The Surrogate He Discarded

”I’m sorry, Mr. Marco.” Isobel kept her voice polite, but there was no warmth in it. ”I’m happy at Aioryx.”

Marco gave a low chuckle.

”Happy?” He sounded almost amused by the answer. ”Perhaps you simply haven’t been given the right reason to leave.”

He tightened his arm around her waist, guiding her effortlessly across the ballroom floor as the music continued to swell around them.

”I’ll triple your salary,” he said, his voice filled with smug confidence. ”Bonuses on top of that. I’ll give you a house, a car—whatever you want.”

He was certain he had found the price.

Most people did.

Isobel merely stared at the mask covering his face.

”You don’t understand.” A faint edge of impatience slipped into her voice. ”It’s not about the money.”

Marco’s steps suddenly stopped.

The abrupt movement caught Isobel off guard. Her body lurched forward, but she quickly regained her balance. Weeks of diligently practicing self-defense had taught her how to recover when someone tried to throw her off balance.

She straightened almost immediately.

Marco noticed.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

”What do you mean?” His voice had lost its playful quality. There was a sharpness beneath it now. ”Are you rejecting my proposal?”

”Yes.”

The answer came without hesitation.

”I’m happy at Aioryx.”

Something changed in Marco.

The smile disappeared from his voice.

Behind the mask, his expression darkened. His hand around Isobel’s waist tightened, while the fingers clasping her hand curled more firmly around hers.

Pain shot through her fingers.

”You’re hurting me.”

Marco seemed to realize what he was doing. His grip loosened.

”My apologies.”

But the apology sounded empty.

Isobel said nothing.

She resumed moving when he did, her steps becoming almost mechanical as she waited for the song to end. She kept her expression composed and maintained the polite smile expected of someone dancing with a stranger.

Inside, however, every instinct was telling her to get away from him.

The music seemed to drag on forever.

Then, finally, the last note faded.

Isobel quietly released the breath she had been holding.

Marco did not immediately let go.

”You can still think about it, Miss Lancey.” His voice was calm again, almost pleasant. ”We’ll meet again soon.”

He raised her hand and bent over it, pressing a lingering kiss against the back of her fingers.

A cold shiver ran down Isobel’s spine.

She couldn’t explain why the gesture unsettled her so much. There had been nothing overtly threatening about it, yet something about the way he looked at her made her skin crawl.

The moment he released her, she snatched her hand back.

Marco chuckled.

”What a fiery little bunny.”

The words were light, almost teasing.

But Isobel didn’t find them amusing.

Marco gave her another slight bow before turning away, disappearing into the crowd as though nothing unusual had happened.

Isobel watched him go, her fingers still tingling where his hand had closed around them.

For the first time that evening, she felt the ballroom no longer felt safe.

...

Marco remained in the ballroom long after Isobel had disappeared into the crowd.

He had no reason to stay.

Charity galas had never interested him. He had attended enough business functions to know that beneath the champagne, glittering gowns, and carefully practiced smiles, everyone was there for the same reason—to be seen, to make connections, or to gain something.

He preferred to conduct business somewhere quieter.

Somewhere he could control the room.

Yet tonight, he remained.

He picked up a glass of wine from a passing waiter and took a slow sip, his eyes drifting across the ballroom.

His thoughts returned to Isobel.

I’m happy at Aioryx.

The memory irritated him more than it should have.

Triple her salary. A house. A car. Bonuses.

He had offered her enough to make most people abandon their principles without a second thought.

And she had simply refused. Not because she wanted more. Not because she needed time to think... She rejected him because she genuinely had no interest in what he could offer.

That was unusual.

What an intriguing woman.

The corner of Marco’s mouth lifted.

Never did he imagined that poaching Isobel would be more difficult than he had anticipated.

But that only made the prospect more interesting.

His thoughts shifted to the woman who had put the idea in his head in the first place.

Charlotte.

It happened a few days ago when she appeared at his office under the guise of discussing an advertising proposal.

He knew almost immediately that the advertisement was merely an excuse.

Charlotte was beautiful. Even now, she possessed the polished elegance expected of a super model who stood at the center of high society.

But there was something different about her lately.

Something bitter.

They had barely discussed the advertisement before Charlotte leaned back in her chair and smiled sweetly.

”Marcus, it is an opportunity.”

She had deliberately changed the way she addressed him.

Only days earlier, he had been Mr. MarcoPollus to her.

Now he was Marcus.

As though familiarity had suddenly become natural between them.

But of course, on the first day they agreed on a partnership, they had not just become partners. They became intimate, so he indulged her when she called her Marcus.

Charlotte’s voice had remained soft as she explained.

”If you can poach Isobel from Aioryx, you won’t just gain an exceptional talent. You’ll also strike at both Kristoff and Morgan.”

That had caught his attention.

Charlotte leaned forward.

”You know how much they value her.”

She hadn’t needed to explain further.

Marco already knew.

Kristoff Dalton was one of his most formidable competitors. Morgan was another thorn in his side. Neither man was easy to outmaneuver, and both had something Marco lacked—a personal connection to Isobel.

That made her valuable.

Charlotte’s smile had widened.

”Imagine what happens when you take her away from Aioryx. Morgan will be furious. Kristoff won’t be pleased either. And once she’s working for you...”

She had paused deliberately.

”...you’ll have a way to get close enough to destroy them.”

Marco understood immediately. It wasn’t simply about hiring Isobel. It was about turning her into a weapon.

A talented one...

A trusted one.