Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 364

Chapter 364

Three Days Ago, Madeline’s POV

On the day of my wedding, everything around me seemed wrapped in an aura of anticipation. The atmosphere in the rented mansion where the ceremony would take place was thick with tension and expectation, as if every corner carried the responsibility of making this day perfect. My heart beat erratically, and every thought was a

hirlwind of nerves and excitement.

I ran my hand over the cool silk, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle in my dress. For the third time. Or the fourth. I was nervous. Very nervous. This was the most important day of my life, and absolutely nothing had the right to go off plan. Not even an imaginary wrinkle in my dress.

Facing the mirror, I stared at the reflection of a more dreamy version of myself. The wedding dress, a vision of elegance, fell softly to the floor in layers of fabric that seemed to float. There was something almost magical in every detail, from the lace bodice to the delicate embroidery adorning the skirt. The pure white shade stood out against my glowing skin, as if I were a blank page about to be filled with a new and exciting story.

My light brown hair, meticulously styled in soft waves, caught the light pouring into the room, giving my appearance a special glow. My makeup was subtle, highlighting my honey-colored eyes and giving them an almost hypnotic depth.

I, Madeline Sullivan-looked perfect. And I knew it. So why did that twisting feeling in my stomach insist on warning me that a disaster was quietly on its way?

“You look stunning, Madeline,” Vivian said as she adjusted a rebellious strand of my hair, smiling. “I swear I’ve never seen a more beautiful bride in my life.”

“That doesn’t count. You’re biased,” I replied. “You’re my best friend and my maid of honor. If you don’t think I’m beautiful, who will?”

She laughed.

“Well, I’m pretty sure everyone out there will. Now stay right here, because as your best friend and maid of honor, I think what you really need is something a little stronger than champagne.”

“Oh, please, do that for me,” I said, hearing my own desperation in my voice. “And bring a whole bottle of whatever you find!”

Don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t like I needed to be drunk to feel comfortable marrying Dominic. I loved him. We’d met by chance at a party. It was his cousin Vivian who gave us the little push we needed to start dating. And from that moment on, we’d been inseparable.

My parents had quickly fallen in love with Dominic. He was handsome, charming, polite… and rich. Not that the last part was so important, considering my own family was very well-off.

My parents owned a respected chain of amusement parks, Sullivan Parks, which had shaped entire generations and were seen as a symbol of tradition and leisure in Verdania. In recent years, though, popularity had declined, and business wasn’t as profitable as it once had been. Even so, my parents remained deeply traditional and expected me to marry a man who was equally successful… someone capable of preserving the family name and keeping it within the same prestigious social circle. Dominic Blackwood seemed to be that man.

1/3

1

I started to feel uncomfortably warm and lowered the air-conditioning temperature. The back of my neck was beginning to sweat. If everything

ok much longer, my hairstyle would be ruined. And I knew it wasn’t about

the heat. It was pure nerves.

“Vivian, where are you…?” I murmured.

Deciding that my drink was far more important than staying hidden so no one could see me in my dress before

ceremony, I left the room and stepped into the hallway. Maybe Vivian was with the other bridesmaids, and if she wasn’t, one of them could take on the very important task of getting the bride properly tipsy.

But as I moved down the mansion’s corridor, I heard Vivian’s voice coming from a room with the door slightly ajar. I was about to walk in and call for my best friend when-

“…it should’ve been me in that wedding dress,” she was saying.

Shocked and suddenly very curious, I froze. I pressed my back against the wall and held my breath, straining to keep listening.

“We’ve already talked about this…” That was Dominic’s voice.

“I need her. I need her last name, the Sullivan family’s reputation, and most of all, those parks. Ever since the police started investigating the hotels, I’ve needed a new, clean place to open my casinos. I spent five years putting up with this farce, Vivian. Now it’s time. Either I get this front, or I lose everything.”

“I know, I know…” she replied, sounding annoyed. “But I can’t stand pretending to be your cousin anymore. Take the Sullivan name, the parks, whatever you need… and then put that fool where she belongs, far away from you. Then you finally make it official with me.”

“That was always the plan.”

A sharp pain pierced my chest, and suddenly I couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be. My nerves had to be playing tricks on me. That couldn’t be Vivian and Dominic in that room, saying those horrible things.

I had to look. I had to see.

My ears could be deceiving me, but my eyes wouldn’t.

I moved slowly, twisting my body and stretching my neck just enough to see through the crack in the door without exposing myself.

The good news was that they wouldn’t see me. Their eyes were closed.

The bad news-

The bad news was that my best friend and my fiancé were tangled together. Kissing. Touching. Devouring each other in a cramped room, on the day of my wedding.

My heart slammed violently against my ribs. My body started shaking uncontrollably. My vision blurred as hot tears streamed down my face. Who were these people I had known and loved for five years? How could this be real? How could they be so cruel?

I felt like I was about to pass out.

2/3

But before I could, hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me away from the door, guiding me back down the hallway toward the room where I was supposed to be.

“Let’s just get you out of here…”