Mr. Grey-Book I

15

**Emilia**

Nina waved her hands in front of my face, snapping me out of my daze. I blinked, focusing on her concerned expression.

"Are you okay?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "You seemed lost for a moment there."

I cleared my throat, trying to compose myself. "Yes," I replied, my voice sounding unconvincing even to my ears.

Nina stared at me for a moment, clearly not buying it. She glanced up at the increasingly overcast sky. "Let's get you inside before you catch a chill or something."

"Can you do me a favor and help me up? My legs have gone numb," I admitted sheepishly.

She laughed, standing up and extending her hand. "Why didn't you just tell me you were cold in the first place?"

"I really wasn't," I protested as she pulled me to my feet, earning a playful eye roll in response.

"Come on," she said, gesturing towards the house.

As we walked, a question burned in my mind. "How long has Damien been engaged?" I asked, trying to keep my tone casual. My inner voice chided me: *Why do you care so much, Emilia? You're just the surrogate.*

Nina's expression softened. "They were supposed to tie the knot right after his trip to Hong Kong, but then the accident happened, and well... here we are," she explained, her voice tinged with sadness as we left the lawn.

We descended the stairs in silence, my mind racing. *They must really love each other if they were planning to get married,* I thought. Which brought me to my next question.

"Can I ask you something else?" I ventured as we reached the bottom of the stairs.

Nina turned to me, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. "I think I know what you're going to say. I don't know why Kim isn't carrying the baby either. Maybe she didn't want to ruin her perfect bikini body," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "Who cares anyway?" The venom in her voice when speaking about Kim was palpable.

"Actually, I had a different question," I said hesitantly. Nina seemed to know so much about the Greys and everything that happened here. "What about Mr. Grey – Damien's father?"

Nina's demeanor changed instantly. She stepped closer, her voice low and intense. "There are a lot of things you don't know about the Greys, Emilia. Take it from someone who's been here long enough – I'd advise you to curb your curiosity. It won't get you far around here." Her eyes bore into mine. "Trust me when I say you're better off not knowing anything."

I swallowed hard and gave a slight nod, chastened.

Her serious expression melted away, replaced by a bright smile. "Let's go watch TV. I heard there's a repeat of 'The Bachelor' on," she said, ushering me towards the living room.

We settled onto the plush sofa, and Nina began flipping through the channels. As she searched for the show, my mind lingered on her words. What other secrets could the Greys be hiding? What had happened to Mr. Grey? I wondered how long I'd be able to contain my curiosity before it got the better of me.

Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps drew my attention. I looked up to see Lucas entering the living room, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit.