THE BILLIONAIRE'S SURROGATE BABY

Chapter 2

                      PHOENIX

I smiled as he handed me the money, taking a moment to savor the scent of the cash before passing over the phone.

Who says money can't buy happiness? It certainly can buy mine.

"You can add some extra cash," I suggested, prompting him to roll his eyes.

"Get more phones, that's all," he retorted before walking away. What a loner.

I tucked the money into my pocket, but first, I decided to pick up some food staples and maybe a new shirt. I could count my wardrobe's contents on one hand, but as long as I had something to wear, I didn't mind.

But first, I wondered if Darcy might have a job for me today. I quickly dialed her number.

"Any jobs?" I inquired as soon as she answered.

"Yes, by 4," she replied before abruptly ending the call. I couldn't help but smile at her efficiency before slipping my phone back into my pocket.

Stealing was an easy gig for me. It's not that I enjoyed it - well, maybe I did - but I had to do it. After my dad lost his job and my mom left amid the chaos, we struggled to afford rent and often went hungry. With school fees out of reach, I had to find a solution - something that could cover all our expenses.

I tried to find legitimate work, but no one wanted an inexperienced kid like me. Restaurant jobs barely kept us fed, so I turned to stealing, and it's been putting food on the table ever since.

With my ill-gotten gains, I managed to grab some essentials for home and even picked up shirts for my sister and dad. They'd appreciate the gesture.

~~

4 pm arrived, and I prepared for the job. Summoning a cab, I headed to the designated location, where I found Darcy already waiting for me.

"You're late," she chided, barely concealing her irritation.

"Just 30 minutes," I retorted, smirking.

"Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes.

"What's the job about?" I inquired, moving closer to her.

She sighed and retrieved her phone. "We're after a piece of jewelry from a woman's house. It's very valuable," she explained.

"The pay?" I asked eagerly.

"$5000," she stated, causing me to gasp in disbelief.

"Seriously?" I questioned, surprised by the unusually high payout for a jewelry theft.

"In or out?" she pressed.

"Hell yes," I exclaimed, unable to contain my excitement.

"You and two others will enter the house. Supposedly, the woman and her husband are on vacation, so don't mess this up," Darcy warned.

"Do I ever mess things up?" I replied with a smirk, earning another eye roll from her.

"Just do the job well; that jewelry is worth a fortune," she reminded me sternly. With $5000 on the line, I was determined to succeed, no matter what.

My two accomplices and I positioned ourselves at the corner of the expansive and Beautiful house. It was a sight to behold, but I knew that stealing a mere piece of jewelry wouldn't dent the owner's wealth.

"You go through that area and ensure nobody's coming. If you spot anyone, just click this button, and I'll be notified," I instructed one of the guys, receiving a nod in response.

"You follow me," I directed the other.

Sneaking into the house with my partner, we meticulously searched each room for the coveted jewelry. Despite our thorough efforts, it remained the couldn't find it until a glimmer of gold caught my eye. Swiftly grabbing it, I prepared to make our escape.