Chapter 4 One For The Money, Two For The Show

• ELOISE
• I looked at the man in front of me like he had just grown two heads.
• If I thought he was a little bit off earlier, now I was convinced—Vaughn Ryder had gone completely insane.
• My hand gripped the car door handle. I needed to get out of there.
• “Hear me out,” he said, reaching out to hold my arm.
• I froze. I turned to him slowly, not because I wanted to listen, but because I was a little afraid of what he’d say next.
• “Did you just ask me to marry you?” I asked, making sure I heard him right.
• “And be my surrogate,” he added like that somehow made everything better.
• I let out a dry laugh. “Wow. You’re crazy. You’re literally crazy.”
• “I’m going crazy too,” Vaughn replied. “But this is the only way I can think of to fix my situation.”
• “I don’t want to hear it,” I said, voice firm. “Just let me out.”
• “I have a girlfriend,” he blurted out.
• I stared at him like he’d grown another head. “Then that’s even more reason why you shouldn’t be asking me this!”
• “But my parents don’t want me to be with her.”
• I was already halfway out the metaphorical door, and now he was trying to pull me back with family drama?
• “I still don’t see how this is my problem.”
• “My dad is the CEO of Ryder Enterprises.”
• That made me pause. My eyes widened.
• He saw that, and pushed forward. “I can’t explain everything, but I have to marry another woman and start a family before I turn 28. Otherwise, I lose everything—my inheritance, the company, all of it.”
• It still didn’t make sense.
• “So why me?” I asked. “There’s probably a line of girls out there dying to be in my position. Why not one of them?”
• He leaned back confidenlyt. “Because I might just have what you need.”
• I narrowed my eyes. “And what’s that?”
• “Money,” he said plainly.
• I scoffed. “I don’t need your money. We’re doing fine on our own.” I reached for the handle again.
• But he didn’t budge. “Really? What about your brother’s cancer treatment?”
• I froze.
• Slowly, I turned back to him. “How do you know about that?”
• “The curtains were thin,” he said with a shrug. “I heard everything.”
• “You invaded our privacy.”
• “And I might be the only one who can help.” He raised a brow. “$50,000. That’s the estimate, right? I’m offering a solution that helps us both.”
• I stared at him, heart pounding and fingers fidgeting.
• “Do you think I’ll be swayed by money?” I shakily asked.
• He shrugged. “That’s up to you.”
• Tears threatened to well up in my eyes. I hated this. I hated being in situations where I felt helpless.
• “Let me out,” I said softly.
• This time, he listened.
• The door unlocked with a soft click. I opened it, ready to run—but before I could leave, Vaughn placed something in my hand.
• A calling card.
• “If you change your mind,” he said.
• I didn’t reply. I just clutched the card tight and slammed the door shut.
• Back home, everything felt smaller. Cameron was sleeping on the couch again. Our tiny one-room apartment didn’t give him much choice.
• I sat beside him, brushing the hair from his face, my chest tightening.
• “I’d give you the world if I could,” I whispered.
• Then my gaze fell to the card still in my hand.
• Vaughn Ryder.
• But at what price?
• ***
• I stared at the calling card again.
• Gosh, I hated myself for even considering it. But what choice did I have?
• I had $12,000 saved—money I had been building up since high school for acting school. And now it was going to go to hospital bills.
• Three cycles, max. Then we’d be in the red again.
• And I couldn’t even find a third job.
• Cameron’s cough echoed through the thin walls.
• I rushed out, rubbing his back gently.
• “My throat’s just dry,” he whispered, trying to smile. However, I knew he felt worse than what he showed.
• “Wait here,” I said.
• Back in my room, I stared at my safe then back at the calling card.
• Then I reached for my phone.
• My hands shook as I dialed the number.
• It rang twice.
• “Hello?” came his deep voice. “Who is this?”
• I took a breath.
• “It’s me. Eloise.”
• “Eloise?” He sounded surprised.
• I closed my eyes, then opened them again.
• “I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll be your surrogate.”
• ***
• VAUGHN
• Why was I up this early? I didn’t even know myself. The sun was barely out, and the room still smelled like her perfume. I sat at the edge of the bed, staring at nothing.
• Then I felt her arms wrap around my shoulders.
• “Why are you up so early, babe?” Alina’s voice was soft and sleepy behind me.
• I turned to her and gave a small smile. She hadn’t been home in three days—busy with her shoot, she said. Last night had been long and intense. The kind of night that reminded me why I loved her, but also why everything felt so complicated.
• “Alina,” I said quietly, sitting up straighter. “Can I talk to you about something?”
• She sighed, already looking tired of me, and we hadn’t even started.
• “Is this about having a family again?” she asked. “I already told you, Vaughn. I can’t risk my career right now.”
• “I know,” I said quickly. “And I respect that. I do. But my parents… they’ve been pressuring me again. They want me to start a family. And to find a new woman.”
• She looked at me with that same pitiful look I’d gotten used to.
• “Your parents have never been fond of me, right?”
• I hesitated. “I don’t know,” I mumbled. “But they made it clear—they won’t hand over the company unless I show them I have my own family.”
• Her eyes widened as she sat up beside me. “What? Why would they do that?”
• “Again, I don’t know. They think I need to be stable and mature. Whatever that means.” I rubbed the bridge of my nose. “But… I have a solution.”
• She narrowed her eyes. “What is it?”
• I took a deep breath. “A surrogate,” I said. “I’ll find someone willing to carry the child. I’ll marry her temporarily, just for the optics. Once the company is mine, and we have the child… I’ll divorce her. Then I’ll marry you.”
• “You can’t be serious,” she said. “You’re not going to marry another woman besides me!”
• I knew she’d say that. But what choice did I have? My cards were all maxed out
• “My cards all have limits now,” I muttered. “If this keeps up, I won’t be able to give you the things you want.”
• She didn’t say anything, but I could see the hesitation in her eyes. Her lips pressed into a tight line. I reached out and held her hand, gave it a gentle squeeze.
• “This will be temporary,” I told her. “Just a year. Then it’s you and me, like we planned. I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted. Everything.”
• She was quiet for a while. And then finally, she nodded.
• “Okay,” she said. “Just a year, okay? Then I’ll have you all to myself.”
• I nodded back.
• “Just a year.”