All Chapters of Surrogate Scam Backfires: I Married the Infertile Tycoon: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Leanne couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from lifting as she stared at the address for Jewell Group's headquarters.Perfect.Half an hour later, a black Bentley rolled to a stop in front of her. Sean got out and opened the door. Leanne slid into the backseat. The heater was turned up just right, and the doors shut out the city's noise.Aiden sat beside her, still in his perfectly tailored suit. Only his tie was loosened a little, hinting at the weariness of someone who had just wrapped up a long day at work.He didn't ask what had happened or why she'd suddenly invited him out. He just turned to look at her, his gaze deep and unreadable, as if nothing could escape him."Where to?" His voice was low, with a faint, husky roughness.For the first time, Leanne met his eyes without talking about deals or plans. This time, she was simply here with him as herself."I'll lead the way," she said.The car didn't head toward any reputable restaurant or some private club in an upscale

The restaurant was thick with fumes and the rich smell of sauces, turning the cramped space warm and cozy.The plate in front of Leanne was nearly empty. She set her cutlery down with a satisfied sigh. Now this was real living. Who cared about reputation or top-tier chefs? None of that could compare to the steaks she'd grown up eating.She snuck a glance across the table. Aiden hadn't eaten much, but he made it look good. His long, defined fingers held the cutlery like they were precise instruments. Every movement carried this effortless nobility that didn't match the down-to-earth hole-in-the-wall at all, yet somehow, he didn't clash with it either.He seemed to sense her gaze and lifted his eyes. A faint smile rippled through the dark depths of them.Leanne's heart lurched. She snapped her eyes away at once, pretending to study the yellowed menu on the wall. What was he smiling at? Weird.He'd been like that the whole time, looking at her like she was some kind of curious new to

After that hazy, charged moment at the restaurant, Leanne instinctively avoided Aiden for a few days. It wasn't that she disliked him. It was just that… her heart felt unsettled.The feeling of his fingertip gently brushing the corner of her lips like a feather kept ghosting across her mind at random moments, teasing at her heartstrings. Her heart, which had been frozen solid by betrayal, now showed the faintest crack.Fortunately, work was the best place to hide.Over the past few days, Parker kept buzzing around like an annoying fly. When he called, she declined his calls. When he texted, she deleted the messages without even opening them. Later, he even got someone else to pass a message and ask her out to dinner, saying there was something important he needed to explain.Leanne just had her assistant, Sylvia Colson, reply and say she didn't have time.She genuinely didn't.The bid for the Cloudrest project was right around the corner. She'd been running full throttle for almo

Leanne's sharp, accusing voice rang through the entire room. It was clearly a moment when she should've been angry, yet she smiled.Her smile was still as beautiful as ever, but from the way her fists were clenched, Parker could still see the hint of hurt beneath it. His heart felt like it had been pricked by a needle.He instinctively reached out, wanting to brush her cheek with his fingers. But because Charlotte was clinging to his arm, his hand stalled awkwardly in midair."Leanne…"The room fell into a deathly silence.Everyone's eyes were glued to the three of them, like iron filings pulled by a magnet. Their nosy eyes darted back and forth between the trio's faces, all of them wishing they could instantly awaken some telepathic power and gossip furiously with the rest of the audience in their heads.In the end, Sylvia led everyone out of the room. Only after their figures disappeared past the door did the tense atmosphere seem to spring a tiny leak.Charlotte suddenly cove

The venue for the bidding meeting was so tense it felt like a wire about to snap. The landmark cultural center in the city's new development district had drawn in all of Nanvard's top design firms. Everyone seated here was a leading name in the industry.Leanne sat in the second row, looking relaxed. Her fingertips absently traced the hard edge of the folder on her lap as her calm gaze swept over the heavyweight judges seated on the stage.Beside her, Parker was clearly on edge. His phone screen kept lighting up, and each time, he hurried to lock it. He opened his mouth several times, only to swallow the words back down. In the end, all he managed was a dry, awkward, "Leanne, are you… nervous?"She didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on the representative currently presenting onstage. The corner of her lips curved in the faintest hint of a smile, and she said, "No, I'm not. I'm not the one who should be nervous."Parker's heart sank. He wanted to press on, but the representative