Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 384

Chapter 384

Madeline’s POV

The Uber glided through the streets of Belmonte while I curled into the backseat, still shaking from the aurenaline of my escape. Dr. Montgomery had been my lifeline. She helped me slip out through the staff-only exit at the back of the clinic and called the car for me herself. She said she could stall Vivian for a few minutes, taking her time to return to the exam room and then claiming I’d gone to the restroom. Just enough time for the car to pull away.

But eventually, I wouldn’t be coming back.

I didn’t even want to imagine what would happen when Vivian realized I’d disappeared. Even less when Dominic found out. The retaliation would be brutal if they caught me and I knew that. But the farther we got from the clinic, the clearer it became that Olivia had been right. Marcus had been right. One thing was sacrificing myself under the illusion that I was protecting Marcus and keeping myself “safe.” A completely different thing was sacrificing my baby.

Ever since the dinner at my parents’ house the night before, I couldn’t stop replaying Dominic’s threat in my head. Either the child was his… or there would be no child at all. The way he’d talked about “compromising life” when mentioning possible genetic issues left no room for interpretation. And Vivian’s desperate insistence on doing the DNA test immediately made it obvious that they’d already discussed it. They already had a plan.

I wasn’t even sure whether what the doctor said about the placental detachment was real, or just a medical excuse to get me alone. There hadn’t been time to ask during our tense, rushed exchange. But one thing I knew with absolute certainty: I needed to delay that DNA test for as long as possible. And with Vivian and Dominic making it painfully clear they cared very little about my health as long as they got the information they wanted, that would be impossible.

So I only had one option left.

Accept the help that had been offered. Run. And this time, run for good.

My fingers shook as I fished through the pocket of my coat until I found the business card tucked inside. Marcus had slipped it to me discreetly before leaving, whispering that if I changed my mind, if I needed anything at all, I should just go to that address. At the time, I’d thought I’d never use it.

Now, it was my only lifeline.

The entire ride, my thoughts raced. What was I doing? Running away from an ultrasound to throw myself into the arms of a man I’d known for one week? Putting my life and my baby’s in the hands of someone I barely knew?

But the alternative was going back to Dominic and Vivian. Back to a forced marriage where my child would be nothing more than a piece in a dirty game I never agreed to play. A life where every decision about my pregnancy would be made by others. Where I’d be reduced to a walking womb, carrying an heir for plans I didn’t even fully understand.

The Uber driver stayed quiet, focused on Belmonte’s chaotic traffic, occasionally checking the rearview mirror to see if I was okay. He probably thought I was just another rich woman with first-world problems. If only he knew. If he knew I was running from a web of blackmail, manipulation, and threats that involved my own family

1/2

When we finally reached the address on the card, my stomach flipped.

The building was exactly what I expected. It was a luxury residential tower, discreet but unmistakably expensive, with 24-hour security and a doorman. The kind of place where people with powerful last names lived, safely tucked away from the world’s curious eyes.

The doorman who was a middle-aged man in an impeccably pressed uniform, greeted me with a professional smile.

“Good afternoon. How can I help you?”

“My name is Madeline, and I’m here to visit…” I hesitated, double-checking the card in my hand. “Apartment… 1501.”

He buzzed the apartment, and to my surprise, my entry was approved immediately, as if I were expected.

“You can go up,” he said, gesturing toward the elevators. “Fifteenth floor.”

The elevator was mirrored, forcing me to face my reflection the entire ride up. I looked pale. There were dark circles under my eyes, and my hair was messy from the rushed escape.

As the floor numbers climbed, my anxiety spiked. What was I going to say? How would I explain why I was here? What if he regretted offering help? What if he realized that getting involved with me meant stepping into something far bigger and far more dangerous than he’d anticipated?

The fifteenth floor was silent, with only one door. 1501.

I took a deep breath and walked toward it. But just as I was about to ring the bell, I realized I wouldn’t need to.

The door was already open. And someone was waiting for me in the entryway.

“So…” I said, trying to process everything that his presence represented. “Kensington? Like the Kensington wines?”

Comments

Support

Share

2/2