Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 118

Chapter 118

I was reviewing the quarterly financial reports when Marcus walked into my office wearing an expression I recognized instantly. It was the same look he used to have as a kid whenever he broke something valuable that belonged to Grandpa.

“We need to talk,” he said, closing the door behind him a little harder than necessary.

“Good morning to you too,” I muttered, not looking up from the numbers on my screen. “What is it this time? More issues with the Euradian contracts?”

“Worse.” Marcus dropped into the chair across from my desk, his tie slightly crooked and his hair a mess, like he’d been running his hands through it all morning. “Much worse.”

Something in his tone made me finally glance up. Marcus rarely lost his composure, especially over business matters. Staying calm during crises was practically his superpower.

“What happened?”

He hesitated for a second, then pulled out his tablet and slid it across the desk toward me.

“Sunvale just announced the launch of a new line called TerraVine.”

I picked up the tablet, frowning. The name didn’t ring a bell, but the look on Marcus’s face told me it should.

“And?”

“Read it.”

I skimmed the press release he’d opened, my eyes moving quickly over the first few lines about sustainability and organic methods. Nothing unusual-until I reached the product description.

I stopped breathing.

“Wines produced using biodynamic farming techniques, made exclusively with natural pesticides and traditional fermentation methods. A premium line that combines the best of sustainable innovation with respect for Verdania’s centuries-old winemaking traditions.”

I kept reading, each word hitting me like a punch to the gut. The marketing concept, the positioning, even the phrasing—it was identical to the project I’d been developing for years. The project that was supposed to be the future of Kensington. The project that had cost me countless sleepless nights and more than one shouting

match with the board.

“This can’t be happening,” I muttered, reading the text again, as if the words might somehow rearrange themselves into something else.

“It gets worse,” Marcus said, his voice tight. “They announced that the first batches will hit the shelves in two weeks.”

I looked up sharply, feeling the blood drain from my face.

“Two weeks?” My voice came out hoarse. “That’s impossible. Even if they started production months ago, there’s no way they could-”

“Not unless they knew exactly what to do from the start,” Marcus cut in grimly. “As if they had access to all our plans, our research, our marketing strategy.”

The realization struck like lightning. Someone had leaked information. Someone with direct access to the most confidential details of the project. Someone inside Kensington.

I slammed the tablet onto the desk hard enough for it to slide to the far edge.

“Son of a bitch.” The words came through gritted teeth, my fury building by the second. “Some bastard sold my project.”

“Christian-”

“Years, Marcus!” I shot up from my chair, sending it spinning behind me. “Years of work, research, planning. Every detail, every single innovation we created…’

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