Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 411

Chapter 411

Madeline’s POV

Marcus’s parents’ estate was even more impressive than I’d imagined during the flight. When we finally arrived, after a winding drive through hills covered in centuries-old olive groves, I found myself staring at something that looked like it had been lifted straight out of a Castorian film. The main house was built of golden stone that glowed softly in the late-afternoon sun, surrounded by perfectly manicured gardens and terraces cascading down the gentle slopes.

Jonathan greeted us at the entrance with open arms, a genuine smile lighting up his weathered face. Seeing him again after the wedding was strangely comforting. There was something grounding about his presence, so different from the tension I’d felt back then.

“Welcome!” he said warmly, hugging Marcus before turning to me with obvious kindness. “Madeline, it’s so good to see you again, even under such different circumstances.”

Beatrice appeared moments later, elegant as ever, but with a worried, maternal expression I hadn’t seen during the wedding. Now that she could clearly see how vulnerable I was, all her aristocratic composure melted into a fiercely protective instinct.

“My dear,” she said, pulling me into a warm embrace, “you’re far too thin. We’ll fix that immediately.”

Marcus briefly explained our situation, that we needed to stay there for a few days until things cooled down in Verdania and we could figure out our next steps. Jonathan nodded with understanding, as if hosting international fugitives were just another part of family life.

“The house is yours,” he said simply. “For as long as you need.”

Luke and Mia showed up shortly after. Luke, in his early twenties with a smile that looked a lot like Marcus’s,

*ed me with an easy wave. Mia hugged me right away, like we were old friends.

Jistwo really went on an adventure, huh?” Mia said with a spark of excitement that made me smile for the

time in days.

Olivia, who had seemed a little shy when we arrived, quickly blended in with Marcus’s siblings. There was something about the Kensingtons’ warmth that made it impossible to stay on the sidelines for long. Before I knew it, she was laughing at Luke’s jokes and helping Mia shop for shoes online.

I, on the other hand, felt oddly withdrawn. Maybe it was the weight of everything that had happened over the past few hours. Or maybe it was the slow realization of just how serious our situation really was. While everyone else chatted animatedly over dinner, I caught myself watching it all like a play I wasn’t fully part of.

During the meal, Beatrice served me generous portions of homemade pasta and wouldn’t stop offering more wine, more bread, more of everything. She’d clearly noticed how worn down I looked and was determined to feed me back to health. Jonathan kept the conversation light and easy, carefully avoiding any topic that might stir my anxiety,

After dinner, Marcus showed me the room we’d be sharing. It was spacious and cozy, filled with dark antique furniture and windows that overlooked the moonlit olive groves. The bed was large enough that we could sleep without necessarily touching, which reassured me. Our situation was complicated enough without adding physical tension to the mix.

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I slept deeply for the first time in weeks. No forced sedatives. No constant fear of being woken up for nonconsensual medical procedures. When I opened my eyes the next morning, Marcus was already awake, sitting in an armchair by the window with a cup of coffee in his hands, watching the gardens outside.

“Good morning,” he said softly when he noticed I was awake.

“Good morning,” I replied, stretching under the covers. “How long have you been up?”

“For a while. I brought breakfast up here.” He gestured toward a tray on the coffee table, filled with croissants, fresh fruit, and a coffee pot that smelled absolutely divine. “I thought we could talk with a little more privacy.”

My stomach tightened. Private conversations usually meant serious ones, and I still wasn’t sure I was ready to face all the implications of our current situation.

I got up and joined him by the window, taking the cup of coffee he handed me. The view was breathtaking. Rolling hills covered in olive trees stretched all the way to the horizon, broken up by vineyards and small stone buildings that looked like they’d been there for centuries.

“Marcus,” I began hesitantly, taking a deep breath before asking the question that had been haunting me since I woke up on the plane. “Could you actually be convicted of kidnapping?”

He sighed, setting his cup aside before turning to face me fully.

“Technically, yes. What I did fits the legal definition of kidnapping. You were under court-ordered

guardianship. You were removed against the will of your legal guardians. And you crossed international borders.

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My heart started racing.

“But,” he added quickly, “I have a Valentian passport. Valentia rarely extradites its own citizens, especially when there are mitigating circumstances like documented medical negligence.”

Relief washed over me.

“So

fe here?” I asked.

sington family has enough influence to make sure I won’t be extradited.” He paused. “That o watch how things unfold in Verdania.”

t about Olivia?” I asked, worry for my cousin bubbling up immediately. “Could she be arrested too?”

us shook his head.

“It’s different with Olivia. She probably won’t even be linked to the kidnapping. There’s no clear evidence tying her to what happened. She was well disguised, mask and glasses, and she can easily claim she was home that night.”

“And if they do find out?” I pressed. “If they discover she helped?”

“Then we’ll handle it,” he said with a confidence that made me suspect he had plans already in motion, ones he wasn’t fully sharing yet.

There was something in his tone, a certainty that told me a lot was happening behind the scenes without my

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knowledge.

“So… we can never go back to Verdania?” I asked, my voice softer than I intended.

Marcus stepped closer and took my free hand in his.

“Never is a long time,” he said gently. “Once we prove Dominic’s entire scheme, once we have enough evidence of how you were manipulated and forcibly medicated, this will resolve itself. The truth has a way of surfacing eventually.”

I looked back out the window, watching a small bird land on the branch of a nearby olive tree. There was something deeply peaceful about the view, something that made me feel like maybe, just maybe, everything really could turn out okay in the end.

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