The Surrogate He Discarded

As the days passed and Julian’s wounds slowly faded, something far more dangerous took root in their place.

Without realizing it, he had fallen hopelessly in love with the village girl whose gentle hands had mended more than his broken body.

Their afternoons slipped by beneath endless skies, wandering through emerald valleys where soft grass became their bed and laughter mingled with the whisper of the wind. In those stolen hours, the world beyond them ceased to exist.

Rosella knew she should never have let her heart wander.

Her aunt had warned her countless times to keep her distance from the mysterious stranger. To remember who she was. To remember the consequences.

But how could she?

How could she deny a heart that raced at the mere sight of him? How could she look away from a man so breathtakingly handsome that a single smile unraveled every defense she had ever built, whose gentle gaze stole the very breath from her lungs?

Love did not ask for permission.

It came quietly, settling into every glance, every laugh, every lingering touch—until there was no escaping it.

Then, beneath the silver glow of a full moon, Rosella forgot every lesson she had been taught.

She forgot propriety. She forgot fear. She forgot every warning her aunt had ever whispered.

And in that enchanted night, with nothing but the stars to bear witness, she surrendered herself completely—to the man whose life she had saved, and who had, without knowing it, captured her heart.

She surrendered everything.... her body, heart, and soul.

...

The following morning, Rosella awoke with a contented smile still lingering on her lips.

The memory of the previous night wrapped around her like the warmth of a blanket. Julian was very gentle, and he made her feel complete.

She opened her eyes and immediately caught Julian watching her.

His deep brown eyes were filled with quiet doting, and the intensity of his gaze made her cheeks bloom crimson.

”Albert... why are you looking at me like that?” she asked shyly.

A tender smile curved his lips.

”Because you’re beautiful, Rosella. Even the finest rose in full bloom could not compare.”

His fingertips gently traced the outline of her lips before he leaned down to capture them in another slow, lingering kiss.

She laughed softly against his lips and pushed him away.

”Stop teasing me. I have to prepare breakfast.”

”Breakfast can wait,” he murmured, pulling her back into his embrace. ”But I can’t.”

It was another hour before Rosella finally managed to leave the bed.

Her legs trembled beneath her.

Julian immediately noticed.

”I’m sorry,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. ”I may have been a little... rough.”

Rosella gasped, her face burning scarlet.

”Don’t say such things!”

Covering her face with both hands, she fled toward the kitchen while Julian’s laughter echoed behind her.

”Honey, I’ll fetch water from the spring,” Julian called as he balanced two empty buckets on a bamboo carrying pole.

Rosella peeked out from the kitchen.

”Don’t stay out too long.”

”I won’t.”

He set off along the narrow dirt path, whistling a cheerful tune.

It was a habit he had picked up from Rosella’s brother and the village men. At first, he could barely whistle a proper note, but after weeks of practice, the melody now came naturally.

The spring lay nearly half a kilometer away, hidden beneath towering trees whose branches cast dancing shadows across the trail.

The moment Julian stepped into the clearing, four men emerged from the forest.

They spread out with practiced precision, silently cutting off every possible escape.

Julian immediately stopped walking, his body tensing as he sensed danger.

His grip tightened around the bamboo pole resting across his shoulders.

”We finally found you,” the tallest man with broad shoulders said, relief in his voice.

”Come with us.”

Julian’s eyes narrowed.

”Who are you?”

”Please don’t make this difficult for us, Sir.” The man said with measured calmness.

Every instinct inside Julian screamed that something was wrong.

Without another word, Julian slid the buckets off the pole.

They hit the ground with a dull thud.

The next second, he moved. His body reacted before his mind could think.

The bamboo pole spun through the air like a staff, forcing the nearest man to duck. Julian pivoted and drove the opposite end into another attacker’s ribs.

The man staggered backward with a grunt.

A third rushed in.

Julian twisted sideways, seized the man’s wrist, and instinctively threw him over his shoulder.

The attacker slammed hard onto the ground, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs.

Julian froze for the briefest moment.

How... did I do that?

When had he learned those movements?

How come his body executed them with flawless precision? Was he a martial arts practitioner?

The fourth man lunged.

Julian ducked beneath the punch and answered with a sharp elbow to the jaw.

The crack echoed through the clearing.

The attacker stumbled several steps before collapsing onto one knee.

The remaining men exchanged uneasy glances.

”Mr. Foster!” one of them shouted while keeping his distance. ”Please stop! We’re not your enemies!”

Julian ignored him.

Another instinct surged through him.

He spun, the bamboo pole whistling through the air.

One man barely managed to block it with both forearms before the force knocked him backward.

”We’re not here to hurt you!” another pleaded. ”We’re here to bring you home!”

Home?

The word struck something deep within Julian’s mind.

Fragments flashed before his eyes.

A towering glass building. Blinding headlights.

A woman’s voice calling his name.

Then...

Nothing.

The momentary hesitation was all their leader needed.

A man who had remained hidden among the trees suddenly appeared behind Julian.

Before Julian could turn—

CRACK!

A powerful blow landed against the back of his head.

Pain exploded through his skull.

His vision blurred.

The bamboo pole slipped from his fingers.

His knees buckled.

The last thing he saw was the forest spinning beneath the morning sun before darkness swallowed him whole.