Accidentally Chosen as His Surrogate

Closed Deal

XAVIER

The glass walls of the conference room reflected power back at you if you stood in the right place.

I stood at the head of the table, hands resting flat on polished black wood, watching six executives nod along as if the future I was laying out had been their idea all along. Screens glowed behind me. Projections. Market expansion. Numbers that bent reality in my favor.

"This partnership gives you access to our AI infrastructure," I said evenly. "You get speed. We get scale. Apex doesn't collaborate unless there's dominance on both sides."

Silence followed. Calculating silence.

Then the client smiled. "You don't leave much room for negotiation, Mr. King."

"I don't negotiate with inefficiency," I replied.

He chuckled nervously.

"You are a good businessman, Mr. King." He smiled as he signed the first part of the contract.

Contracts closed. I made a quick smile, although it wasn't visible. Another company folded neatly into the orbit of Apex Technology.

By the time the room cleared, my pulse hadn't changed once. Business never did that to me. People tried though.

"Lane."

My secretary looked up immediately from her tablet as she entered my office.

Early thirties, sharp suits, sharp mind, and loyal.

"Prepare the paperwork and send it over for final signatures," I said. "CC legal and archive the originals."

"Yes, sir." She turned to leave.

"Lane," I called her.

She paused. "Sir?"

"Call Mr. Ethan to my office now."

Her jaw tightened slightly. "The payroll supervisor?"

"Yes."

She didn't ask questions.

Ten minutes later, Ethan stood in my office sweating through his collar.

He was a small man who had once thought proximity to power meant protection. His hands shook as he clasped them together. His eyes darted to the door, the walls, the floor.

"Mr. King," he said, forcing a smile. "I didn't expect-"

"Sit."

He drew the chair backwards and sat.

I slid a folder across the desk. Containing bank statements, transaction histories, and shell accounts. Numbers are bleeding where they shouldn't.

He stared at the pages like they might rearrange themselves into innocence.

"I can explain," he whispered.

"You stole from me, from my company," I said calmly.

His face crumpled. "It was temporary. I was going to replace it, I swear."

"You didn't," I replied.

"I have a family,my wife was diagnosed with cancer, and lots of medical bills were piling up," he said, voice breaking. "Please. I'll pay it back, I promise. Every single cent."

I leaned back in my chair, studying him.

"Do you know why Apex pays well?" I asked.

He shook his head, tears almost slipping down his cheeks.

"Because loyalty is cheaper than replacement. You chose greed anyway."

"I made a mistake," he sobbed.

"So did I," I said. "I trusted you."

I pressed a button on my desk. Security appeared instantly.

"No," Ethan gasped, scrambling to his feet. "Please, Mr. King. I'll do anything."

"I'm sure you will," I said. "But you won't do it here."

They grabbed his arms. As he was dragged toward the door, his voice broke into frantic pleading. Promises. Prayers. Desperation. I watched without blinking.

"Recover every dollar," I said to Lane as she stepped in. "Call Carlos from the FBI, tell him to freeze his assets and blacklist him. I'll make sure he never gets a job in this country again."

Lane nodded and closed the door behind her.

I walked over to the shelf and poured myself a drink. I took a sip of the whiskey and it burned just enough to remind me I was still human.

My phone rang. I answered without checking.

"Mr. King," a woman said warmly. "This is Lina from New Horizons Fertility Center."

My grip tightened slightly on the glass.

"Yes."

"I'm calling to let you know we've secured a surrogate for you. Her medical screenings came back excellent. She's cleared to proceed."

"Are you certain?" I asked.

"Yes. She's healthy, compliant, and fully informed."

I stared out at the city skyline beyond my glass and steel windows.

"She can carry to term?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Lina replied. "She's already agreed to move forward."

I exhaled slowly. "Good," I said. "I'll come in to finalize everything."

"As soon as possible would be ideal," she said. "The intended timeline is tight."

"Send me her details. Remember I said I want to meet her."

"Of course, sure."

I ended the call and set the phone down.

For a moment, I did nothing.

I hadn't always wanted a child.

Wanting was emotional and unreliable, but succession was practical.

Apex needed continuity. A future king or queen, who wouldn't dismantle what I had built with carelessness or sentiment. I had watched too many empires rot from inherited stupidity.

Marriage wasn't an option. Relationships were inefficient. Women wanted permanence, affection, and promises. I offered none of that.

All I wanted was a woman who would carry my child, be compensated, and exit my life with no question asked.

I would raise my heir alone.

The intercom buzzed. It was Lane.

"The board meeting has been moved to Thursday," she said. "Also, security reported the incident with Ethan has been handled."

"Good."

"And," she hesitated, "the bar incident from Wednesday-"

I cut her off. "Fix it. I don't want that to be on social media or Tv."

She paused. "Understood."

The bar.

For a split second, an image surfaced uninvited.

A flash of dark eyes, fueled with anger, and a sharp c***k of pain against my cheek.

The slap.

I rolled my jaw, annoyance flickering.

She had looked at me like I was nothing.

Most people didn't.

I finished the whiskey and set the glass down harder than necessary.

That woman didn't matter.

She was a moment. A bruise I already forgot.

I sat back on the chair and started working. With my mind drifting off to the lady who slapped me and my child.

The clinic also runs a surrogacy agency, but I wanted the best surrogate for my child. I wanted someone good-looking, even though it's not her egg. I don't want my child to be around an unattractive woman.

I worked till nine o'clock and decided to head out. Lane had already gone home and so had almost all my staff.

I drove home with the windows of my car open and one arm outside with one thought in mind

Hope my unborn child will be safe?