Chapter Eighteen


    Loney was guilt-stricken after he heard that Danica had lost her parents. She was an orphan just like


    him. He anticipated how lonely life must have been for her, just as it was for him. Whereas, he was


    perplexed as to why Danica applied to be his surrogate. If she had no family, then what did she need


    the money for?


    Instantly, he anticipated that something must be wrong. Instantly, he called Gideon.


    "Boss, how may I be of help?"


    Loney thought carefully, stood up from his desk and watched Mexico city through therge ss


    windows, "I want to know everything about Danica Howard."


    Gideon nodded and asked, "to how many years down the line?"


    Loney frowned and uttered coldly, "everything, I want to know everything."


    Gideon nodded and this time didn''t ask more questions. He trotted out to get the requested information


    as if his life depended on it. As Loney waited, he pondered over the situation of keeping Danica for this


    long. His n was working but external forces had begun surfacing, making him uneasy. Herty''s visit to


    the hospital has awoken the fact that people who knew Danica even if they weren''t family, would begin


    to look for her.


    Oddly, he was shed with remorse but not for long, after consoling himself with what Danie did to


    him. Throughout his life, he loved only one woman and that was Danie. Time and age weren''t able to


    erase the bitter love that constantly stabbed his heart.


    It wasn''t long when the search on Danica arrived. Instinctively, he pulled out the death report on


    Danie and found their surnames to match. When he checked the records of Danica''s life, she had


    always lived as Danica and there was no trace of her attending the same college Loney did. He also


    recalled that Herty told Doctor Jeff Danica didn''t have any siblings.


    Thinking through it, he confirmed that Danie, was indeed Danica and a greater part of her life, had


    been forged. He also concluded that Danica wanted money to continue with hervish life, which was


    her reason for being a surrogate but the one question he couldn''t find an answer to was Danica being a


    virgin. He could swear that Danie had several boyfriends while in college and couldn''t believe that


    she kept herself but since Danie, despite all those guys unting around her remained a virgin, it only


    increased Loney''s love for her. With this assertion, Loney decided to surprise Danica by bidding by her


    request. He was going to see her next week as she wanted but he wasn''t going to tell anyone, not even


    Paul, as he began to fear that Paul was beginning to take Danica''s side.


    Danica, after her short conversation with Herty, felt her heart drawn to her tiny house. She missed her


    small bed and the smile of those kids in Sunday school. She also missed being busy in the restaurant


    and most of all, she missed her friend, Herty, who had been a greater part of her life. She recalled how


    they used to share a cup of ice cream, not that they couldn''t afford more, but because they embraced it


    as a friendship bond. Herty''sst words on the phone swang a stone of panic in her mien.


    She could understand J to mean Jones but what did Herty mean by recement, and Jones being


    happy. Danica perceived that Jones should be the most worried of all, therefore, when she thought


    deeply, she could only understand that Jones was in a rtionship and Danie and Herty wanted her


    to know about it.


    Her heart sunk at the thought, as she tried to discourage it in her mind. She wanted to see Herty or


    speak to her to ask more questions but didn''t know how to go about it. She hadn''t intended on being a


    traditional surrogate but now, she wasn''t only going to not have her baby through artificial insemination,


    but by natural means. How could she tell Jones that she had been sleeping with a man to carry his


    child? The more she thought through it, the greater it dawned on her, just how much she had lost


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    herself in the bid to help her sister.


    Her eyes turned ssy, while she busied herself with preparing supper, holding her tears from falling.


    Someway somehow, she was hurt that Jones would date her sister, even if Danie faked being her.


    They might have the same features but couldn''t he make out the difference? The more Danica


    reflected on it, the more lonely and heartbroken she felt. If only their parents were alive, things wouldn''t


    have turned this way. She hoped she could perform her obligations earlier, leave the mansion and


    begin a new life or perhaps, there was a lot of mess waiting for her to clean up at home.


    A week passed and Loney decided to put his n into action. After a long day''s work, he began his


    two-hour journey to the vi, after confirming that everyone was asleep. He parked in the underground


    garage and opened the door to the living room. However, before he took a step further, a baritone voice


    sounded behind him. "Loney?"


