A favor

Knox,

Earlier in the morning

A sharp voice broke through the darkness, pulling me from the depths of unconsciousness.

"He woke up! Sir! Can you see me?"

My eyelids felt heavy, as if weighed down by lead, but I forced them open. A bright light stung my retinas, making me squint. A sharp pain radiated through my head, chest, and arms, making me wince. My body felt like it had been shattered and pieced together haphazardly. Every breath burned.

Yet, the moment my mind cleared, a different kind of pain took over.

In the endless nightmare I had been trapped in, I had seen Violet instead of Sarah in the accident. The horror of it had been too real, too gut-wrenching. But now that I was awake, reality hit me like a freight train.

I gasped, my voice raw and frantic. "How is Sarah?"

The nurse, who had been checking my vitals, hesitated before calling for the doctor. That hesitation made my pulse spike. Something was wrong.

Before I could demand an answer, the door burst open.

Sam Riverwood, Violet's brother, rushed in, his face tight with concern. He came straight to my bedside, eyes scanning me as if he were assessing whether I was actually awake.

"Knox! How are you feeling right now? Can you recognize me?" His voice was steady, but there was a layer of worry beneath it.

I barely glanced at him. My throat felt dry, my heart pounding with dread. "How is Sarah? She was next to me!"

Sam's expression faltered for the briefest second. He turned his attention to the monitors, as if busily checking my stats. But I wasn't blind. He was stalling.

"Sam!" My voice came out harsher than intended, and a sharp pain stabbed through my chest. The bandages tightened uncomfortably as I tried to shift. "I am asking you something!"

Sam exhaled, finally meeting my eyes. "She is fine. But still in a coma. Her lower body might not be working for a while."

The world tilted. My fingers clenched into fists. "What do you mean by that?" My voice wavered despite my efforts to keep it steady. "Is she going to be alright?"

"Yes. One hundred percent. It will take time, but we are hopeful."

I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, nodding slowly. "As long as she gets better… I don't need anything else." My voice was barely a whisper, my chest aching in ways that had nothing to do with my physical injuries. "How did it happen? We were just talking about having a child, and now…"

I trailed off, the weight of the situation settling in.

Sam stiffened at my words. "I thought you wanted to be child-free," he murmured, his tone cautious.

Guilt washed over me. Sam was right. I had always said I never wanted kids. But Sarah did. And for her, I was willing to change. "I decided to have a child with Sarah. She wants to be pregnant," I admitted, my voice strained.

Sam's face darkened. There was something in his expression that set me on edge.

I narrowed my eyes. "Is there something you need to tell me?" My voice was low, demanding. "Don't lie to me, Sam."

He hesitated, his fingers tightening around the edge of the bedrail. Then, after a deep breath, he finally said it.

"Because of the seriousness of her lower back injury, it's not possible for her to carry a child."

The words slammed into me with the force of a wrecking ball. My breath caught. My heart pounded. The room suddenly felt too small, the air too thick.

No.

That couldn’t be right.

"Wh-what should I do then?" I barely recognized my own voice. "She wants to be a mother. She wants to have a child."

"Calm down, Knox." Sam reached out as if to steady me, but I jerked away. "There are other ways. If she can't have a child, you can adopt."

"Adoption?" I let out a hollow laugh, but there was no humor in it. "That’s not an option for my family."

Sam's expression tightened. He knew the rules. In my family, adoption was only considered after having a biological child. Bloodline came first. That was the unspoken law.

"Then what about surrogacy? It's the most common alternative. If you and Sarah still want a biological child, this could—"

"No surrogacy."

A deep, commanding voice cut through the room, silencing us both.

I turned my head sharply, despite the pain. My grandfather stood in the doorway, his eyes cold and calculating. His presence was always imposing, but right now, it felt suffocating.

"It will not be a legitimate child if the pregnancy does not involve direct connection to the family," he stated firmly.

Sam clenched his jaw. "That’s ridiculous. If we use Knox’s sperm and Sarah’s egg, the child will still be—"

"I’m talking about the process," my grandfather interrupted. "A woman who isn't connected to our family cannot carry the child. That is strictly forbidden."

I felt like I was drowning. "Then what do you expect me to do?" My voice cracked with frustration. "I promised Sarah we’d have a child together."

My grandfather held my gaze, unwavering. "Find someone who will agree to marry you temporarily. Then you can proceed with surrogacy within the family’s conditions."

My blood turned cold. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me." His voice remained composed.

The anger bubbling inside me threatened to spill over, but a sudden, sharp pain shot through my chest, forcing me to suck in a pained breath.

"Don't move, Knox." Sam's voice was firm. "We need to approach this calmly."

"Calmly?" My laugh was bitter. "He wants me to marry—"

"It’s just a temporary marriage," my grandfather cut in. "A contract. Once the child is born, you can divorce."

I shook my head, my mind spiraling. "I promised Sarah I would marry her. She’s the only woman I want to start a family with."

"I understand," Sam said carefully, throwing a glance at our grandfather. "But maybe we should talk to Sarah’s parents first. They have a say in this too."

"I already spoke to them," my grandfather said, folding his arms. "They agree with us. Sarah’s condition is too fragile. If she forces herself into pregnancy, she could harm herself permanently. This is the best solution."

His words cut like a blade, each one deeper than the last.

"I will find a trusted agency. The marriage and divorce will remain secret," he continued.

Although his voice was calm, I couldn’t shake the unease settling in my gut.

"I don’t trust just anyone," I muttered.

Sam sighed. "Don't worry. You focus on recovery. I’ll let Violet handle this."

Violet.

Something shifted inside me.

"That’s true," Grandpa agreed. "Violet is an expert in negotiation. If it’s for Knox, she’ll definitely find the perfect—"

"I want Violet to do it."

The words escaped before I could stop them.

Both Sam and my grandfather stared at me, caught off guard.

"I want Violet to be the surrogate," I said again, this time more firmly. "I can’t trust anyone else but her."

---

Right now, Violet stood before me, frozen.

Her eyes searched mine, confusion and disbelief swirling within them. I knew what I was asking for was selfish—perhaps even cruel, given the past year we had spent apart—but I had no other choice.

"I can't trust anyone else, Violet," I murmured. My voice was raw, pleading. "So, please…"

The guilt of keeping my distance from her for so long burned inside me. And now, the first thing I asked from her was this—a favor that could change both of our lives forever.