Todos os capítulos de THE CEO’S SURROGATE(WOMB CONTRACT): Capítulo 11 - Capítulo 20

(Elena’s POV)The penthouse door closed behind us with a quiet click, and for a moment, the world outside—hospital lights, sterile hallways, whispered footsteps—felt impossibly far away. I sank against the door, letting the exhaustion of the day hit me like a wave. My legs trembled slightly, and my fingers dug into the sweater I had changed into, feeling the soft fabric against my skin.Alaric didn’t speak immediately. He simply came up behind me, his presence solid, grounding, as he draped a hand gently across my shoulders. The warmth of him pressed lightly into my back, and I shivered—not from the cold, but from the way he made me feel safe even in my most vulnerable moments.“You did fine,” he murmured, his voice low, almost reverent. “Everything went smoothly.”I gave a small laugh, hollow and shaky. “Smoothly? That’s one word for it. I felt like a science experiment with a side of anxiety.”He smirked, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. “You were the most composed patient I

(Elena’s POV) By the time morning came, the city had already moved on from the quiet of the night. I hadn’t. Sleep had been shallow and restless, filled with flashes of Maya’s face and the echo of Alaric’s voice repeating the same chilling possibility. “She may have been silenced.” Even hours later, the thought tightened something deep in my chest. But the world didn’t stop for grief or fear—especially not the corporate world. And apparently, neither did Alaric. The black car rolled smoothly to a stop in front of Carrington Tower. The massive glass building stretched high into the sky, sunlight reflecting off its polished surface like nothing ugly had ever happened inside its walls. I stared at it for a moment. The last time I walked through those doors, security had escorted me out like a criminal. Now I was returning as the CEO’s fiancée. And apparently his financial strategy director. Life had a strange sense of humor. Alaric stepped out first, the driver opening the

(Elena’s POV)I stared at Xavier’s message for a full ten seconds before locking my screen.“We need to talk.”Absolutely not. The audacity alone almost made me laugh.After everything he had done—the accusations, the silence, standing there while Sabrina tore me apart in front of the company—he suddenly wanted to talk?Whatever Xavier Carrington had to say could wait forever.I pushed the thought away and forced myself back to the reports scattered across my desk. Vendor contracts. Financial summaries. Internal budget reviews.Work.Focus on work.Unfortunately, concentration was impossible when half the executive floor seemed determined to treat me like a piece of live entertainment.Outside the glass walls, whispers continued like background static.I caught fragments every few minutes.“Did you see the ring?”“She came back stronger.”“Alaric moved fast.”“I heard Xavier almost lost it this morning.”That last one caught my attention.My fingers paused over the keyboard.Interesti

(Elena’s POV)For a moment, neither of us spoke.The apartment was silent except for the distant hum of traffic outside and the occasional crackle from one of the security officers’ radios.I stood frozen in the middle of my living room, or what used to be my living room. The place looked like a storm had ripped through it. Drawers hung open. Cabinet doors stood crooked. Books were scattered across the floor. The cushions on my couch had been slashed open. Someone hadn’t broken in looking for valuables. They had been searching, methodically, patiently, and desperately. And somehow that frightened me more. My gaze drifted toward the old wooden chest sitting beside my bookshelf.My stomach twisted in agitation; it was open and empty. The sight stole the breath from my lungs.“No…” I whispered.I crossed the room before anyone could stop me. My knees hit the floor. The chest was empty—no photographs, no letters, no birthday cards, no souvenirs, nothing.Every single thing that belonged t

(Alaric’s POV)For a long moment after Elena’s question, neither of us spoke.The city glowed beyond the windows, millions of lights scattered across the darkness like stars trapped beneath glass. Somewhere below, people continued their lives—unaware of the secrets buried beneath Carrington Holdings, unaware of Maya Hart, unaware of the storm that was slowly gathering around us.But inside this room, everything felt still.Elena’s hand remained wrapped around mine.The longer I sat here with her, the harder it became to pretend that this arrangement was still a contract.I looked down at our joined hands.Then back at her.She was watching me as if studying me.The same way she always did whenever she thought I wasn’t paying attention.“You keep doing that,” I said.A faint crease appeared between her brows.“Doing what?”“Looking at me like you’re trying to solve a puzzle.”A small smile tugged at her lips.“Maybe I am.”I leaned back in the chair.“Good luck with that.” That earned