Not just any mansion—this was huge. Crystal chandeliers, marble floors, gold-plated stair railings. The air smelled of expensive perfume and freshly polished wood.
My stomach twisted. This didn’t make sense. The Bryant I knew—he came from a decent family, but he was never this wealthy.
“Where did you get the money for this?” I asked, my voice sharp.
He smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Grandpa’s gift,” he said. “Mr. Dawson transferred the property to me. A reward for my success.”
Success?
I narrowed my eyes. “What success?”
His smirk deepened. “Fulfilling his wish, of course.”
Something in his voice made my skin crawl.
I shook my head. “What wish?”
Bryant’s gaze dropped to my stomach. He didn’t say a word.
My stomach dropped.
No. No, no, no.
I took a step back. “You mean—”
His smirk widened. “You’re carrying the heir, love.”
A chill ran down my spine. My fingers curled into fists.
This was why. This was why he had taken me. Why he had done this to me. It wasn’t about me—it was about the child.
I was nothing more than a surrogate.
I felt sick. I turned and ran back to the room, slamming the door shut behind me. My breath came in sharp gasps. I clutched my stomach, as if that would erase what was inside me.
This can’t be happening.
I needed to get rid of it.
The next few days were a blur. Bryant started treating me differently. Nurses arrived—Angela, the main one, was always by my side, checking my vitals, making sure I ate. Bryant acted like he cared, but I knew better.
One afternoon, Angela handed me a small pregnancy test. “Just to confirm, Miss Geoffanie,” she said with a soft smile.
I already knew the answer. But still, I locked myself in the bathroom and took the test.
Minutes passed.
I stared at the two pink lines.
Pregnant.
Tears slipped down my cheeks. I bit my lip to keep from screaming.
This was his child.
I needed to end this.
That night, I made my decision.
I waited until the mansion was quiet. I crept into the bathroom, trembling hands reaching for the small stash of pills I had secretly hidden.
One swallow. That was all it would take.
But before I could, the door burst open.
Bryant.
His eyes flicked to the pills in my hand. The room exploded.
The next thing I knew, the pills were slapped from my grasp. My back hit the wall as he grabbed my wrists, his face contorted with fury.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” he growled.