The Surrogate He Discarded

”That was incredible, Isobel.” Martin was still slightly breathless from the demanding final notes of the song. He looked at her with undisguised admiration. ”I had no idea you could sing like that. I think you’re in the wrong profession.”

The audience burst into laughter and applauded.

Then someone from the crowd shouted, ”Are you asking her to retire and sign her instead?”

More laughter erupted throughout the hall.

But someone shouted, ”No way! She is our tech genius.”

Martin raised both hands in surrender.

”Hey, don’t get me in trouble. I’m just joking.”

The crowd laughed again, enjoying the unexpected exchange.

Beside him, Charlotte’s smile felt stiff on her face.

She knew she had to do something...to say something.

If she remained silent while everyone praised Isobel, she would only make herself look petty and jealous.

”Wow, Miss Lancey,” Charlotte said warmly, slipping back into the polished smile she had perfected over years in the entertainment industry. ”I didn’t know you could sing so beautifully.”

She turned to Isobel and added in a humble tone, ”You sing better than I do.”

The audience responded with approving applause.

Only Charlotte knew how much those words burned her throat. Every compliment she offered felt like swallowing shards of glass.

As an entertainer, however, she understood the importance of appearances. No matter how furious she felt inside, she had to remain gracious.

”See?” Martin immediately seized upon her words. ”Even Charlotte agrees.”

He turned toward Isobel with a grin.

”So, how about it? Want to record an album with me?”

The hall instantly fell silent. Then came a chorus of gasps.

Even the reporters present looked stunned.

Martin was one of the country’s most popular singers. Countless aspiring artists dreamed of receiving such an invitation.

And yet he had just casually offered it to a woman who wasn’t even in the music industry.

Isobel stared at him, momentarily speechless. The confidence she had displayed while singing vanished almost instantly.

She had only agreed to sing because she had been cornered into it. This level of attention was far beyond anything she wanted.

She could feel hundreds of eyes fixed on her.

It was overwhelming.

Across the hall, both Kristoff and Morgan wore dark expressions. Neither of them appreciated the direction this conversation was taking.

Martin, however, seemed completely oblivious.

What had started as a musical performance had somehow turned into a talk show, and judging by the audience’s reactions, they were thoroughly entertained.

The host approached and whispered something into Martin’s ear.

Martin nodded before turning back to Isobel.

”Looks like we’re running out of time.” He smiled. ”But there’s one thing I’m curious about.”

The audience quieted immediately.

Martin’s gaze remained fixed on Isobel.

”When you were singing that song, it didn’t feel like you were simply performing.”

His voice softened.

”It felt like every word came straight from your heart.”

A knowing murmur swept through the audience. Several guests exchanged meaningful looks, clearly eager to hear Isobel’s answer.

Isobel, however, remained composed.

She smiled faintly and turned the question around.

”Aren’t you the same, Mr. Carter?” she asked. ”When you were singing, it felt as though you were pouring your soul into every word.”

The audience nodded in agreement.

She continued, ”Anyone listening would think you were confessing your love to someone.”

Laughter rippled through the hall.

Martin chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck.

”Well, I suppose my partner’s emotions influenced mine.”

His gaze briefly drifted toward Isobel before he added, ”When someone sings from the heart, it’s hard not to respond the same way.”

The audience erupted into whistles and cheers.

Charlotte’s smile nearly cracked. The words sounded innocent enough, but to her, they landed like repeated slaps across the face.

She had sung with Martin countless times. Yet never had he looked so absorbed. Never had his eyes followed her every movement. Never had he forgotten his cue because he was too busy staring at her.

During their performances together, Martin had always been professional, talented, and charming.

But today... today, he had been captivated. And everyone saw it.

And everyone had noticed. Everyone except, perhaps, Isobel herself.

Charlotte could already imagine tomorrow’s entertainment headlines.

”The King of Pop Left Speechless by a Tech Genius.”

Or worse—

”Martin Carter Falls for Mysterious Techie During Live Performance.”

The mere thought made her blood pressure rise. She had planned for a press release about Isobel singing badly but it backfired on her.

On stage, Martin tilted his head and smiled.

”I have a question for you, Isobel.”

The audience immediately quieted down.

”Who were you thinking about while you were singing?”

A collective gasp swept through the hall. The question everyone wanted answered had finally been asked.

Isobel blinked.

Then she looked across the crowd.

For a brief moment, she found the situation amusing.

Growing up, she had always thought that only entertainment reporters and gossip enthusiasts enjoyed this sort of drama.

Yet here sat some of the brightest minds in the technology industry, watching her with the same curiosity as fans following celebrity scandals.

Apparently, being intelligent didn’t make people immune to gossip.

The entire hall waited for her answer.

Isobel’s gaze drifted across the audience before finally settling on Morgan.

A smile appeared on her face.

”Kristine,” she said.

Silence followed her pronouncement.

Martin blinked.

”Kristine?” he repeated. ”A woman?”

His eyes widened slightly.

He unconsciously looked Isobel up and down, as though verifying that she was, in fact, also a woman.

The audience burst into laughter.

Isobel chuckled.

Isobel chuckled softly.

”And Morgan.”

The laughter died instantly. For a heartbeat, the hall fell silent.

Then hundreds of heads swiveled toward Morgan Foster.

Morgan nearly choked on his drink.

Of all the answers she could have given, why did she have to drag him into this?

He could already feel the curious stares boring into him from every direction.

Across the table, Kristoff’s expression darkened.

On stage, Martin blinked in surprise.

”Morgan?”

Isobel nodded.

”The song is about romantic love, but when I heard the lyrics, I couldn’t help thinking of two persons.”

The audience listened attentively.

”The person who wrote that song may never have met them, but it feels as though it was written specifically for their story.”

A smile touched her lips as she recalled the countless moments she had witnessed at the Foster residence.

”The promises in the lyrics—the loyalty, the devotion, the willingness to stay together through every hardship—that’s exactly what I see whenever I look at them.”

Her gaze drifted toward Morgan.

”Anyone can say ’forever,’ but not everyone can spend years proving it.”

The hall grew quiet.

Suddenly, what had begun as a playful question had turned into something unexpectedly heartfelt.

Even Morgan found himself momentarily speechless.