The Prosecutor's False Bride

Prologue The First Sin of Theodore Villareal  The first cry pierced the silence of the delivery room. A loud, healthy cry. The kind that immediately made everyone breathe easier. "We have a baby girl!" One of the nurses laughed in relief as she carefully wrapped the newborn in a blanket. Exhausted and drenched in sweat, Elena Serrano let her head fall against the pillow. Her body ached in places she didn't know could ache, but none of it mattered. Her baby was safe. After months of carrying someone else's child, she had finally done her job. A strange mixture of relief and sadness settled in her chest. The baby wasn't hers. The contract had made that clear from the beginning. No matter how many times she felt the baby kick. No matter how many sleepless nights she spent talking to her growing belly. No matter how attached she had become. The child belonged to Theodore and Celeste Villareal. Not to her. The nurse was about to carry the infant away when Elena suddenly winced. A sharp pain ripped through her abdomen. The doctor immediately turned around. "Wait." Another contraction hit. Confusion spread across his face. The monitors began beeping. The nurses exchanged nervous glances. "Doctor?" The doctor frowned. "There shouldn't be another contraction." Elena gripped the bedsheets. The pain intensified. Then came another. And another. The doctor's eyes widened. "Oh my God." The room erupted into movement. "Prepare another bassinet!" "Get more blankets!" "Move!" "What is happening?" Elena cried. The doctor barely looked up. "You're having another baby." "What?" Minutes later, a second cry filled the room. The delivery room fell silent. Then cheers erupted from every corner. "It's another girl!" "Twins!" "I can't believe it!" The nurses laughed in disbelief. "How did we miss this?" "The second baby must have been hidden behind the first one during the ultrasounds." The doctor shook his head. "This is unbelievable." Tears slipped from Elena's eyes. Twins. There had been twins inside her all along. Not one life. Two. Two little girls. Two innocent babies. The nurses carefully cleaned the infants before placing them in Elena's trembling arms. The moment she saw them, her heart shattered. Not from pain. Not from fear. From love. They were beautiful. Tiny. Fragile. Perfect. The first baby slept peacefully against her chest. The second squirmed before opening her eyes. Elena smiled through her tears. "Hello, little ones." Then she noticed it. A large dark birthmark stretched across the right side of the second baby's face. The smile slowly disappeared from Elena's lips. Her stomach dropped. Not because she found the child ugly. Far from it. The baby was beautiful. But Elena knew Theodore Villareal. And she knew what kind of man he truly was. Outside the hospital, the public saw a charismatic politician. A respected businessman. A devoted husband. A future senator. Inside private rooms, however, Theodore Villareal was something else entirely. The hospital door suddenly opened. The room immediately fell silent. A man entered first. Tall. Impeccably dressed. Power seemed to follow him wherever he went. Beside him walked an elegant woman whose eyes were filled with anticipation. Theodore and Celeste Villareal. The future parents. Celeste's face lit up immediately. "Are they healthy?" The doctor smiled. "Very healthy." Theodore nodded. "Good." The doctor grinned. "You've been blessed with twins." For the first time, genuine surprise crossed Celeste's face. "Twins?" The doctor laughed. "It surprised all of us." Celeste looked overjoyed. Her eyes instantly searched for the babies. Years of infertility. Years of failed treatments. Years of disappointment. And now there were two. Two daughters. The tears gathering in her eyes looked real. Theodore, however, remained expressionless. His gaze moved toward the infants. The first baby. Then the second. And stopped. The temperature in the room seemed to drop. The doctor's smile faltered. Theodore stared at the birthmark. His expression hardened. Disgust flashed across his face. Elena instinctively pulled both babies closer. A mother's instinct. Protect. Protect. Protect. Nobody spoke. Theodore's gaze never left the infant. Finally, he turned toward the doctor. "Leave." The doctor blinked. "Senator?" "I said leave." The room froze. Even Celeste looked confused. "Theodore—" "Everyone out." The authority in his voice left no room for argument. The nurses quickly obeyed. The doctor hesitated before following. Within seconds, only four people remained inside the room. Elena. Celeste. Theodore. And the newborn twins. The silence became unbearable. Theodore stepped closer to the bed. His eyes remained fixed on the infant with the birthmark. As though she were a defect. An inconvenience. A problem. Finally, he spoke. "Get rid of it." Elena's blood turned cold. Her grip tightened around the babies. "What?" Theodore looked directly at her. "That child." The room seemed to spin. Celeste stared at him in horror. "Theodore..." "The birthmark covers half her face." His voice was calm. Cold. Calculating. "Do you have any idea what people will say if this becomes public?" "She's your daughter!" Celeste snapped. Theodore's jaw tightened. "No daughter of mine will become a liability." Elena felt panic consume her. "No." Theodore ignored her. "And the surrogate." Elena froze. "What?" "The contract ends today." His eyes were devoid of emotion. "No witnesses." The babies suddenly began crying. One after another. Their tiny cries filled the room. Elena's entire body trembled. "No... please..." For the first time, Theodore looked directly into her eyes. And Elena saw absolutely nothing there. No guilt. No hesitation. No humanity. Only ambition. Only calculation. Only power. Theodore reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Then he dialed a number. The call was answered almost immediately. The senator's lips curled into a faint smile. A smile that made Elena's blood run cold. "Come to the hospital," he said. A pause. Then— "Bring two men." Elena's heart stopped. And across the room, Celeste Villareal slowly took a step toward the bed.