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What Isabel needed was a man with two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to spare.

That’s all. Not love. Not a boyfriend. Not a knight in shining armor. Just a man with that kind of money who could save her brother’s life. Daniel had done the worst now, his gambling addiction was already a problem in her twenty-four year old life, but he had taken it to the extreme now and they were after his life. He was the only family she had left and she was not willing to risk his life for anything.

She rubbed her hands together, standing in front of the sleek glass building Mercy had told her about. It didn’t even have a name on the front, just silver doors and mirrored windows and the kind of silence that said whatever happens in here, doesn’t leave here.

Her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a text from Mercy, her best friend since she was in high school.

*You’re there?*

Isabel sighed and typed back quickly.

*Yeah. I’m scared.*

*Don’t be. Just go in. They’ll take care of you.*

Yeah. That was easy for Mercy to say. Mercy wasn’t the one about to sign her entire body away.

With a deep breath, Isabel walked in.

The place didn’t look like a clinic. It looked like a luxury hotel. The floors were white marble, there was soft music playing somewhere, and the receptionist smiled like she knew everything.

“Name?” she asked.

“Isabel Manor. I, um, Mercy told me to come. She said… about the surrogate program.”

The woman’s smile didn’t falter. “Yes. Please follow me.”

Just like that, no clipboard and no waiting.

Isabel followed the woman down a long hallway, past a few doors that looked too expensive to be anything medical. They stopped in front of a dark wood door.

“You’ll meet with Dr. Hale first,” the woman said, knocking once before pushing it open.

A man in a grey suit looked up from behind the desk. “Miss Manor. Please, sit.”

She sat slowly. “So… is this where I get to ask questions?”

Dr. Hale smiled. “I imagine you have many. But first, I need you to understand, we’re not a traditional surrogate program. We’re private and discreet. Every agreement here is handled with confidentiality, you will sign NDAs, there will be background checks, psychological evaluations and once matched, you will be expected to live with the intended father for the duration of the pregnancy.”

Isabel’s mouth fell open. “Live with him?” Mercy had certainly left that part out.

“Yes.”

“That’s… extreme.”

“It’s a condition. The men who come here are not average men. They are high-net-worth individuals. Privacy and control matter to them. In return, you are compensated generously.”

Isabel swallowed hard. “How much?”

“Three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Tax-free. All living expenses covered with immediate relocation, health insurance, medical care, security, anything you need.”

She blinked.

That was the number.

Her brother’s life. Right there.

“I’ll do it.”

*

Isaac Dun didn’t like delays.

He liked contracts, numbers, clean deals and most of all, he liked silence.

But here he was, being told that the woman had arrived and was waiting to meet him.

“Bring her up,” he said.

He looked at himself in the mirror briefly. Dark hair, sharp jawline, tailored navy shirt that made his tan skin look even darker. He could pass as someone warm and kind but Isaac had no intention of being kind.

Not anymore, not since his ex-wife took him to court, stripped him for everything he had, and married a rich politician two weeks later.

Now? Now he just wanted a child. No attachments with no strings, no attachment and no women whispering promises and planning betrayal.

He wanted a womb and silence and apparently, her name was Isabel Manor.

The elevator dinged and he turned around as she walked in.

She had big eyes, full lips, a soft but guarded look on her face like she had seen too much but still wanted to look strong. She didn't look like the type of woman to be doing something like this. Her dress was plain, her hair pulled back, pretty, but in a real way.

He didn’t smile.

“You’re Isabel.”

She nodded. “Yes. You’re…?”

“Isaac Dun.” He walked over. “We’ll keep this short. I read your file, you pass all criteria, you have no criminal background, no health issues, no drugs and no children of your own.”

She shifted her weight. “Do I get to ask anything or...?”

“You can ask one thing.”

She blinked. “Just one?”

“Yes. Choose wisely.”

Her lips parted in surprise, then pressed into a line. “Why are you doing this?”

He looked her right in the eyes. “Because I want a child and I want nothing to do with the mother once it’s born. You’ll carry the baby, live in my home, follow the doctors’ instructions and once the baby is born, you’ll leave. There will be no visits, no contact and no second thoughts. You get your money, and I get my child. That’s it.”

She stared at him.

He wasn’t ugly. In fact, he was probably the most dangerously attractive man she’d ever seen. But something about him felt… closed. Like whatever softness he once had was buried ten feet under. She felt like a contrast to him with her ginger hair, pale skin and freckle stained face.

“And if I say no?” she asked quietly.

“Then we don’t waste time. You walk away, and I call the next name on the list.”

She hesitated for only a second. She thought about her brother and how she was willing to go this far. She closed her eyes at first and then reopened them to meet his gaze.

“I’ll do it.”

“Good,” he walked past her and picked up his phone. “Have her bags picked up. She’s moving in today.”

Her eyes widened as she hurried to where he stood, “today?!”