The Billionaire's surrogate

The Aftermath

Christine's heart definitely skipped two beats when Veronica walked in and she held her breath till she walked by into an office.

"Well, talk about awkward." Maria half sang.

Christine laughed. "I know we're supposed to have like this whole conversation thingy but I'm low-key dreading it. Somehow I wish we can just pretend none of this happened."

"I get you. I mean, it's Veronica. The queen bitch." Maria said.

Christine laughed.

"What about Alex? He hasn't reached out to you yet?"

"Nope. Not kind of expecting him to though." Christine shrugged.

"I'm confused. Why do they have to even do this artificial insemination bullshit if they're already married? I wouldn't be in this mess if they'd just be like every other couple. " Christine groaned.

Maria laughed.

"What about Lucas though? How's he taking it?"

"I don't know. He's trying to be supportive but I can tell he's really confused." Christine sighed.

"I mean, we all are."

"True."

"But I just want him to tell me how he really feels. Even if it's anger, it's okay." Christine continued.

"Well, then get him to open up to you." Maria advised.

"Yeah I guess."

"I have to get back to work, pregnant virgin but I'll see you around?" Maria teased.

"f**k off! " Christine laughed.

"By the way, Chris? Have you seen Steve today?"

"Nope. Is he okay?"

"Yeah he should be. I'm sure he'll turn up later." Maria left the locker room.

_______________________________________________

"We finally get to meet in the flesh!" Veronica piped.

Christine halted right outside the hotel doors.

"Oh uhm, Mrs Cooper, did you need something? My shift ended 2 hours ago. I'm headed home now."

"Mhhm." Veronica nodded.

"But please it's Veronica and no, i just wanted to talk and I think You're aware about what." Veronica continued.

Christine sighed. " Yes of course."

"I'm not really one to hide my feelings so I'll just out with it. To be honest, you're not really what I was expecting. But of course no judgement." Veronica attacked.

"Hmm! Worried baby isn't gonna be some model skinny blondie?" Christine defended.

Veronica laughed.

"Please this way." Veronica walked and gestured towards the tables and chairs close to the pool in the hotel compound.

"I reserve this place for intimate conversations." Veronica stated.

Christine swallowed nervously and briefly wondered why she was nervous.

"So have you made a decision yet? Are you keeping the baby?" Veronica began.

Very straight to the point, like she said.

Christine cleared her throat. "Well, I've thinking about it.. a lot in fact and uhmm I think I'm a bit conflicted."

"Conflicted?" Veronica watched her.

"Yeah, it's not that simple, I really don't wanna be selfish here. I don't but I've got a whole life going, I'm with someone who I'd just turned down their marriage proposal. We're still healing from that, we don't need a baby... I don't need a baby." Christine poured.

"I totally understand you Christine but you have to look at it this way. It's too late to start pointing fingers but this little incident has affected every single one of us and there are two whole families involved in this situation, so please if you're making a decision, make one that benefits all two parties." Veronica explained.

Christine shook her head. " There's no way the two parties can walk away happy. Someone must get hurt and I'm not sure I'm ready to be that party."

Veronica sighed and leaned toward the table putting her palms forward, Christine took them.

"My marriage is crumbling, it's falling apart. We need this baby. I need this baby. I'm willing to do whatever because I'm convinced this baby can save my marriage. Please Christine." Veronica pleaded.

Christine sighed and looked away, slipping her hands out. The pressure was getting too much. She hadn't expected Veronica to get so vulnerable with her.

Veronica sniffled and sat back. "Alex needs this baby Christine. The Coopers need this child. Alex.. he uhmm... Just fought a battle with Cancer and it uhmm messed with his reproduction system and all that. That's we had frozen embryos and this is the last of them. If we loose this one, that's it."

Christine turned around, wide eyed.

"I didn't know anything about that." Christine gaped.

"Yeahhh of course not. He doesn't go about wearing a sign on his forehead now, does he?" Veronica chuckled wearily.

There was silence.

"If I keep this baby and have it for you and your husband to raise, you promise me that's what its gonna be? You and your husband. Because I'm not having this baby to send it off to an unstable family for personal reasons I'd rather not disclose." Christine spoke.

"Yes! Yes! Yes of course! It's gonna be just me and Alex. No single parent, custody nonsense. None of that." Veronica exclaimed in quick breaths.

"And of course, you get to be a part of the child's life. You and Lucas if you like. It might seem complicated but we'll work something out. She continued.

Christine shook her head vehemently.

"No no. We don't need this baby. I don't want to complicate things more than they already are, so I'm having this baby for you and Alex and that's it." Christine's voice was firm.

