Mysterious CEO's Last Surrogate
Chapter Forty - Five

"You were right, Herty, I should have told him," Danica said tearfully as soon as she answered the call. She wasn't just in pain because Loney ignored her but the disappointment she saw in his eyes hurts her more, the fact that Loney was hurting because of her.

"Forget about that, Danica, you can't keep crying in your condition. You have to stay strong, at least for the baby," Herty helplessly tried to encourage her.

"For the baby?" She sniffed. "He won't even talk to me. I don't think he needs a baby anymore," Danica sounded dejected.

"Don't be ridiculous. He has spent so much already. He is just upset but it will cool off. Just hold on okay?" Herty tried to replace the right words to comfort her friend. She wasn't a relationship expert but at least she knew her friend.

"Thanks for not judging me, Herty," Danica sniffed.

"You already judged yourself. I don't have to. Will it be okay if I come and visit?" Herty asked. She wanted to be there for Danica because throughout the times her parents were away, Danica was always there for her.

"I don't know. I would need his permission but he won't talk to me," Danica said. She wished Herty was there but then again, Herty couldn't come around without Loney's permission. "What about Paul?" Herty asked.

"He is just as disappointed. Don't worry, I will be fine. How is Jones?" Danica recalled, knowing Jones would be worried about her sister.

"That reminds me, I need to call him. He has been dead worried since Daniella left him at the car park," Herty remarked. Danica was shocked.

"What?" She exclaimed.

"Yes, Danica and your sister wants Loney too," Herty revealed.

Danica felt a tinge in her heart. Could it be that her sister was Loney's ex? What about Jones? It was all too much for her brain to handle. "Jones doesn't deserve that. He is too good."

"I know, that's why you have to be strong, Danica. You can't continue being your sister's puppet," Herty advised.

Danica wiped her tears, the phone on speaker. "I've thought about it too. She even told Loney that she didn't know I was being a surrogate and wondered what I needed money for."

"That is extreme. I haven't seen this guy but he seems scary. Billionaires are scary because they get whatever they want. You have to tell him the truth about everything before your sister destroys you." "I am ready if only he will give me a chance."

"I will pray for you, Danica."

"Thank you, Herty."

*****

As soon as Loney entered his bedroom, he used his secret passage out of the mansion. He went to the club and drank till he couldn't anymore. He made one of his bodyguards arrange a girl for him but when the girl was brought, he got upset and sent her away.

He didn't understand the reason why he still couldn't do as he used to before. When he woke up in the hotel, he dressed up and went to the office but his head wasn't clear. Danica or maybe Daniella's face kept appearing to him. He had no intention of going back to the mansion anytime soon.

To get his mind over his pain, he went to supervise some of the projects himself but even that wasn't easy as the word betrayal kept ringing in his mind. He couldn't understand whose betrayal hurt more. Besides, now that he found Daniella, he didn't know whether he loved Danica because he thought she was Daniella or was genuinely attracted to her. He also couldn't bring himself to decide which of the sisters to let go.

However, thinking through everything, he decided to never return to the mansion till Danica gave birth. He will take his child and let both sisters go.

******

Jones was driving out of his house when Herty drove in. He stopped instantly. "Did you replace out anything?" He asked with his head popped out of the window.

"Let's go inside and talk if you aren't late," Herty said. She had decided to let out everything, thus taking the day off from work. She didn't mind that it was going to be deducted from her salary.

"If it's about Danica, I can always take permission from the office," Jones said.

"Then please do," Herty acknowledged.

Jones made a call, after which he drove back to his compound and ushered Herty to his room.

"She's not Danica," Herty said as soon as Jones took his position on the sofa next to hers. She looked nervously around, her eyes catching Jones family pictures on the wall but the most captivating was one with Danica and a few kids at church. Herty recalled vividly, it was Danica's birthday and she had gifted the kids with so many toys to celebrate her day.

"You are not making sense. I was with Danica and she didn't return," Jones tried to explain, bringing Herty from her thoughts.

She didn't know where to start from but somehow, she found the vigour. "She is Daniella, Danica's twin," the words darted out of her mouth, panic striking her. "I can't hide it anymore because she's causing more harm than good," she ended curtly.

Jones was stupefied, "are you telling me that Danica has a twin sister?" He asked with visible confusion. Herty nodded in the affirmative. Jones shifted uncomfortably. It was too much for him to handle. "So, this Daniella you are talking about, was pretending to have lost her memory?" Jones, brows knitted as he asked.

"Yes," Herty agreed, saddened to be the one bearing this news.

Jones nodded thoughtfully and said, "then she's an incredible actress." There was a lace of disdain in his voice when he asked, "So where is Danica?"

"She she's..." Herty stammered, "I mean she took up surrogacy to get money for her sister because the mafia was threatening her life," she concluded the next sentence sharply.

Jones stood from the sofa, his head lowered in thought, as he paced here and there, "you knew all this and you are telling me now. How the heck I'm I supposed to believe you?" He rubbed his hands in his black hair, frustration cutting in.

"You might choose not to but it's the truth. I didn't know Daniella either until a few months ago after she drugged Danica in the club for the mafia to have their way with her," she blurted out unintentionally. Jones froze, "that can't be true. Even if the woman I was with isn't Danica, I don't think she could do that," Jones defended. How could he believe that Daniella was cruel?

"She did but Danica was sent to the wrong room..." Herty paused, contemplating as to whether or not she should let out the facts of the matter.

"And.." Jones impatiently asked, his eyes glued on her.

"She woke up naked beside a strange man but managed to escape to my house that morning. She is now a surrogate of the same man but It was a coincidence though." Herty concluded.

Jones's head was spinning. This was completely unexpected and too hard to believe, especially with Danica having to go through all that for her sister's sake. "And where is Daniella then?" He asked after a long pause.

"She followed them yesterday. Which was why she left you at the car park. I'm so sorry Jones," Herty was remorseful. Still, she didn't know what was going through Jones mind till he asked,

"So, why are you telling me now?" His tone was laced with pain, his features depicting uncertainty and letdown.

"Just so you don't get worked up thinking about Daniella."

From Herty's response, Jones realized she didn't understand his question and rephrased it, "I mean, why didn't you tell me before?"

"Danica didn't want anyone to know because Daniella had promised to turn over a new leaf after she settles her debt with the mafia boss. I heard he is the most deadly in Russia," she added curtly. Jones froze at Herty's last words. Silence descended for a whole minute before he asked, "do you know his name?"

"I remember she mentioned Mr Somo or, no I think it's Ray, yes Ray," Herty recalled.

A crisp frown appeared on Jones' handsome features as he said sternly, "then she really messed up because Ray would have disfigured her completely.."

Herty was shocked. "How do you know him?" She asked, her voice revealing panic.

Jones sat back on the sofa, ran his hands through his messed up black hair and said, "I too had a life before meeting Christ. I wasn't always like this...."☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