CHAPTER 12: THE PRIZE

Damian stepped between his mother and the hallway leading to Chloe’s suite the second Mrs. King tried to move past him. “Stay away from her.”

His mother arched a perfect brow, lips thinning. “This doesn’t concern you, darling. The girl and I need to settle things like adults.”

Chloe appeared behind him anyway, one hand on her belly. “Say whatever you came to say. I’m right here.”

Mrs. King didn’t miss a beat. She pulled an envelope from her bag and placed it on the island, sliding it forward. “Five million dollars. Cash. Offshore. Sign the termination papers or simply disappear after the birth. The babies go to proper care. You walk away rich and free from this mess.”

Chloe stared at the envelope like it was poison. Her voice shook but stayed firm. “No. I’m not terminating anything, And I’m not disappearing. These are my children.”

Damian’s blood roared in his ears. He snatched the envelope and tore it in half, then in half again, letting the pieces scatter across the marble. “Get out, We’re done, You don’t speak to her. You don’t come near my family again. Ever.”

Mrs. King’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll regret this, Damian. The board is already moving. Marcus called me on the way here. One more scandal and they’ll vote you out.”

“Let them try.” Damian pointed at the elevator. “Leave. Now.”

She gathered her coat with a sharp snap and stepped back into the car. The doors closed on her cold stare.

The penthouse fell quiet. Damian stood there, chest rising and falling hard. Chloe hadn’t moved. He turned to her, then guided her gently to the couch. They sat side by side.

“I grew up in rooms like this,” he said after a long silence. His hands flexed on his knees. “Big, empty. My father worked until midnight, then criticized everything I did. My mother taught me that feelings were weapons other people used against you. I learned to lock everything down. No one got close. It felt safer that way.”

Chloe watched him, her hand resting on her belly. “Sounds lonely.”

“It was.” He looked at her directly. “Until you started yelling at me about medical decisions and baking cookies at midnight. Made me realize how empty the rest of it is.”

His phone rang. Marcus. Damian answered on speaker.

“Nice move cutting out Mommy,” Marcus said, voice dripping satisfaction. “Board meeting’s been moved up. I’ve got the votes lined up unless you step down quietly. Your little family drama is killing the stock.”

Damian hung up without replying. Before he could speak again, the penthouse doorbell chimed. Security let in a courier who handed over a thick legal envelope.

Damian opened it. Official documents. His stomach tightened.

“The temporary marriage must be signed within forty-eight hours,” he read aloud, “or the entire surrogacy agreement is void. Full custody reverts. No access for the surrogate.”

Chloe leaned forward to see the papers, her hand gripping his forearm.

*********

Chloe sat at the dining table with the thick stack of marriage papers spread out in front of her, hands trembling as she flipped to the next page. “This makes it all real,” she said, voice barely steady. “Not just some contract we can ignore. Actual marriage. On paper. In front of everyone.”

Damian sat across from her, sleeves still rolled up from earlier, looking more worn and human than she’d ever seen him. No perfect CEO mask. Just tired eyes watching her. “It’s protection. Forty-eight hours or they void everything. We don’t have a choice.”

She pushed one section toward him. “Then we change it. Full co-parenting rights for me, written in clear. Shared custody after birth. No supervised visits, no loopholes. I’m not signing until that’s ironclad.”

Damian rubbed his jaw. “The lawyers drafted it tight for the board. Adding that now could delay filing and give Marcus more time to push the vote.”

“Too bad.” Chloe leaned forward, palms flat on the table. “I’ve given up enough control in this. My body, my bakery, my safety. I’m not signing away my rights to my own kids just to save your company image. Fix it or I walk right now.”

Tension crackled between them. Damian picked up the pen but didn’t sign. “You’re asking for equal power when everything’s falling apart. The board sees weakness already.”

Before she could snap back, her phone lit up with alerts. Tabloids. New headlines splashed across the screen: *Vanessa Claims King Heir — Surrogate Just a Temporary Rental.*

Chloe slid the phone across to him. “They’re running with her lies again. While we sit here arguing over clauses.”

Damian cursed under his breath and set the phone down. “We’ll counter it publicly after we file.”

The fight drained out of the air for a moment. He reached across the table slowly and rested his hand on her belly. Chloe held still. One of the twins kicked hard right under his palm. Then another. His eyes softened, gray gaze fixed on the spot like he couldn’t look away.

“They’re strong,” he said quietly. “Like you.”

Chloe covered his hand with hers without thinking. The warmth of his skin against hers felt different now. Less like control, more like shared weight.

His phone rang on the table, breaking the moment. Vanessa’s name flashed on the screen. Damian answered on speaker.

“What?”

“I have proof the twins are mine,” Vanessa said, voice sharp and triumphant. “DNA results coming. I’m coming over right now. We end this tonight.”

The line went dead.