The Surrogate He Discarded

The moment the Morgans and Daltons stepped off the carousel, Denise and Dani were already waiting at the exit, polished smiles fixed firmly on their faces.

A few other people lingered nearby, their cell phones raised, eager to capture photographs of the wealthy families.

Carlos frowned the instant he saw his wife and sister-in-law standing there with such eager, fawning expressions. Irritation immediately tightened his jaw.

Morgan, however, remained composed. He merely gave them a polite nod before turning toward the next ride.

Denise opened her mouth, clearly intending to say something, but Morgan had already moved on.

Kristoff had no intention of following the Fosters. He wanted to take Alexander to another ride, preferably somewhere they could enjoy themselves without being surrounded by people trying to curry favor with his family.

But Isobel followed the Fosters.

And Alexander, naturally, wanted to go wherever his mother went.

Kristoff had little choice but to follow.

Carlos handed Kai to his nanny before walking toward Denise.

”What do you think you’re doing?”

Denise turned to him, her smile disappearing.

”What do you think I’m doing?” she shot back. ”I’m trying to help Dad secure that project with the Fosters. Since you refuse to help, I’m doing it myself.”

”Today is a special day for them.” Carlos lowered his voice, his irritation evident. ”Can’t you see they want to spend time with their children?”

”They invited my son,” Denise argued. ”They didn’t seem to mind you being at the carousel. You even took a picture with them. So what’s the problem with me following them?”

Carlos clenched his fist.

He wanted to tell her that there was a difference between being invited and deliberately inserting herself into someone’s family outing.

But before he could say anything, Denise took Kai from the nanny.

Without another word, she hurried after the Fosters.

”Denise!”

Carlos called after her in exasperation.

She didn’t stop.

His phone suddenly vibrated.

Carlos pulled it from his pocket. The moment he saw the caller’s name, his expression changed. He answered immediately.

The conversation was not brief.

When the call ended, Carlos slipped his phone back into his pocket and hurried after Denise.

He found her standing near the entrance of a toddler-friendly roller coaster, her expression dark with displeasure.

”The guard wouldn’t let me in,” she complained bitterly. ”He said the ride was reserved for them. He told us we could have our turn after they’re finished.”

Carlos glanced toward the ride.

”Then wait.”

Denise’s lips tightened.

”But look at that plain-looking woman with the two children. Isn’t she just a nanny? How did she get inside?”

Carlos followed Denise’s gaze.

His eyes landed on Alena.

For several seconds, he said nothing.

She was seated beside her daughter, her dark hair slightly tousled by the wind, her cheeks flushed from the excitement of the ride. She wasn’t dressed to impress anyone. There were no expensive accessories, no carefully practiced smile, nothing about her that demanded attention.

And yet, Carlos couldn’t look away.

The roller coaster suddenly dipped.

The little girl threw both arms into the air and squealed.

Alena laughed.

Then, almost instinctively, she lifted her hands and screamed along with her daughter.

Her laughter carried even beyond the safety barrier.

Carlos’s gaze lingered.

There was something different about her when she wasn’t aware of being watched.

She looked younger... softer...

and very much alive.

Not like the women he usually encountered at business functions, who were constantly conscious of how they looked and who might be watching them.

Alena seemed to have forgotten the rest of the world existed.

She was completely absorbed in her daughter’s happiness.

And for some inexplicable reason, Carlos found himself wanting to be part of that moment.

His brows drew together.

Wasn’t she like that the first few months they were together?

His gaze dropped briefly to the way Alena’s fingers instinctively reached for her daughter’s hand whenever the ride turned sharply. There was something protective in the gesture—gentle, almost unconscious.

Carlos felt a strange pull in his chest.

He quickly looked away.

”Let’s wait,” he said.

Denise blinked. ”What?”

”We’ll wait.”

She stared at him, surprised.

Carlos kept his eyes on the mini roller coaster, pretending his interest was nothing more than patience.

But when the ride came around again, his gaze found Alena almost immediately. ℯ

And this time, he didn’t look away.

Across the tracks, Alena suddenly turned her head.

Their eyes met.

For one brief second, the noise of the amusement park seemed to fade.

Alena froze.

Her smile slowly disappeared, replaced by a flicker of uncertainty.

Carlos felt an unexpected jolt run through him.

Then Alena looked away first.

He should have done the same.

Instead, his gaze lingered on her for another few seconds.

