The Mafia's Pampered Surrogate

Indebt Surrogate

Cassandra was already exhausted by the time she made her way back home. Her feet hurt from standing all day at the café, and all she wanted was to take a shower, eat something, and get some much needed rest.

However, the moment she turned onto the street where her small apartment was located, she immediately stopped walking.

Two black cars were parked outside her apartment building.

Cassandra's heart dropped when she recognized them.

Debt collectors.

She immediately turned around, hoping they hadn't noticed her, but before she could take more than a few steps, a familiar voice called out behind her.

"Miss Hart, where do you think you're going?" One of the men asked.

Cassandra froze before slowly turning around. Two men dressed in black suits were walking toward her, their expressions cold and serious. She knew them well enough by now, and seeing them was never a good sign.

"I was just going somewhere," Cassandra said nervously, taking a small step backward.

"Then you can go somewhere after we finish speaking with you," the man replied.

Cassandra didn't wait for another word. She suddenly turned around and ran.

"Hey! Stop!" The men shouted behind her.

Cassandra sprinted down the street as fast as her tired legs could carry her. She knew exactly what they wanted, and she didn't have the money to give them. Maybe if she managed to lose them, she could avoid another lecture about her father's debt.

Unfortunately, luck was never on her side.

She turned into a narrow alley, only to find another man standing at the other end. Before she could turn around, one of the collectors caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Let go of me!" Cassandra shouted, struggling against his grip.

"Stop running. We're not here to hurt you," the man said, his expression remaining completely indifferent.

"Then stop chasing me!" Cassandra snapped, glaring at him. "I already told you I don't have the money!"

The man sighed before releasing her arm.

"Then you should stop avoiding us every time we come looking for you."

Cassandra rolled her eyes before reluctantly following them back to her apartment. She unlocked the door and walked inside, her expression becoming even more irritated when the two men followed her.

Her apartment was small and old, with worn-out furniture and barely enough space for everything she owned. It wasn't much, but it was the only home she had left.

One of the men placed a folder on the small table.

"Your father's debt is still unpaid," he said.

Cassandra clenched her fists.

Of course it was.

Her father had gambled away practically everything they owned before disappearing without a trace. He had left Cassandra, her younger brother, and their mother to deal with the consequences of his stupid decisions.

Even after all these years, his debt was still following them.

"I don't have the money," Cassandra said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I'm working, but most of my money is going toward my brother's hospital bills."

"We're not interested in your excuses," the other man replied.

Cassandra's eye twitched.

"Of course you're not," she muttered.

She stared at the folder sitting on the table, anger slowly building inside her.

That useless man.

He gambled away everything we had, abandoned his own children, and disappeared when things got difficult. Now I'm the one paying for his mess.

Cassandra had spent years trying to keep their family together. Their mother was gone, her brother was still in the hospital, and their father was nowhere to be found.

Yet somehow, she was expected to fix everything.

"How much time do I have?" Cassandra asked quietly.

The man looked at her.

"One week."

Cassandra's eyes widened.

"One week? Are you serious?"

"You've already been given enough time."

"I can't possibly find that kind of money in one week!" Cassandra shouted, frustration finally getting the better of her.

"That's your problem," the man said coldly before turning toward the door.

Cassandra stared at them as they walked away.

Before leaving, one of them stopped and looked back at her.

"Make sure you have the money by then."

The door closed behind them.

Cassandra stood completely still for several seconds before slowly dropping onto the couch.

"One week…" She muttered, rubbing her temples.

She had no idea what she was going to do.

Even if she worked every hour of every day, there was no way she could earn enough money to pay the debt while also paying for her brother's hospital treatment.

She looked toward the ceiling and let out a frustrated sigh.

Father, wherever you are, I hope you're enjoying your life.

Because you really left your children in the worst situation possible.

Meanwhile, across the city, Leonardo sat inside his private study, looking through the files Marcus had gathered for him. He had specifically requested information on women who were willing and medically suitable to become surrogates.

Marcus stood in front of his desk, waiting patiently.

"I've gathered the information you requested, sir," Marcus said, placing the files on the desk.

Leonardo nodded before opening the first file.

He went through each candidate carefully, his expression becoming more dissatisfied with every page. Some had questionable backgrounds, while others had connections that made them unsuitable.

He didn't need complications.

He needed someone with no connection to his enemies and no reason to betray him.

Leonardo reached for another file.

Then he suddenly stopped.

The information inside wasn't about a surrogate candidate.

Instead, it contained the details of someone who owed money to one of the smaller divisions of the Lewis organization.

Cassandra Hart.

Leonardo frowned as he read through the file.

"Twenty-one years old…" He murmured, his eyes moving down the page.

College student. Part-time café employee. No criminal record. No connections to rival families.

Then he noticed something else.

She was responsible for an eleven-year-old younger brother who was currently hospitalized after an accident.

Her father had disappeared, leaving behind a large unpaid debt.

Leonardo's eyes narrowed as he continued reading.

The woman was clearly struggling financially.

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the file in silence.

"Sir?" Marcus asked cautiously.

Leonardo finally looked up.

"Why is this file here?"

Marcus immediately looked toward the folder.

"I believe it was mixed in with the other documents by mistake," he admitted.

Leonardo looked back at Cassandra's information.

Normally, a mistake like this would have irritated him.

But this one had caught his attention.

A woman with no dangerous connections.

A woman who desperately needed money.

And a woman who had a reason to accept a generous offer.

Leonardo's fingers tapped lightly against the desk as an idea slowly formed in his mind.

"Find Cassandra Hart," Leonardo ordered.

Marcus blinked.

"Sir?"

"I want to meet her."

Leonardo closed the file and placed it neatly on the desk.

"If she is willing to become my surrogate, her father's debt will be completely erased."

Marcus stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Understood, sir."

After Marcus left, Leonardo leaned back in his chair, his gaze falling once again on Cassandra's name.

Perhaps the solution to his mother's wish had been sitting in one of his debt files all along.