She was applying to carry a child for a ruthless, intimidating billionaire with enough power to make people uneasy at the mere mention of his name. Merge had a way of walking into a room and shifting the entire atmosphere without saying more than a few words.
Yeah… that alone would’ve made anybody anxious.
“Okay. Before we begin with the twenty-one questions, I need to confirm that you fully understand the nature of this arrangement. If selected, you’re familiar with the man whose child you’d potentially be carrying, correct?”
Talia smiled softly. “Of course. Jac—” She stopped suddenly. “Merge,” she corrected quickly.
My brows pulled together faintly.
For a second, it almost sounded like she’d been about to say another man’s name entirely.
Strange.
Still… I let it go.
“Yes,” I replied smoothly, though my tone cooled slightly. “Butyou’lladdress him as Mr. Belvior unless he personally tells you otherwise.”
Talia nodded immediately. “Understood.”
“Are you comfortable carrying his child? I only ask because he isn’t exactly the easiest person to deal with.”
That was putting it mildly.
“He’s extremely private, very particular about how things are handled, and his moods can be…” I paused carefully, choosing theleastinsulting word possible. “Overbearingat times. People tend to react to him one of two ways: they either become intimidated very quickly… or far too emotionally invested. And for an arrangement like this to work, professionalism and boundaries would be very important.”
Talia sat quietly for a moment before nodding slowly.
“I understand. But honestly, difficult people don’t really scare me. Most of the time, they just want control over their environment. And no offense, but I wouldn’t really be there to build a relationship with him anyway. I’d be there to fulfill my role, respect the boundaries, and keep things professional. “Then she added lightly, “Besides… I’ve dealt with enough rude people in customer service to know how to survive a moody rich man.”
“Very well then. Let’s move along.”
I flipped open the file in front of me.
“Okay,” I said, trying to keep my tone calm and professional. “We’ll start with the basics first… nothing too invasiveyet.”
Talia nodded. “Sounds good. But I have to say, that ‘yet’ sounded a little threatening.”
“It should,” I replied, making her chuckle.
That seemed to loosen her up a little.
“Do you have any children of your own?” I continued, maintaining eye contact as I scribbled notes.
“No,” she answered swiftly. “Never been pregnant.”
I glanced up briefly. “Not even a scare?”
Talia snorted softly, a genuine laugh escaping her lips. “Oh, I’ve had scares. Girl, you know those moments when your period is late, and suddenly you transform into the most prayerful person alive for forty-eight hours.”
As I jotted down her response, I had to fight the urge to smile.
“But no actual pregnancies,” she added more seriously.
“Alright. Let’s talk about your family health history. Are there any major health issues or genetic conditions that run in your family? Things like breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or any conditions that could be hereditary?”
“None that I’m aware of,” Talia replied, her brow slightly furrowed. After a brief pause, she added with a hint of humor, “Well… unless being poor counts as genetic.”
I raised my eyebrows, surprised by her unexpected response.
