Semua Bab The Accidental Surrogate's Secret: Bab 41 - Bab 50

Candice~~I didn’t want his money. I didn’t want any of it.The moment we stepped out of the boutique, I pulled my hand away from his and kept a careful distance. He acted like buying me a closet full of designer clothes was a normal thing—like he hadn’t just turned me into someone else’s spectacle.I didn’t thank him. I couldn’t. My pride was already hanging by a thread.He didn’t say a word, and neither did I. We walked in silence through the high-end shopping district, his presence next to me heavy and impossible to ignore.My eyes wandered from one store window to another, trying to distract myself, trying to breathe. Then suddenly, I stopped.At the entrance of an elegant bridal boutique, a wedding dress was displayed on a mannequin, bathed in soft golden light. It was breathtaking—delicate lace cascaded down the gown, the bodice adorned with intricate floral embroidery, and a sheer, flowing train pooled like liquid silk. It was the kind of dress little girls dreamed of wearing

Dorian’s POVI didn’t expect it to feel like this.I was on my phone when I heard the curtain open. I immediately raised up my head to see Candice come out. The second Candice stepped out of the fitting room wearing that wedding dress, something inside me shifted. My heart did this strange thing… like it paused for half a second.She looked… breathtaking. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t speak.The wedding gown fit her so perfectly. It hugged every curve of her body like it was made just for her. The top wrapped around her chest in the most beautiful way, and the waist showed off her soft, perfect shape. The dress flowed down to the floor, simple but stunning.She wasn’t even wearing makeup. No lipstick, no eyeshadow, nothing. But somehow, she looked more beautiful than any woman I had ever seen. Her skin looked smooth, her eyes soft and calm, and her lips naturally full.She looked like a dream.And before I could stop it thinking about how beautiful she was, my mind started wandering.

Candice’s POVThere was a knock at my door.I jumped.My heart was still recovering from what I’d overheard earlier, so the sound startled me more than it should have. For a moment, I thought about not answering. Maybe if I stayed quiet, whoever it was would just leave.But then I heard his voice.“Candice, it’s me.”Dorian.I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. My pulse was racing again. I didn’t know what he wanted, and a part of me didn’t want to find out. But I couldn’t avoid him forever.I quickly wiped my palms on my dress and tried to calm down. I stood up, smoothing my hair and straightening my face into something that looked… normal. Calm. Like I hadn’t just been panicking in my room.When I opened the door, he walked in like he always did—confident, cool, unreadable. He didn’t seem to notice how tense I was, or maybe he just didn’t care.“There’s a charity auction happening tomorrow night,” he said, getting straight to the point. “You’ll be going with me.”I blinked.Wha

Candice’s POVBefore I knew it, the lights dimmed slightly, and soft classical music began to play through hidden speakers. A tall, well-dressed man walked onto the stage with a warm smile, holding a microphone. The auction had officially begun.My heart thudded lightly as I looked around. Everything about the room screamed luxury—from the glittering chandelier above our heads to the velvet-covered chairs we were sitting on. The guests looked just as expensive, whispering quietly behind their fans and glasses of wine, their eyes locked on the stage.The first item up for auction was an ancient porcelain vase from the Qing dynasty. Blue and white, with delicate hand-painted dragons swirling around it. The starting price was already sky-high. Dorian leaned toward me, his voice low and casual.“Do you like it?” he asked.I blinked, surprised. “It’s nice,” I said honestly, “but I don’t need it.”He simply nodded, raising his eyebrow a little, but said nothing.The next item was a limited-

Doiran povThat afternoon had started like any other after we got back from the store where I got Candice that wedding gown. I had just finished going over some files in my study when my phone buzzed with a message from my assistant. Apparently, an auction house had sent over a personal invitation. I didn’t even bother to read the details at first. I wasn’t in the mood for fancy events or overpriced antiques.Without thinking, I told him to reject it. I didn’t care how exclusive the auction was, or who else would be there.But before he could respond, another call came through. This one wasn’t about the auction—it was about something else entirely. A deal we’d been working on for months was on the brink of falling apart, and my patience was running thin.I picked up the call and listened as the voice on the other end scrambled to explain the situation. Excuses. That’s all I heard. Weak, useless excuses.I was already angry, my jaw clenched so tightly it hurt. The idiot on the line ha