Chapter 3
"Yes." I forced strength into my voice. "If we're doing this, we're doing it because we both choose to, not because we're backed into a corner. I need you to want this too, not just accept it."
What happened next wasn't clinical or desperate. It was... unexpected.
Maybe it was the leftover effects from the heat accelerator, or maybe it was the way Caspian looked at me—like I was precious instead of convenient—but when he kissed me, I forgot about contracts and money and grandmother's demands.
His lips were soft but insistent, and he tasted like coffee and something uniquely Alpha. My body responded immediately, melting against his chest like I was made to fit there.
"Isla," he murmured against my neck, "are you sure?"
"Yes," I breathed, surprising myself with how much I meant it.
This wasn't how I'd imagined it would be. Not desperate or transactional. Caspian touched me like I was breakable, like every kiss was a gift instead of an obligation. My body was responding to more than just the drug now—it was responding to him.
Afterwards, I lay in his arms, listening to his heartbeat slow down. I could hear voices downstairs—grandmother had arrived.
"We should get ready," he said quietly, his fingers running through my hair.
"Yeah." But I didn't move. I didn't want to break this moment, this weird bubble where everything felt... right.
"Isla?"
"Mmm?"
"I want you to know, what just happened... it wasn't just about the contract."
I lifted my head to look at him. "What do you mean?"
"I mean I don't want this to be the only time."
My heart skipped. This wasn't supposed to happen. This was a business arrangement, not the beginning of something real. But the way he was looking at me, the way his hands were still gentle on my skin... maybe it could be?
Mrs. Blackthorne Senior was exactly what I expected—silver hair pulled back severely, wearing a suit that probably cost more than my monthly rent, and eyes that could cut glass.
"So you're the Omega," she said, looking me up and down like I was livestock.
"Yes ma'am. I'm Isla Moorhaven."
"Hmm." She walked around me in a slow circle. "Dr. Fleming will examine you now. Standard procedure."
The family doctor was kind but professional, and the examination was quick but thorough. I tried to focus on anything else—the pattern on the wallpaper, the sound of birds outside—while trying not to think about the fact that I was being inspected like a prize horse.
"Everything appears to be in order," Dr. Fleming announced finally.
Mrs. Blackthorne Senior nodded curtly. "Good. Contract fulfilled. Marcus will arrange payment."
She was about to leave when she turned back to Caspian. "I expect updates on progress. Monthly."
"Progress on what?" he asked.
"On whether this arrangement results in a proper heir, of course." Her smile was sharp. "After all, what's the point of all this if there's no continuation of the bloodline?"
Heir. Of course. This wasn't just about a one-time arrangement. She expected this to lead to pregnancy, to a baby, to a permanent connection between Caspian and me. My stomach twisted. I hadn't thought that far ahead.
Marcus handed me an envelope thick with cash, plus a separate check for Evie's medical expenses.
"Thank you," I said, but the words felt inadequate.
Caspian walked me to my car, his hands in his pockets, looking uncertain for the first time since I'd met him.
"Isla... about what my grandmother said..."
"It's fine. I understand. This was a one-time thing. Contract fulfilled, everyone gets what they wanted."
"But that's not what I want."
I stopped with my hand on the car door. "What?"
"I want to see you again. Not because of the contract or family pressure. Because of you."
He wants to see me again? This powerful, wealthy Alpha wants to spend time with a single mother who runs a failing diner? This doesn't make sense. Men like Caspian don't date women like me. We exist in completely different worlds.
"Caspian... that's not realistic. Look around you." I gestured at the massive estate. "This isn't my world. I have kids, responsibilities, a business to run. You have... all this."
"So?"
"So we don't make sense." I opened the car door, needing to escape before I did something stupid like believe this could work. "Thank you for everything. For Evie, for being... gentle. But this is where it ends."
I drove away without looking back, but I could feel his eyes on me until I turned the corner.
I did the right thing. This was a smart, practical decision. So why did it feel like I was making a huge mistake?
"Mommy!" Felix and Ruby crashed into me the moment I walked through the door, nearly knocking me over.
"Hey babies," I hugged them tight, breathing in their familiar scent—no complications, no Alpha pheromones, just love and innocence. "I missed you."
"We missed you too," Ruby said. "But Mrs. Chen made us pancakes for breakfast AND lunch because you weren't here."
I laughed, feeling some of the tension leave my shoulders. "Well that was nice of her. Where's Mrs. Evie?"
"Sleeping," Felix said seriously. "But she looks better. Less gray."
Less gray. That meant the money worked, the payment went through, treatment could start. I did the right thing. Protected my family, saved Evie's life, gave the kids a secure future. That's what mattered.
I spent the rest of the day trying to get back to normal routine—prepping for dinner service, checking inventory, playing with the kids. But my mind kept drifting back to the morning, to the way Caspian looked when I drove away.
At 6 PM, a flower shop delivery arrived.
"Delivery for Isla Moorhaven?"
A dozen white roses with a simple card: "Thank you for trusting me. - C"
Felix peered at the flowers curiously. "Who sent these, Mommy?"
"Just... someone being nice," I managed.
White roses. Symbol of new beginnings. Damn that man. Didn't he understand I was trying to keep things simple?
I put the flowers in the back office where the kids wouldn't ask more questions, but I couldn't stop myself from reading the card again. And again.