The Surrogate He Discarded

”I noticed a newly opened restaurant about a kilometer from here,” Richard said, glancing at Isobel with an expectant smile. ”It’s almost lunchtime. Why don’t we grab a bite, catch up, and come back before the afternoon celebration begins?”

Before Isobel could answer, he turned to the orphanage director.

”Mama Rena, why don’t you join us?”

The older woman chuckled and waved a dismissive hand.

”You two go ahead. I still have plenty to do.” She gestured toward the bustling courtyard outside the office. ”I need to oversee the preparations for this afternoon’s celebration and make sure the children’s lunch is ready.”

Richard smiled knowingly.

”There’s no need to worry about lunch. I already arranged packed meals for everyone. Every child will receive a complete meal, so all you have to do is hand them out.”

Mama Rena’s eyes widened in pleasant surprise before a grateful smile spread across her face.

”You always think of everything, don’t you?”

Richard simply smiled.

”Go on,” Mama Rena urged, shooing them away with both hands. ”You’ve been apart for five years. You have plenty of catching up to do. Don’t let an old woman keep you here.”

Isobel and Richard exchanged amused glances before laughing softly.

”All right,” Isobel said with a nod. ”Let’s go.”

...

A sleek black BMW rolled to a stop beneath the restaurant’s covered entrance.

Richard stepped out from the driver’s seat and handed the keys to the waiting valet before walking around to open the passenger door.

”After you,” he said with a smile.

Isobel couldn’t help but chuckle.

”So gentlemanly.”

Richard merely smiled in response as he escorted her inside.

Instead of choosing a table in the main dining hall, he led her upstairs to a private dining room with the view of the mountains.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the cozy room in a warm golden glow. The peaceful scenery was a stark contrast to the lively chatter drifting up from the restaurant below.

Once they had settled into their seats and the waiter had taken their orders, silence lingered between them for a moment.

Richard was the first to break it.

”Belle...”

There was a gentleness in his voice that immediately caught her attention.

”What happened?”

Isobel blinked.

”You suddenly disappeared two years ago.”

His eyes searched hers.

”You stopped replying to messages. You disappeared from our group chat. Even your social media accounts became inactive.”

He let out a quiet sigh.

”I know I wasn’t very active online, but I always checked on your posts whenever I had the time.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

”I liked seeing your updates. It made me feel like I wasn’t missing out on your life while I was overseas.”

The smile faded almost as quickly as it appeared.

”Then one day...”

”You were just... gone.”

Isobel lowered her gaze, her fingers unconsciously tightening around the glass of water before her.

How could she possibly explain?

That to save the orphanage, she accepted an offer to bear another man’s child. Would Richard despise her?

Her entire world had been turned upside down overnight...

”I had to deal with some personal matters,” she answered softly, carefully choosing words that revealed nothing.

Richard studied her for a long moment. Though he sensed there was far more to the story, he didn’t press her.

Instead, he smiled and changed the subject.

”I’ll wait until you’re ready to tell me.”

The understanding in his voice made Isobel’s heart ache. She forced a small smile in return.

”By the way,” she asked, eager to steer the conversation elsewhere, ”when did you come back?”

”About two weeks ago.”

”Only two weeks?”

Richard nodded.

”I wanted to visit the orphanage as soon as I settled in.”

Relief quietly washed over Isobel.

So that was why.

He had only returned recently.

He probably hadn’t heard about the scandal that had shaken the city two months earlier... or the rumors surrounding the mysterious woman who had spent a night with the nation’s most powerful billionaire.

Several times during lunch, Isobel found herself wondering whether she should tell Richard the truth.

Sooner or later, he would find out.

The city wasn’t that big, and the events of two months ago had generated enough gossip to spread far and wide.

Yet every time she considered opening her mouth, the words refused to come.

In the end, she chose silence.

The rest of the meal passed pleasantly.

Richard had always been easy to talk to. He possessed a natural charm that put people at ease, effortlessly steering conversations with the right questions and genuine interest. Before she knew it, they were laughing and reminiscing about their days at the orphanage.

”I didn’t realize you’d accomplished so much, Richie,” Isobel said with a bright smile.

The moment the nickname left her lips, the atmosphere changed.

Richard’s hand froze midair. The spoon he was holding remained suspended above his plate.

For a brief second, something flickered across his face.

Shock, then pain.

And finally, a sadness so deep that it made Isobel’s heart clench.

Richie.

It had been years since anyone had called him that.

The nickname instantly dragged him back to a memory he had spent a lifetime trying to bury.

The Gunfire. The Screams.

The metallic scent of blood.

A pair of trembling arms wrapped tightly around his small body.

His mother’s body.

She had shielded him from the hail of bullets without a second thought.

”Richie...” she had whispered, her voice growing weaker with each passing second. ”You have to live on...”

Then her arms had slackened.

The warmth had slowly left her body.

And no matter how desperately he cried or shook her—

She never opened her eyes again.

Richard blinked, forcing himself back to the present.

Across the table, Isobel had already noticed the change in his expression.

Her smile faded instantly. A wave of regret washed over her. She had forgotten.

The nickname was tied to the most painful memory of his life.

”I’m sorry, Richard,” she said softly, guilt evident in her eyes. ”I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”

For a moment, silence settled between them.

Then Richard exhaled slowly and offered her a faint smile.

”It’s okay.”

His voice was calm, but she could still see the lingering sadness in his eyes.

”It’s just been a long time since I’ve heard anyone call me that.”