The Surrogate He Discarded

Katherine lowered her phone and stared at the darkened screen in disbelief.

The call had ended with Kristine telling her not to worry, that she was fine, and that she simply wanted to get some rest.

That was it.

She heard no accusations, no frantic questions, no sobbing from the other end.

There was nothing at all.

A frown creased Katherine’s forehead.

How could she remain so calm when the internet was in frenzy? And it was all about her husband.

After everything she had just seen, Kristine should have been sobbing, screaming, demanding answers from Morgan. She should have been venting her heartbreak to the one person who had supposedly come to comfort her.

Instead...

She had sounded almost... relieved.

Katherine bit her lower lip, irritation bubbling inside her.

Had the three-month coma dulled her emotions and her cognitive function?

Or worse...

Had Kristine’s faith in Morgan become so absolute that not even hundreds of photos, edited videos, and millions of online opinions could shake it?

The thought unsettled her. For the first time, Katherine realized she didn’t understand her sister at all.

Most women would have jumped to conclusions and believed what they saw and what others told them to.

But Kristine had chosen to look closer.

Katherine’s grip on the phone tightened.

With a frustrated sigh, she opened the trending page again. The posts about Morgan and Isobel continued to multiply by the second. New videos, speculative articles, and countless comments flooded her screen.

Her thumb hovered over the display before she deliberately tapped the heart icon beneath one of the posts.

Then another. And another.

If Kristine refused to doubt Morgan...

Perhaps the rest of the world would do it for her.

...

At The Apex penthouse, Charlotte collapsed into Kristoff’s arms the moment the door closed.

The composure she had struggled to maintain throughout the evening shattered all at once.

She buried her face against his chest, her shoulders trembling as her frustration, embarrassment, and resentment spilled over.

”Kristoff...” she choked out between sobs. ”I’ve never been so humiliated in my life.”

Tears soaked into the front of his shirt.

”Isobel did it on purpose. She knew everyone was watching. She knew she’d outshine me.” Charlotte’s voice cracked. ”The moment she started singing... I felt like a complete fool standing beside her. I wasn’t the star anymore. I looked like nothing more than a clown.”

Kristoff wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently stroked her back.

”There, there,” he murmured.

But his voice was distant.

Charlotte sniffled and looked up at him with reddened eyes.

”And Martin...” she said bitterly. ”That traitor! He promised to help me, yet he let Isobel sing the entire song by herself. He abandoned me in front of everyone.”

She expected Kristoff to curse Martin, to comfort her, to assure her that she had done nothing wrong.

Instead, all she received was another absent-minded pat on the back.

Kristoff’s gaze had long since drifted elsewhere. His thoughts weren’t in the penthouse.

They were still at the summit.

More specifically...they were with Isobel.

He had learned that she was staying in one of the executive suites on the twelfth floor.

The information lingered in his mind like an invitation.

Charlotte continued venting, oblivious to the fact that the man holding her wasn’t truly listening.

His body was with her.

His mind was somewhere else entirely.

...

When Charlotte finally admitted that Isobel had outperformed her, an unexpected feeling stirred within Kristoff.

It was a quiet pride. And it came to him, unbidden. He hadn’t expected to feel it, yet it swelled in his chest all the same.

He had witnessed Isobel’s performance himself.

She commanded the stage with effortless grace, her voice soaring through the grand hall with a purity that had left the audience spellbound. Even he couldn’t deny it.

She had been extraordinary.

Realizing where his thoughts had wandered, Kristoff quickly pushed them aside and turned his attention back to Charlotte.

”Why compare yourself to her?” he said, his voice calm but restrained. ”You’re two different people. Each of you has your own strengths.”

Charlotte looked up at him, her tear-filled eyes softening.

”You’re right,” she whispered, managing a fragile smile. ”Thank you for reminding me.”

She slipped her arms around his neck.

”And... thank you for always being here for me.”

Rising onto her tiptoes, she pressed a gentle kiss against his lips.

Kristoff remained still.

In the past, her kisses had made his heart race. Now... They felt strangely unfamiliar. There was something wrong in them.

A faint crease formed between his brows. He couldn’t explain why.

He quietly stepped back, creating just enough distance to end the embrace.

”You should get some rest,” he said. ”You’ve been through enough today.”

Charlotte blinked in surprise.

”You’re leaving?”

Kristoff nodded. He turned around and headed for the door.

”I need to head back to the summit. The event is still underway, and as one of the hosts, I shouldn’t be absent for long.”

He paused for a fraction of a second.

”Besides...”

His gaze drifted briefly toward the window before he caught himself.

”There are still a few things I need to take care of.”

Charlotte didn’t question him. She simply assumed he was talking about the summit.

Kristoff let her believe it.

As the words left his mouth, the image of Isobel flashed across his mind once again.

Suite 1212.

He hadn’t meant to remember the room number.

Yet somehow...he had.

...

Kristoff had barely taken a few steps toward the door when a delighted squeal rang out behind him.

Charlotte was staring at her phone, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction.

A slow, triumphant smile spread across her lips.

”Hmph...” she murmured. ”Let’s see if you can still stay so calm after this.”

She had meant to keep the words to herself. She hadn’t realized she’d spoken them aloud.

Just as she was about to scroll through the comments again, a deep voice sounded from behind her.

”What did you just say?”

Charlotte stiffened. Her smile vanished instantly. She turned around to find Kristoff standing only a few feet away.

He hadn’t left after all.

His brows were drawn together, his sharp eyes fixed on her.

A faint crease formed between his brows.