Accidental Surrogate for the Billionaire

I can't remember a time when life was ever kind to me. Some girls grow up believing the world is full of possibilities. I grew up learning that happiness was temporary, and everything good came with a price. I learned to be grateful for small things, to expect disappointment, and to never get too attached to anything I couldn't afford to lose. Suffering became so familiar that, eventually, I stopped asking when it would end. I didn't have grand dreams. I didn't believe in fairy tales or the kind of happy endings people wrote about in books. All I wanted was a quiet life, enough money to get by, and a little peace that belonged entirely to me. For once, I thought maybe life would let me have that. I was wrong. But I had no idea just how wrong I was. —🔗 🔗— 25 Sept. '25 We always had these mandatory financial conferences at the start of a new Fall Quarter. I never bothered with them. This year, I had been dragged forcefully against my will to attend. My face was scrunched up like I'd swallowed something sour as I cast a side glance at my best friend, Maya Chen. She sat beside me, eyes fixed directly ahead on whatever bullshit the speaker was saying. Sensing my eyes on her, she turned and sent me a smug wink. Maya was Chinese-American, her mother's family having emigrated from Guangzhou years before she was born. Her dark hair was sleek today, and her eyeliner was sharp. Her lips were painted a deep red, the color bold against her skin. She pressed her lips together when she noticed I didn't look impressed. Then she sighed and placed an arm over my shoulder. "Babe, there's only about 30 more minutes. You can survive 30 minutes." I groaned. "I have a shift at Velvet tonight. I could be sleeping right now. You know I have that make-up exam tomorrow. And I can't fail it this time." She clapped my shoulder with such force that I nearly lurched forward. "It's just an hour, babe! Just one single, solitary, insignificant hour of your precious existence! Then you can do whatever the f**k you want! Sleep, eat, cry, study. Hell, you could run naked through the quad, and I'd cheer you on!" I pressed my lips together as I crossed my arms. "Our shifts start in the next hour." Maya waved her hand dismissively, her rings catching the fluorescent light. "Please, like Velvet can survive without us? We're the backbone of that place. The foundation. The essence. They'd crumble into dust if we didn't show up looking gorgeous and serving drinks with attitude." I opened my mouth to argue, but she grabbed my arm, her nails digging in with dramatic urgency. "Oh my God, Reese. Oh my God. Do you know who's coming up next?" I blinked. "I don't care to know who it is. You know how much I dislike events like this." "No, you absolute disaster of a human being!" She was practically vibrating in her seat now, her eyes wide and wild. "You are going to thank me for dragging your grumpy ass here. You are going to get down on your knees and kiss my feet and write me a sonnet about my brilliance!" "Hard pass." "Maya shrugged dramatically, her sleek hair swaying. "Fine, no foot-kissing. But you'll still thank me. Just watch. When he walks out, I want to see your face. I'm going to frame your face." I rolled my eyes so hard I nearly saw my own brain. "You're ridiculous." "I'm visionary," she corrected, flipping her hair. "There's a difference. Now shut up and pay attention because a literal god is about to descend from the heavens and grace this mediocre auditorium with his presence." Before she could continue, the lights dimmed. The Dean strode to the podium, adjusted the microphone, puffed his chest out, and cleared his throat with theatrical importance. "Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for attending today's Fall Quarter Guest Lecture. We are honored to welcome a man who needs no introduction, CEO of Sterling Hospitality Group, and one of the most influential business leaders of our generation. Please welcome Mr. Dominic Sterling." The applause was thunderous, echoing off the walls with an energy that made the hairs on my arms stand up. I looked around at the sea of smiling faces, the way everyone leaned forward in their seats like children waiting for a magician to pull a rabbit from a hat. Then he stepped out. And the world tilted. The auditorium lights caught him like he'd been sculpted for this exact moment, like the universe had paused just to show off, which was exactly the kind of dramatic nonsense I didn't have time for. The lights hit him the second he stepped out, tall with broad shoulders and a perfect posture that seemed drilled into him since birth. He walked with an unhurried pace, owning every inch of floor he crossed. His suit fit him like it was painted on. His jaw was sharp, his cheekbones high, his nose straight, and his eyes an ice blue that seemed to cut through the room. Everything about him looked annoyingly flawless. His eyes swept across the crowd, and for a split second, I could have sworn they landed on our section. My chest tightened. He grabbed the microphone with one hand, and the room fell into a breathless silence. Maya's nails dug into my arm like she was trying to draw blood. "Look at this," she hissed, her voice barely a whisper but crackling with barely contained hysteria. "Look at this God's gift to humanity. Reese. Reese. Do you see him? Do you have eyes? Are your eyes functioning?" "Maya—" "He is the most eligible bachelor in Los Angeles," she continued, leaning so close her lips brushed my ear. "Top three Forbes hottest men in LA. Top three, Reese. Out of millions. Do you understand how statistically insane that is?" She was already pulling out her phone, her thumbs flying across the screen. "Here. Here." She shoved the phone into my lap, practically vibrating with excitement. I looked down. The screen was open to some celebrity blog. And there he was, Dominic Sterling, in a series of photos that made my mouth go dry.