All Chapters of SURROGATE FOR THE STAVROS BROTHERS : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

SybilMy heart pounded so hard I could hear the blood rushing in my ears. Twelve pairs of eyes were locked directly on me.Casimir sat back in his chair, his icy blue gaze completely unreadable. He had put me directly on the spot in front of the most powerful men in the company. I knew he did not fully trust me. He did not think a former mid-level strategist had the answers to a multi-million dollar merger. This was a test. He wanted to see if I would crack under the pressure of the executive table.I swallowed the dry lump in my throat. I looked away from Casimir and glanced down at the long table.Emrys was slouched in his seat. He had been spinning a silver pen between his fingers for the last forty minutes, looking incredibly bored by the financial arguments. But now, he was sitting up. He was practically rolling in his leather seat, his hazel eyes dancing with mirth at the sudden chaos his older brother had just caused. He caught my eye and offered a quick, highly amused smirk.

SybilI looked down at his large hand wrapped securely around my wrist. His fingers were warm against my skin, a stark contrast to the cool air conditioning blowing through the office vents. My body was tired. My legs felt weak and heavy from the intense friction against the glass desk just moments ago and my mind was a mess of conflicting, tangled thoughts.A minute ago, he was issuing cold commands, telling me to send dial-in codes. He had rebuilt his corporate wall perfectly. Now, he was holding me back.I did not pull away immediately. I waited for him to speak. My gaze drifted past his broad shoulder and landed on a small, silver-framed photograph sitting on a corner table near the window. I had not noticed it when I first walked in.It was Elias. He was wearing a dark tuxedo, looking sharp and completely untouched by anything messy. Standing next to him was a beautiful woman with perfect blonde hair. Her hand rested flat against his chest. She was smiling brightly at the camer

EmrysI let out a deep laugh.Her mouth was completely agape. Her dark eyes were wide, blinking at me as if I had just spoken to her in a dead language. It was an unfiltered look of pure shock. The women I usually dealt with, the wealthy heiresses and corporate board members, never showed their cards. They calculated every single word. They practiced their smiles in the mirror. They always knew exactly what they wanted out of a conversation before it even started.Sybil just stared at me, completely paralyzed. It was incredibly refreshing."Close your mouth, Sybil," I said with a smile. "You will catch a fly."She snapped her mouth shut and swallowed hard. Her fingers gripped the edge of her desk."Excuse me?" she said. "I heard what you said, but you are obviously joking.""I never joke about taking a beautiful woman out," I replied. I took a slow sip of my coffee, enjoying the bright flush rising on her cheeks. "But you do not need to panic. I am not asking you on a formal date. I

EliasI stood at the bottom of the grand staircase and waited. The house was entirely quiet. It was the way I preferred it. Order, structure, and absolute predictability. Unless something or someone is missing.And then the heavy front doors opened. The sound of laughter drifted into the quiet foyer. It was a light, carefree sound. It echoed off the marble walls, bright and completely unchecked.I had never heard her laugh before.She walked into the house with Emrys. They were standing close together. He was carrying several large shopping bags, and she was smiling up at him.A sharp spike of annoyance hit my chest the exact second I saw them. My jaw clamped down. I told myself it was purely a matter of protocol. She was a highly valuable asset. She was the key to the contract we had just initiated last night. The entire future of my legacy depended on her remaining safe and secure. My tightly controlled environment had a crack in it, and I did not like it. I hated when things did

SybilI stared at the thick, cream-colored cardstock resting on the center of my desk.‘You are cordially invited to celebrate the engagement of Elias Stavros and Quinn Hayes.’The elegant, golden foil caught the light from the overhead fixtures. The stark reality of the impending marriage hit me far harder than I ever expected. My stomach twisted into a tight, painful knot. I knew Elias was engaged. I knew my presence here was purely a biological contract. But seeing their names printed side by side on expensive paper made it entirely real.I looked up. Quinn had not walked back to the elevators. She stood directly in front of my desk, watching my face.She wore a polite, perfectly practiced smile. But her eyes were sharp.She set a thick white binder down next to the stack of invitations. "The mailing list is in the front pocket. I need you to organize the vendor logistics for the wedding events. Cross-reference the catering numbers with the venue capacities.""I will take care of