”What are you looking at?”

Denise’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Carlos remained silent.

Rather than answer, he lowered his gaze to Kai, who had begun squirming impatiently in Denise’s arms.

”Give him to me.”

He didn’t wait for her response. He simply reached out and took Kai from her.

The movement was casual, almost dismissive.

But Denise wasn’t fooled.

Her eyes flicked toward the roller coaster, then back to Carlos.

She had seen exactly where he had been looking at.

...

A commotion near the entrance of the mini roller coaster drew their attention.

A moment later, Henry and Mary Dalton appeared, accompanied by a row of bodyguards and several park attendants.

The roller coaster had not yet stopped.

Inside the cordoned-off area, the Morgan twins and Kristoff’s son were still enjoying the ride, their laughter carrying across the park.

Even the arrival the Dalton patriarch and matriarch failed to dampen the children’s excitement.

Mary, however, was not smiling.

Her gaze immediately locked onto Isobel.

Isobel was holding Alexander securely in her arms, while Kristoff sat beside her, looking completely at ease.

He even turned toward one of the cameras and smiled.

Mary’s face darkened.

”Henry, look at your son!” she hissed, gripping her husband’s arm. ”What exactly does he think he’s doing?”

Henry followed her gaze.

His expression tightened.

”Isn’t he afraid of the gossip?” Mary continued through clenched teeth. ”He’s sitting there with that woman as if they’re already a family.”

Her voice was laced with disapproval.

”Your son seems to have forgotten that he’s a Dalton.”

She glanced toward Kristoff again, her eyes narrowing.

”Look at him. Sitting beside that woman in front of everyone. He’s practically inviting people to talk.”

Carlos, who had been standing nearby, handed Kai back to his nanny.

As a congressman and a prominent political figure, he had no intention of involving himself in the Daltons’ family affairs.

But Mary’s raised voice made that impossible.

He casually walked around the ride and approached them just as her last words reached him.

”Mr. Henry. Madam Mary.”

He greeted them with a warm, courteous smile.

Mary turned sharply.

Only then did she realize they weren’t alone—and that one of the people within earshot was Congressman Foran.

The displeasure on her face vanished almost instantly.

A practiced smile bloomed across her lips.

”Congressman Foran! It’s you.”

Her tone became warm and gracious, as though the woman complaining about Kristoff moments earlier had been someone else entirely.

”Thank you for coming to my grandson’s first birthday. We’re so honored to have you here.”

Carlos returned her smile politely.

But there was a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

He had heard enough to know exactly what Mary had been saying before he approached.

”It is my pleasure,” he replied smoothly. ”It is also an honor to be invited to such a spectacular grand opening. This amusement park is certainly one of a kind.”

The exchange of pleasantries continued for another moment.

Denise, never one to miss an opportunity, smoothly inserted herself into the conversation. She immediately took Kai from the nanny, positioning herself beside Carlos as though she had been part of the conversation all along.

Mary’s gaze, however, shifted to the little boy in Denise’s arms.

She studied Kai for several seconds.

Then her eyebrows slowly lifted.

”Why does this little boy look so familiar?”

Carlos blinked.

Mary’s gaze moved from Kai to him.

Then to Isobel, who was stepping off the roller coaster with Alexander in her arms, Kristoff close beside her and instinctively reaching out to steady her.

Mary’s eyes narrowed.

She looked at Henry.

Henry looked back at her.

No words were exchanged, but something passed between them.

They were thinking the same thing.

Could Isobel have a child with Congressman Foran, too? Like she did for Kristoff? What a vixen!

Kai did bear a faint resemblance to Isobel—the shape of his face and the softness of his features were strangely familiar. His eyes and eyebrows were different, but there was enough of a similarity to make the possibility cross their minds.

Carlos, meanwhile, had no idea what was happening.

He looked from Mary to Henry.

The couple were staring at him with such strange expressions that he began to wonder whether he had somehow offended them.

Why were they looking at him as if he had committed some unforgivable crime?

Carlos frowned slightly.

”What?”

Mary’s lips parted, but no words came out.

Henry cleared his throat.

”Nothing.”

Carlos’s frown deepened.

Clearly, it was not nothing.

And judging from the way both of them kept glancing between him, Kai, and Isobel, Carlos had a growing suspicion that they had somehow arrived at a very strange conclusion.

One he was certain he was not going to like.