"Of course of course." Veronica nodded with smiles.

"Lucas I need you to talk to me. I want to know what you genuinely want and I don't read minds. At least not yet." Christine took his hands smiling.

Lucas returned the smile.

"I already told you, anything you want is what I want. Whatever decision you take, I'll support you." He assured her.

Sweet but.....

"Well, i have made a decision." Christine watched him.

"And?" He probed.

"I'm gonna have the baby..

Dramatic pause. She continued watching him.

"For them. Veronica and Alex. She offered for us to be a part of the child's life if we wanted. Sweet of her but i told her we didn't need that much complication in our relationship." She continued.

Lucas heaved a sigh unconsciously.

"I'm happy for you Christine. I mean if that's what you really want. And I'll support you." He kissed her palms.

"Mhmm" Christine nodded smiling.

Wasn't that what she really wanted ? so what was this jabbing feeling she felt in heart? Like it was being ripped in a thousand pieces.

He checked him phone. "Uhmm, I hate to say this, but i should really get back to work. Apparently, detectives don't have abundance of time on their hands."

Christine laughed.

"And especially not during an ongoing murder investigation." He added.

"Ohh! It's official now?" Christine gasped.

"Yes it is. And I know you're going to argue and all that but please be careful in that hotel. Your manager, Kevin was just murdered."

"Of course I will."

They kissed and Lucas left. Christine caught herself rubbing her belly and laughed.

Veronica squealed as she walked in on Alex at the penthouse. Flinging her designer bag on a sofa, she walked to the bar and poured herself a drink.

Alex turned around from looking out the balcony and watched her.

"She's keeping the baby! She's keeping the baby. I had a little chat with her and she's keeping the baby." Veronica informed him beaming with pride and smiles.

He walked over to her slowly. Looking almost irresistible in his favorite navy blue three pieced suit, his dark brown hair slightly ruffled as always, his hazel eyes as attractive and piercing as ever. With his left hand in his pocket and a drink in his right, he cleared his throat.

"What are you talking about?"

"Christine! She's keeping the baby. I just had a chat with her. She's gonna have the baby." She explained still smiling proudly.

"Veronica what part of "sit tight and wait for her decision" did you not understand?" He breathed.

Her smile vanished.

"Well, while we were busy sitting tight and doing nothing, your raven haired waitress was considering getting rid of our baby. Good thing I played the brave one here and confronted her." Veronica stated in defiance.

Alex placed his glass on the table and took a seat opposite her.

"Well, what did she say? What are the conditions? How much does she want?" He probed.

Veronica refilled her glass.

"Very funny. But her only condition was that we stay together as couple. And before you ask, No i did not put her up to it. Said something about unstable family and all that. Weird. I know."

"So what exactly did you say to her to convince her?" Alex asked with a smirk.

"Nothing interesting. Just the truth, how much we really needed this baby. This miracle." Veronica shrugged.

"And no chance you pulled the cancer card?" His smirk widened.

"I'm not really sure if we should be calling it that but of course why not? I told her about the whole cancer thing. I know it might seem dirty but we're getting the baby, that's all that matters." Veronica defended.

Alex laughed "Mmm of course." He nodded suppressing the rest of the laughter.

Veronica shook her head. " f**k you and you're welcome. I'm going to have a nap." She said grabbing her bag as she walked into the bedroom.

Alex resumed his drinking on the view of the balcony. This time his mind was full.

He had pulled information on Christine immediately after the little meeting in Laura's office.

Raised by a single mother. Never met Dad. Currently in college for a second diploma. Engaged to a detective who also happens to be on Kevin's case. Your regular type of girl except she was also the same waitress who had boldly called him a jerk on opening night, so maybe not so regular.

Alex smiled. Something about remembering that night made him smile.

He knew he had to have this whole conversation thing with her but he was just worried about mounting unnecessary pressure on her now she agreed to have the baby.

And she was also on about something like remembering faces. Jerks' faces precisely.

Had they met before?

_______________________________________________

"What's the progress? Give me good news please." Lucas scratched his chin as he walked over to his colleague's desk. Nadia. A mid twenties indian beauty.

"Boring. We're just sitting and cross-referencing all the check ins that night to see something interesting." She replied faking a yawn.

Lucas smiled.

"But what is interesting is seeing your name, Mr Blake pop up here. Care to share? Were we planning something sexy for Christine? But snore..I thought y'all were waiting till marriage? " She teased.

Lucas shook his hand blushing. And then it hit him.

"Nadia, Kevin was thrown from room 16 right?"

Nadia nodded, sitting up with interest.

"Check specifically for the name Veronica Cooper as a check in to the room."

