All Chapters of His surrogate my betrayal : Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I wake up in Angelo Cross’s bed, and I’m covered in blood.My hands are shaking as I lift them to the dim morning light filtering through floor-to-ceiling windows. Red. Dark red. Too much of it. It’s on my palms, under my fingernails, soaked into the white silk sheets beneath me.I’m six months pregnant. The baby, our baby kicks hard against my ribs like she knows something’s wrong.My shoulder throbs with pain that makes my vision blur. I touch it carefully and feel the rough edge of bandages wrapped tight around torn skin. A gunshot wound. Someone shot me.But I don’t remember how I got here.I don’t remember whose blood this is.The penthouse is silent except for the sound of my breathing too fast, too loud, panicked. Angelo’s side of the bed is empty but still warm. He was here recently. Close enough to touch. Close enough to kill.Did he do this to me?No. That doesn’t feel right. Angelo’s many things cold, ruthless, dangerous but he wouldn’t hurt the baby. Our baby. Would he?My phone si

MIA POVMy legs feel like water as I walk down the hallway to Angelo’s study.He knows. He has to know.Why else would he call me thirty seconds after I texted Austin? Why else would his voice through the intercom sound like a judge reading a death sentence?I should run. Grab my bag, leave the penthouse, disappear. But Mom needs the money. The treatment starts Friday. If I run now, she dies.So I keep walking.The study door is open. Angelo sits behind a massive desk made of dark wood, laptop open, glass of amber liquid in his hand. He doesn’t look up when I enter.“Close the door,” he says.I do. The click sounds final.“Sit.”There’s a leather chair across from his desk. I sink into it, hands clasped tight in my lap to hide the shaking.Angelo finally looks at me. Those gray eyes pin me in place like a butterfly to a board.“Are you afraid of me, Mia?”Yes. Terrified.“No,” I lied.His smile is slow and terrifying. “You should be.”My throat closes. This is it. He’s going to expose me, call secur

Angelo ’s face goes pale as he stares at his phone.I’ve never seen him this frightened before. Angry, yes. Cold, absolutely. But this raw terror that flashes across his features makes my stomach drop.“What is it?” I ask.He doesn’t answer. Just gave me the phone.The photo shows two people, a man and woman in their sixties, both bound to chairs, tape over their mouths.“Your parents?” I whisper. “But they’re supposed to be”“Dead. I know.” Angelo’s voice is hollow. “Max found them. I don’t know how, but he found them.”Derek reads the message over my shoulder. “It’s a trap. Obviously.”“I know that too.”“You’re not to make any move. The moment you show up, he’ll kill all three of you.” Derek crosses his arms. “This is what he wants. You, emotional and reckless.”Angelo’s quiet for a long moment. Then: “Call backup. Everyone we have. I want that warehouse surrounded.”“And if Max sees them? If he kills your parents before we can get inside?”“Then we improvise.” Angelo took his phon

MIA POVMax’s smile makes my skin crawl. We’re in some kind of storage room. My hands are zip-tied to a metal chair that’s connected to the floor. Professional. Like he’s done this before.“You’re probably wondering why you’re here,” Max says calmly, like we’re having tea instead of a kidnapping.“Austin said you wanted leverage.” My voice shakes though I tried my best to stay calm.“Austin says a lot of things.” Max stands, circling my chair slowly. “No, Mia. I don’t need leverage. I need insurance.”“Against what?”“Against Angelo doing something stupid. Like believing he can save everyone.” Max stops in front of me. “My nephew has a hero complex. Thinks he can win every fight, save every life. It’s draining.”“So you’re going to kill me to prove he can’t?”“Kill you? No, dear. You’re far more useful alive.” His hand rests on my shoulder. I flinch. “You see, Angelo’s been searching for you for seven