The Billionaire Scientist’s Contract Surrogate

Eden's POV “Claire, Claire!” I yelled as my little sister's body landed with a dull thud on the ground. Seeing her body turn ghastly pale in an instant, I knew it was happening again. My hands trembled as I dialed 911. As time slowly passed with Claire in my arms, the sirens flooded my ears as help arrived. I stared at the tiny clock ticking away in Dr. Isaac's office. I completely zoned out, hardly noticing the movements of his mouth. “Ms. Eden?” He called out. His eyes slightly avoided mine as his lips tensed. I looked at him as my vision slightly clouded. He had just told me that my little sister was dying and only the treatment from Sylar Wayne’s pharmaceutical company could save her. “Dr. Isaac, please, save my sister. How could I possibly get enough money to pay for treatment from that company?” My eyes finally gave up as tears flooded down my cheeks. My little sister was going to die, slowly, in a hospital and I'm not going to be able to do a damn thing. “There might…” Dr. Isaac cleared his throat. I raised my head up to him. My eyes searched for a glimmer of hope as I stared intently. He adjusted his glasses. “There might be a way to get your sister the treatment she needs.” His eyes finally met my gaze. My heart skipped. “How? I'll do anything, Dr. Isaac. Please, tell me.” I pleaded, not wanting him to change his mind. His eyes became sterner as he stared at me for longer than a heartbeat. “How do I put this?” He paused. “Mr. Wayne has a job opportunity available. This job will allow you to be able to afford your sister's treatment.” “A job opportunity?” My brain scrambled to make sense of it. A part of me felt like Dr. Isaac was trying to play me. “Can a job really pay that much to afford the treatment required?” “I see you're still doubtful. I'll be very straightforward with you, Ms. Eden. Mr. Wayne is in dire need of a surrogate. He wants an heir to his empire and is willing to not just pay handsomely but also take care of the family of the surrogate as well.” “A… a surrogate? You want me to have his baby?” I asked in disbelief. “It's purely business, Ms. Eden. You said it yourself. You can't save your sister but Mr. Wayne definitely can. The treatment is still in clinical trials. Only Mr. Wayne has access to it.” His eyes softened as he watched me. I covered my face with my hands. My mind tore as I struggled to process what was happening. I knew it was a bad idea. I wanted to scream at Dr. Isaac for suggesting this but the image of my sister flashed right before my eyes. “Can I speak to my sister first? She needs to know before I make a decision.” I forced the words out of my mouth after a long silence. “Of course.” He darted quickly across the small office and opened the door as I stepped out. “One last thing.” His voice tensed. “The deadline is tonight. Also, keep in mind that you're not the only one going to be auditioning to be Mr. Wayne’s surrogate.” He closed the door quickly before I could respond. After getting the nurses to point me in the right direction, I hurried to Claire's room. Luckily, she was conscious. “Claire.” I squeezed her fragile hand while fighting back my tears. “Look… at you crying like a baby. I thought… I'm supposed to be the baby sister.” Claire joked like always despite her not being able to form her words properly. “It's getting worse, Claire. I don't know what to do. Dr. Isaac said it's only a matter of time now. You need to get treatment.” “It's okay, Eden. I know how much you suffer because of me. It's okay.” Claire's face went slightly vacant. “Don't you dare give up, Claire. I'm going to fix this. I promise.” I looked at my baby sister with fire in my eyes. I was not going to let her give up and die. “I'm going to go away for a little while. But I promise I'll be back. I want to go for a job interview in Mr. Wayne's company and when I get it, I'll be able to pay for your treatment.” I said, feigning a smile. “What job opportunity, Eden? And Mr. Wayne? That mad scientist is bad news. They say he experiments on people. You know that right?” Claire immediately warned. I smiled once more at Claire. This time was more genuine than the last. “Look at you, trying to be the older sister.” “If I'm going to die then I want you by my side, Eden. Don't leave me to die alone. Don't leave me to worry about if you'll be okay when I'm not around.” Claire's voice cracked as I could see the tears running down her cheeks. But she didn't understand. Seeing my little sister cry only strengthened my resolve to protect her at all costs. I didn't care whether Mr. Wayne was really a mad evil scientist or the devil. I was going to beat the competition and save my sister. After consoling Claire and getting her to fall asleep, I left her room and dialed Dr. Isaac's number. “Ms. Eden. Have you made a decision?” “Yes. I'm ready to be Mr. Wayne's surrogate.” My voice was steadier than I expected as I clenched my fist. “Come to my office.” The line disconnected. Dr. Isaac sat in his chair with his legs crossed. His smile that reached his eyes suggested that he was quite pleased with my decision. “What do I do now?” I asked plainly. He opened his desk drawer and gently passed me some documents and a pen. “It's an NDA. Sign it. Whatever happens cannot be discussed with parties not involved.” My hand hovered for a moment above the pen before I picked it up. I glanced through it, roughly making out phrases like “disclosure to foreign parties will be a breach of contract” and so on. I knew I was about to sign away my life but that didn't matter if I could give Claire the life she deserved. My hand finally moved as I signed the documents. “Excellent work, Ms. Eden. I'll take it from here.” Dr. Isaac smiled as he took back the documents. “What will happen now?” My wide, expectant eyes were fixed on him. He rose up from his chair in an unhurried manner. “It's time for your audition.” “My…” The words died in my throat as a sharp icy sting pierced the side of my neck. My legs gave way as I collapsed. The image of Dr. Isaac smiling was the last thing I saw.