"Didn't see anything of sort." Nadia stated before going through her laptop again.

"Nope no name like that. Cooper? Is that like their daughter?" She asked.

"No that's Alex's wife. The owner of the hotel." Lucas said deep in thought.

He clapped his hands, smiling.

"They must have checked in together! So it'll be Kevin's name in the database. But i saw Veronica come out of that room seconds before Kevin died. She passed right by me in the hallway. I didn't know who she was at the time but now my girlfriend's got this weird situation with them, i did my little research. She was with him before he died. She knows something." He narrated in one breath.

"Wow!" Nadia stared at him. "So what do we do?"

Lucas leaned in on her desk. "First we secure the CCTV footage of the hallway that captures her walking out the room, then we request to privately question every staff and owner of the hotel, so we don't attract unwanted attention. Then we use the footage to get Veronica to spill." He explained.

"Now this is is why I joined the Force. Some action finally!" Nadia squealed excitedly.

_______________________________________________

"I'm keeping the baby. " Christine announced calmly halfway through dinner with her mom.

Dominique stopped eating.

"I had a chat with Veronica today and I'm keeping the baby." She continued.

Dominique groaned massaging her forehead.

"What?"

She took Christine's hand. " Honey, these people are manipulative rich kids who get whatever they want. And forgive me, but you're a bit too naive. I just hope this decision was totally yours to make as it should be."

Christine got up restless. " Yes Mom. It was mine to make okay? No one is manipulating anyone here. Alex struggled with a terminal illness, that's why they couldn't have babies normally. This is their last shot, I'm not taking that away from them just cause I can."

"Mm." Dominique nodded.

"So, I'm having this baby for them and that's it. Lucas and I won't be a part of it. We've even had a chat." She continued.

"Mm? And what did Lucas say?"

"He agreed to support me on whatever I want." She stated.

"And what do you want?" Dominique sat back in her chair watching her.

"I just told you. Haven't you been listening?" She was biting her nails nervously.

"Oh! I have been listening actually. I just haven't heard what YOU want." Dominique replied calmly.

Christine sat back on her chair, staring at her mother. Then suddenly she bent her head on the table and burst into tears.

Dominique pulled her chair closer to pat her back.

"Of course, I want to be a part of my baby's life. That's all I ever think about now. I see a baby in the mall and I'm trying to guess their age. I know.. i know i wanted children last but this is my baby... My first child and even though it was a mistake.. what? I just ship it off to another family so I can get my degree? Get married? Or what??" Christine said in between sobs. She was resting on her mother's shoulder now.

"Shh sweetie. I know I know. But the beautiful thing is, I know you have a heart of gold and want the best for everybody but this is a time you get to think for yourself, you get to be a little selfish. You think about what you truly want, there's no rush. Take all the time you need, decide on what YOU want to do and then state it firmly. I'll always be here to support you.". Dominique comforted.

Christine sniffled and nodded. "It feels wrong to be a part of the baby's life and all that cause I didn't even want it. You know?

Dominique nodded.

"Christine it's really time you start thinking for yourself and not just everyone else. This incident should make you see that clearly." Dominique stated.

Christine dried her eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I mean even if you decide to keep the baby for them, you still have every right to punish that doctor for putting you in this situation in the first place. Take some win out of this princess." Dominique suggested.

Christine stared into the air deep in thought.

"You're absolutely right! " She beamed.

"I do get to be a little selfish now. I'm going to sue Laura to court." She continued, skipping off to her room.

_______________________________________________

"Do you really think Christine is going to press charges?" Laura said tracing figures on Rose's bare chest as they lay tangled in the sheets.

"I don't know. She seemed like she really likes you. And if she really wanted to, she would have done that quite a while ago." Rose replied kissing her forehead.

Laura groaned.

"And what about us? You don't know about that too?" Laura probed.

Rose sighed. Laura sat up facing her.

"Laura what do you want me to say? I like you. But I'm with your father now. I can't leave him to come be with you. It doesn't make sense." Rose whispered.

"If you really wanted it, it'd make sense. You're just running from the truth. So what are we now? s*x mates?"

Rose sighed again.

"We like each other Laura. Isn't that enough? Do we need a name tag?"

"I'm not asking for a name tag, Rose, I just want to know where this is going!" Laura snapped.

"Why don't we keep going and see?" Rose said smiling.

Laura got up to put her clothes on.

"You know i hate wasting my time. So I can't give you what you're asking for." Laura hissed.

Rose sat up. "So what? is this over?"

"Till you tell me what your plans are."

"Come on Laura!"

"You know where to find me." She said leaving.