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All Chapters of The Billionaire's Surrogate: Chapter 81
- Chapter 90
99 Chapters
Chapter 81
Ophelia and Emily have stayed huddled into a corner of the courtyard all this time. Now, they’re inching a bit closer to where Steve’s sitting. He starts wriggling around while I tip the chair at an angle, “Come on man. Please don’t do this.” “Are you ready to tell us why you’re here?” I ask. “You know I can’t do that. What if you just let me go? I promise I won’t come back,” he pleads. “It’s too late for that. Heck, it’s even too late to call the cops,” I say. “I have a family; two kids at home and a dog waiting for me,” he says, darting his eyes from Thaddeus to me. So, I was right about the dog. “You should have thought about that before taking the job,” I say. “You got a wife, Steve? How old are your kids?” asks Thaddeus. “I’m divorced. My kids are eight and ten,” he adds. “What’s their names?” I ask. “Katey and, ummmm, Mark,” he blurts out. “Took you a bit long there, Steve. Can’t remember your own kids’ names, huh?” I ask. “I’m just taking a wild guess here, but someth
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Chapter 82
Emily/Jocasta POV By the time the cops got around to Mellon Estate, I had been running on empty. My body was screaming for some sort of release, but my mind was tuned into everything that was happening around me. As agreed, we all rehearsed the same story when the police took our statements. Steve had broken into the home, expecting to ransack the place. What he didn’t count on was all of us being at home and wide awake. None of us made any mention of Charlotte or Nancy. That was a matter that we’d deal with on our own. When the cops marched him out there, handcuffed, he had a relieved look on his face, glad for the eventful evening to be done with. With the sun making its way across the horizon, a new day is dawning, leaving us with the conundrum of how to solve the Charlotte problem. Thaddeus returns to the courtyard with a fresh pot of coffee. “I know we can all do with this,” he says and hands out mugs of the aromatic elixir of life. Jacob offers me a mug but I decline. With
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Chapter 83
Jacob POV Two hours of shut eye, that’s all we’ve had. The lack of sleep is starting to take its toll as Jocasta and I fall out of bed. With my eyes swollen shut, I take a quick cold shower to invigorate my tired limbs. It works momentarily, but by the time we make it downstairs, my body moves with a sluggish gait. “Morning, sleep heads,” chirps Ophelia at the breakfast table. Jocasta and I look at her and take our seats. Breakfast is an array of deliciously divine fruit and yogurt. Somehow, I can’t stomach eating anything right now. My head feels like someone’s taken a power drill to it. This feels worse than a hangover. Jocasta, on the other hand, is tucking in like a hungry lion, uncertain of when she’ll eat again. “I take it you slept well,” Ophelia winks at us. “Yes, thanks for putting up with us,” I say. Jocasta pays her no attention and is reaching for the bowl of strawberries. “Thaddeus should be down momentarily; he’s just making arrangements for Clarisse,” she says.
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Chapter 84
Nancy POV“You stupid girl.” Those words repeat themselves over and over again in my head. They offer little comfort and are just a reminder of how fucked up my life has become.I’m shit scared. I suppose staring down the barrel of a gun can do that to you, give you perspective on how bad things can really go.It’s not like I stood in front of the class as a kid on Career Day and said, “I want to hustle people out of their money when I grow up”. I can’t even say I’m a product of my circumstances. Yes, I had a shitty mom and a dad who abandoned me, but all of this was my doing. I realize that while standing in a room with Antonia Hernández and his goons.After the whole fuck up with Steve and Catherie, my recklessness drove me to seek refuge in the only place I could think of - Jacob’s hotel suit.The second I walked through the door, I knew something was off. But it was too late; I felt a knock to the back of my head and fell to the floor.I don’t know how long I was out for, but when
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Chapter 85
I know the only way to keep Ophelia safe is to pretend she means nothing to me, but it’s hard to prove it to Hernández. When it comes to her, I’m like an open book, and now it could mean that she dies as well.“Well, Nancy, what will it be?” he asks and takes his phone away from me.My purse starts vibrating and one of the heavies hands it to me. Hernández snatches it from me and locates the buzzing sound; it’s my phone. Holding it up, he shows me the caller ID, “How’s that for timing? I’d suggest you answer it and put it on speaker.”I look at the phone but don’t take it. He presses the “answer” button and forces it into my hand.“Hello, Astrid. Are you there?” her voice comes out loud and clear for everyone in the room to hear.“Hey, yes, I’m here,” I say.“Where are you? I’ve been trying to get hold of you for the past day. Sooooo much has happened, it’s been crazy,” she says. The sound of her voice calms me down and I concentrate on it.“Tell me about it,” I say.“No, this is some
