NEFARIOUS; AN UNLAWFUL DEVOTION

6◽

◽SENSELESS◽

◽THIRD PERSON'S POV◽

"Shut up," his cold, hard stare bore into her. He had never been this stern, even during her most condescending moments. She knew she was crossing a line but had reached a point of no return, determined to secure the only thing that guaranteed her life and future.

"You can't make me, Mr A," she said, her chest heaving. "Your father wouldn’t be so hard on you if you just agreed to screw your morals. If you don’t like the idea of me being a surrogate, then just fuck me, Mr A. Its a no strings attached." She knew that digging into his pain was her best tactic.

He took deliberate steps toward her, and she moved back. She wasn’t one to scare easily, but she had never seen this side of him before.

"Why do such foul words come from such a beautiful mouth?" he asked, his eyes locked onto hers. She felt her resolve weaken under his gaze. She always stood her ground when necessary, but having him this close clouded her judgment. She felt she might say something regrettable if she wasn't careful.

"Fine, surrogacy it is," he finally said, she exhaled a sigh of relief and smiling in triumph. "See? It wasn’t so hard, was it?" She placed her hand on his chest, trying to create space between them, but he wouldn’t move, continuing to look down at her.

He took her hand gently, lifting it off his chest. "You may think you've won, but I know the games you are playing."

◽◽◽◽

"Your partner is quite healthy, Mr. Angelini, and we might not need an egg donor. Her health is excellent," the doctor said, reviewing the test results.

Marco was torn. He knew Marian could be unpredictable and didn’t want a future complication. But he also realized that going through with this plan might be the only way to shield her from his father's interference. Over time, he had grown used to her presence.

"If you’re ready, we can proceed to the next steps," the doctor continued. "We’ll start by synchronizing the surrogate's cycle with hers through medication. Once that's complete, we'll retrieve her eggs and fertilize them with your sperm in a lab. After a few days, we'll transfer the embryo to the Marian's uterus."

Marco nodded, taking it all in. Despite his reservations, he was determined to make this work. "Let’s schedule the earliest appointment possible," he said.

Marian wasn’t trembling, but her mind was racing. Could she really go through with this? Did it make sense?

Sensing her hesitation, Marco placed his hand reassuringly on hers.

She took a deep breath and decided almost immediately. This was the only way to ensure her life didn’t come to a standstill.

They scheduled the procedure for two weeks later.

As the buildings blurred past the car window on their way home, she hated having to wait two more weeks before she could fully embrace her decision.

The outside world felt so different, especially after the last time she had stepped out. The house seemed more stifling now.

"Are you hungry?" Marco asked, breaking the silence that enveloped the car.

"Yeah, a little," she replied, though she wasn't in the mood for conversation. It felt like a classic case of Stockholm syndrome.

Why did she find him so appealing when she should be planning his demise for disrupting her life?

"Can we stop at Providence? I’m craving seafood," she said, waiting for a response. After all, if she was going to carry his baby just for the little price of completing her finals, the least he could do was cater to her food cravings.