The Surrogate He Discarded

”You’re hurting me.”

Kristal’s quiet complaint snapped Sharina out of her thoughts.

Her eyes widened. She immediately loosened her grip on Kristal’s hand.

”Oh!” she exclaimed, her face flushing with embarrassment. ”I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize I was holding you so tightly.”

Her apology was so quick and sincere that Kristal almost felt guilty for saying her pain out loud.

”It’s fine.”

”I must have gotten carried away.” Sharina let out a small, nervous laugh. ”I was just surprised.”

”Surprised?”

Sharina’s eyes drifted toward Richard.

”That Richard has such a beautiful friend.”

There was a deliberate sweetness in her voice.

She wanted Kristal to understand that she and Richard were not strangers—that she was someone who knew him well enough to be surprised by the existence of a woman like Kristal.

”He never mentioned you to us.”

Kristal was about to respond when Richard spoke.

”There wasn’t much to tell.”

His voice was calm, almost indifferent.

Then his eyes settled on Sharina.

”Besides, even if you’re Jackie’s friend, I barely know you.”

The smile on Sharina’s face froze.

For a moment, she simply stared at him.

Richard hadn’t even softened his words for her. Worse, he hadn’t looked at her with the slightest hint of interest.

His attention had already returned to Kristal.

The casual dismissal cut deeper than Sharina expected.

It was as if all the familiarity she had imagined between them existed only in her head.

She lowered her gaze, hiding the embarrassment burning in her eyes.

Barely know me?

She had spent so much time convincing herself that she had a chance with Richard. She had interpreted every polite word, every brief conversation, every moment he had acknowledged her as a sign that perhaps, eventually, he would notice her.

Yet now, in front of Kristal, he had reduced her to a stranger.

Sharina forced another smile and looked at Kristal.

She’s beautiful.

There was no denying it.

Kristal possessed the kind of beauty that did not need to demand attention. It simply drew the eye. Her features were elegant, her bearing confident, and there was something effortless about the way she carried herself.

But Sharina wasn’t willing to admit defeat.

So what if she’s beautiful? Am I not beautiful too?

She stole another glance at Richard.

He still wasn’t looking at her.

Instead, his expression had softened ever so slightly while speaking with Kristal.

That tiny difference made Sharina’s chest tighten.

”You two seem pretty close.”

She made her voice light, almost teasing, as though the remark meant nothing.

Richard’s gaze shifted toward her.

This time, there was no warmth in his eyes.

He had seen enough.

He could tell at a glance that Sharina was carefully choosing her words, trying to probe for information while making herself appear more familiar with him than she actually was.

Kristal smiled.

”We’ve only known each other for—”

”You don’t have to explain yourself.”

Jackie interrupted with a grin, deliberately cutting her off.

Kristal blinked.

”Explain what?”

A curious voice came from behind them.

Su San had returned from the restroom. Her gaze immediately landed on the unfamiliar woman standing beside Richard.

Jackie turned toward her.

”Oh, Mom. Cousin is just introducing his friend to us.”

She gestured toward Kristal.

”That’s Kristal Gabor.”

Su San’s expression changed almost imperceptibly.

”Gabor?”

She extended her hand.

”Nice to meet you.”

Kristal accepted it with a graceful smile.

”Likewise.”

Su San studied her for another moment.

”Gabor...”

The name was familiar, then realization dawned.

”From Fiorenza?”

”Yes.”

Kristal’s smile grew warmer.

Su San’s eyes sharpened with interest.

She knew that family.

The Gabors were one of the most prominent families in Fiorenza, with their name attached to a highly successful jewelry and fashion empire. And if this young woman was who Su San thought she was, then she wasn’t simply some beautiful friend Richard had happened to make abroad.

She was Pierre Gabor’s daughter.

Su San’s gaze slowly shifted to Richard.

For the first time, she looked at him differently.

How did I not know about this?

Had they met during his time as an exchange student in Fiorenza? Or afterward, when he had gone there for his internship?

How long had this friendship existed?

And why had Richard never mentioned her?

Her curiosity finally overcame her restraint.

”Do you know Pierre Gabor?”

Kristal’s emerald eyes brightened.

”He is my father.”

There was unmistakable pride in her voice.

”Auntie, do you know him?”

Su San laughed softly.

”Who wouldn’t know Pierre Gabor? He’s one of the most famous jewelers in Fiorenza—and the chairman of Gabochi.”

Her eyes returned to Kristal, this time with genuine approval.

Then she glanced at Richard.

The look was brief, but unmistakable.

She wasn’t scolding him this time. She was giving her the Approval.

Sharina noticed.

Her fingers slowly curled into her palms.

Until that moment, she had thought Kristal’s only advantage was her beauty.

That was something Sharina could still compete with.

But now she understood.

Kristal wasn’t merely beautiful.

She came from a family with wealth, influence, and an impeccable reputation. She had connections Sharina could never hope to match.

And more importantly...

Richard knew her. Really knew her.

He had traveled to Fiorenza. They had apparently built a friendship there. Richard’s usually guarded expression became noticeably different whenever he looked at her.

And now even Su San was looking at Kristal as though she had already passed some invisible test.

Sharina’s stomach sank.

The dream she had secretly nurtured—of one day becoming Richard’s woman—suddenly felt painfully childish.

How could she compete with a woman who already stood so naturally beside him?

A woman Richard respected.

A woman his family seemed to approve of.

A woman who had everything Sharina had been hoping to become.

Beside her, Jackie smiled knowingly.

She had reached the same conclusion.

Kristal was not merely a friend.

She was someone who could become very important to Richard.

But while Jackie looked pleased by the discovery, Sharina could barely breathe.

For the first time, she looked at Kristal not as another beautiful woman...

but as the woman standing directly between her and the future she had been secretly dreaming about.

...

Kristal glanced discreetly at her watch.

It was a small gesture, but Richard noticed immediately.

So did Su San.

The older woman glanced between them and smiled knowingly.

”It looks like the two of you still have somewhere to be.”

Kristal’s eyes flickered toward her.

Su San waved a hand dismissively.

”Go on. Don’t let us keep you.”

Relief washed over Kristal.

At least someone in the group was sensible enough to recognize that they had already spent enough time here.

”Thank you, Auntie. We’ll leave first.”

Richard offered Kristal his hand without hesitation.

She accepted it, with a smile.

The simple gesture did not escape Sharina’s notice.

Neither did the way Richard naturally fell into step beside Kristal as they headed toward the exit, as though leaving together was the most natural thing in the world.

Sharina watched them go, her smile slowly fading.

For a moment, she had nothing to say.

Richard hadn’t even looked back.