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Chapter 86
Emily/Jocasta POVJacob hasn’t done much talking since we left Collin Estate. His contemplative mood tells me he’s thinking about how to deal with the Charlotte situation.He was taken aback with Matthew’s dramatic exit; we all were. I don’t even think Charlotte expected such a strong reaction from her own son.“Have you decided on what you’re going to do about Charlotte?” I ask.He thinks a bit before answering, “I’ve left that up to my dad. He gets to decide her fate, and I told him I’d be on board with whatever decision he makes.”“I know this must be really hard for you,” I add. “Just remember that I’m here for you.”“How can you act so selfless after all she’s done to you? Even now, you’re putting your feelings aside just to make sure I’m okay,” he says and kisses my hand.“Because I love you and I need you to know that we’re in this together,” I say.He smiles, “I love you too. We’ve all been through a lot. All I want to do is get home to our son and give him the biggest hug. Le
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Chapter 87
They’re still glowing from that post-wedding high, holding onto each other like two lovestruck puppies.“Awwww, you’re so cute,” I say and Olivia shows me the middle finger.Jacob and Mason hug each other awkwardly. I sense some tension between them but ignore it.“I thought you guys would have been in the Bahamas by now?” I ask.“So did I, but this man right here insisted on coming around before we left,” she says and looks at Mason.There’s an uncomfortable silence that stretches for a few minutes, until Mason says, “I couldn’t leave until I put things right with Jacob.”“Okay, let’s leave them to it,” says Olivia and waves me into the kitchen.“What was that about?” I ask her and start clearing up the dishes.“Let’s just say Mason didn’t take too kindly to Jacob sending his wife to the hotel to check up on a certain someone,” she says. “Words were said in anger and now my man has come to apologize.”“If there’s anyone that should be apologizing, it’s Jacob,” I tell her. “He basical
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Chapter 88
Emily/Jocasta POV“Welcome to the third trimester, Mom and Dad,” says Dr. Goodmann. “Your baby is growing bigger every day. Soon, you’ll welcome him or her into the world.”Jacob and I smile at each other. I’m almost eight months pregnant and uncomfortably huge. Just like with Liam’s pregnancy, it took some getting used to my new body. But this time, I’m embracing it because we’re experiencing this journey as a family.At both Jacob and my insistence, we asked that Dr. not tell us the baby’s gender - we want it to be a surprise.The baby’s regular heartbeat tells us our little munchkin is healthy and strong.“Have you decided on a birthing plan yet? I don’t see any reason why you can’t have a natural birth,” she says.Every time she brings it up, Jacob diverts to another topic. Whether he likes it or not, this baby’s coming out either way.“Will any complications arise if we choose natural birth?” he asks.“I don’t see why not,” she says. “Emily is perfectly healthy. Even after enduri
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Chapter 89
“Hey there, stranger. Welcome back,” says a voice. I can’t make out who it is. Above me are bright lights. I squint to adjust my eyes to my unknown surroundings.My voice is scratchy and I struggle to speak, “Where am I?”“You’re in hospital,” says the voice, so soft and gentle.I make the outline of someone standing beside me and lift my head to see more.“Easy there,” comes the voice. It’s Jacob.I start crying, “The baby.”“The baby’s fine,” he says and shows me the machine monitoring the fetal heartbeat. “As strong as an ox, say the doctors.”“What happened?” I ask.“You collapsed, been out of it for three days,” he says. “Luckily, Olivia was with you and called an ambulance.”I want to sit up straight, but there are various tubes connected to my arms, obstructing my movement.“I just remember fitting on a bridal gown. I don’t know what happened after that,” I cry. “What’s wrong with me?”Jacob looks at me for a while but says nothing. There are tears in his eyes.“What’s wrong wi
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Chapter 90
Emily/Jocasta POVJacob is laying beside me in our tiny hospital bed. He insists that he wants to be by my side, even though the sleeping arrangement is killing his back.I put my hand in his chest and feel it expand as he breathes in and out. I can’t sleep here. Almost every trauma I endured happened between these four walls. So instead of drowning in the frustration of insomnia, I use the time to make lists of things I want to do and places I want to visit once I’ve checked out of Sacred Heart.I wait until Jacob is asleep before I take out my notebook. He became emotional the first time I showed my bucket list to him, so I jot down all my dreams and wishes in the dead of night.The nurses know not to come into the room when they see my night light on and only check in on me with a cup of tea every few hours or so.So far, I’ve made a list of memories I want Liam to remember me by, and places I want us to visit together, just the two of us. Olivia suggested I compose a video diary f
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