Chapter five—An unwavering proposal.

Chapter five—An unwavering proposal.

Bacon. She smelled bacon.

She also smelled coffee.

Where in the world was she???

She’d anticipated the damp smell of mold and blood, like she’d seen in those thriller movies of hers during her breaks. Whatever whiffed it’s way into her nose was pleasant, too pleasant for one who has been kidnapped.

“I don’t have anything.” She muffled under her cover, “I’m poor. I’m reeking of debt. There’s nothing you can get out of me. My mother is sick and I’m sure I have a damaged lung from all my smoking…..I don’t even have a functioning womb!”

“I’m pretty sure your health records are anything less than imperfect, Mrs Heathrow.” She heard from outside the fabric.

The voice. That invigorating sound of arrogance and authority, the natural sneer and disdain. She knew who that voice belonged to….she despised it.

The bag was lifted from her head, a stray thread snagged onto her earrings which made her wince. Stephan glared at the henchman who pulled her coverage roughly, he planned on dealing with him later.

Annalise coughed, her eyes widened as in front of her sat the same man who ruined her car just hours ago. She glanced around, it wasn’t some lair but a rather furnished apartment which looked beautiful. She caught a glimpse of a fully curated breakfast on a table, no wonder she smelled bacon.

“You orchestrated this?!!!” She finally yelled/

Stephan shrugged, “I apologize for the sudden—-

“You kidnapped me!!”

Women. Dramatic in all forms, Stephan thought as he took a deep breath, “There was no other way of contacting you. You’re a pretty hard woman to connect with Miss Heathrow.”

He was lying. It took only an hour and a half to find everything he knew about her, he wanted to teach her a lesson before anything else, and he can’t lie if he said he didn’t enjoy the terror written all over thot face of hers.

“You fucking bas—-

“Before you result to insults,” He cut her off, “I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

“Join me for breakfast.” He pointed at the table.

Annalise was skeptical for a moment as she rose to her feet. She joined him nonetheless and her eyes couldn’t help but marvel at the array of dishes in front of her—Pancakes, toast , eggs, bacon, French toast and savory grits with lobster.

She had her pride but she’d also been surviving a shift on stale bagels and cream cheese from the deli, the potatoes couldn’t even be considered as food. She dug in, plating herself a satisfying amount of eggs, toast and bacon.

Stephan watched, “You have quite the appetite.”

“Head to the point, Mr Ashford.” She rolled her eyes, “it’s taking a great deal of effort to not report this to the police. You have until my breakfast is over.”

She was annoying, managing to get under his skin at every minute, but he needed her. So he sighed again, “I need you to carry my child.”

Annalise choked on a piece of bacon at the sudden bomb dropped in front of her. She hurriedly reached for the glass of orange juice, downing it in one gulp to clear the bile in her throat. It was pulpy, she hated pulp.

“I beg your pardon??”

“You heard me.” He said, “I need you to carry my child.”

“Are you out of your mind?!!”

“I’m not.”

“What are you—

“It’s simple.” He blurted out loud, “I’m in need of a woman who’s ready to carry my seed in her, I also need that same woman to act as my wife right until the child is in it’s third month. I don’t need to divulge all the details to you Miss Heathrow, but I can assure you there’s a lot to gain in this.”

She scoffed, “Like what exactly?”

“Ten million dollars.”

She gasped, “You’re joking.”

He shook his head, “I do not make empty promises. Ten million is only a tiny fraction of my wealth. All you need to do is carry my seed Miss Heathrow, and pretend to be my wife until the child is three months old. We will part our ways then, call it quits and move on. You get the money at the end of the agreement, plus spousal support until you decide to marry another.”

Annalise couldn’t believe her ears. She was short on rent, debt ridden and still starving. Here she had a man who was offering her a sum that could change her life forever. All she needed to do was—

“In simple terms. You need a surrogate?”

“That’s correct, yes.”

She closed her eyes for a moment and raked a hand through her hair, “Why me? Of all the women why—

“Don’t think of yourself as special.” He snorted, “I looked through your background extensively. You’re poor, you are in debt, you have no ties in the high society which means less problems for me. You’re also not looking to latch yourself onto anything shiny…..my family name that is.”

She blinked, “And the….and the baby…how do we—

“Don’t fret.” He said, “I have no interest in sexual relations with you. You’re going to be implanted with my sperm, and then we wait till conception.”

The way he said it made her jittery, “Are we sure it’s going to work?”

“I assure you I’m not impotent. My organs are of the best capacity. I am offering you a once in a life time opport—-

“I don’t know about this. You’re a prick and all.” She spat out, evading the look of surprise in his eyes, “All I have to do is carry your baby. Right?.”

“You also have to act as my wife Miss Heathrow.”

“What?!” She snapped. She’d forgotten about that part of the proposal entirely, “You’re saying we have to act like a couple?!”

“Only on paper.” He said.

She was reluctant. He was right—this was a lifetime opportunity but she also wasn’t a leech. She had dignity, she had her pride to protect, but she also needed the money. She was tired of working tirelessly and not getting anything out of it, she wanted to be free. She wanted the sweet taste of freedom without financial burden.

Stephanie Ashford was a bastard. He was rude, arrogant, he also had no regard for the working class. She was basically selling herself, her body, her very existence just to carry his child.

“The baby.” She couldn’t help but ask, “What happens to the baby?.”

He became tight lipped for a moment, staring at the fork on his side of his table before he relented, “I cannot stop a woman from her motherly duties. The child will carry my name and my family’s honor. You will still be it’s mother if you’re—

“I am.” She nodded sharply. She’d always wanted to be a mother, showering a child with the same amount of love her father poured onto her. She never cared for marriage either, unbound by the conservative laws of nature.

“My mother…” she choked out minutes later, “My mother is—

“I’ll ensure she’s taken care of. Her bills will be paid in full, right until our agreement is over.” Stephan assured her, “All you have to do is say yes.”