Dominic's Point Of View
The boardroom hummed with the sound of ambition, proposals, graphs, projections all being shoved down my throat by an overeager junior executive. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the screen where his meticulously prepared presentation played. My patience was thinning by the second.
“…and if we focus on expanding our Asia-Pacific operations..”
“Enough of this charade,” I interrupted, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.
The room fell silent. I let the quiet hang, savoring the discomfort that settled over the table. The junior executive swallowed hard, his face paling. I didn’t break eye contact, watching him squirm.
“This is a waste of my precious time,” I said coldly. “If I wanted to hear some half-baked strategies, I’d attend a college lecture. Sit the hell down.”
He stumbled back into his seat, avoiding my gaze. Pathetic. I turned my attention to my assistant, Carla, who stood by the door like a sentry. She nodded subtly, signaling that the next item on the agenda was ready to begin.
But before she could say anything, my phone buzzed on the table. I never allowed interruptions during meetings. Carla knew that, and for her to let this call come through meant it was important.
I picked up the phone and glanced at the screen. The hospital’s number glared back at me.
A cold sensation crept into my chest. I had made a discreet arrangement months ago, one that no one outside my inner circle knew about. The only reason the hospital would be calling was if something had somehow gone wrong.
“Excuse me,” I said sharply, standing and leaving the room without waiting for a response.
In the hallway, I answered the call. “Dominic Hale,” I barked.
“Mr. Hale,” the voice on the other end said hesitantly, “this is Dr. Andrea calling from…”
“I know who you are,” I snapped. “What is it?”
There was a pause, and I could hear the weight of bad news in her hesitation.
“There’s been… an incident,” she said finally. “It appears there was a mix-up during one of our routine checkups, and…”
“Get to the damn point,” I demanded.
“You’ve been matched with a different surrogate than originally planned. The woman is not part of the agreement.”
For a moment, I was silent, processing her words. A mistake. They had made a mistake. The enormity of it sent a rush of fury through me, cold and sharp.
“How the hell does something like this happen on your watch?” I growled.
“Mr. Hale, I deeply apologize… ”
“Apologies won’t fix this, Dr. Andrea,” I interrupted, my voice low and venomous. “You’ve jeopardized months of careful planning. Do you understand what’s at stake here?”
“I do, Mr. Hale,” she stammered. “But there’s more. The woman involved, she’s expressed interest in terminating the pregnancy.”
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Terminate? Terminate my child?
“We’ve tried speaking with her, but she’s adamant about not wanting to continue with the pregnancy,” Andrea continued. “She wasn’t prepared for this.”
“Prepared?” I repeated, a bitter laugh escaping me. “You’ve thrown my plans into chaos, jeopardized my reputation, and you’re worried about whether this girl is prepared? Let me make myself clear, Doctor, that child is the last viable heir I have. If she thinks she can get rid of it, she’s sorely mistaken.”
“Mr. Hale..”
I ended the call without waiting for her to finish. My hand tightened around the phone, and for a brief moment, I considered throwing it against the wall.
I couldn’t allow this. I wouldn’t.
The boardroom door opened, and Carla stepped out cautiously. “Sir?”
“Cancel the rest of my meetings,” I said curtly.
Her eyebrows raised slightly, but she didn’t question me. “Yes, sir.”
“And have the car brought around front.”
The ride to the hospital was tense and once I arrived, I strode through the corridors, ignoring the curious glances from staff and patients. My presence wasn’t exactly subtle, sharp tailored suit, polished shoes, and an aura that screamed “don’t fuck with me.”
I found Dr. Andrea’s office at the end of the hallway. The receptionist barely managed a stuttered “Wait..” before I pushed the door open.
Andrea was sitting at her desk, her face pale and drawn. She looked up, startled, as I entered.
“Mr. Hale,” she began, rising to her feet.
“Sit down,” I said coldly, closing the door behind me.
She obeyed, her hands trembling slightly as she clasped them in front of her.
“You have five minutes,” I said, leaning against the desk. “Convince me why I shouldn’t sue this hospital into oblivion for your incompetence.”
“Mr. Hale, I..”
“Four minutes.”
Her breath hitched, and she scrambled to respond. “The mistake was unintentional. Elora Grayson was here for a routine checkup, and her file was mixed up with the surrogacy records. By the time we realized the error, the procedure had already been completed.”
“And you didn’t think to inform me immediately?”
“We were trying to resolve the issue internally before involving you,” she said.
I laughed darkly. “Resolve it? By letting her terminate the pregnancy?”
Andrea flinched. “She’s… she’s struggling with the situation, Mr. Hale. This wasn’t something she chose.”
“Neither did I choose for my child to be in the hands of an irresponsible stranger,” I said, my voice rising. “But here we are.”
Andrea looked down, clearly at a loss.
“Does she know who I am?” I asked.
“Yes!,” Andrea said quietly.
The rage I had been holding back boiled over. “Then she’s going to have to change her mind,” I said, my tone icy. “Set up a meeting. I want to see this woman.”
Andrea hesitated. “Mr. Hale, I don’t think that's..”
“Do it,” I said, cutting her off. “Or I will ensure this hospital is shut down permanently.”
Andrea’s face crumpled, but she nodded.
“I’ll arrange it,” she said softly.
“Good.”
I turned on my heel and left the office, my mind already racing. This woman wouldn't see what's coming.
