Hazel Rogers never imagined her mother’s failing heart would force her into the arms of a stranger. With hospital bills piling up and no time left, she signs a desperate contract— as a surrogate for a billionaire who she doesn’t know. Ace Milan is cold, calculated, and devastatingly powerful, a man who built his empire on control and keeps  his heart locked behind a fortress. Hazel is just a transaction to him. But when a scary accident forces her to move into his home, the lines blur. He becomes cruel, unpredictable—testing her limits with sharp words and colder actions. Yet beneath his ice is something else, something broken, watching her with eyes that never quite soften. As her pregnancy progresses, Hazel stumbles upon whispers of the woman who came before her—the first surrogate. The one who vanished. No one speaks of her, and Ace refuses to explain. But the house holds secrets. Locked rooms. Late-night phone calls. Half-truths wrapped in charm. And suddenly, the child inside Hazel becomes more than a contract—it becomes a target. Torn between protecting the life growing inside her and uncovering the truth about the man she’s starting to feel dangerously drawn to, Hazel is forced to make a choice. Walk away before she ends up like the last surrogate… or risk everything to unravel the darkness Ace has spent his life hiding. One thing is clear—nothing in this arrangement is what it seems. And some secrets are buried deep for a reason.

I didn't know how long I'd been standing in front of the mirror. I kept adjusting the gown so my baby bump wouldn't be too obvious, then the neckline, then smoothing my palms down the sides like that would change anything. The dress was… absurd. Beautiful. But absurd. Champagne silk, molded like it was tailored for me even though I knew it wasn't. It wasn't mine. Nothing in this house was mine. Not even the reflection staring back at me.


A soft knock pulled me out of my thoughts.


I turned and opened the door, heart thumping like a dumb drum. Ace stood there, dressed in black on black—tux, crisp shirt, jacket slung over his arm like he hadn't just knocked the air out of me. His eyes skimmed over me. Then paused.


And then he smirked like he hadn't just made my knees wobble. "I knew you'd look good in it."


I shook my head, heat crawling up my neck. "It looks too expensive. I can't wear this."


Chapter 55 - Chapter 55