Semua Bab A Surrogate For The Alpha: His Substitute Bride: Bab 111 - Bab 120

VIVIAN We all watched Lucas closely, waiting to hear what he meant by what he said earlier. The dining room went quiet, like everyone was waiting for him to speak. I leaned forward a little with my eyes fixed on him, hoping whatever he was about to say would be useful.Lucas looked around slowly, like he was trying to buy himself some time. Then he cleared his throat and said in a slow drawl, “I don’t actually have a plan yet.”I blinked in surprise. Okay. I didn't see that coming.Caroline groaned loudly and facepalmed. “Seriously?” she snapped, shaking her head. “You made it sound like you had some brilliant idea, but you actually have nothing? Gosh, Lucas!”Lucas opened his mouth, probably to defend himself, but I raised my hand gently to stop them before it turned into a full-blown argument.“Caroline, cut him some slack,” I said quietly, looking at her. “He was just being concerned. We all are. It’s better that he spoke up than stayed quiet. We do need to protect Isla. She is o

ZANDERI was pulled out of sleep by the loud and annoying ringing of my phone.At first, I ignored it, hoping it would stop. But it didn’t. It just kept ringing and ringing. I groaned and turned on the bed, not even bothering to open my eyes.Vivian was curled up beside me, breathing softly, and I really didn’t want to wake up. I was too comfortable, too tired after the mind-blowing sex we just had.Still, the phone didn’t stop.With a sigh, I reached over blindly and grabbed it from the bedside table. I didn’t check the caller ID. I just pressed the answer button and held the phone to my ear, still half asleep.“Hello?” I said, my voice low and rough.The moment I heard the voice on the other end, my eyes snapped open.Ronald. It was Ronald. His voice made me alert instantly.I sat up quickly, my back straighter and my heart beating faster. I turned my head slowly to look at Vivian beside me.She was still sleeping, her eyes were closed, her breathing was soft and even. That was good

ZANDERI paused, the phone was still in my hand, but I didn’t speak.Something about this whole situation suddenly felt off.My frown deepened.Why now?Why was Ronald coming to us now, after all this time?Why had the Circle leader refused to help him? Why wasn’t the Circle’s witch healing him?Why would Ronald even risk coming to us—me and Vivian—for help when he knew all that he had done to us?The timing didn’t sit right with me. And I couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling in my gut.Something wasn’t adding up.I couldn’t shake the bad feeling crawling through my chest.This whole thing… it didn’t sit right with me.Ronald was desperate, yes. That part I could see clearly. But desperate people can also be dangerous. And Ronald had never been someone I trusted, not even for a second. Not after everything he did.My mind started spinning again, thinking deeper this time.What if Ronald wasn’t telling the full truth?What if this whole plan to get him healed was just a setup?What if…

ZANDER Lucas looked at me and said calmly, “You’ll go to Ronald’s house.”I blinked, confused. “Go to his house?”And he nodded.“Unannounced,” he added.I stared at him in disbelief, like I didn’t hear him right. I even tilted my head a little, wondering if the lack of sleep was messing with his brain.“Unannounced?” I repeated slowly, raising one eyebrow. “Why would I go to my fellow Alpha’s house unannounced?”I didn’t get it. It didn’t make sense. Even if Ronald had done all those horrible things like siding with the Circle, betraying Vivian, threatening her, trying to kill me—he was still an Alpha.There was still a level of respect and order between Alphas. We didn’t just show up at each other’s doors like it was some casual visit. There were procedures. Boundaries. Traditions.And as much as I hated Ronald, I wasn’t someone who liked breaking rules unless I absolutely had to.Lucas facepalmed his eyes like I was being slow and like he was reading my mind.“Zander,” he said wit

ZANDERDerek’s eyes were fixed on me like he could see through me. He didn’t say anything at first. He just kept looking, like he was trying to decide if he should speak up or let it go.Then he finally asked, “Is everything alright?”His voice wasn’t loud, but it hit me harder than it should have. I blinked at him, trying not to look surprised.I wasn’t ready for that question. I wasn’t expecting it, especially not now, when I was trying to leave.Before I could even answer, he added, “Are you and Vivian okay? Are you really going to see an investor?”That question made the air feel heavier.My first instinct was to lie. Not because I wanted to, but because I didn’t want to deal with the truth. Not now. Not in front of everyone.So, I forced a smile on my face even though it felt stiff and it didn’t reach my eyes, but still, I hoped no one would notice.“Yeah. Sure. We’re good,” I said with a nod.But I should have known better. Derek wasn’t stupid. He was smart, observant, and strat