All Chapters of The Billionaire's Accidental Surrogate: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

The night at the Thompson estate was deep and silent. The house was quiet, everyone long since in bed. But in her room, Clara was a storm of raw emotion. The shock had worn off, and now only a cold, hard pain remained. She hadn’t eaten anything since she arrived, her stomach a tight knot of grief and rage. The anger was like a fire, burning away her hunger, her tiredness, her need to rest.Finally, the fire in her stomach became a physical ache. She was starving. She couldn’t stay in her room any longer. She needed to do something, anything, to distract herself from the images playing over and over in her head. She crept out of the room, careful not to wake Lucia, who was sleeping peacefully. She moved like a shadow through the quiet house, her feet making no sound on the soft carpet. She made her way to the kitchen, the biggest kitchen she had ever seen, with steel appliances and huge windows. She was so focused on finding something to eat, she didn’t notice the light on in the stud

Five years had gone by, and with them, the lives of Clara and Devon had become two very different stories. Five years. A lifetime for a little girl, and a blink of an eye for a heart that was still broken. In London, the Thompson Estate was a fortress of quiet love and strength. It was a home.A black car pulled into the long driveway, the driver opened the door and a tall man, 6ft white hair with a hint of dark shades and his finely shaved white beard walked out of the car and following behind him was his right hand. As the doors of the mansion opened and he walked in, a little girl with big, bright eyes and long, dark hair came running from the huge house. “Daddy! Daddy!” she screamed, her voice a happy song. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her, a bright spot of pure joy in the late afternoon sun.He looked at her, his heart filled with a love so big it ached. “How are you, my little girl?” he said, his voice a low, warm hum. He opened his arms and scooped her up, twi

Ian sat behind his mahogany desk in the study, phone pressed to his ear. The warm glow from the desk lamp cast shadows across his face as he listened to the voice on the other end. His fingers drummed impatiently on the leather surface."Look, I understand the urgency, but we need to be careful about how we approach this," Ian said into the phone, his voice carrying the weight of someone who'd been having this same conversation for the past twenty minutes.The study door creaked open, and Clarisse stepped in quietly. Her hair was pulled back in a loose bun, and she wore one of those comfortable sweaters that made her look younger somehow. When she saw him on the call, she started to back out, but Ian caught her eye and smiled.He gestured for her to stay, pointing to the chair across from his desk. She shook her head and mouthed "sorry," but he waved his hand dismissively and patted the chair again, more insistently this time.Clarisse smiled and settled

Morning came faster than Devon expected. His alarm went off at 6 AM, and despite having gotten very little sleep, he felt oddly energized. Maybe it was the anticipation of finally getting some answers to his questions.Devon changed into his running clothes and headed out for his usual morning jog. The early morning air was crisp and clean, and the repetitive motion of running helped clear his head. By the time he returned home an hour later, he felt more like himself.After a quick shower and shave, Devon dressed in his usual business attire and headed downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was already busy when he arrived, his parents, Yvonne, Eva and his brother Damien were all seated at the large mahogany table with their baby. Oh yes! Eva and Damien have a baby boy who is a year old. Damien Junior.Nana, Hope and her Nanny who sat beside her feeding her so she could leave for school was also there at the table."Good morning, everyone," Devon said

They arrived at the airport and were whisked through security with the efficiency that came with private aviation. Ian had booked every seat in first class on the commercial flight, ensuring complete privacy for their family and staff."Why aren't we taking your jet?" Lucia asked as they settled into their seats."Technical difficulties," Ian explained. "Sometimes even private jets need maintenance."The flight was long but comfortable. Lucia spent most of it playing with her dolls and coloring in books that Clarisse had packed. Ian worked on his laptop, reviewing documents and making final preparations for the meetings that would come.Clarisse tried to sleep, but her mind was too active. In just a few days, she would be face to face with people from her past. People who thought she was dead. People who had hurt her in ways she was still recovering from.But most of all, she would see Devon again.The flight turned was quiet as Lucia finally fell asleep in her seat, Cuddle Bunny in h