The Surrogate He Discarded

For the first two days after Kristine regained consciousness, Morgan barely left her side.

He worked from home, handling meetings and business matters from his study while keeping a watchful eye on her recovery. Every meal she ate, every medicine she took, and every step she made around the room seemed to require his personal supervision.

By the third day, however, reality finally caught up with him.

An important meeting awaited him at the office—one that couldn’t be postponed or attended remotely.

Standing beside the bed as he adjusted the cuffs of his suit, Morgan looked reluctant to leave.

”Go. I’ll be fine,” Kristine said with a gentle smile, noticing the hesitation in his eyes. ”Besides, the babies will keep me company soon.”

At the mention of their children, a softer expression crossed Morgan’s handsome face.

Even so, he didn’t look entirely convinced.

”Take care of yourself, Honey,” he reminded her for what felt like the hundredth time. ”Don’t overexert yourself.”

”I know.”

Morgan leaned down and pressed a lingering kiss against her forehead, his lips brushing her skin with unmistakable tenderness.

Only after making sure she was comfortable did he finally leave the mansion.

This time, however, he insisted that Isobel ride in the same car as him.

His explanation sounded reasonable enough.

He had several business calls scheduled during the drive and needed someone to take notes.

Still, the arrangement felt unusual.

As fate would have it, Katherine returned from an out-of-town photoshoot at that exact moment.

Her car had barely entered the estate when she spotted Morgan’s luxury sedan waiting near the front entrance.

Through the windshield, she watched Isobel open the passenger door and climb inside.

Katherine’s brows immediately knitted together.

Something about the scene rubbed her the wrong way.

Without hesitation, she pulled out her phone and snapped several photos before the car drove away.

Her gaze darkened as she stared at the images.

She already knew that Morgan had personally brought Kristine home a few days ago.

She had also learned the shocking news that her sister had finally awakened after spending more than three months in a coma.

Everyone in the family should have been focused on Kristine’s recovery.

So why was Isobel suddenly getting so close to Morgan?

A surge of jealousy rose in Katherine’s chest.

Morgan was her brother-in-law, yet she had never once been invited to ride in his car.

And Isobel?

Meanwhile, Isobel—a mere wet nurse from a humble background hired to care for the twins—was riding in his car as if she belonged there.

Why?

What right did she have to sit beside Morgan?

What made her so special?

The thought gnawed at Katherine’s pride, stirring a bitter jealousy she could not suppress.

...

When Katherine entered the mansion, she did not head toward her room beside the nursery.

Instead, she went straight to the third floor.

”Sis!”

She pushed open the master bedroom door with a bright, practiced smile.

The smile faltered almost immediately.

Kristine was standing by the balcony doors, her slender figure bathed in the morning sunlight. Her back was turned, and she seemed lost in thought.

”Sis... Kristine.”

Katherine’s voice softened, carrying just the right amount of excitement and concern.

Kristine looked back while Katherine quickly crossed the room, intending to throw her arms around her sister.

However, she was stopped halfway.

A tall, broad-shouldered woman stepped in front of her, effectively blocking her path.

It was the private nurse Morgan had hired to care for Kristine during the day.

”Ma’am,” the nurse said politely but firmly, ”Madam Kristine is still recovering. Please be gentle with her.”

Katherine’s expression stiffened.

”What?” she asked with obvious displeasure. ”I just want to hug my sister. Is that not allowed?”

The nurse remained unmoved.

Without responding, she walked toward Kristine and carefully guided her back to the bed. Only after helping her sit comfortably on the edge did she step aside.

”Katie,” Kristine called softly.

The irritation on Katherine’s face vanished instantly.

”Sis!”

This time, she hurried over and wrapped her arms around Kristine in a brief embrace before planting a kiss on her cheek.

”I was so worried about you,” she said, her eyes slightly reddening as though she might cry.

Kristine simply smiled.

”It’s good that you’re finally awake,” Katherine continued as she sat beside her. ”Otherwise, your twins might end up calling another woman their mother.”

Kristine blinked.

”Huh?”

She looked genuinely confused.

Katherine rolled her eyes dramatically.

”I assume you’ve already met Isobel.”

At the mention of the woman’s name, Katherine’s tone became noticeably colder.

”That woman spends all day with the babies. She’s feeding them, carrying them, putting them to sleep...”

Katherine spoke bitterly.

”If this continues, she might start thinking they’re hers and the babies are getting attached to her.”

The room fell silent.

The smile on Kristine’s face never wavered.

Somehow, Katherine felt an unfamiliar pressure from her sister’s calm gaze.

”Isobel is helping care for my children,” Kristine said gently.

Then she added with quiet certainty,

”She may be feeding them, but I am still their mother.”

There was no anger in her voice. No insecurity. No jealousy.

Just unwavering confidence.

For a brief moment, Katherine found herself staring. The woman sitting before her looked exactly like her sister.

Yet somehow, she felt completely different from the Kristine she remembered.

”Sis... aren’t you jealous?” Katherine asked softly.

Her gaze remained lowered, making her appear concerned, but from beneath her lashes, she carefully studied her twin sister’s reaction.

Kristine was silent for a moment.

”At first, I was,” she admitted honestly.

Katherine’s eyes lit up. But before she could speak, Kristine continued.

”However, while I was unconscious, she cared for my babies when I couldn’t. She fed them, comforted them, and stayed by their side.”

A gentle smile touched her lips.

”Shouldn’t I be grateful for that?”

She lifted her eyes and met Katherine’s gaze directly. There was no resentment. No jealousy. No fear. Only calm certainty.

For a brief moment, Katherine was caught off guard.

This was not the reaction she had expected.

The Kristine she knew would have panicked by now.

She would have rushed to the nursery, clung to her children, and viewed Isobel as a threat.

But the woman sitting before her remained composed, as though she had already considered every possibility and found no reason to doubt.

A strange unease crept into Katherine’s chest.

Had the three-month coma changed her sister that much?

Or...