Lahat ng Kabanata ng THE BILLIONAIRE'S SURROGATE: HIS HOUND CHOOSES ME : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 6

ELENA'S POV Twenty minutes. That was all the time I had left before the Vance family's convoy arrived to take me away, and Ken was still not here. Inside my head, his parting whisper played over and over on an agonizing loop. “Wait for me inside your mother's old cupboard in the courtyard. I'll knock before the first cock crows in the morning, and we'll be gone before anyone notices.” I trusted him. I had to.So, even though it was nearly six in the morning and the second cock had already crowed, I stayed put. Ken hadn't knocked. My heart raced, but I forced myself to breathe. He will come. He has to.I sat hunched on the damp, splintered floor of my late mother's old wardrobe, clutching the only things I owned in this world: three faded outfits, the glass necklace she had left me before she died, and every single coin I'd managed to save from working under the blistering sun on local farms. I had packed everything into a small canvas bag, tucking it tightly between my feet as

“Strong bone density. Checked.” “Firm muscle tone, untouched and highly fertile. Checked.” She approved every single metric on the list, officially logging my name into the system as a successful prime candidate. Reaching over, she pressed a glossy red button mounted on the wall. Less than a minute later, a pair of maids entered the room to usher me out. They led me down a grand hallway that dwarfed my father's house ten times over. Eventually, the maids halted outside a set of towering golden double doors, flanked by three heavily armed elite guards. After a brief, quiet exchange between the maids and the security detail, one of the guards stepped forward and knocked three times in a distinct, rhythmic pattern. The heavy doors unlocked and swung inward on automated hinges. I was gently nudged inside. The sheer scale of the room took my breath away. In the center sat a massive, opulent bed draped in pure white silk—easily five times the size of my bed at home. The air

My eyes flew open. My breath hitched completely the moment I felt the hound’s massive head press firmly against my open palm. My mouth fell open in utter shock. Hot tears spilled over my eyelashes, blurring my vision. “I... I did it,” I whispered, a breathless laugh breaking through my tears as Bruno affectionately rubbed his thick jowls against my hand. Gaining a sudden burst of confidence, I placed my other hand on his neck, gently scratching behind his ears. The terrifying beast let out a low, content whine and wagged his tail like a puppy. A jagged, disbelieving laugh escaped my lips. I could literally feel the crushing weight of terror lifting from my chest. I had walked into this room expecting to be torn to pieces, and instead, I had survived. “Miss Elena of the Stewart family is now the chosen mistress for the Vance family,” Mr. Sterling Vance announced, his booming voice echoing with absolute disbelief. I glanced toward the unconscious billionaire on the bed. For