Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 450

Chapter 450

Madeline’s POV

The bonfire crackled loudly in the forest, lighting up the faces of the thirty Kensington team members gathered around it in a wide, uneven circle. The air was freezing, but the flames gave off a comforting warmth that made the night pleasant despite the harsh mountain winter.

It was a moment of lightness after an intense day. Even though we’d lost the bridge challenge, our two victories had put us in the overall lead. And best of all, Montgomery was in last place.

“A toast to the most united team I’ve ever seen!” Christian shouted from across the fire, raising his glass of wine.

Cheers echoed through the forest, and several people clapped. The atmosphere was festive, with lively conversations breaking out in small groups around the flames.

Marcus sat beside me, our shoulders touching to share warmth. The firelight danced across his face, casting shadows that somehow made him even more handsome. Olivia had settled on a nearby rock, Luke was sitting on the ground with his back against a tree, and Mia was holding a skewer of marshmallows over the fire.

“Anyone want one?” Mia offered, holding up a perfectly golden marshmallow.

“I do,” I said, reaching for it.

The candy was hot and sticky, the texture so strange it made me laugh as I tried to chew.

“First time?” Marcus asked, noticing my surprised expression.

“Eating marshmallows around a campfire?” I laughed, finally managing to swallow. “Definitely.”

Marcus looked genuinely surprised.

“You’ve never gone camping before?”

“I have,” I replied, watching the sparks drift up toward the stars. “But it was very different.”

“How so?”

I sighed, sorting through childhood memories that were a strange mix of privilege and constant pressure.

“Back in its golden days, Sullivan organized camps in a reserve near the main park headquarters,” I explained. ” It was one of their most famous promotional events. Families came from all over the country.”

“Sounds fun,” someone commented from the other side of the fire.

“It could have been,” I agreed. “But as the owners’ daughter, my parents were always around. I couldn’t really enjoy myself because I had to be perfect all the time.”

“Perfect how?” Marcus asked, leaning in slightly so he could hear me over the crackle of the fire.

“Well,” I started, counting on my fingers, “I had to look perfect even after hours of outdoor activities. I couldn’t get my clothes dirty, couldn’t mess up my hair, couldn’t scream or run around like the other kids because there were always photographers documenting everything.”

1/3

“Photographers at a summer camp?” Zoey asked, limping over and sitting on a nearby rock.

“Everything turned into promotional material later,” I explained. “‘The owners’ daughter having fun at Sullivan camps! Come join us!’ So I had to smile constantly, pose when needed, interact politely with every kid even when all I wanted was to play freely.”

Marcus shook his head, the firelight flickering in his eyes.

“And I wasn’t allowed to join the bonfires at night,” I went on, feeling that familiar sting of old frustration. “I had to go to bed early so I wouldn’t have dark circles the next day, while I listened to all the other kids laughing around the fire, telling scary stories, singing songs…”

“No marshmallows?” Mia asked, offering another skewer.

“Definitely not part of my balanced diet,” I laughed bitterly. “Too much sugar could make me hyper or cause breakouts. There was a nutritionist monitoring everything I ate during those events.

Marcus watched me for a moment, his expression thoughtful in the firelight.

“That must’ve sucked,” he said softly.

11

“It did,” I admitted. “I always dreamed of sitting in a circle like this, around a bonfire with other kids, listening to real scary stories. I wanted to eat marshmallows until I felt sick, tell stupid jokes, maybe even scare a few people…”

“Well,” Marcus said, grabbing a marshmallow and sliding it onto a skewer, “if it’s up to me, I’m going to stuff you with marshmallows and anything else you want.”

He waited until it was perfectly golden, then placed it in my mouth, watching with clear amusement as I tried to chew and smile at the same time.

“And if it’s scary stories you’re missing,” he added, his eyes glinting mischievously in the firelight, “I can start fixing that right now.”

Several people around the bonfire leaned in, clearly intrigued by the idea of a scary story.

“Oh, hell no!” Mia protested immediately, jumping to her feet. “I’d rather go to bed early than listen to one of your horror stories, Marcus!”

She started backing away from the fire, waving at everyone.

“You guys have fun,” she called, her voice already fading into the darkness. “But don’t blame me if I get nightmares just from hearing you scream!”

“So dramatic,” Marcus laughed, turning back to the expectant group. “My stories aren’t even that scary…”

“Oh, it won’t be fear. It’ll be boredom!” she shot back, laughing as she disappeared.

He paused dramatically, rolling his eyes at his sister’s comment. The forest fell quiet around us as everyone waited for the story to begin.

“It was a winter night, just like this one,” Marcus began in a low, ominous voice, “when a family decided to camp in a remote forest in the mountains…”

2/3

the trees.

日

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