Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 11 - Chapitre 20

Armani’s POVI pace near the private jet, my shoes grinding against the tarmac as the evening breeze sends a cool shiver through me. My stomach is in knots, a tight coil of anticipation and frustration. Rena should be here by now. The past ten days have been a whirlwind—medical consultations, legal meetings, and the exhausting process of tying up every loose end in Seattle. And now, here we are, standing on the precipice of something neither of us can fully predict.The fertility clinic had been... an experience. Not in the way I’d expected. I knew Rena would have to endure an endless stream of tests, but I hadn’t anticipated I’d be put through examinations as well. The request for a sample of my genetic material had felt vaguely insulting, a cold, clinical reminder that this arrangement was purely transactional. And then, there was the sterile little room they gave me—stocked with outdated explicit magazines, as if that would help.I hadn’t needed them.All I’d had to do was close my

Armani’s POVAs the car winds its way up the long, tree-lined road to Del Valle Estate, I realize I’m holding my breath. It’s not the royal palace, but it’s still impressive in its own right—grand, historic, a symbol of wealth and tradition. I tell myself she’ll be impressed.Not that she’d ever show it.Rena has been impossible to read from the moment we met. Her expressions are guarded, her words carefully chosen. Even now, as her hand rests lightly in mine, there’s no real warmth in the touch. It’s just there, like an afterthought. And yet, I find myself unwilling to let go.She’s different from the women I’ve known—elegant, but not in the practiced, polished way of courtiers or heiresses. There’s something natural about her, something effortless. But there’s also a distance, an unshakable wall she keeps between us, and I can’t decide if it intrigues me or frustrates me.Her voice cuts through my thoughts.“So… am I supposed to bow when I meet your family?”I blink, caught off guar

Armani’s POVThe moment we step into my suite, I feel the shift in her demeanor. It’s subtle at first—her shoulders tightening, the way her fingers clench slightly at her sides. But when her gaze lands on the bed, she stiffens completely.I follow her stare, and suddenly, it all clicks.A slow smirk pulls at my lips. “You look like you just walked into a crime scene.”Her head jerks toward me, her eyes wide. “What? No! I just—” She hesitates, glancing at the bed again.Ah. That explains it.I cross my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “I’m not that terrifying, am I?” I tease, though there’s a slight edge to my voice.“No,” she blurts out, too quickly. “Not at all. It’s just…”She gestures vaguely between the bed and me, and I swear, if she keeps looking at me like I’m about to devour her, I might actually start questioning my hygiene.Then it hits me.I tilt my head, studying her. “Wait—you’re a virgin, aren’t you?”Her reaction is immediate and dramatic.“No!” She nearly shouts, h

Armani’s POVI pick up my ukulele from the dresser and settle against the headboard, fingers idly strumming as my mind drifts. There’s too much to process—more than I ever wanted to. This was supposed to be simple. Find the right surrogate. Marry her for show. Have a son. No emotions. No complications. Just a clean transaction.I should have known better.I underestimated how much a woman like Rena could disrupt everything. I had assumed money would smooth out any rough edges, that emotions wouldn’t even enter the equation.And yet, here I am.The thought of saving oneself for marriage has always seemed outdated to me, though I wouldn’t deny there’s a certain appeal in the idea. The exclusivity of it. Being the first—the only—to touch her, to learn her body, to hear the sounds she makes when she unravels. There’s a possessiveness in the thought, something primal.But that’s not Rena’s story.Instead, she gave herself away under the haze of a drug she hadn’t even meant to take, to a ma

Armani’s POV"It’s about love, of course." I slide my arm around Rena, pulling her just a little closer than necessary.She stiffens.I feel it—the subtle tensing of her body, the way her breath catches just slightly before she forces herself to relax. The reaction is so small that Xavier probably doesn’t notice, but I do. And it stings. Am I so repulsive to her? She didn’t seem to think so earlier, not when she was looking at me like she actually enjoyed my company. But I ruined that, didn’t I? With my careless words.Xavier snorts, unconvinced. "Love?" He tilts his head, studying us.Before he can continue his interrogation, a delighted squeal cuts through the tension."Watch me, Caca!" Noah, my energetic nephew, takes off across the grass, waving a napkin in his tiny fist like it’s the most magnificent flag in the world. The wind catches it, making it flutter, and in his mind, I imagine he thinks he’s commanding the air itself.Lauren sighs, already getting to her feet. "I’ll get h