Elara Vance woke up with her heart racing. That dream again. The faceless man. The silk sheets. The deep, commanding voice that had whispered in her ear. She could almost feel his touch even now, months later, and it sent a shiver down her spine.
It had only been one night—one reckless, drunken mistake after her breakup. A night she thought she could bury in the past. But the memory haunted her whenever she was stressed, like a shadow that refused to fade.
She got out of bed, determined to distract herself. She had assignments due, a report for class to finish. Normal things, everyday things—if she focused hard enough, maybe she could stop her hands from shaking.
But something felt wrong. Her body had been… off lately. She was nauseous at random times, tired no matter how much she slept. And her period—her period was late. Two weeks late.
Elara tried not to think about it as she pulled on a hoodie and went out to the nearest pharmacy. She felt like she was walking through water, her body moving but her mind screaming. She grabbed a pregnancy test off the shelf with trembling hands, avoiding the cashier's curious glance as she paid.
Back in her bathroom, she paced as the little stick lay on the counter, the seconds stretching into an eternity. Her pulse thundered in her ears. Finally, she forced herself to look.
Two pink lines.
Her knees nearly buckled.
"No… no, this can't…" she whispered, clutching the sink. "Oh God."
---
A few days later, she was sitting in the sterile waiting room of the campus hospital, her fingers knotted together. The nurse had confirmed it: she was pregnant. Seven weeks along. Elara felt like she was drowning. She couldn't raise a child. She was barely scraping by with rent and tuition. She didn't even know the man's name, let alone how to find him.
The only thing that made sense—the only option—was to end the pregnancy.
Her name was called. She followed the nurse into a small, cold room. The doctor explained the procedure gently, asked if she was sure. Elara swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.
"Yes," she said, her voice breaking. "Please. I have to."
The doctor nodded solemnly and prepared the instruments. Elara lay back on the table, her hand trembling as she rested it over her flat stomach. Tears blurred her vision.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so, so sorry."
Just as the doctor reached for the syringe, the door burst open with a violent crash.
Three men in black suits stormed inside. Their presence was so commanding, so purposeful, the air seemed to thin around them.
"What the hell is this? You can't be here!" the doctor shouted, but one of the men shoved him aside effortlessly.
Another man pulled something from his coat and flashed it so quickly Elara couldn't see what it was. Then he stepped closer, his expression hard.
"This procedure will not take place," he said firmly. "The pregnancy must be protected."
Elara's stomach twisted with fear. "What? Who are you? What do you want with me?"
The man didn't answer. Instead, he nodded toward another, who stepped forward with a syringe. Before Elara could react, the needle pricked her arm. Her vision blurred, the room tilting.
"No… stop…" she whispered, but darkness swallowed her whole.
---
When Elara woke again, the sheets beneath her were soft. Too soft. She blinked against the brightness of sunlight streaming through tall windows. The room around her was huge, furnished with polished wood, thick curtains, and gold accents. Expensive. Foreign. Not hers.
Panic shot through her.
The door opened, and an older man entered, carrying a tray with tea and fruit. His gray hair was neatly combed, his suit perfectly tailored. He had the kind of presence that made her sit straighter despite her fear.
"Ah, Ms. Vance," he said with calm politeness. "You're awake. I trust you are comfortable?"
Elara clutched the blanket to her chest. "Comfortable? You kidnapped me! Where am I? Who are you?"
He set the tray down with unhurried grace before straightening. "My name is Mr. Sterling. And I assure you, we did not kidnap you. We… intervened."
"Intervened?" she repeated in disbelief. "I was about to make the hardest choice of my life, and you barged in like—like criminals! Why? What do you want from me?"
Mr. Sterling's gaze softened slightly, though his posture remained rigid. "What I am about to tell you will not be easy to hear. But you deserve the truth."
Her pulse hammered as he continued.
"The night you conceived, you… accidentally entered the wrong room. That room belonged to my master. What followed was not planned. Arrangements had been made for another woman, but due to a mistake, you ended up in his bed."
Elara's face flushed hot with both shame and anger. "Are you telling me—"
"Yes," Mr. Sterling cut in, his voice firm but not unkind. "The child you now carry is his. My Master's heir."
Her stomach churned violently. That stranger. The faceless man from her dreams.
"I don't care who he is," Elara snapped, though her voice shook. "I don't want this. I can't do this. You had no right to stop me."
"You do not yet see the bigger picture," Sterling said smoothly. "My Master is prepared to offer you four million dollars in exchange for carrying this child to term. Additionally, certain… difficulties your family's company has been facing will quietly vanish. In other words, your cooperation secures both your future and theirs."
Elara's eyes widened. "You've been watching me."
Mr. Sterling did not deny it.
Her heart twisted. Her father's company had been struggling for years. She had watched him age ten years in half as many, carrying the weight of failing finances and a dwindling reputation. If this man truly had the power to protect Vance Enterprises…
Tears burned her eyes. "You're asking me to sell my body."
"I am asking you," Sterling corrected, "to accept an arrangement that benefits everyone. You are not alone in this, Ms. Vance. You will be cared for, protected, and rewarded beyond measure."
Elara sat in silence, torn in two. The rational part of her knew she couldn't afford to raise this baby. The emotional part whispered that it wasn't just a baby—it was hers.
Finally, her voice came out as a whisper. "Fine. I'll do it."
Sterling inclined his head respectfully. "A wise choice."
---
Weeks later, Elara sat in a private clinic for her first official scan under Sterling's arrangements. She tried not to think about how her life had been hijacked, tried not to resent the faceless man whose power loomed over her.
The nurse turned the screen toward her, smiling. "Well, Ms. Vance, it looks like congratulations are in order. You're not having one baby… you're having two."
Elara froze. "T-Two?"
"Twins," the nurse confirmed brightly.
Her breath caught in her throat. Two babies. Two lives.
Later, when Sterling came to check on her, she blurted it out before she could stop herself. "I want to keep one."
For the first time, Sterling's composure cracked. "Pardon?"
"One child," Elara insisted, her voice fierce though her hands trembled. "You can have his heir. But one baby stays with me. I won't give them both away. Not without keeping a piece of me."
Sterling was silent for a long moment. Finally, he sighed, folding his hands behind his back. "Very well. But under one condition: you must never speak of this arrangement to anyone. Not your family, not your friends. One child will be raised in my master's household. The other will be yours. But this truth must remain buried."
Elara's throat tightened as tears welled in her eyes. She nodded. "I promise."
For the first time, Mr. Sterling's expression softened. "Then we have an understanding."
And with that, Elara's fate was sealed.