All Chapters of His Surrogate Fled, He Never Stopped: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Aria's POVThe heavy wooden doors of the Montrosso estate slammed shut behind me.I stood on the marble steps for a moment, my legs trembling beneath me as the reality crashed over me in waves. Fired. Again. The three hundred euros that were supposed to save Jessica's life—gone.The first drops of rain began to fall as I walked away from the estate, each droplet cold against my burning cheeks. The autumn night was turning harsh, and I pulled my thin jacket tighter around my shoulders, though it did nothing to ward off the chill that had settled deep in my bones."Should have thought of that before you decided to play the whore in our guest quarters."Signora Russo's words echoed in my mind, each syllable a fresh cut. The way she'd smiled as she delivered that final blow, the satisfaction in her voice as she stripped away not just my job but my dignity.The rain began to fall harder, turning from gentle droplets to a steady downpour that soaked through my uniform within minutes. I didn

Damian's POVLorenzo spread out the shipping manifests before me. Numbers, routes, profit margins—the legitimate face of our family's vast empire. But tonight, even the most pressing business matters felt tedious."The Naples shipment arrives Thursday," Lorenzo was saying, his finger tracing the delivery route on the map. "Our contacts at the port have confirmed the schedule, and the bribes are already in place."I nodded absently, my attention drifting to the amber whiskey in my glass. The events of the charity gala kept replaying in my mind—not the political maneuvering or family obligations, but the woman who'd stumbled into my world twice now with disastrous results.A sharp knock interrupted my wandering thoughts. One of my younger soldiers, Luca Ricci, entered with the nervous energy of someone bearing news he wasn't sure he should share."Capo," he said, offering a respectful nod. "I was handling the monthly police liaison when we got called to a disturbance in the hill distric

Aria’s POVThe small apartment felt even more cramped than usual when I finally stumbled through the door, my keys trembling in my hands as I fumbled with the lock.It was past midnight, and exhaustion weighed on my shoulders like a lead blanket. Every step up those narrow stairs had been agony, my injured ankle throbbing with each movement. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the ache in my chest, the suffocating weight of choices I couldn't bear to make.Two million euros.The number echoed in my mind, impossible and real at the same time. More money than I could comprehend, enough to save Jessica's life a hundred times over. All for nine months of my life. Nine months to carry Damian Cavalieri's child and then walk away forever.The apartment was quiet except for the soft murmur of voices from Maria and Elena's room—they were probably studying for their nursing exams, whispering over textbooks by lamplight to avoid waking anyone. I envied them their simple problems, their

Aria’s POV"Your face is so... familiar. You look exactly like..."What had she been about to say? And why had her companion stopped her so abruptly? The hatred in Adriana's eyes had been so visceral, so personal, yet we'd barely interacted before that night at the gala. It made no sense.I pressed my palms against my temples, trying to push away the confusion and focus on what mattered. Jessica was inside that room, probably still upset from witnessing the ugly scene. I needed to go back in, comfort her, explain away the strange woman's cruel words. But first, I needed to calm down enough to project the strength she needed from me.The antiseptic smell of the hospital seemed stronger now, mixing with the lingering scent of Adriana's expensive perfume to create something nauseating. I leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths and trying to center myself.Focus on Jessica. Everything else is just noise.But even as I told myself that, I couldn't shake the image of Adriana's face whe

Aria’s POVThe contract tore with a satisfying rip that echoed through the small chapel. I watched the expensive paper flutter to the stone floor in pieces, each fragment carrying away another clause of Damian's obscene proposition."Aria!" Sister Mary's voice was sharp with shock as I stood over the scattered remains of what she believed was Jessica's salvation. "What have you done? That was—""That was nothing," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the trembling in my hands. "Nothing that I could ever accept."Sister Mary stared at me with wide, confused eyes, her weathered hands clasping and unclasping in distress. "But Jessica... the medical bills... I don't understand. This was the answer to our prayers."How could I explain that some answers came at too high a price? That the devil himself could offer salvation, but accepting it would damn us all? I couldn't tell her about the contract's true terms, couldn't burden her gentle soul with the knowledge of what Damian had really b