THE SURROGATE WHO STOLE HIS HEART

a file he'd made months ago when the succe

find a good woman, marry her, and have a kid. She gets money

ers. You're talking about pa

he feelings, focus on what we want to hap

id. Listen to yourself. You sou

how it. My father made choices based on emot

human, Charles said quietly. You're makin

. His assistant's voice was careful: Mr. Stone, t

ander had told them about his other plan t

through

fessional. Mr. Stone, thanks for being interested in our service

? Charles mouthed, but A

myself, Alexander said. Send th

is high, we have three great candidates. They're all educ

r qualif

all have kids of their own, so they know what it means to be a parent.

ced the board members, who l

You want to pay a strange

e window. A surrogate gives me a kid without all the problems

riage, not just a kid

table. A relationship with the m

nown you since you were a boy. Your parent

uilt, Alexander said, his voice full of old anger. I sa

Margaret asked. What if you get your kid and yo

ndow, he looked like a king looking at his co

win,

in his chair and opened his computer. Marg

ree women willing to h

ids, healthy. Her statement was warm and friendly, full of words like blesse

on. Too emotional, too interest

great references. Her statement was professional, talking about her good healt

. Alexander made a note to have h

plication ma

ez. 28. Busi

siness

me education, same address. Elena Martinez, who worked three floors below him, wh

a meeting six months ago when she'd handled

sweet talk about miracles or cold

0,000. I've tried everything else. I'm healthy, responsible, and will take good care of

ing families or changing lives. No medical words to hide wh

Single mother, daughter Sofia Martinez at Riverside Elementary.

never complained. Her pay barely covered her bills in

she was-Elena Martinez at 7:43 AM, walking through the lobby in a coat that looked ol

o fancy clothes, no perfect makeup, no trying to

ade her

ed Margaret Fo

get a chance to rea

na Martinez. Set i

art, committed, and what's going on in her life will mak

an

ngs or hopes. This is just about money for

a game, all plans and risks. Somewhere in the city, Elena Martinez was working

will offer he

to control. Elena Martinez needed money more than she needed someone to

ur mother called. She wants to talk a

g to fix the problems her love affair had caused. She still thought lo

was

thing his enemies could use. Better to deal in agreemen

rtinez exactly what she needed: e

im what he needed: s

s per

n, like love, was often just the be