His Billionaire Surrogate

treamed down my cheeks, blurring my vision. The headache that had been building since t

rast to the bustling life that continued on the sidewalk beside me. People passed by, oblivious to the storm raging within me

gnawing ache that consumed me from the inside out. It was a pain born of betrayal, of shattered dreams an

le. It was the knowledge that despite everything, I still loved my family, still longed for their acceptance a

ht me to my knees, tears streaming down my face as I cried out

from behind me, breaking th

ll, but I couldn't bring mys

d towards me, carrying with it a weight of

ity of her apology. How could a simple word like

anaged to choke out the words, my voice t

heavy and suffocating, like a

my patience wearing thin as the

o Asher," Crystal's admission hung in the air like a guil

ince she had shattered my world. There she stood, my own flesh an

shing down on me like a tidal wave. Seven years. Seven years of lies a

whisper as the magnitude of her con

disbelief. Seven years. Seven years of pretending, of playing the

stable as the truth sank in. How could I have been so blind, s

again. My heart, already shattered into a million irreparable pieces, crumbled even further

stal, my voice trembling with a

in my chest making it hard to breathe. Each word felt li

oice cracking with emotion. "You said I should play hard to get. You told me that the

d my own sister have orchestrated such a cruel charade, manipulating me into belie

olt of lightning illuminatin

e," I whispered, the realization dawning on me like a cruel jo

penly confided in my sister because I trusted you. Because I thoug

s as I struggled to comprehe

front of Asher, you came in and acted like the cool sister," I

the pain in my voice mirroring the ache in my heart.

tal finally admitted, her voice filled with a hollow

ng over. How could she stand there and utter such words, as if

much I loved him," I continued, my voice trembling with a mixture of pain and betrayal. The r

I demanded, desperation seeping into my words as I clung t

the empty night, pleading with the universe to

as like a knife to the heart, plunging deep int

That was my b

aring out of me like a primal roar of anguish.

w intensity. But even as I lashed out in anger and pain, a part of me knew

bbed my hand, her touch feeling like a vic

tion and fear. But she refused to release me, her fi

ll the force I could muster, watching helplessly as she

hts of an oncoming car, its horn blaring in warni

was too late. The car struck Crystal with a sickening thud, sending her flyin