Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 385

Chapter 385

Madeline’s POV

“Yes,” the girl at the door replied, a mischievous smile playing on her lips. “Kensington, like the wines. And you 1st be Madeline Sullivan. Sullivan, like the parks.”

I laughed despite the tension twisting my stomach. It was impossible not to smile as her energy was contagious, like a force of nature.

“Come in, come in…” she said animatedly, opening the door wide. “My name’s Gwen.”

“I didn’t want to be a bother, but-”

“A bother?” Gwen cut me off, closing the door behind me with a soft click and guiding me into the luxurious apartment. “You’re not bothering anyone! We’re practically sisters!”

I stopped in the middle of the living room, confused by that unexpected declaration from a complete stranger. The apartment was even more impressive inside than I’d imagined-soaring ceilings, massive windows with a panoramic view of Belmonte, furniture that clearly cost a fortune. There was something almost unreal about the place, like I’d stepped into a parallel world where problems like mine didn’t exist.

“What do you mean?” I managed, still taking it all in.

“Well, when I was seven, I loved the Sullivan parks so much that I decided I was going to live there forever,” she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement, like it was her most treasured memory. “I ran away from my mom and hid inside that ride that was a giant dollhouse. You remember it, right? All pink, three stories tall, with real miniature furniture.”

Of course I remembered. The Giant Dollhouse had been one of the park’s most popular attractions when I was a kid. My father was proud of it. He said it had been inspired by Disney castles, but with a Verdanian twist.

“I went around yelling at all the employees, ‘You work for me now!”” Gwen continued, gesturing dramatically.” Can you imagine the chaos a seven-year-old trying to run an amusement park caused?”

Despite everything that I was going through, I couldn’t stop a genuine laugh. The image of a tiny girl bossing around uniformed adults was absurdly adorable.

“I became an attraction myself,” Gwen went on, leading me to a cream-colored leather sofa. “People lined up to watch the ‘little director’ giving orders. My mom was frantic, obviously, but the park staff thought it was hilarious. I only agreed to leave when they gave me a key to the park, you know? One of those symbolic gold keys you gave special visitors.”

“I do!” I said, smiling at the memory.

“I still have it,” she said. “Kept it like a treasure. I spent weeks telling everyone I owned the parks.”

Then she looked at me with an intensity that didn’t match the lighthearted story.

“I still consider myself an heir, you know?” she said. “Which kind of makes you my sister.” And for the first time since opening the door, her expression turned serious. “And sisters help each other.”

I stared at her, mesmerized, not entirely sure what to say. There was something almost magical about the way

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she spoke, like she truly believed that golden key had created a bond that went far beyond paperwork or bloodlines.

Gwen laughed, breakin

any room.

the solemn moment with a bright, crystalline laugh that seemed capable of lighting up

“I’m Marcus’s cousin,” she explained, as if that cleared everything up. “I don’t know if he had time to tell you. He had to leave Belmonte because… well, I think you know why.”

My stomach clenched. I did know. Security. He was probably under even heavier threat now, especially if anything about that day at the yoga studio had been discovered by Dominic’s men. The thought made me shiver,

and instinctively, my hand went to my belly, where my baby was growing, unaware of all the danger

surrounding us.

“I need help,” I whispered at last, finally finding my voice. “He said I could come to this address.”

“We’ve been taking turns waiting for you to show up,” Gwen said with a smile that blended relief and determination. “Marcus has a plan.”

My heart started racing. A plan meant hope, and hope was something I barely remembered how to feel. For weeks now, I’d been living in a constant state of fear, always looking over my shoulder, always waiting for Dominic to appear and claim what he believed belonged to him.

“I’ll accept anything,” I blurted out, the words spilling out in a desperate rush. “My baby is in danger because… because I don’t actually know who the father is. And my fiancé won’t accept that it might not be him.”

Gwen studied me for a moment, her bright blue eyes scanning my face as if she could read every secret I was trying to hide. There was a sharp intelligence in her gaze that didn’t quite match her carefree, playful appearance.

“Let’s hope the baby is born with a beautiful pair of blue eyes,” she said cheerfully, pointing to her own sapphire -colored eyes. “Family trademark.”

“That would be his death sentence,” I whispered, my voice weaker than I meant it to be.

“That’s not going to happen,” Gwen replied with a confidence that only confused me more, “because you’re going to follow Marcus’s plan.”

“What plan?”

“The plan,” she began theatrically, walking toward an elegant bar in the corner of the living room that looked professionally designed, “includes a bottle of wine… Kensington, obviously…”

She poured two glasses of a deep, rich red wine that was clearly expensive and special. The liquid swirled beautifully in the crystal as she slid one glass toward me with an elegant gesture.

Then she froze, as if struck by sudden realization.

“Oh, shit,” she muttered, quickly pulling the glass back before it could spill. “Pregnant women can’t drink. Well -more for me.”

She took a generous sip, savoring it like a sacred ritual, before continuing.

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“It also includes a private jet being prepped at Crownfield Airport as we speak,” she paused dramatically, clearly enjoying the look of total shock on my face, “and…”

She lifted her glass toward me in an imaginary toast, eyes sparkling.

“wedding dress.”

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