All Chapters of The Billionaire's surrogate secret : Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

​Lyra gripped the paper coffee cup until the cardboard buckled. If she drank any more caffeine, her heart might actually fail. It wasn't the caffeine, though; it was the adrenaline. It was 8:01 PM on a Tuesday, and she was on the 42nd floor of Vane Tower, standing outside the massive glass doors of the architectural design studio.​She was still here. Which meant he was likely still here, too.​Lyra had taken this junior architect position six months ago, and her life had been a masterclass in strategic avoidance. Julian Vane, the CEO, occupied the 60th-floor penthouse suite. Most junior staff only saw him on the cover of Forbes or through the blurry, terrified lenses of paparazzi cameras. But Lyra knew that "absolute zero" coldness that was rumored to define him. She’d spent five years building a life out of the wreckage of her past, and she had one rule: Never, ever let Julian Vane see her face.​A low vibration buzzed in her pocket. She pulled out her phone, her chest tightening.

Julian didn't wait for her to answer. The silence in the daycare was suffocating, broken only by the sound of Leo’s toy car wheels spinning as he clutched it against Lyra’s leg.​"I didn't steal anyone," Lyra hissed, her voice trembling. "I was a surrogate. It was a legal contract. Anonymous. I was told the father was a donor who wanted no contact."​Julian’s lip curled into a cold, mirthless smile. "In my world, Ms. Stone, 'anonymous' is a fairy tale told to people who can't afford the truth. My brother, Marcus, handled that contract. And Marcus has spent his entire life trying to find leverage against me."​He straightened his suit jacket, the movement sharp and predatory. He looked at the three lawyers standing by the door. "Clear the room. Now."​The daycare staff and the lawyers vanished instantly. Only the three of them remained in the bright, primary-colored room. The contrast was jarring: a man worth billions in a room built for toddlers.​"You’re going to a private clinic. N

​The transformation was complete, but Lyra hardly recognized the woman in the mirror. The dress was a column of midnight-blue silk that clung to her curves like a second skin, held up by nothing but two delicate diamond straps. Her hair was swept into a sophisticated, loose chignon, and around her neck sat a Vane heirloom—a necklace of sapphires that felt heavier than the chains Julian had threatened her with.​"You look... acceptable."​Lyra turned. Julian was leaning against the doorframe of her dressing room, looking devastating in a custom black tuxedo. His silver eyes roamed over her, and for a fleeting second, the coldness flickered into something raw and hungry.​"Acceptable?" Lyra challenged, tilting her chin. "I feel like a trophy you’re about to put on a shelf."​"Tonight, you are a shield," Julian corrected, stepping into the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pair of silk gloves. "And remember the rule: No matter what my brother Marcus says to you, you do n

​The atmosphere in the room plummeted. Lyra stared at the grainy photo on Julian’s tablet. It was the back entrance of the "LifeSpring Fertility Clinic"—the place where her life had changed forever.​"How?" Lyra whispered, her voice trembling. "That clinic was supposed to be high-security. The records were sealed."​"Everything has a price, Lyra. And Marcus has a very large checkbook," Julian said, his jaw tight. He began pacing the length of her bedroom, his steps heavy and purposeful. "He can’t prove the surrogacy was a 'business transaction' yet, but he’s planting the seeds of a scandal. If the public thinks I bought a mother for my child like a piece of equipment, the board will vote me out for moral turpitude."​"But it wasn't like that!" Lyra stood up, her silk robe fluttering. "I was told it was anonymous. I was a student in debt, Julian. I didn't even know it was you."​Julian stopped his pacing and turned to her. His silver eyes were like shards of ice. "The world doesn't ca

​The sound of the boat’s engine cutting out echoed across the water, followed by the heavy thud of the hull hitting the dock.​"They have a court order, Julian!" a voice boomed over a megaphone from the dock. It was Marcus. He had come personally. "Federal marshals are on standby at the mainland. Open the gates, or we come in for 'the asset' by force."​Lyra felt a cold wave of nausea. The asset. They were talking about her son as if he were a seized bank account.​"Go to Leo," Julian commanded, grabbing a small black device from his desk drawer—a high-end encrypted comms unit. "Lock the door to the nursery. Don't open it for anyone but me. Use the service lift if you hear the glass break."​"Julian, you can't fight them alone," Lyra said, grabbing his arm.​Julian looked down at her hand, then up at her face. For a split second, the "Silver-Eyed Devil" was gone, replaced by a man who looked like he would burn the entire world down to keep her safe.​"I’ve spent five years preparing