The Surrogate He Discarded

In Room 1212, Isobel had just finished freshening up and was about to return to the summit hall.

Then the doorbell chimed.

A smile instinctively curved her lips.

Could it be Morgan?

She crossed the room in silence, her bare feet sinking softly into the plush Persian rug. Without a second thought, she reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open, the welcoming smile still on her face.

The smile vanished. Her body went rigid.

Shock flashed across her eyes as she stared at the person standing outside.

”You...” she breathed, her voice barely above a whisper.

”What are you doing here?” Isobel asked, still staring at him in surprise.

Kristoff slipped one hand into his pocket, looking completely at ease.

”Why can’t I come?” he replied with a faint smile. ”I’m here to visit the mother of my child.”

The words were spoken so casually that Isobel’s cheeks instantly flushed.

”You...” She glared at him, flustered. ”Don’t say things like that.”

”It’s the truth, isn’t it?” Kristoff replied, the corners of his lips lifting as amusement flickered in his eyes.

For a fleeting moment, Isobel’s heart skipped. Then the warmth in her expression disappeared.

She remembered the day at the hospital.

”Don’t appear in front of me again.”

”Keep your distance.”

His cold, merciless words echoed in her ears as vividly as if he had spoken them yesterday.

The softness in her eyes vanished, replaced by an icy calm.

Kristoff’s smile slowly faded.

He instinctively took a step back, surprised by the sudden change in her demeanor.

”You were the one who told me to stay away from you,” Isobel said quietly. ”You told me never to appear before you again.”

Her voice wasn’t loud. But each word struck him harder than if she had shouted.

Because she was right. He had said those things. He had hurt her.

An uncomfortable silence settled between them.

Kristoff opened his mouth to explain. ”Can’t I change my mind?”

Isobel was dumbfounded. But it was only for a moment.

Breaking eye contact, Isobel glanced anxiously down the hallway.

”What if someone sees you here?” she asked softly. ”People will misunderstand.”

Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

”They’re far more likely to misunderstand if you keep me standing outside your room.”

Isobel followed his gaze. The hallway was empty for now but anyone could step out of the elevator at any moment.

Realizing he had a point, she stepped aside and opened the door wider.

”Fine.” She sighed in resignation. ”Come inside.”

A satisfied smile tugged at the corners of Kristoff’s lips as he walked past her into the room.

...

The moment Kristoff stepped inside, Isobel quickly closed the door.

She turned around and folded her arms.

”Now tell me, Mr. Dalton, why are you really here?”

Kristoff did not answer immediately. Instead, he studied her face... the face he saw in his dreams countless times.

”Kristoff,” He said casually.

Isobel frowned.

”In private, don’t call me Mr. Dalton,” he paused and looked at her face as if trying to see the hurt in it.

”You still don’t know, do you?”

Isobel frowned.

”Know what?”

Without a word, Kristoff unlocked his phone and handed it to her.

The moment her eyes landed on the screen, her breath caught.

Photo after photo filled the trending page.

There were pictures of her and Morgan walking onto the stage together, standing shoulder to shoulder during the presentation, and leaning toward each other as they discussed the project.

Cleverly chosen camera angles made every interaction appear far more intimate than it really was.

Some images had even been zoomed in and cropped to suggest lingering glances and stolen moments.

Beneath them were sensational headlines.

Billionaire CEO’s Secret Affair Exposed!

Married Business Tycoon Caught Getting Cozy with Rising Tech Genius!

Who Is the Woman Stealing a Husband and Father’s Heart?

The comments were even crueler.

”Shameless homewrecker.”

”She knew he was married.”

”Poor wife and children.”

They were completely the opposite of the earlier trending topics where people praised them for the perfect match.

The color slowly drained from Isobel’s face. Her fingers tightened around the phone as disbelief gave way to anger.

”This...” she whispered, her voice trembling. ”...This is absurd.”

She looked up at Kristoff, her eyes filled with shock and confusion, as though she still couldn’t comprehend what she had just seen.

”They twisted everything,” she said, shaking her head. ”None of these are true.”

Her voice grew steadier, almost pleading.

”I’ve never harbored any improper feelings for Morgan. Never.”

She lowered her gaze to the phone again.

”He loves Kristine more than anything. Everyone can see it.” A faint smile tugged at her lips as she remembered the way Morgan always spoke about his wife. ”The way he looked at her... the way he protected her... it’s impossible to mistake.”

She looked back at Kristoff.

”How could I ever think of ruining a love like theirs?”

Unable to resist, she continued scrolling through the comments.

At first, people had been playfully ”shipping” her with Morgan, calling them a perfect match and praising their chemistry on stage.

But as more information surfaced—that Morgan was married with children—the tone shifted dramatically.

The comments turned vicious.

The same people who had been cheering moments ago were now calling her a homewrecker, a gold digger, and a shameless mistress.

With every swipe, the words became crueler than the last. Isobel felt her chest tighten.

The internet had already found its villain. And it was her!

Homewrecker.

Gold digger.

She is destroying a family.

Thousands of hateful messages flooded the screen.

Her fingers begin to tremble. Kristoff quietly takes the phone back before she can read any more.

”Don’t.”

She forced a smile.

”I’ve been insulted before.”

”No,” Kristoff said firmly. ”Not like this.”

For the first time, he realized just how dangerous social media can be.

He looked at her.

”You’re not going back downstairs.”

”What?” Isobel’s mouth formed a big O.

”The summit can continue without you.”

”I can’t disappear now. That would only make people think the rumors are true.” Isobel said.

Kristoff can’t argue with that.

Just then...

Isobel’s phone vibrated.

It was Morgan.

The room suddenly became silent.

Kristoff glanced at the caller ID. His gaze darkened when he saw who it was.

Isobel di not hesitate and pressed the Accept button.

”Morgan?”

Morgan’s calm voice came through the speaker.

”Stay where you are. There are reporters looking for you. I’ll come to you.”

Before Isobel could respond...

Kristoff reached over and took the phone.

”I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

Silence.

Morgan immediately recognized the voice.

”Kristoff, what are doing in the room?”