the Tejada family? Or will she find herself falling for the very man she was never meant to love?
View MoreThe elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Lena Carter took a deep breath before stepping out onto the marble floor of Knight Enterprises. The building towered over downtown, a glass and steel monument to power and ambition. She’d read about it for years—one of the most prestigious companies in the city—and now she was walking through its halls as the new executive assistant to the infamous Alexander Knight.
Her heels clicked against the floor, echoing through the wide corridor. Everything here gleamed—mirrors, polished wood, the air itself charged with quiet authority. She clutched her folder tighter, feeling both small and determined. This job was her fresh start. After years of struggling to rebuild her life, she needed this to work.
“Ms. Carter?” a voice called from behind.
Lena turned to find a cheerful woman in a crisp suit. “Hi, I’m Jamie from HR. Mr. Knight’s expecting you. Nervous?”
“A little,” Lena admitted with a small smile.
Jamie laughed. “Everyone is their first day. He’s... intense. But he notices hard work.”
That did little to calm her nerves. As they approached the glass office at the end of the corridor, Lena saw him through the transparent wall. Alexander Knight stood beside his desk, tall and composed, speaking into the phone. Even from a distance, his presence dominated the room—sharp suit, dark hair, a voice that carried authority like a second skin.
Jamie knocked lightly. “Mr. Knight? Your new assistant is here.”
He looked up. His eyes met Lena’s for the first time. Grey—cold and assessing. For a heartbeat, she forgot to breathe.
“Come in,” he said, setting the phone down.
Lena stepped forward. “Good morning, Mr. Knight. I’m—”
“Lena Carter,” he interrupted. “Yes, I’ve read your file.” His tone was unreadable, clipped and professional. “You’re punctual. That’s a good start. I don’t tolerate lateness.”
“Yes, sir,” she said quickly.
“Sit.”
She sat, careful to keep her posture straight. He studied her for a moment that felt far too long.
“I expect efficiency, loyalty, and discretion. You’ll handle my meetings, travel, and correspondence. I don’t repeat myself, and I don’t like excuses. Do you understand?”
“I do,” Lena replied, her voice steadier than she felt.
For a brief moment, something flickered in his eyes—something almost curious. “Good. Jamie will show you to your desk.”
The meeting was over as quickly as it began. As Lena stood to leave, her hand brushed a stack of files on his desk. They shifted, almost falling—but he caught them just in time. His hand brushed hers.
The touch was brief, accidental... yet it sent a strange shiver through her.
“Be careful,” he said quietly, his voice low.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
He waved it off. “Just focus. You’ll learn fast.”
As she left the office, Lena’s heart was pounding. She told herself it was nerves. But deep down, she knew it was something else—something dangerous.
When she finally sat at her desk outside his door, she caught herself glancing through the glass wall again. He was back at his desk, focused, unreadable. But once—just once—he looked up, as if he’d felt her watching.
And when their eyes met again, the world seemed to pause.
“No, Daddy. It’s not like that. Yaya Lyana’s pancakes don’t turn out like that.”I stopped walking when I heard Chantal complaining to her dad. My brows immediately knitted—usually I don’t catch them together like this, but now…What’s happening?“Chantal, I don’t fuc—I mean, I don’t know what to do. You said it should be like this,” Preston argued back, and I continued walking to see what they were up to. Sure enough, a tiny spat had started early in the morning.“Daddy, it’s supposed to be brown, not black!” Chantal huffed dramatically. “Jarvis, taste it, please. Taste it and tell me if it’s like Yaya Lyana’s pancakes.”I frowned harder when he mentioned Jarvis. No wonder Jarvis wasn’t by my side when I woke up earlier. Even this early, they were already together. I rolled my eyes, annoyed that Jarvis had left me in bed without waking me.Seriously? They were eating without even waking me?I immediately heard Jarvis refuse to taste what Chantal offered. “I don’t want to, Chanty. Mam
“Kneel.”Preston turned to me sharply, furrowing his brow. “What?” His question sounded almost incredulous.I took a step closer, then looked at Chantal and Jarvis, who were already kneeling and praying. Earlier, Jarvis had guided Chantal into kneeling too, since she didn’t quite know what to do. I hadn’t realized that even their dad didn’t regularly go to church.“You told me before, you’d kneel in front of me, right?”Preston nodded quickly. “Yes, of course. Babe, do you even need to ask? I’ve done it—““Well then, kneel in front of the Lord too,” I cut him off, giving him a wide smile.“What?!” His voice rose slightly, making Chantal and Jarvis pause their prayers and look toward us. I smiled and shook my head, signaling that it was fine—we were just talking.When the kids resumed praying, I turned my gaze back to Preston, giving him a stern look. “If you can kneel for me, then surely you can kneel for the Lord. Get your life together, Preston. Kneel and pray,” I commanded, droppin
“Yaya Lyana, where are you going on your day off?”I paused mid-bite when I heard Chantal’s question. I looked up at her and gave a small, careful smile.Going on a date with your Daddy.“Just around,” I replied, keeping it vague since I couldn’t exactly tell her we were going out on a date.Preston and I had been dating for almost three months, and on my days off, we usually snuck out just the two of us. Even then, sometimes we just stayed in his car for road trips or food trips, afraid someone might see us together.Preston once told me Sundays were his favorite because he got to have me all to himself without the kids around. We both looked forward to Sundays. And I liked it too—because I could actually rest while he drove, ordered food, and I just watched and ate.Of course, coming home was exhausting… well, just because. That’s all.“Mama, where’s ‘around’?”I turned to Jarvis, startled by his question. I couldn’t answer immediately because, honestly, I didn’t know exactly where
The following days went by smoothly. Chantal and I grew even closer, and I could finally say I was doing well in taking care of her. She had no complaints anymore and actually started following my instructions.Like Jarvis, she didn’t want to be away from me—not even during meals or bedtime. She always wanted to eat with us and sleep beside us. Sometimes we’d stay in her room; other times, she’d crawl into bed with Jarvis and me. That became our daily routine. Neither of them wanted to be apart from me.I was happy to be closer to both Chantal and Jarvis—but there was one person who wasn’t.“I thought you weren’t coming again.”I chuckled softly at Preston’s greeting as I entered his room. He was frowning, holding a few papers while sitting on the bed. It looked like he was still working even though it was already past one in the morning.“Why are you still working? Aren’t you tired?” I asked, sitting beside him. I lay comfortably on the bed and wrapped my arms around his waist. “You






Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.