surrogate Sins

chapter 005

RHEA’S POV

I didn’t understand why the thought of leaving the baby already hurt me.

Nothing had even happened yet. There was no child. No pregnancy. No bond. And still, every time I imagined walking away after giving birth, something deep inside my chest twisted painfully.

Maybe because I knew what it felt like to grow up unwanted.

Maybe because some small broken part of me already feared becoming the kind of person who could leave their child behind.

Even for survival. I pushed the thoughts away quickly. This arrangement was temporary. That was the point. Dinner continued quietly after that awkward conversation.

Surprisingly, Kael kept talking. Not warmly exactly. But enough to keep the silence from becoming unbearable.

He explained parts of the estate routine, the medical schedules, the security arrangements surrounding the property.

Everything about his life sounded controlled down to the smallest detail. “You’re free to ask for anything you need,” he said calmly while sipping his wine.

I stared at him suspiciously. “Anything?” A faint shadow of amusement crossed his face briefly.

“Within reason.” That almost made me smile.

Almost. Then his expression hardened slightly again.

“But there are rules.” Of course there were.

I leaned back slightly in my chair. “What kind of rules?”

“You do not leave the estate without permission.”

My brows lifted immediately. “You don’t contact outsiders.”

That one hurt less than it should have. “And you do not discuss this arrangement with anyone until the contract is completed.”

The words settled heavily between us. I stared down at my plate quietly for a second before nodding once.

Honestly, it wasn’t like anyone would miss me much anyway. My family only called when I embarrassed them.

Damien was too busy sleeping with my sister. And I didn’t really have friends anymore. Loneliness suddenly tasted bitter in my mouth. “I understand,” I said quietly.

Kael studied me carefully for a moment. Like he noticed more than I wanted him to. I quickly looked away instead. Then another thought occurred to me suddenly.

“What exactly am I supposed to do here all day?” He lifted one eyebrow slightly. “I mean…” I gestured awkwardly around the massive estate. “What if I get bored?”

Silence. Kael stared at me for several long seconds.

But this time, something about his gaze felt different. Not cold. Not detached. Something darker. Something assessing.

And strangely intense. Heat crawled slowly beneath my skin before he finally answered.

“I’ll make sure you aren’t bored.”

The low roughness in his voice made my pulse stumble embarrassingly fast. I quickly grabbed my water glass instead.

Dangerous. This man was seriously dangerous.

The conversation drifted after that. Mostly small things. He asked about my studies. My interests.

The places I used to like visiting before everything collapsed.

And strangely, he listened. Actually listened. Not with fake politeness. Not impatiently. Like my answers genuinely mattered.

I didn’t understand why that unsettled me more than cruelty would have. Eventually, I finished eating and slowly pushed my chair back.

“I should probably sleep,” I murmured quietly. Kael nodded once. I turned to leave but suddenly his hand closed gently around my wrist.

My breath caught instantly. Heat spread up my arm where he touched me. Slowly, I looked back at him. His gray eyes locked onto mine completely.

“One more thing.” Something about his tone made tension crawl immediately through my chest. “If you run,” he said quietly, “I will find you.”

Fear slid sharply down my spine.

“And hell,” he continued calmly, “will feel like paradise compared to what comes next.”

The threat wasn’t loud. That made it worse. I quickly pulled my hand free and forced myself to meet his gaze. “I won’t run.”

For a second, neither of us moved. Then he finally leaned back slightly. “Good.” I turned immediately and walked out before my shaking legs embarrassed me.

By the time I reached my room, my pulse was completely uneven. I shut the bedroom door behind me quickly before leaning against it heavily.

The forest outside the massive windows looked dark beneath the moonlight. Quiet. Beautiful.

Dangerous. Just like the man downstairs.

I wrapped my arms around myself slowly while trying to steady my breathing. What exactly had I signed myself into? A fresh start?

Or another cage disguised as salvation? Deep down, I was beginning to fear the answer.