The Choice

The phone rang at exactly 8:13AM in the morning.Eva Hart stared at the screen.

Westbridge Fertility Clinic.

Her heart immediately began pounding.

For several seconds, she simply looked at it.Then she answered.

"Hello?"

"Good morning, Miss Hart. This is Westbridge Fertility Clinic. We wanted to inform you that everything is ready should you decide to proceed."

Eva swallowed.Suddenly, the room felt small.Too quiet very quiet this was what she wanted. Why was she holding back now .The decision she had been thinking about for weeks was no longer a distant possibility.

It was here,waiting for her.

"Miss Hart?"

Eva closed her eyes.

"Can I call you back?"

"Of course."

The call ended.

She sat on the edge of her hotel bed for a long time. Her thoughts raced,What if this was a mistake?What if she failed?What if she regretted it?.

Eva what's with the what if,she thought to herself.Then another memory surfaced.Daniel's cruel voice.Maybe because you can't give me children.

Eva's eyes hardened.

No.

She wasn't doing this because of Daniel.She was doing it for herself.For the future she still wanted.For the family she still dreamed about.

Slowly, she picked up her phone again.

"I'd like to proceed."

—----------

The procedure had already been completed.Eva sat quietly in the recovery room, staring at the white ceiling.

It was done.There was no turning back now.Her hands rested nervously on her stomach.Everything felt unreal.The door suddenly opened.A nurse rushed inside, her face pale.Behind her was another staff member carrying several files.

Eva immediately sat upright.

"What happened?"

Neither woman answered immediately.

They exchanged worried glances.

And that was when panic began crawling up Eva's spine."Please," Eva said, standing up. "Tell me what's wrong."The older nurse finally spoke."There has been a problem."Eva's heart stopped.

"A problem?"

The nurse nodded.

"We discovered a mix-up involving donor records."

The room spun,why was her own case always different .Eva grabbed the edge of the bed."What do you mean a mix-up?"

The staff member opened a file.

"We were reviewing donor identification numbers after your procedure."

Eva's breathing became uneven.

"And?"

The woman swallowed.

"The donor sample selected for your procedure was not the donor profile you originally approved."Silence.

Complete silence.

Eva stared at them.Unable to process the words."What?""The sample used belonged to another donor.The room tilted,Her vision blurred.Her mind me if screaming ,A different donor?,a different donor?,how could that happen?

Her knees nearly gave out.

Just then, another voice cut through the chaos."Eva."

Eva turned toward the doorway.

Her boss stood there, confusion written across his usually composed face.

He had only arrived at the clinic for a scheduled meeting with one of the medical board members connected to Flash Technology's healthcare division.

Unfortunately, he had arrived at the worst possible moment.

Eva took a shaky step.

Then another.

The next thing she knew, she was falling.

Alexander caught her instantly.

One arm wrapped around her waist while the other steadied her shoulders.

"Easy."

His voice was calm.

Steady.

The complete opposite of how she felt."What's happening?" he demanded.

The nurses exchanged nervous looks.Neither wanted to answer.

Alexander's expression darkened.

"I asked a question."

The older nurse finally spoke.

"There was a donor mix-up."

Alexander frowned.

"What donor?"

The room went silent.Then the staff member slowly opened the file.Her eyes moved from the document to Alexander.

Then back again.

Color drained from her face.

"Oh my God."

Alexander's brows furrowed.

"What?"

The woman swallowed hard."The donor sample...",She looked at him."It belongs to you."Silence exploded across the room even a drop of pin could be heard

Eva froze,Alexander froze,Even the nurses stopped moving.

For several seconds nobody breathed.

Eva laughed nervously.Because this couldn't be real.This had to be some horrible misunderstanding.

"My boss?" she whispered.The staff member nodded weakly."The sample used during your procedure was registered under Mr. Alexander Mikkelson's donor file."Eva felt her heart stop.Alexander's donor file?Alexander?Her boss?,The billionaire CEOThe room suddenly felt so small,too hot,too overwhelming.She couldn't think,Couldn't breathe,Couldn't process any of it.Alexander stared at the file in disbelief.Then at Eva.

Then back to the file.His jaw tightened.

For the first time in years, he appeared completely shocked.

"What happens now?" Eva whispered.

No one answered.

Because no one knew.

Minutes later, after several discussions and explanations, Eva sat across from Alexander inside a private consultation room.Neither had spoken much.What was there to say?

Her billionaire boss might now become the biological father of her future child.

It sounded insane.

Alexander broke the silence first.

"If the procedure is successful..."Eva slowly looked up.His expression was serious.Far too serious."If you become pregnant, the situation will attract attention."Eva nodded.She already knew that would be a big scandal ,"The child would be mine and I would want it to grow with both parents,her pulse quickened.

Alexander continued.

"And I won't allow my child to grow up caught in a public scandal."Silence

Then he said the words that changed everything."If you become pregnant, I want us to enter a contract marriage."Eva's eyes widened."What?""A legal agreement."

Alexander's voice remained calm.

"Until the child is born.Eva stared at him.Certain she had heard wrong."You want to marry me?""A contract marriage.""That's still marriage."

Alexander held her gaze.

"If after the child is born you decide you don't want me in your life, we'll divorce."The room became silent again.

Eva couldn't believe what she was hearing.Hours ago she was simply trying to become a mother.

Now her boss was proposing a contract marriage.

And the most terrifying part?

For the first time since Daniel betrayed her—

She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to say no.