The Billionaire's surrogate

Consequences

"have you heard? They are actually conducting some questioning shit." Maria was saying.

"Wow!" Christine replied absentmindedly.

Steve and Maria stared at her.

"What?" Christine was confused.

"I don't know. You tell us, you're the one dating the detective, Christine." Steve stated.

Christine laughed loud.

"It's funny?" Maria teased.

"I'm sorry. Just that, that's not how it works. Lucas and I haven't even been in the best place recently."

Maria hugged her.

"Well, speak of the devil." Steve nudged towards the entrance, to Lucas who had just walked in.

Christine had texted him, she wanted to talk.

Christine looked at her friends and took a deep breath and walked out.

"Lucas, I'm sorry to take you away from work. I just needed to talk to you." Christine was looking at him. They were in Lucas'car right outside the hotel.

Lucas took her hands. "It's okay. My work is right in this hotel today."

"I'm not walking away from this baby, Lucas. I thought I knew what I wanted but this is my baby too. I can't just have it and give it away. It may not have come at my own perfect time but it's coming, so I have to adapt." Christine declared.

Lucas sighed, slipping his hands from hers.

"Lucas look at me. Say something."

Silence.

Suddenly, he turned to her. "Christine, please for our sake, don't have this baby.

"What?" Christine whispered.

"I'm sorry... It's just.. I've been trying to be supportive and all that but please don't have this baby. I don't want you to have this baby or even raise it. I can't.. i thought I could but i can't." Lucas rasped breathlessly.

Christine sighed. She had always wanted him to speak his mind and say what he really wanted. Now he said it, she felt indifferent, very indifferent.

If only it were actually easy to walk away from one's child. Christine didn't even want to acknowledge her budding feelings for Alex. Every time they were together, her heart beat like it was going to burst out. She'd gaslighted herself into believing that it was nervousness at first but now she wasn't so sure.

"Lucas, after i turned down your marriage proposal, I've been feeling really guilty. It's like i have to pay this huge price for that. That was why I insisted on having the baby for just Alex and Veronica. But thing is, i don't have to pay anything. I don't feel ready to marry you so I won't but i won't make any sacrifices for that just to pay up. I'm sorry but i totally understand if you don't want a part of all this." Christine poured out her heart.

Lucas gazed straight ahead without a word.

"So what? You're just gonna have another man's child? And then what? Co parent? Or fight for custody?" Lucas asked.

Christine sighed massaging her forehead. "I'm hoping I won't have to."

"That's ridiculous Christine!" Lucas snapped startling her.

"That's really ridiculous. You're already about to get caught up in court mess with his sister, now you want to go co parenting with him? Christine this wasn't the plan. What about me? Our own children? What's gonna happen to us? Be realistic come on! It's like you've lost vision. You refuse my proposal, i understand but all this? " Lucas yelled.

"You just might end up like your mother after all." He muttered.

Christine stared at him, bewildered.

"First of all, you don't get to raise your voice at me, Lucas. You think I want any of this? Do you know how many times I've had to cry myself to sleep because it feels like my whole life is going to s**t? So Don't sit there and yell at me or judge me because you have absolutely no idea what it feels like to be me right now. You don't even give a s**t about anybody else but yourself right now and that really sucks for you." Christine was partially blinded by the tears gushing out her eyes.

"And also, you're in no place to talk s**t about my mother or anyone i care about for that matter, so f**k you for that." Christine dried her eyes and sniffled as she opened the door to get out.

Lucas sighed. "Christine?"

"Go to hell, Lucas and kiss Satan's ass." She slammed the door.

_______________________________________________

"I'm done Veronica. This is the divorce paperwork. Move out and sign them, that's all." Alex sat back into the sofa in the living room of the penthouse.

Veronica stared wide eyed. "You were about to have s*x with me Alex. Just last night."

"Yes but we stopped before it went to far." Alex sighed deeply.

Veronica didn't break her gaze on his face. "Yes, but i could tell you didn't want to."

