Finding a surrogate was turning out to be way harder than I expected, but quitting wasn’t an option.
Not if I wanted the lifestyle.
Not if I wanted the ring.
And definitely not if I wanted Merge.
So, whether it took another week or another hundred interviews, I’d figure it out.
I had to.
Chapter ten
Haelyn
When I reached the last step, my heels clicked slowly and steadily against the concrete.
The area didn’t even look like a basement anymore. I had stripped it down completely. Boards covered the windows, every tool and sharp object had been removed, and anything heavy enough to be used as a weapon was long gone. In the corner was a thin mattress beside a bucket, a half-empty water bottle, and a folded blanket that looked more insulting than comforting. Above us, the single light bulb buzzed softly, swinging from its chain every few seconds.
“Well, well,” I teased lightly, fanning my hand in front of my nose. “Somebody smells ripe. You need a bath, girl.”
Talia sat on the mattress groggily, wrists zip-tied in front of her now instead of behind her back. I’d loosened them the day before after realizing circulation mattered if I planned to keep her alive for a while.
And yes… that was intentional.
Killing Talia would’ve been easier, but after thinking through every angle, I realized eliminating hertoosoon would’vepossibly created more problems. Talia was beneficial to me… inmanyways. Her identity was the key to me getting close toJaceagain. Her background was clean, she fit the surrogate criteria perfectly, and most importantly, she didn’t have many people closely tied to her.
No real support system.
No job.
No family constantly checking in.
So, for the time being, nobody was looking for her. As far as the outside world knew, Talia was still living her normal life somewhere.
Talia’s cracked lips trembled apart. “Haelyn, why are you doing this?” she rasped. “I’ve been nothing but nice to you since the day we met in foster care. Even when yourandomlyshow back up years later, I let you into my home without hesitation. I trusted you like we were still sisters after all this time.”
I cocked my head slightly, almost understanding.
“And that was your mistake,” I shrugged, completely unmoved by her tears. “People love believing history makes somebody safe. Sorry… it doesn’t. Time changes people. Pain changes people. Life changes people. You can’t keep opening your door just because someone once shared a room, a secret, or a childhood with you.”
Her breathing grew unsteady as I crouched in front of her.
“Sometimes the most dangerous person in your life is the one whose face still feels familiar.”
Talia stared at me with a mixture of heartbreak and visible bewilderment. Tears gathered in her eyes like she no longer recognized the person standing in front of her.
Truth was… I wasn’t the same teenage girl she remembered from all those years ago. Some days, I barely recognized myself too. Being locked inside a psych ward changes people. The constant medication numbing your emotions, the padded wallsmaking every day feel the same, the forced routines designed to control every move you make, and the voices in your head growing louder and louder until sometimes you can’t even hear your own thoughts clearly anymore… eventually, something inside you starts to shiftsorbreaks.
I sighed lightly, then added, “But I will say this… thank you. Really. You’ve always treated me kindly when most people wouldn’t have. Hence… that’soneof the reasons you’re still breathing. But we’ll talk more about ‘why I’m doing this’ a little later.”
I slipped a hand into my purse and slowly pulled out the gun tucked inside. I twirled it lazily around my finger with a calmness that probably should’ve worried her even more.
“I’m gonna let you shower today, okay?” I offered pleasantly. “But listen carefully—no screaming, no trying to run away, andabsolutelyno dumb ideas. Let’s keep things peaceful.”
Talia nodded quickly, her eyes wide and fearful, a silent agreement hanging in the air.
“Now say thank you! Good hospitality is rare these days, and I think I’ve actually been pretty accommodating considering the circumstances.”
