His Forbidden surrogate

THE BILLIONAIRE'S CONTRACT

Sterling Tower rose above the city, looking like it belonged to another world. Wren felt every inch of her secondhand blazer as she stepped into the marble lobby. Her heels clicked against the polished floor.

Security guards in suits watched her as she crossed the room. She couldn't help feeling like they knew she didn't belong there.

The elevator took her to the fortieth floor.

Everything about the place reminded her how different her life was from Gideon's. Glass walls. Quiet employees. Even the air seemed to smell like money.

"Ms Sutton."

A woman in a sharp suit pointed toward a set of double doors.

"Mr Sterling is ready for you."

Wren walked inside.

Gideon was sitting behind a desk almost as big as her kitchen. He didn't look up until she had already taken a seat.

Gideon Sterling was younger than she expected and colder than the tabloids had made him sound.

Dark hair. Sharp jaw. Cold eyes.

He looked at her like he was studying a business deal before saying a word.

"Ms Sutton." His voice was flat. "You understand the position you've applied for."

"I understand the payment," Wren said. "I'd like to understand the rest."

His mouth lifted slightly, almost a smile, before disappearing.

"Direct. Good. I don't have time for people who avoid the point."

He explained everything clearly.

His father's will required him to have a child by blood within the year. If he didn't, control of Sterling Industries would pass to his cousin, Marcus.

Gideon had no intention of losing his family's company because of something written in a will.

"So this isn't about wanting a child," Wren said.

"This is about keeping what's mine," Gideon replied. "The child will be cared for, educated, and provided for. But don't mistake this for a family. This is a business arrangement."

"And what happens to me when it's over?"

"You'll be paid in full. The arrangement ends, and we go our separate ways."

Wren straightened.

"I'm not property, Mr Sterling. I don't care how much money you're offering."

For the first time, his eyes stayed on hers.

There was no warmth in them, but there was something close to respect.

"I never said you were."

"You're treating this like a transaction."

"It is a transaction." His voice became harder. "I'm not going to pretend otherwise. I expect you to be just as honest with me."

Wren almost respected him for that, even though his words made her uncomfortable.

At least he wasn't lying about what this was.

After a lifetime of people hiding bad news behind nice words, his honesty was almost a relief.

They spent the next hour going over the terms.

Medical care. Privacy. Payment. Confidentiality.

Gideon wanted everything kept completely private.

He answered every question directly, which surprised Wren more than his coldness did.

She pushed back twice, refusing to sign anything she didn't understand.

Both times, Gideon changed the terms without arguing.

It was almost as if he respected her for speaking up.

At one point, he slid a clause toward her.

It explained who would have the final say over medical decisions if something went wrong.

Wren read it twice.

Then she crossed out an entire paragraph.

"This says you have the final say," she said, sliding the contract back to him. "It should say we discuss it. I'm the one carrying the baby."

Gideon looked at the crossed-out section.

Then he nodded.

"Fair."

"One more thing."

Wren pushed the contract back across the desk.

"Half the payment should be released today. Not according to some schedule your accountants choose."

Gideon studied her for a moment.

It seemed like he was deciding whether to argue.

Then he didn't.

"Done."

Wren signed before she could change her mind.

She used the name she had built for herself.

Wren Sutton.

Not Wren Calloway.

Not the daughter of the man Gideon's family had ruined.

Gideon signed beneath her name without showing any sign that he recognised her.

Relief filled her chest.

Her secret was still safe.

"You'll receive the address for your new home by the end of the day," Gideon said, already turning back to his computer.

"New home?"

"You'll live at my residence for the duration of the pregnancy. You'll have medical staff, security, and privacy there."

Wren's fingers tightened around the arm of the chair.

"That wasn't discussed."

"It's not negotiable," Gideon said without looking up. "I'm not leaving the woman carrying my child alone in an apartment with a broken lock and a landlord who never answers his phone."

Wren stared at him.

"How do you know about my landlord?"

"I know everything I need to know before I sign an agreement, Ms Sutton."

His eyes finally met hers.

"You'll move into Sterling Manor by the end of the week."

Wren sat still.

The full weight of what she had agreed to finally hit her.

She wasn't just carrying his child.

She would be living under his roof.

Under his rules.

For the next nine months.

"Is that a problem?" Gideon asked.

Wren swallowed.

She thought about Milo's heart monitor.

She thought about the five hundred thousand dollars she needed.

She couldn't walk away.

"No," she said quietly. "No problem at all."

But as she walked out of Sterling Tower into the cold afternoon air, her hands shook around the folder in her arms.

One thought kept coming back.

She wasn't just carrying Gideon's child anymore.

Starting tonight, she would be living under his roof.

And there was nothing in that contract that could prepare her for what would happen next.