THE BILLIONAIRE'S SURROGATE BABY

Chapter 22

                          PHOENIX

  As I walked away, I couldn't shake off the bitterness that had been festering inside me. Rome's wealth was a constant reminder of the vast divide between us, and his attempts at kindness felt like empty gestures to mask the reality of our differences.

But as I retreated to my room, I couldn't ignore the pang of guilt gnawing at me. Maybe I was being too harsh on Rome. After all, he didn't choose to be born into wealth any more than I chose to be born into poverty. Yet, the resentment lingered, fueled by years of feeling overlooked and inferior.

Lost in my thoughts, I heard a knock on the door. Tentatively, I opened it to find Rome standing there, a solemn expression on his face.

"Can we talk?" he asked softly, and despite my initial reluctance, I nodded, allowing him to enter.

Sitting across from each other, He looked at me for a while before sighing.

"Aunt Zara told me everything," Rome admitted, causing me to nod in acknowledgment.

"And I get that she was really selfish, leaving her own family for wealth," he continued.

"If it happens to me, I know I won't forgive her, or rather, it will take time to forgive her," he added.

"Yeah, if she sent you here to talk to me about what she did so I could forgive her, it won't work at all," I stated firmly, making him frown.

"No, she didn't, but you have been acting so mean lately," he pointed out, but I just rolled my eyes.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, clearly frustrated. I ignored him instead I looked at the ceiling.

" Call me when something is wrong" he said walking out of my room.

~~~~

  The scent of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air as Phoenix sat across from Rome in the sleek, minimalist kitchen of his Mansion. It had been weeks since they last spoke, tension thick between them like a fog refusing to lift.

Rome’s piercing gaze bore into Phoenix’s, his expression a mixture of apprehension and determination.

“I need to talk to you about something,” he began, his voice betraying none of the emotions swirling inside him.

Phoenix nodded, her heart pounding in her chest.

“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” Phoenix continued, his hands fidgeting with the handle of his coffee mug.

"About the baby," Rome began, catching Phoenix's attention as she nodded in response.

"So, I wanted to restock since the gender will be out tomorrow," he explained.

"That's great," Phoenix replied, and Rome nodded in agreement.

"What do you think will be the gender?" Phoenix inquired curiously.

"Uhmm, Georgia has also thought it will be a girl," Rome revealed, surprising Phoenix as he mentioned his wife for the first time.

"I want any gender at all," he continued, flashing a smile.

"Even if it's gay?" Phoenix teased with a smile of her own, causing Rome to chuckle. Phoenix couldn't help but smile at his laughter. This was a new side of him.

"Except that," he replied with a grin.

~~

  The sterile scent of the hospital surrounded them as Rome and Phoenix sat side by side in the waiting room, the anticipation palpable between them. Rome’s leg bounced nervously as they waited for their turn to see the doctor, his mind racing with a thousand questions and fears.

Finally, the nurse called their names, and they followed her down the corridor to the examination room. S
Phoenix settled onto the examination table, her hands trembling slightly as she waited for the doctor to arrive.

Dr. Phil entered the room with a warm smile, flipping through Phoenix ’s file as he greeted them.

“So, today we’re going to take a look at the baby and see if we can determine the gender,” he explained, his tone light and reassuring.

  Rome’s heart skipped a beat at the mention of the gender reveal. Despite his reservations about Phoenix, the thought of becoming a father filled him with an inexplicable sense of joy.

As Dr. Phil applied the gel to Phoenix’s stomach and began to move the ultrasound wand, Rome held his breath, his eyes fixed on the screen. And then, there it was—a tiny, fluttering heartbeat, a miniature life growing inside Phoenix’s womb.

“And…there we go,” Dr. Phil announced, pointing to the screen. “Looks like you’re having a…”

Rome’s heart pounded in his chest as he waited for the words that would change everything. And then, as if in a dream, he heard the doctor say, “It’s a boy.”

A surge of emotion washed over Rome as he stared at the screen, his eyes brimming with tears of joy. A son. His son.

Phoenix smiled widely at the thought. The baby was bound to inherit Rome's features, making them look so alike. Yet, it wasn't her child, and she harbored no desire for any baby whatsoever.

~~

  The next day, Rome found himself standing outside a baby shop with Phoenix,his mind still reeling from the revelation of Rome baby’s gender. He had never imagined himself in this situation—shopping for baby clothes with a woman he barely knew—but the thought of his son filled him with a sense of purpose he had never felt before.

As they browsed the racks of tiny onesies and miniature shoes, Rome couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Phoenix holding up a tiny blue romper, a look of wonder on her face.

“You know,” he said softly, surprising even himself with the tenderness in his voice, “I think that would look pretty good on Him”

Phoenix glanced up at him, smiling widely. For a moment, the walls between them seemed to fade away, leaving only the shared joy of parenthood.

" He would look like you a lot" Phoenix said and she kept the shoe of the cart.

" I hope so" he said and continued rolling the cart.

~~

As they arrived home, all the baby's items were arranged in the nursery. Phoenix retreated to her own room, had her bath, and changed into her nightwear.

Emerging from her room, she strolled through the corridors and noticed a closed door she had never seen anyone enter before.

Curiosity piqued, she approached the door, peeking inside. The room was dimly lit, but she ventured in and switched on the light.

The room was spacious and beautifully decorated, suggesting someone had lived there before. However, it appeared to have been neglected, with dust accumulating.

She made her way to the closet and opened it, finding it filled with women's clothes.

"Wow," she murmured, taken aback.

Her attention was drawn to a picture, and she picked it up. It depicted a woman smiling brightly.

Who was this woman?

"Or was it Georgia, Rome's wife?" she pondered aloud, noticing another picture beside it.

This one featured Rome and Georgia together, and Rome looked genuinely happy.

A smile tugged at Phoenix's lips as she examined the photo.

"What the hell are you doing here?" a voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.

To be continued...