"Veronica please, let's maintain whatever dignity we have left of ourselves. Please" Alex pleaded, a little embarrassed, mostly disgusted.

She moved forward and closer to him from where she sat on an opposite sofa. "Alex, please, i thought we were trying to make this work?"

Alex bent his head and shook them.

"Veronica, aren't you tired? No, honestly, are you not tired of this break and make up bullshit? We are obviously not good for each other and I am genuinely tired of explaining that and why." Alex stated exasperated.

Veronica was still in her seductive corset of last night.

"Okay, okay. Then stop explaining why we shouldn't be together okay? Stop even thinking about it. Just work with me, follow my lead, let us make it work. Yeah? Veronica was hurrying her words.

Alex looked up and held her gaze. Firmly.

"Not if I don't love you anymore."

Veronica shuddered. Time passed.

More time passed. No one said a word.

Finally, she let the tear fall. "You make me sick, Alex." She whispered.

"I can highly relate to that." He got up putting on his suit coat.

"Just sign the papers and let's end this misery, once and for f*****g all." He said, leaving.

Veronica flung the papers to the ground as her sobbing intensified. "f**k you Alex."

_______________________________________________

Alex walked in on Rose pacing impatiently in his office. She stopped and sat immediately she saw him, almost tripping on her heels.

Alex walked over to his seat opposite hers and sat, confusion knitted in his brows.

"What's the matter Rose? Is everything okay?"

"Nothing is okay, Alex. Nothing, absolutely nothing." She panted breathlessly, her spectacular red hair scattered all over her very pretty and young face.

Alex reached out his hands to her, smiling. "Calm down, Rose and talk to me. What is the matter?"

"It's Laura, Alex. She's gone. She's gone. She left."

"What do you mean she's gone Rose?" Alex asked confused as he reached to his pocket to get his phone.

He dialed Laura's line, it went straight to voicemail. He looked up at Rose.

"Where did she go? How did you know she was gone?"

Rose took a deep breath. "We had an argument the last time we spoke. It was about Christine pressing charges and all that." Rose half lied.

"So she got really angry. And just this morning I decided to visit her and apologize. I stopped by her house, the housekeeper answered the door and said Laura hadn't been home for five days now, since the day Christine pressed charges. I've been calling her, its not going through. She's definitely not been at work or anything like that. Even her Gardener hasn't seen her. I'm so worried Alex." She continued.

"Okay, okay. Just calm down Ros..." His phone ringing interrupted him. It was his father.

He raised a finger to Rose as an excuse and picked the call.

"Hey, Dad." Alex's voice was dripping with sarcasm.

"Alex, where is your sister? Where is Laura? What is this news I'm hearing?" His father's voice boomed from the other side of the voice.

Alex looked at Rose with a bold question mark on his expression. Rose shrugged her shoulders.

"Everything is under control Dad. Laura is fine, you don't have to worry or bother coming down to Miami." Alex assured.

"Well, I'm already worried and I am already coming down to Miami. Besides I'm made to understand that I need to be there for the court appearances anyways." Mr Cooper stated.

Alex bent his head, sighing deeply. His father didn't give a s**t about court appearances. He definitely knew that. He was basically coming down to rub it in Alex's face about how business was terrible.

"Suree, Dad. Whatever you want but i have to get back to work." Alex was getting terribly irritated.

"Yes. Work. Alright." His father mocked and ended the call.

Rose had stayed back to support Laura emotionally and legally if the need arose instead of following Mr Cooper back to LA but now she was regretting every bit of it.

"Did you call Dad, Rose?" Alex stared at her.

"I'm sorry okay? After i went to her house, i tried calling you. You were ignoring my calls. So, i freaked out and called your Dad. I was worried something terrible had happened to her. I'm still worried." She whimpered.

"It's fine." He muttered getting up to look outside the window.

But it wasn't fine at all. Now his Dad was coming down to mock and call him incompetent.

Alex made a mental draft of how to stabilize business before his father came to town. He would hasten this investigation and have it wrapped up and he would go looking for Laura.

He had an idea where she might be.