Anastasia froze at the surrogate’s words, her heart sinking. She hadn’t expected Avery’s couple to arrive on the same day as hers. The thought sent a wave of difort through her, amplifying her unease.


    "I just want to get this over and done with," Anastasia replied, and the eyebrows of the surrogate that spoke earlier frowned in confusion.


    "What do you mean?" She asked.


    Anastasia had never had the mind of bringing up any topic rted to escaping from the factory with the fear that she would be reported to either Samantha or Xander.


    Although for the past week, she’d gotten close and familiarized herself with the surrogates, she didn’t trust them enough to suggest fleeing from there.


    Besides, they never had anything bad to say about the factory. For them, getting pregnant brought a life of indulgence andfort, free of worries or responsibilities. They preferred staying here rather than imagining what life might hold if they ever escaped.


    From their stories, Anastasia learned that many of them had been at the factory for years, bearing children for strangers. Most had resigned themselves to the belief that their families had long forgotten them.


    "It’s nothing," Anastasia replied. The surrogate stared her her for a few seconds before she shrugged and went her way.


    Nadine was not with her today because she’d put to bed the previous night. She was currently in the hospital where she was resting with the child.


    Eve was trying to get acquainted with the other surrogates.


    All of a sudden, Anastasia felt the burner phone Julian had given her two days ago vibrate against her body.


    Her heart skipped a beat in fear, thinking someone might have heard it. She nced around nervously, but everyone seemed unbothered, carrying on with their routines. Keeping herposure, Anastasia casually strode towards her room, the phone still buzzing in her bra. All the while, she subtly checked over her shoulder to ensure Avery wasn’t lurking behind her.


    She got into her room, went to the bathroom, locked the door, and pulled out the phone from her bra.


    It was Julian.


    "Hello," she greeted me after she picked up the phone.


    "I’m on my way to the airport to pick up the clients and thene to the factory. Samantha and Xander will be arriving soon too. Be ready," he said.


    Anastasia’s hands trembled anxiously, a thinyer of sweat coating her palms. Her heart pounded against her chest, each beat louder than she thought possible, as if it were trying to escape her ribcage.


    "Okay, but what do I do?" She wished.


    **


    A few hourster, Anastasia was seated on a bed in a room painted white. On her right were Avery and Eve dressed in simr purple gowns like herself.


    On her left were three couples dressed in fancy-looking attires that revealed they were bastardarfly wealthy.


    The couples had intently been looking at them as if they were some creatures they hadn’t seen before. It was annoying yet amusing.


    "Are you sure the one that looks crazy can bear our child? She looks like the type that can murder the child in her belly without any sort of remorse." A man who seemed to be in his early forties asked, doubtced in his tone.


    Avery faced him, her eyes darting to his wife for the briefest second, and the man subconsciously held his wife closer to him as if Avery could throw a dagger at her with just her eyes.


    "I assure sir, Avery is very much capable of bearing your child. Not only that, when she conceives, we will keep a close eye on her. I admit she can be unstable sometimes..." Samantha drawled, her eyes shifting to look at the emotionless Avery before she looked back at the couple. "...She’s very healthy and I’m sure your baby wille out healthy as well."


    The couple gave Avery a judging look, halfly convinced by Samantha’s words but still wondered if Avery was really capable.


    Avery looked at the man dead in the eyes without blinking, which sent a shiver to run down his spine.


    "Are you sure of what you’re saying?" He asked Samantha.


    Samantha gave Avery a warning re. "I’m very sure."


    Anastasia resisted the urge tough at the scene. The man and his wife had already gone pale while looking at Avery as if she was some kind of ghost. She tore her gaze from them to look at the couple that were already looking at her.


    "Isn’t she Anastasia Wace, the wife of Xavier Wace?" The wife asked.