I took a deep breath, as if the air in my lungs could calm the storm raging in my chest. But it didn’t. My heartbeat remained erratic, and my palms were damp with sweat. I stood in front of the western-style restaurant, staring blankly at the large glass door.
My steps felt heavy—not because of the growing belly that held a small life within, but because of the reality waiting behind that door: Caelan Duskborne.
A man who was supposed to have nothing to do with me.
A man who now… was the biological father of the child growing inside me.
“Breathe. You can do this, Sierra,” I whispered softly to myself, trying to steady my nerves. But the truth was, my anxiety and fear only grew stronger.
As the door opened, warm air and the scent of grilled meat greeted me. A waiter approached politely, as if he already knew who I was. Of course he did. Caelan Duskborne would never invite someone into a private room without letting his staff know exactly who to expect.
“Please follow me, Ms. Sierra. Mr. Caelan is already waiting for you,” he said.
My footsteps echoed across the cold marble floor. Each step felt like I was walking into something unfamiliar. In the past few days, two shocking revelations had come crashing into my life.
When the door to the private room opened, my heart dropped. There he was—Caelan Duskborne, the man with a strikingly handsome, almost perfect face. His body was tall and solid, his expression unreadable, distant, and cold—as if the entire room bent to his presence.
Our eyes met for a fraction of a second, and I felt like prey stepping into a hunter’s lair. I quickly averted my gaze.
“Welcome, Ms. Sierra. I’m Aeron, the one who contacted you yesterday,” said the man who now stood up from his seat. I responded with a small, cautious smile.
He gestured for me to sit—right across from the mysterious Caelan.
I sat down, keeping a guarded distance. My body tensed, as if a single word from him could shatter my world all over again.
“Thank you for coming,” Aeron said.
I lifted my chin, trying to appear composed, though my heart was anything but calm. “Shall we get straight to the point?”
Yes, I couldn’t hold it in any longer—the mixture of curiosity and dread gnawed at me.
Caelan put down his glass. “We need to talk about the future of the child.”
Thud.
My heart seized in my chest.
“If you're planning to ask me to terminate the pregnancy, that’s not going to happen,” I said quickly. “I’ve waited for this for five years. And now that the child is finally in my womb, no one—no one—has the right to ask me to give it up. Not even you.”
I met his sharp eyes. He didn’t react—not a flinch, not a change of expression. Still cold. Still unreadable. And that made my anxiety worse.
The room fell into silence. Only the ticking of a wall clock could be heard. Caelan kept looking at me. Not angry. Not offended.
A thin smile curled on his lips—not a warm smile, but more of a smirk.
“Relax,” he said flatly. “I’m not asking you to abort it. On the contrary… I want you to keep it. Because that child… is too important to lose.”
I frowned. Something about his words felt... off.
“Important? What do you mean?” I asked quietly.
“Let me explain, Ms. Sierra,” Aeron interjected calmly. “Mr. Caelan has been searching for a surrogate capable of carrying his heir. Until now, every trial and procedure has failed—each embryo died before it could develop. But with you, the embryo survived and is thriving. That is good news for Mr. Caelan.”
“And this meeting is for this—”
Aeron placed a folder on the table, right in front of me. I was still trying to process his words.
“This is a contract. It states that you’ve agreed to be a surrogate and have leased your womb to deliver a pure-blooded heir of the Duskborne family.”
Thud!
My chest tightened. The world spun. The sounds outside the room began to fade.
“I didn’t lease out my womb. I’m going to give birth to and raise this child. This child is mine!” I said firmly. I didn’t want them taking this baby from me once I gave birth.
“The embryo inside your womb is mine. Don’t forget that,” Caelan said sharply, silencing me instantly.
“I heard that you and your husband tried similar procedures many times and always failed. This is the first success—and it’s with Mr. Caelan’s sperm, not your husband’s,” Aeron added, hitting a nerve.
I knew it… This was his child. I was only the vessel to carry and nurture it. But I didn’t want to lose this baby.
My eyes burned, and my breath caught. I stood up, desperate to get away from the folder on the table, as if not touching it would make all this a nightmare I could escape.
“So you think I’m just… a tool? A living incubator you can rent and then walk away with the result?” My voice trembled, but it was clear.
Caelan looked at me without emotion. His eyes were cold—devoid of sympathy or compassion.
“We don’t see it that way. What’s happening to you… it’s fate,” Aeron replied. “Please read the contract carefully. We have no intention of separating you from the baby. In fact, Mr. Caelan intends for you to be the child’s caretaker. However, you must not stand in the way when the child claims their place as heir of the Duskborne family.”
“As is their birthright,” Caelan added. “Do you really think I’d let the last heir of the Duskborne clan grow up unprotected, directionless, and far away from me?”
I froze. His words were sharp and cutting.
Aeron gently closed the folder and looked at me with a detached, professional gaze. “We’ll provide you with everything you need. A secure home. The best medical care. And you’ll stay with the child… if you sign the contract and live by the terms.”
“You will live with Mr. Caelan from now on. And once the child is born, you’ll be their nanny, but full custody will remain with Mr. Caelan.”
My body trembled. I wrapped my arms protectively around my belly, as if I could hide the baby from their gaze. But I knew… I couldn’t run.
“I won’t give up,” I whispered, but my voice was steady. “I’ll protect this child. Even if the whole world turns against me, I won’t give up.”
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on Caelan’s lips. But that smile chilled my blood.
“We’ll see,” he murmured. “Let’s see how far you’re willing to go… to fight your fate.”
***
Aksara