Chapter 14

• “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I muttered, staring at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. My hands trembled as I placed them against the cool sink, steadying myself. How did it come to this?
• It was only a few hours ago that I had agreed to Kemi’s insane proposition. The weight of my decision settled deeper with each passing minute. A surrogate for Kemi? For Cole? My mind kept circling back to that one fact—the twisted reality of it.
• I had barely heard Kemi’s words after she left the room, leaving me alone with my thoughts. But she hadn’t been wrong. She knew how to play me. She knew how to manipulate my sense of duty, my desire to protect the family, and, more than anything, my guilt. I had agreed. And now, here I was, preparing to face the consequences.