Chapter 4
Mila barely slept.
The bed was too soft. The silence too loud. Everything felt unfamiliar, like she was wearing someone else's life. When morning light filtered through the curtains, she was already awake, staring at the ceiling and listening to a house that didn't breathe the way normal homes did.
A soft knock came at exactly seven.
"Miss Hart," Clara said gently. "The doctor is here."
Mila rose quickly, smoothing her clothes, her nerves tightening as she followed Clara downstairs.
The examination room was part of the house itself, modern, spotless, equipped with machines she'd only ever seen in hospitals. A middle-aged doctor greeted her with a calm smile and professional eyes.
"Good morning, Mila. Please sit."
Adrian was already there.
He stood near the window, arms crossed, gaze fixed on the city below. He didn't look at her when she entered, but she felt his awareness shift immediately.
The doctor reviewed her file. "All initial screenings are excellent. Today we'll be confirming implantation readiness and walking through the timeline."
Mila nodded, hands clasped together.
Adrian turned slightly. "Proceed."
The examination was quiet, clinical. Questions about her cycle, her health, her habits. Mila answered everything honestly, even when her voice shook.
"The embryo transfer will take place in forty-eight hours," the doctor said finally. "After that, we monitor closely."
Mila's breath caught.
Forty-eight hours.
So close.
"You'll remain here under observation for the first few weeks," the doctor continued. "Stress must be minimized. Physical activity restricted."
Adrian nodded once. "Ensure she has everything required."
Mila glanced at him, surprised by the wording.
Ensure she has everything required.
Not the surrogate.
She.
The doctor finished explaining the procedure and left them alone.
Silence settled between them.
"This is your last chance to withdraw," Adrian said without turning to her. "No penalties. No explanations."
Mila lifted her chin. "I'm not withdrawing."
He finally faced her.
Up close, his expression was unreadable but something darker lingered in his eyes. Not anger. Not doubt.
Conflict.
"Once this begins," he said quietly, "your life will change."
"So will yours," she replied before she could stop herself.
The air shifted.
Adrian stared at her for a long moment, then looked away. "You should rest."
She nodded and turned to leave, her heart pounding.
At the door, his voice stopped her.
"Mila."
She turned.
"You are not replaceable." His jaw tightened. "Remember that."
Then he dismissed her with a glance, as if he hadn't just shaken her to her core.
---
That night, Mila lay in bed, staring at the ceiling again.
She pressed a hand to her stomach, the weight of what was coming settling deep inside her.
In forty-eight hours, her body would no longer be hers alone.
And somewhere down the hall, Adrian Blackwood stood in the dark of his office, staring at the same future, with a feeling he had no name for.