Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 445

Chapter 445

Marcus’ POV

The second activity was set in a wilder area of the complex, where a mountain stream ran between rocks and centuries-old trees. The organizer had put together an impressive setup. Three separate starting points, each with a pile of building materials and basic tools. On the other side of the stream, three brightly colored flags marked the finish points for each team.

“Good morning, competitors!” the organizer’s voice echoed through the crisp air. “Today’s activity will test teamwork, improvised engineering, and leadership under pressure.”

I studied the available materials as he spoke. Ropes, wooden planks, nails, hammers, and a few other items that had clearly been chosen to make the task challenging but not impossible.

“Each team must build a functional bridge over the stream,” the organizer continued. “The bridge must be strong enough for all thirty team members to cross safely. The first team to get everyone to the other side will be declared the winner. The structures are designed to be safe, of course, and we also have protective nets in place to prevent accidents.”

Christian stepped closer to me as the organizer went over safety rules, his hands already moving in a way I recognized as his strategic planning mode.

“A metaphorical bridge,” he murmured. “Teamwork. Overcoming obstacles. Very symbolic.”

“And very physical,” I replied, assessing the width of the stream. “About ten feet across. Moving water. Slippery rocks.”

“Someone made good use of last night,” Christian remarked casually, though there was an unmistakably amused tone in his voice that made me glance at him suspiciously.

I laughed and decided to throw the teasing right back at him.

“I’m guessing you’re talking about yourself and Zoey,” I shot back. “You two can’t spend five minutes in a romantic setting without-”

Christian laughed out loud, completely unfazed.

“We take advantage of every moment,” he admitted shamelessly. “But I’m not talking about us. You’re a lot more… relaxed today.”

I felt heat rise to my face, and my reaction must’ve been obvious, because Christian immediately smiled, pleased with himself.

“Knew it,” he said, clearly entertained. “You’re different. Less tense.”

“Maybe I just slept well,” I tried to defend myself, but even I knew it sounded weak.

“And tell me,” Christian went on, lowering his voice so no one else could hear us, “have you reached the part where you realize it goes beyond sex? Or are you two still just… physical?”

The question caught me off guard. It was exactly the kind of blunt analysis Christian was known for, but I still wasn’t ready for it.

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“It’s hard to tell if it’s just attraction when you’ve literally just… consummated the attraction,” I answered honestly.

Christian stopped what he was doing and stared at me, genuinely surprised.

“Wait. What?” Christian asked, his expression bordering on shocked.

“It was our first night since the wedding,” I explained, keeping my voice low. “First there was the whole escape. Then her pregnancy hormones were all over the place…”

“You’re telling me,” Christian cut in, clearly processing this, “that you’ve been married for months and only now…?”

“It’s complicated,” I defended myself. “It’s not exactly a normal marriage.”

Christian went quiet for a moment, clearly reassessing everything he thought he knew about my relationship

with Madeline.

“Then there’s nothing to question,” he said finally. “You definitely love that woman.’

“What?” The statement blindsided me. “No… it’s too soon to think about-”

“It’s never too soon,” Christian interrupted firmly. “And the Marcus Kensington I know would never wait this long for a woman. Never. You wouldn’t have that kind of patience or care if this were just physical attraction.”

His words made me stop and actually think. He was right about my past behavior. Relationships had always been simple. Direct. No emotional complications. If I wanted something, I went for it. If it didn’t work, I moved on. There was no waiting. No overanalyzing. No—

“I don’t know,” I muttered, trying to organize my thoughts. “I’ve also been worried about other things. Like running Kensington Valentia without causing another scandal or getting arrested for kidnapping.”

Christian laughed, but it was a knowing laugh.

“That never would’ve stopped you before,” he pointed out. “But I get it. There’s always that one woman. The one who makes everything worth it.”

“How do you know when-” I started to ask, but I didn’t get to finish.

Madeline, who had been talking with Zoey near the building materials, looked our way at that exact moment. When our eyes met, she smiled. Not a polite smile. Not a situational one. But something real and warm that instantly spread heat through my chest.

It was a smile that said she’d noticed me. That she was happy to see me. That there was something real between us, something that went beyond the circumstances that had brought us together in the first place.

And in that moment, I understood exactly what Christian meant.

It wasn’t about how long we’d waited. It wasn’t about dissecting every feeling and labeling it properly. It was about the fact that when she smiled at me like that, everything else faded into the background.

“See?” Christian said quietly, clearly noticing the change in my expression.

“Maybe,” I admitted, still processing the realization.

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“Attention, teams!” the organizer shouted, cutting through the moment. “You have three hours to build your bridges. The time starts… now!”

The immediate chaos of the competition forced us to focus on the task at hand, but even as I headed toward the construction materials, I couldn’t get Madeline’s smile out of my head.

“Marcus!” Zoey yelled from our station. “Get over here! We need an engineering plan before everyone starts building bridges that are going to collapse!”

I laughed and jogged over to join the team, but part of my mind stayed locked on that realization. If Christian was right about what I felt for Madeline, then I had a lot more at stake in this competition than just Kensington family pride.

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