    He turned around,  instantlying face to face with a revolver pointed at him. Paul lowered the gun


    after confirming it was Loney. "Why are you awake,?" Loney whispered after Paul lowered the revolver.


    Relief washed over Paul, as he responded rhetorically, "I thought someone called me a bodyguard who


    sleeps too much? I set my own devices in the garage to wake me when there is an intruder. I didn''t


    deactivate it since you didn''t tell me you wereing over," Paul clutch the revolver to the holder on


    his waist, while he spoke.


    Loney responded casually, "no point deactivating it even when I''ming over, we shouldn''t


    The talk of security poked Paul''s ears, "have you heard from Ray?"


    "After sending Jonax after him, No but I think he should be back in Russia now. The only problem is,


    there are other mafias here in Mexico City. They operate low key so I can''t seem to get much


    information. They also haven''t attacked or shown their faces but they have spies around me. I caught a


    few but they escaped before I could get any useful information," Loney exined while pouring himself


    a ss of cold water.


    Paul followed, leaned against the wall and said, "maybe they haven''t moved forward because you


    haven''t invaded their territory."


    "I might, sooner orter," Loney shrugged and sat on the chair in the dining room.


    "Why can''t you forgo certain contracts and have some peace?" Paul suggested, ambling toward him.


    "Just as I always said, I have nothing to lose," Loney smirked.


    Paul was annoyed, "you are nning on having a baby. Shouldn''t that be a concern?"


    "Not until it materializes. It''s not the first time I''ve tried, she''s not my first surrogate, and I''m still


    childless," Loney said unfazed before asking, "how has she been?"


    Paul shrugged, "acting weird and sober since she spoke to that friend of hers. Jeff said the friend gave


    her information that he couldn''t understand but it seems Danica figured it, which has changed her


    mood."


    "Do you know what it is?" Loney was curious. He wanted to know more about Danica.


    "He said something about a J being happy with her recement," James divulged thoughtfully.


    "What does it mean?" Loney squinted.


    "You are asking the wrong person," Paul responded, as he sat on the chair opposite to Loney in the


    dining.


    "Could J be an abbreviation for a name?" Loney felt oddly envious, of anyone symbolizing so much


    importance to Danica, when he didn''t have the chance to get close to her in college.


    "I think so, it''s the most reasonable clue," Paul confirmed.


    Loney frowned thoughtfully, "did Danica ever request to speak to her friend again?"


    "Strangely, she didn''t, even when I thought she would. For a week now, she''s always sad and buries


    herself in her cooking."


    Loney red in agitation, "what do you mean cooking? I pay everyone in this house to do their chores.


    Danica''s responsibility is to eat well and be nourished. She isn''t supposed to busy herself with anything


    other than that. Where is Mabel?"


    Paul was guilt-stricken. He didn''t perceive that Loney will be angry to hear that Danica did most of the


    cooking, and felt sufficed, "sleeping. You probably should wait till morning to talk to her."


    "You know I can''t do that."


    "Why? Because you don''t want your surrogate to know who you are? Why Loney? You are driving her


    crazy," Paul pointed out to Loney buttter remained unfazed.


    "Whatever it is, she deserves it. I will wake Mabel, we need to talk," Loney stood up, and headed


    towards the stairs.


    "Hey hey but you can''t do that, ande on, you look tired. Do you have the strength to...you know


    what I''m talking about?" Paul uttered while he followed Loney closely.


    A surge of anger flew though Loney. He turned aburoly, "Paul, that is enough," he voice was solemn.


    "No offence man, but I''m beginning to think that you being stressed out all the time is the reason why


    she isn''t getting pregnant," Paul said politely. Loney wasn''t moved because he knew the reason for


    Danica not taking seed but he hid it well,


    "What? Are you saying that i''


    Loney''s words were drowned by Pauls'' interference, "I''m not making any assumptions. I''m just stating


    the facts here but maybe, you arriving when she is in her fertile moment might make a difference. Why


    did you change your mind anyway?" Paul asked tacitly.