THE CEO'S FORCED SURROGATE

Alexander Kane never entered a room. He commanded it. The automatic glass doors of the Kane Global boardroom slid open, and every conversation died instantly. Twelve executives, each powerful in their own right, straightened in their leather seats like schoolchildren caught misbehaving. The air thickened with tension as Alexander’s sharp footsteps echoed across the marble floor. He wore authority like a second skin—obsidian-black suit, silver cufflinks, and a watch worth more than most people’s yearly salaries. His cold grey eyes swept the room, emotionless and calculating. Not a single person dared to greet him. Alexander took his seat at the head of the table, crossing one leg over the other with controlled precision. His voice was low, bored, and dangerous. “You summoned me. Speak.” A few executives exchanged nervous glances. Chairman Ross—the oldest man in the room and the only one who had known Alexander’s late father—shifted in his seat, clearly nominated as the sacrificial lamb. Ross cleared his throat. “A-Alexander… this concerns the inheritance clause your father signed before his death.” Alexander still. The only sign of irritation was the slight movement of his jaw. “What about it?” Ross hesitated. “There were… conditions.” Alexander’s eyes hardened into steel. “I’m aware of the conditions. Don’t test my patience.” Another executive pushed a folder toward him but didn’t dare slide it all the way. Alexander reached forward, opening it with one hand. The legal text stared back at him—words he had always ignored because he believed he’d never be bound by them. Ross spoke again, quieter this time. “You have one year left to produce an heir. If not… Kane Global Holdings will legally transfer to your cousin, Victor Hale.” The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees. Alexander didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t need to. His silence was more terrifying than his rage. He slowly closed the folder. “Let me get this straight,” he said. “Because I refuse to play house or chase fairytale fantasies, you’re telling me Victor—an incompetent leech—will inherit my company?” No one answered. No one breathed. Alexander leaned back, tapping one finger against the table—slow, rhythmic, lethal. “I built this empire,” he continued. “Not my father. Not the board. And definitely not that parasite Victor.” Ross swallowed. “We know, Alexander. But your father’s lawyers—” “My father,” Alexander cut in sharply, “believed emotional attachments made men weak. And yet he still tried to control me from the grave? How ironic.” The executives shifted uncomfortably. No one dared comment. Ross tried again. “Sir… with respect, the board suggests that marriage—” Alexander’s laugh sliced through the room like ice. Cold. Short. Dangerous. “Marriage? You suggest I find a woman, make vows I don’t believe in, pretend to feel things I don’t have, and hand someone else access to my fortune? Absolutely not.” “But an heir—” Willis, another board member, attempted to speak, but Alexander’s eyes flicked to him—a single warning. Willis instantly shut his mouth. Alexander stood, unhurried, fixing the cuffs of his suit. “My schedule is full. I have no time to entertain affection, relationships, drama—any of it. What I can do, however, is produce an heir without all the unnecessary attachments.” Ross blinked. “Sir… are you suggesting—” “A surrogate,” Alexander said plainly. “Medically vetted. Confidential. Efficient.” Several executives gasped softly. Alexander continued, tone turning sharper, darker. “No scandals. No legal complications. No emotional nonsense. Exactly the way I prefer it.” Ross cleared his throat. “Surrogates… are a sensitive matter. You will need someone with the right profile. Stable. Mature.” “And obedient,” Alexander added. A subtle shiver passed through the room. Alexander turned toward the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing down at the city—his city. Towering buildings, flashing lights, and millions of people who would crumble if he so much as frowned. “I don’t care who the candidate is,” he said. “As long as she can provide a healthy heir.” Ross hesitated. “There is a complication.” Alexander’s eyes narrowed. “Which is?” “Because of certain… health markers in your genetic records, the surrogate must also live under monitored conditions. It strengthens the chances of a healthy pregnancy.” Alexander slowly turned back to face them. His expression darkened into something unreadable. “Meaning?” “She would need to live in a controlled environment,” Ross said carefully. “To avoid stress, danger, or external factors.” Alexander raised a single brow. “Such as?” Ross swallowed. “Your penthouse.” Silence. Then Alexander’s lips curled—not into a smile, but something far more dangerous. “That won’t be a problem.” His voice was a low, cold threat. “If she is carrying my heir, she will follow my rules. All of them.” He stepped around the table, every movement smooth and lethal. “No parties. No friends visiting. No sudden travels. No unsupervised outings.” A pause. “And she will not leave unless I permit it.” The older executives exchanged looks of fear. The younger ones looked like they might faint. “But sir—” Willis began timidly, “convincing a woman to accept those conditions—” Alexander cut him off with a single icy stare. “Money convinces. Fear motivates. Stability seduces. I will get the outcome I want.” Ross sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. “We also need to consider Victor. If he finds out—” “Victor,” Alexander said, “will not hear a whisper of this.” His voice dropped to a deadly murmur. “I built this empire with precision and power. Victor will never take it from me. Not while I’m alive.” He walked to the door, hand on the handle. “Oh, and Ross,” he added without turning around, “Contact the medical division. I want a full list of potential candidates within forty-eight hours.” Ross nodded shakily. “Yes, sir.” Alexander opened the door, stepping into the hall like a storm contained in a suit. As it closed behind him, the executives finally exhaled. One whispered, “God help the woman he chooses.” Another replied, “God help all of us if Victor finds out.” Alexander Kane is officially searching for a woman to carry his heir— and he intends to control every part of the arrangement.