Semua Bab The Accidental Surrogate's Secret: Bab 11 - Bab 20

Dorian’s POVI always hated noise. Chaos. People bustling around like they have nowhere to be, trying to fill silence with nonsense chatter.This morning, the suite was full of both.I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, one hand tucked into the pocket of my slacks, the other holding a lukewarm cup of coffee I hadn’t touched since the maid poured it. My eyes drifted over the skyline, pretending I wasn’t listening to the commotion behind me.I hadn’t planned on checking in on her. Not really.But something pulled me down the corridor—something unsettling. Maybe it was the silence that lingered after I left her earlier. Maybe it was the thought of her sitting there, uncomfortable and out of place, surrounded by people who saw her as nothing more than an accessory on my arm.When I opened the dressing room door just slightly, I caught her voice first—warm, polite, and stupidly naive. She was trying to greet the makeup artist, probably still trying to make friends. And then I heard the

Candice’s POVI turned around slowly, my heart already sinking.And there she was.Violet.Of course.The last person I wanted to see tonight. Or ever again.She stood there in a blood-red dress, lips painted to match, eyes scanning me from head to toe with that signature mixture of fake surprise and thinly-veiled disgust. Her mouth curled into a smirk. “Well, well,” she drawled, tilting her head. “Imagine running into you here.”I said nothing.Her smile widened. “Didn’t expect to see you at a place like this. I mean, how did you even get in? Sell your dignity at the door? Or did you finally learn how to open your legs for the right price?”I clenched my jaw.“Wait,” she laughed mockingly, “don’t tell me you’re here trying to snag another man to mooch off of now that Joshua’s thrown you away like the used, boring wife you always were. Looking for a replacement wallet to warm your bed?”That did it.I stepped forward, my voice sharp. “Oh, Violet,” I said sweetly, “you’ve always been

Candice’s POVImmediately I stepped back into my room, my heels came off with a dull thud against the floor, my gown pooled around me like melted silk. Ana was already there, waiting for me with a soft smile. She didn’t ask questions. She didn’t press. She simply walked over and began helping me out of the dress, her movements gentle.“Let’s get you into something comfortable,” she murmured.I nodded wordlessly, trying to keep my emotions buried under the surface As she helped me change into a soft cotton robe, Ana glanced at me with quiet understanding.“You know…” she started, fastening the last button with practiced fingers, “Mr. Dorian wasn’t always like this.”My head lifted slightly. “Like what?”“So cold. So unreadable,” she said softly, brushing my hair back from my face. “He used to smile more. Talk more. There was… warmth in him. Once.”That caught me off guard.I turned to look at her, confused. “What happened?”Ana hesitated for a moment, as if weighing how much she shou

Candice’s POVInstead of softening, his eyes only narrowed.“I don’t need your gratitude,” he said flatly, brushing past me with an air of annoyance. “And I certainly don’t need you cooking.”My lips parted, confused, and stung. “What…?”He turned back, expression unreadable but voice laced with that usual commanding chill. “You’re carrying my child. That alone comes with responsibility. Cooking—being near flames, breathing in fumes, lifting heavy things—is not something a surrogate should be doing. Your health isn’t just yours anymore. Every decision you make affects the child. And I won’t have you compromising that.”I swallowed hard, my pride crumbling under the weight of his words. “I was careful,” I said quietly. “It was just a few vegetables and—”“I don’t care if it was a bag of feathers,” he cut in sharply. “You don’t get to make decisions like that on your own. There are strict dietary guidelines in your contract. You’re not qualified to know what’s safe or not. That’s what t

Candice POVThe moment the tall, elegant woman walked in, I could feel the shift in the room. Everyone straightened just a bit. Even the air seemed to pause for her. She was striking—flawlessly dressed in a sleek, cream-colored dress that clung to her body like it was made for her alone. Her heels clicked confidently against the marble floor, and her presence… it was commanding. Like she belonged here more than anyone else.And then, before I could even try to figure out who she was, Grace—the stepmother—lit up like a chandelier.“Alora, darling,” she called out warmly, rising from her seat faster than I’d seen her move all evening. Her voice was laced with so much affection, it felt like she was welcoming a long-lost daughter home.Alora.The name hit me like a jolt.She didn’t need to be introduced after that. The way Grace rushed over to her, arms wide, smiling like she’d just been reunited with royalty, told me everything I needed to know. I had connected the dots before, but hea