The Surrogate He Discarded

Kristoff walked toward the VIP table with measured strides, every step controlled, every expression carefully schooled into calm. A seat had been reserved for him among the distinguished guests.

As fate would have it, the only vacant chairs in the table was the one beside Isobel.

Two of them.

It was is if the people in the VIP table knew she wasn’t that important to warrant their time.

Kristoff while standing on stage earlier, his thoughts had been consumed by a single question.

How was Isobel sitting at the VIP table?

Even as an executive assistant, she was still merely categorized as secretary, and secretaries do not deserve a seat at the VIP table. That was not what he just believed but the norm in the corporate world.

The seats at this table were reserved for executives, investors, and individuals of significance. Even within Aioryx, only Morgan should have been entitled to sit here.

Then Morgan’s words resurfaced in his mind, repeating over and over like an unwelcome echo.

She is an important asset to my company.

Kristoff frowned.

He knew better than most how exceptional Isobel was.

Back in college, her academic record had been flawless. She hadn’t simply graduated at the top of her class—she had dominated the entire university. Professors admired her. Recruiters pursued her. Her future had once seemed limitless.

It was precisely why Dalton Technologies had invited her for a job interview with a guaranteed job offer and why he had personally selected her.

He had stolen an entire year of her life and in that one year, she disappeared into oblivion to carry his heir.

A year she could never recover.

Yet one question continued to gnaw at him.

How had she managed to rise again so quickly?

What had she done at Aioryx to earn Morgan’s trust to such an extent that she was seated beside him among the company’s most important people?

The questions lingered as Kristoff reached the table and pulled out the chair next to hers.

The moment he sat down, their eyes met.

His breath caught.

Up close, her eyes were even more striking than he remembered. They seemed brighter beneath the chandelier lights, their familiar warmth impossible to ignore.

For a fleeting second, they widened with the same innocent anticipation he used to see whenever he approached her.

The same look she wore when he pulled her into his arms.

When he leaned in for a kiss.

When she looked at him as though he was her entire world.

Stop. He chided himself.

Kristoff clenched his jaw.

The memories were dangerous and he quickly pushed them away. He buried them beneath a mask of indifference and turned his attention toward the stage.

When Morgan’s name was announced, the audience erupted into applause.

Kristoff nodded at him in acknowledgement as he stood and walked toward the stage.

Beside him, Isobel immediately straightened in her seat.

Her face lit up.

She clapped enthusiastically, genuine admiration shining in her eyes as Morgan stepped onto the stage to present Aioryx’s latest innovations.

A muscle ticked in Kristoff’s jaw. Jealousy flared unexpectedly, hot and irrational.

A vein pulsed at his temple.

How dare she look at another man like that?

How dare she admire him so openly?

”So, Miss Lancey,” he said, unable to hide the edge in his voice, ”what exactly did you do to deserve a seat here?”

The question sliced through her excitement. She turned toward him, surprise flickering across her face.

Now, he got her full attention and his tensed jaw relaxed.

Because they were seated so close together, Kristoff noticed every subtle change in her expression.

The light in her eyes dimmed.

”I... Kristoff, I—”

”Address me as Mr. Dalton, Miss Lancey.”

The command came sharply. Cold and authoritative. The voice of a CEO, not a former lover.

For a brief moment, something flashed across Isobel’s face.

Pain and embarrassment. Then it vanished behind a polite smile, a smile that never reached her eyes.

”My apologies for the familiarity, Mr. Dalton,” she said softly.

The formal title should have pleased him. He was the one who demanded it. Yet hearing the distance in her voice unsettled him far more than he expected.

”There are rumors circulating, Miss Lancey,” he continued. ”Quite persistent ones, in fact. They’ve spread so far they’ve even reached Dalton Technologies.”

He watched her carefully. He waited for any sign that the rumors were true.

Her eyes widened. Instinctively, her hand flew to her lips. The reaction was immediate and unguarded.

Somehow, Kristoff felt relieved. The rumor must not be true. He needed to probe some more.

Isobel realized she overreacted, she slowly lowered her hand and composed herself.

”As you said, they’re merely rumors, Mr. Dalton.”

Her voice regained its calm professionalism.

”Besides, Mr. Morgan is a respectable and honorable man. He would never do such a thing.”

There she was again, defending Morgan. She spoke of him with unwavering conviction and deep loyalty.

Kristoff’s hands curled into fists beneath the table.

”There is no fire without smoke, Miss Lancey.” His tone remained deceptively calm.

”And you sitting here tonight—isn’t that proof enough?”

The effect of his words was immediate.

Isobel stared at him as if she couldn’t quite believe what she had heard.

Shock spread across her features.

Then came the hurt. Raw and undeniable. Her face flushed crimson. Tears shimmered in those beautiful light brown depths threatening to fall, orbs that reminded him of rosewood.

The pain in her eyes struck him harder than he anticipated.

Isobel blinked rapidly, forcing tears back. She refused to let him see her break. Not in a place like that and a time like that.

Something twisted painfully inside Kristoff’s chest. A sharp, unexpected ache. As though invisible fingers had reached inside and squeezed his heart.

For a moment, he struggled to breathe.

Isobel parted her lips, clearly preparing to respond.

But before a single word could leave her mouth, a sudden commotion erupted near the entrance of the grand hall.

Heads turned. Conversations halted. Even Morgan who was about to start his speech paused.

The entire room shifted its attention toward the doors.