Chapter 1 The Hospital Mixed Up The IVF Sample

"The hospital mixed up the IVF sample? So I'm pregnant with someone else's baby? This has to be some kind of nightmare." Vivian Fowler stood frozen across from the doctor's desk, her face tight with shock.

"Yes. And on behalf of the hospital, I'm truly sorry for what happened," said Benny Gibson. Sweat glistened along his forehead, and his voice came out tense with guilt.

Vivian felt her balance slip, and the room seemed to blur around her.

"We are willing to offer you one million in compensation, and we will also refund every cost you paid for the IVF," Benny continued, regret heavy in his expression. "Would that help at all?"

"I don't care about your money!" Vivian shouted, her voice cracking. Her eyes burned with tears. "I wanted a child with Colin. That was the only thing that mattered!"

Only a month ago, her fiancé, Colin Harvey, had been on his way to see her when a horrific car accident changed everything, leaving him barely holding on.

His parents had pleaded with her through tears, begging her to let him leave something of himself behind.

With grief crushing her chest and guilt eating at her, Vivian had agreed to move forward with IVF using the sperm Colin had stored.

She never thought it would end in something so cruelly absurd. How was she supposed to look Colin's heartbroken parents in the eye? How was she supposed to face Colin, who might never wake up again?

Anger, shock, and heartbreak slammed into her so hard that she could barely think.

Her whole body shook as fury took over. "No. I'm ending this pregnancy. And then, I'm doing IVF again."

The words had barely left her mouth when the exam room door suddenly flew open.

Vivian spun around, her pulse jolting.

A man filled the doorway. He was impossibly tall, dressed in a dark suit that fit his broad, solid build like it was made for him.

His face was sharp and intense, but what struck her most were his eyes. They were cold and precise, the kind that seemed to cut straight through people.

When he looked at someone, it carried a silent pressure, like he was used to the world bending in his direction.

Benny quickly stepped forward, his posture stiffening. "Mr. Lewis," he said, his tone instantly careful and deferential.

William Lewis responded with a slight nod, his gaze landing on Vivian and the tears still clinging to her lashes. With calm purpose, he walked toward her, every step controlled and steady.

The room seemed to tighten around them. Vivian froze, her breath caught as her fingers curled into her palm.

Stopping in front of her, William stood close enough that she could smell something cool and clean on him, like cedar after rain.

"I am William Lewis," he said, his voice calm and unnervingly smooth. "I'm the biological father of the baby you're carrying, and I expect you to bring that child into the world."

Even without raising his tone, the weight of his presence filled the room.

Vivian forced herself not to falter. "No. I'm not giving birth to a baby for someone I don't even know."

"Then let's make this simple. One hundred million," William replied, ignoring her refusal like it was irrelevant. His tone stayed almost effortless. "That will be your payment for delivering the child. Once the baby is born, I take him with me. You leave with the money, and nothing will ever tie you to us again."

Vivian sucked in a sharp breath. She could tell he wasn't an ordinary man, but the amount still hit her like a blow. That wasn't a number people offered lightly, not even the richest men alive.

William slid a card toward her while she stared in disbelief. It was jet-black, sleek as midnight, with only a few words stamped in muted gold. William Lewis. CEO, Zeus Group.

Zeus Group was a corporate empire known across the world, with influence that stretched into every industry and technology that shaped the future.

A giant of a company like that held enough power to shake entire markets with a single decision, even sending waves through the world's economy.

The man responsible for turning it into an unstoppable force was the one who had stepped in five years ago and reshaped Zeus Group with ruthless speed and absolute control. A CEO so reclusive that no one ever saw his face in public-William Lewis.

Vivian lowered her head. So that was why his name had sounded familiar. For someone like him, a hundred million was pocket change. If not for this IVF mix-up, she would have gone her entire life without ever standing in the same room with someone like him.

And now, by a twist of fate, she was carrying his child. But none of that mattered. No amount of money could ever replace what she had with Colin.

"I already told you no," Vivian responded, her voice quiet but firm as stone. "You don't get to dictate my future."

Something subtle flashed in William's eyes, like he hadn't expected defiance, but he showed no irritation. He placed a document in front of her, his tone steady. "Your condition is not robust. Ending this pregnancy would put extreme strain on your body. And even if you attempted IVF again afterward, the odds of it working would be almost zero. There's a very real chance you would never be able to conceive again."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Vivian lifted her head fast, fear rushing into her eyes. "Did you forge this report just to trap me into keeping this baby?"

"You're free to verify it with any top medical institution," William replied, his expression unreadable. "The diagnosis will stay the same."

The calm certainty in his voice made her skin prickle. Before she could speak again, her phone suddenly rang inside her bag, loud and sharp in the heavy silence.

The caller ID made her breath catch. It was Colin's mother.

Vivian answered immediately, and Katrina Harvey's voice burst through, shaking with emotion. "Vivi, where are you? Hurry home right now. Colin woke up just now. He's awake!"

For a second, Vivian couldn't process the words. Then, her thoughts scattered, and joy slammed into her so hard that she almost couldn't breathe.

She turned quickly, ready to bolt out the door, but a steady hand closed around her wrist.

William looked at her with a distant kind of courtesy, his grip firm but controlled. "Ms. Fowler, I understand this is overwhelming. I won't interfere with your choice, but you need to tell me what you decide. I'm the father, and I deserve to be kept informed."

Vivian's mind was already racing toward Colin, and nothing else felt worth fighting about. She pulled her wrist away sharply. "Fine. I understand!" Then, she took off, never glancing behind her.

Her feet carried her straight through the halls until she finally reached Colin's room, breathless as she grabbed for the door.

But before she could step inside, a quiet voice floated out, trembling with emotion, and it stopped her cold. "Colin, ever since you fell into that coma, I've been here every day. I couldn't stand the thought of you never opening your eyes again."

Vivian recognized it instantly. Thea Fowler, her stepsister.

Ice crawled up Vivian's back as she leaned closer, peering through the narrow opening in the door.