Chapter 21 The First Night

The baby slept against my chest for almost a full hour. His small body rose and fell with every soft breath. I kept one hand cupped around his back, feeling the heat of him through the thin blanket. The room stayed quiet except for the low beep of the monitors and the distant sound of carts rolling past in the hall.Kane sat in the chair beside the bed. He had not said much since I asked the question earlier. His elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped loose between them. He watched the baby more than he watched me.“You do not have to answer right now,” I said. My voice came out rough from the long hours.“I know.” He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. “I just do not want to give you something that sounds like another clause. Another set of rules.”Elizabeth came in carrying a chart. She checked the numbers on the monitor, then looked at the baby still sleeping on me.“Vitals are good. He is a solid weight. You did well.”“Thank you,” I said.She turned to Kane. “You should

最終更新日 : 2026-09-16

Chapter 22 The Quiet House

Elizabeth signed the last paper and handed it to Kane. “You can go. Keep the follow-up appointment. Call if anything feels off.”“We will,” he said.I held the baby against my chest while Kane took the bag. The car seat was already in the back. David waited by the door with the same steady face he always wore.The drive home stayed quiet. The baby made small sounds every few minutes. Kane kept both hands on the wheel. I watched the streets and felt how ordinary everything looked from the outside.“Did they change every lock?” I asked.“Yes. New codes. New keys. David checked twice.”“Good.” he answered with pleased toneWe pulled into the drive. David opened the door for us and stepped aside. The house smelled the same as always, wood and clean floors, but the air felt different. Too still.Kane carried the bag upstairs. I followed with the baby. In our room a bassinet stood near the bed. The closet door was open. Half the space had been cleared.“You did this last night?” I asked.“T

最終更新日 : 2026-10-02

Chapter 23 Old Codes

Kane stood by the window with his phone still in his hand. The light outside had gone flat and grey. I sat on the edge of the bed and watched the way his shoulders stayed tight under his shirt.“She tested the old codes,” he said. “Forty minutes ago. From one of her properties.”“I heard you the first time.”He turned to face me. His eyes looked tired but sharp. “David is coming up with the full report.”David knocked once and stepped in. He held a tablet against his side. “Confirmed. The IP matches a house still under her name across the city. The attempt lasted six seconds. New system blocked it clean.”Kane nodded once. “Extra cameras. Change the patrol times. No one on the same route twice.”“Already started,” David said. He looked at me, then at the bassinet where the baby slept. “You two staying upstairs today?”“Yes,” Kane answered before I could speak.David left. The door clicked shut behind him.I looked at Kane. “You decided that without asking.”“For now. Until we know wha

最終更新日 : 2026-10-02

Chapter 24 The Photograph

Kane held the photograph under the desk lamp. The light made the hospital doors look sharper than they had at night. David stood beside him with his arms crossed, waiting.“Handwriting matches,” David said. “Same pressure. Same slant. She wrote it herself.”Kane turned the picture over, then back again. “She was there the same night. Close enough to take this while we were still inside.”I stayed by the dresser. My fingers rested on the wood. “Leave it there.”Kane looked at me. “You want it out in the open?”“Yes. I do not want it hidden in a drawer like it did not happen.”He set the photograph down where I could see it clearly. The glass doors. The street lights. The blurred shapes of people who had no idea what was happening inside those walls.“I want to confront her,” Kane said. “Directly. Today.”“No.”“Jennifer.”“Not yet. We need more than a note and a picture. If you go at her now she will twist it. She always does. She will make herself the victim and us the aggressors.”Hi

最終更新日 : 2026-10-02

The Billionaire's Forbidden Surrogate のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 21 - チャプター 24

Chapter 21 The First Night

Chapter 22 The Quiet House

Chapter 23 Old Codes

Chapter 24 The Photograph