Chapter {002}

OLIVIA

This is a very vivid dream I'm having right now. 

That was my first thought as I stared at the man seated in front of me, certain that I must have heard him wrong. The chances of what he had just proposed to me being real were extremely low. I just couldn't believe it. 

Reaching out under the table, I pinched the skin on my arm hard. The pain shooting up my arm only meant that I was truly awake. This was not a dream. I was actually in the restaurant, seated across from Christian Blackwood, listening to him ask me to be his surrogate. He was still staring intensely, waiting for a response. 

"I…I don't understand," I finally said. And that was not a lie. I was lost here. 

"I am telling you that if you agree to this deal, you will never have to work a day in your life ever again. You won't need to raise a finger again if that is your wish. And as you said, your brother's health and survival are your top priority. From the look of things, I am your only hope."

I swallowed hard, knowing he was right. He was my only hope. But why me? And why was it happening all of a sudden? "And you'll help me if I become your surrogate?"

He nodded. "Plus, it will be an in vitro process, so it's a big win for you, considering you'll be carrying my baby."

The doubt that had been creeping through my mind slowly began to dissipate as I stared back at him. He looked serious. 

Christian did not seem like the kind of man to joke about something like that, much less with someone like me. Questions inevitably flooded my mind, like why he needed a surrogate. But I reminded myself that it was none of my business. He didn't seem eager to share either, considering he was cutting to the chase. 

The truth was I needed the money to save my brother. The fact that he'd showed up at this exact point in my life seemed too matched up to be a coincidence. I wondered if God had sent him to me. But either way, I decided to see it as the blessing it was. 

"Can you get my brother booked for surgery today?” I asked, not allowing myself to think too much of what I was doing. “He has a few hours to live.”

"The sooner you sign the contract, the faster I can get everything you need done. It is all in your hands now."

I nodded shakily. "I will do it." 

Being the powerful man he was, I knew Christian could get my brother booked with a neurosurgeon on such short notice and easily bypass the list of pending surgeries. 

But I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. What did I truly know about this man aside from everything I'd heard? 

Nothing at all. 

But this was about my brother. This was about saving James' life, and I was prepared to do anything. I was prepared to even die for him. 

"Follow me," Christian said. 

He rose from his chair and wrote a check, which he left on the table, before leading me out of the restaurant. He gestured to me to get into his car, and soon, we arrived at Blackwood Hotel. 

I barely had the time to gape at the luxurious interior of the hotel before he led me into a lavish office. 

Seated across from me now, he slid a document across the table. "That is a draft of the contract you are going to sign. So, feel free to go through it before my lawyer arrives with the original."

This was really real. But it was happening so fast that I could barely think about it. 

I forced myself to stay calm as I opened the first page of the contract. The more I read, the more my eyes widened. The benefits included in the contract were so massive that, again, I thought I was dreaming.

$5 million monthly, new house, a change of wardrobe…I couldn't hide my surprise as I looked up at him. "$5m monthly?"

"Yes. You need to live and look like my baby mama in order to convince my grandfather that there is no foul play."

"Foul play? What do you mean?"

"It's simple. I need to have either a wife or a child to become my grandfather's successor, or my step-brother will inherit everything. As is obvious, I am clearly not interested in marriage, so I would rather have a baby, which is why you need to be pregnant in at least a week. So now you know why things are at stake here. There is no room for mistakes. We need to get it right."

Suddenly, everything made sense. I understood now why he needed a surrogate. It was a family inheritance battle. 

I'd heard of things like this that went down within wealthy families, but I never expected that I would one day be caught in the middle of it. 

I flipped to the next page of the document and continued to read. It stated that I would have to accompany Christian to family dinners, parties, and any engagements where he required my presence. 

"Will we be living together as well?" I asked when I did not see any mention of residence. 

He shook his head. "We will live separately. I will only call you when I need you."

I nodded as I read the rest of the document and finally closed it. Christian slid another one over to me. "That contains everything you need to know about me, from my favorite cars down to my favorite vacation islands. I need you to memorize everything from page to page in case my grandfather decides to test you."

I nodded. 

"Do you have any history of diseases I should know about?"

I shook my head. 

He held my gaze for a few seconds. "I still need to verify that."

I nodded again. "I am ready to sign the contract now. But please…get my brother booked for the surgery. He is the only reason why I am doing this."

Christian picked up his phone and dialed a number on it. He then brought it to his ear. "Get me the best neurosurgeon in the city and book…” He turned to me. “What’s your brother's name?" He asked. 

"James Carter. He is in Memorial Hospital."

"Book James Carter in Memorial Hospital with the best neurosurgeon in the city. I need it done by the hour." Then he ended the call and turned to face me again. 

"How are you sure it will be done and on time too?" I asked. There was no point selling myself to him if my brother didn’t make it. 

A cold smile graced his lips. "Rules do not apply to people like me. When I want something, I get it. If your brother isn't on the schedule before noon, the entire hospital will be shut down before the day ends."

I shivered, amazed at the power that came with wealth. Just then, a knock sounded on the door.

"Right on time," Christian said. "You may enter."

His lawyer walked in and handed him a document which he slid to me in turn. “This is the contract. Sign it.” He told me. 

I picked up the pen, feeling Christian's eyes on me. My heart was pounding furiously as I thought this decision through one last time. I reminded myself that I was doing this for my family. And thankfully, I wouldn't have to sleep with Christian to get pregnant. 

It won't be so bad. It's just a few months. And James will live. 

Taking a deep breath, I signed the contract and then slid it back to Christian. 

"A doctor will be here soon to examine you and carry out a few tests. Just to make sure you are healthy enough." He said. 

"And what if I'm not?" I asked. 

"For your brother's sake and the contract you just signed, you had better be."