Chapter 2
The Blackwood Medical Center was nothing like the hospitals Mila knew.
Everything was quiet. Controlled. White walls without a single crack, glass doors that slid open silently, floors so polished they reflected her uncertainty back at her. Even the air felt expensive.
Mila sat alone in the consultation room, hands folded tightly in her lap.
She had already been examined, questioned, and scanned like a file rather than a person. Blood drawn. Forms signed. Consent given more times than she could count.
Still, her heart refused to calm.
The door opened.
Adrian Blackwood walked in without hesitation, his presence instantly commanding the space. He wore a dark tailored suit, no tie, no unnecessary details, everything about him was sharp, deliberate, controlled.
His gaze flicked over her once.
Not curiosity.
Assessment.
"You're the final candidate," he said, his voice low and even.
Mila stood up immediately. "Yes, Mr. Blackwood."
He didn't tell her to sit. He didn't offer a handshake. Instead, he tapped on the tablet in his hand, scrolling through information she already knew by heart.
"Age, medical history, genetic screening," Adrian continued. "All cleared."
His eyes lifted again, studying her more closely now. She wore simple clothes, nothing that screamed ambition or desperation. She met his gaze without flinching, even though her pulse raced.
"This is a contractual agreement," he said. "There will be no personal attachment. No expectations beyond what is written."
Mila swallowed. "I understand."
"You will carry my child," Adrian continued calmly. "You will follow medical instructions strictly. Once the baby is born, your involvement ends. There will be no contact afterward."
The words were sharp. Clean. Final.
Still, she nodded.
"I'm not looking for a relationship," he added. "I don't want a wife. I don't want complications."
She hesitated, then spoke carefully. "May I ask why?"
Adrian paused.
Just for a second.
"I want a child," he answered. "That is all."
The simplicity of his answer unsettled her more than any explanation could have.
He turned the tablet toward her, displaying the final contract.
"The compensation is substantial," he said. "Enough to ensure financial stability. This decision cannot be reversed once the process begins."
Mila stared at the screen.
She didn't see money.
She saw freedom.
Security.
A future that no longer felt fragile.
"I'm capable," she said quietly. "I won't break the rules."
Something flickered in Adrian's eyes.
Not doubt.
Interest.
He handed her the digital pen. "Then sign."
Her hand trembled as she placed her signature on the line.
The moment the system confirmed the agreement, Adrian spoke again.
"From now on, you will be under my care. You'll move into a residence approved by my medical team. Your schedule will be adjusted accordingly."
Her head snapped up. "Move in?"
"Yes." His tone left no room for argument. "This is non-negotiable."
Mila nodded slowly. "Alright."
Adrian stood, already turning away. "We begin immediately."
As the door closed behind him, Mila exhaled shakily.
She had just signed away nine months of her life.
She didn't know that Adrian Blackwood paused on the other side of the door, hand resting briefly against the glass.
For the first time in years, his carefully controlled world felt… uncertain.
And for a man who thrived on control, that terrified him.