Chapter 6: Fractures
Seraphina's spending accounts were frozen without warning.
I was in the sunroom when I heard her screaming at Dominic in the hallway.
"What do you mean my cards are declined?! This is humiliating! I was at Cartier, Dominic! In front of PEOPLE!"
"It's temporary," he snapped. "There's an audit. The lawyers are handling it."
"An AUDIT? On what? I haven't done anything wrong!"
"I know that. Calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Her voice pitched higher. "This is because of that surrogate, isn't it? She's bad luck. I told you we should've used a clinic—"
"Seraphina." His voice went cold. "It has nothing to do with her. Stop being paranoid."
She went quiet. Then her heels clicked — sharp and furious — straight toward my room.
The door flew open. Seraphina stood there, makeup perfect, eyes murderous.
"What did you do?" she hissed.
I looked up from my book, innocent. "I'm sorry?"
"Don't play dumb." She stalked closer. "My accounts are frozen. Dominic's company is being audited. And you're sitting here like nothing's happening?"
I placed a hand on my belly. "Miss Cole, I'm a surrogate. I don't even have internet access. What could I possibly do?"
Her jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle spasm. She grabbed my book and hurled it across the room.
"If I find out you're behind this—"
"Behind what?" Dominic's voice came from the doorway.
Seraphina spun around, and like a switch being flipped, her face crumpled into tears.
"Dominic..." She rushed to him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm so stressed about the audit. And I came to check on the baby, but she — she was being so cold to me. I just lost my temper. I'm sorry."
Dominic's arm wrapped around her automatically. He looked at me over her head. "Did you provoke her?"
I shook my head.
"Then why is she crying?"
I said nothing. There was nothing I could say that he'd believe over her.
He guided Seraphina away, murmuring comfort. At the door, he paused. "Keep to yourself. Don't cause problems."
The door shut. I was alone again.
I picked up my book from the floor and smoothed the bent pages.
Three more months. I just needed three more months.
That night, Callum slipped another note under my door.
*The audit turned up discrepancies. Laurent Medical's legal team is preparing a civil suit. Seraphina's real identity documents are being retrieved from the orphanage's sealed records. Estimated timeline: 8 weeks.*
Eight weeks. My baby would be at twenty weeks. Viable. Safe.
I placed both hands on my stomach and whispered to the tiny heartbeat inside me.
"Just hold on, little one. Mama's going to give you the world."
---
I was in the sunroom when I heard her screaming at Dominic in the hallway.
"What do you mean my cards are declined?! This is humiliating! I was at Cartier, Dominic! In front of PEOPLE!"
"It's temporary," he snapped. "There's an audit. The lawyers are handling it."
"An AUDIT? On what? I haven't done anything wrong!"
"I know that. Calm down."
"Don't tell me to calm down!" Her voice pitched higher. "This is because of that surrogate, isn't it? She's bad luck. I told you we should've used a clinic—"
"Seraphina." His voice went cold. "It has nothing to do with her. Stop being paranoid."
She went quiet. Then her heels clicked — sharp and furious — straight toward my room.
The door flew open. Seraphina stood there, makeup perfect, eyes murderous.
"What did you do?" she hissed.
I looked up from my book, innocent. "I'm sorry?"
"Don't play dumb." She stalked closer. "My accounts are frozen. Dominic's company is being audited. And you're sitting here like nothing's happening?"
I placed a hand on my belly. "Miss Cole, I'm a surrogate. I don't even have internet access. What could I possibly do?"
Her jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle spasm. She grabbed my book and hurled it across the room.
"If I find out you're behind this—"
"Behind what?" Dominic's voice came from the doorway.
Seraphina spun around, and like a switch being flipped, her face crumpled into tears.
"Dominic..." She rushed to him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm so stressed about the audit. And I came to check on the baby, but she — she was being so cold to me. I just lost my temper. I'm sorry."
Dominic's arm wrapped around her automatically. He looked at me over her head. "Did you provoke her?"
I shook my head.
"Then why is she crying?"
I said nothing. There was nothing I could say that he'd believe over her.
He guided Seraphina away, murmuring comfort. At the door, he paused. "Keep to yourself. Don't cause problems."
The door shut. I was alone again.
I picked up my book from the floor and smoothed the bent pages.
Three more months. I just needed three more months.
That night, Callum slipped another note under my door.
*The audit turned up discrepancies. Laurent Medical's legal team is preparing a civil suit. Seraphina's real identity documents are being retrieved from the orphanage's sealed records. Estimated timeline: 8 weeks.*
Eight weeks. My baby would be at twenty weeks. Viable. Safe.
I placed both hands on my stomach and whispered to the tiny heartbeat inside me.
"Just hold on, little one. Mama's going to give you the world."
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