Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 441

Chapter 441

Madeline’s POV

Our cabin was warm and cozy when we regrouped after the activity. The fireplace crackled softly, creating a welcoming atmosphere that stood in sharp contrast to the tension from earlier. Christian sat in an armchair with Zoey curled against him, while Olivia took the smaller couch. Marcus and I settled onto the main sofa, and I could feel the collective relief of finally being in a private space where we could speak freely.

“So,” Christian said, breaking the contemplative silence that had settled in, “tell us exactly what happened in that room.”

I took a deep breath, organizing my thoughts about the bizarre conversation I’d had with Vivian.

“She was searching for the suitcase when I arrived,” I began. “But when I asked why she was here in Valentia, she said she’d separated from Dominic.”

“Separated?” Olivia straightened, clearly skeptical. “And you believe that?”

“I don’t believe a single word she says, ” I replied firmly. “Vivian lies as easily as she breathes. But she spun this whole story about Dominic getting involved with Francesca Montgomery, and how she stole their company as revenge.”

“Francesca?” Christian frowned.

“According to Vivian, she got involved with Dominic. And when Vivian found out, she pretended to broker the Montgomery acquisition, but put everything in her own name.”

“That would be… smart,” Olivia admitted reluctantly. “If it’s true.”

Marcus, who had stayed quiet throughout my account, finally spoke.

“Do you think she’s still with Dominic?” he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

“Honestly?” I considered the question. “Dominic wouldn’t fall for a half-baked scheme like that. He’s too manipulative. Too controlling. The idea that Vivian managed to fool him and steal an entire company right under his nose? I don’t buy it.”

“Then what do you think his plan is?” Marcus pressed, leaning slightly toward me.

I sighed, feeling the weight of the uncertainty.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But he definitely has one. Things were way too calm until now to be real. We should’ve expected him to be working behind the scenes.”

“And having Vivian here, right where we are…” Olivia said. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

“It definitely isn’t,” Marcus agreed. “The question is, what’s the real objective? Intimidation? Information? Or something worse?”

“Maybe he just wants to show us he can reach us whenever he wants,” I suggested. “That we’re not as protected as we think.”

“Or maybe,” Olivia said thoughtfully, “he’s testing how we react. Waiting to see if we do something impulsive

1/3

he can use against us.”

“If that was the plan,” Christian said with a faintly amused smile, “I don’t think he was expecting Madeline’s reaction today.”

“Speaking of which,” Zoey turned to me with genuine admiration, “that was incredible. The way you smashed the bottle? Everyone was in shock.”

“It was a Kensington team win,” I replied, trying to deflect the credit.

Marcus smiled at me, and there was something in that smile that made my heart race. Pure pride. Pure admiration.

“You represented our family perfectly,” he said, his voice heavy with genuine emotion.

The conversation carried on for a few more minutes, all of us speculating about possible motives and what precautions we should take. Eventually, though, the exhaustion of the day caught up with everyone, and one by one, our guests said their goodbyes.

“Let’s keep our eyes open,” Christian said as he left. “And Madeline, if you notice anything strange, any move she makes toward you, let us know immediately.”

“Promise,” I assured him.

When we were finally alone, the cabin felt even cozier. Marcus adjusted the fire in the fireplace while I settled deeper into the couch, watching the flames dance as starlight streamed in through the large panoramic windows.

Outside, the mountain was nearly silent, broken only by the soft crackle of burning wood. Snow had begun to fall, creating a quiet white blanket that cut our cabin off from the rest of the world.

“This is kind of romantic,” I whispered, gazing out the window, “if there wasn’t a psychopath out there keeping an eye on me.”

Marcus let out a low laugh as he moved closer on the couch.

“You handled her well,” he said, his voice full of admiration. “And besides…”

He paused, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that stole my breath.

“You throwing that bottle on the floor like you owned the place?” he went on, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “That was pretty sexy.”

Heat rushed straight to my face, a mix of embarrassment and something far more intense spreading through my body. Marcus was closer now, and I could feel the warmth coming off him, the subtle scent of his cologne blending with the woodsy smell of the fire.

“Marcus…” I started, but my voice came out rougher than I meant it to.

He moved even closer, and I could feel the nearness of his body against mine. I was completely wrecked by pregnancy hormones, and hearing Marcus say things like that, in that low, desire-laced voice, was definitely not helping.

2/3

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it. Between the adrenaline of the day, the rush of victory, and now this intimate closeness with Marcus in the romantic glow of the cabin, I felt like I was on the verge of spontaneous combustion.

“Do you have any idea,” Marcus murmured, his face now inches from mine, “how hard it is for me to control myself when you’re like this?”

And in that moment, with the stars shining outside and the fire crackling beside us, I realized that maybe I didn’t want him to control himself at all.

日

Comments

Support

Share

3/3