Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 454

Chapter 454

Marcus’ POV

I was lying on the hospital gurney, completely bored out of my mind and desperate to get out of there. The hypothermia had passed hours ago, my body temperature was back to normal, and I felt perfectly fine. But the medical team insisted on “preventive observation” and a few more hours of absolute rest.

It was torture being stuck like that. I was used to always doing something. Meetings, calls, decisions, constant movement. Lying there, staring at a white, sterile ceiling, felt like a complete waste of time. And a Kensington learns early on that time is money.

My fingers tapped impatiently against the side of the gurney as I watched the subtle movement in the hallway through the half-open curtain. Nurses passing by, other patients being attended to, the hum of medical equipment. All of it reminded me that the world was still moving while I was trapped in that bay.

That was when I heard Christian’s familiar voice speaking politely to someone in the corridor.

“I promise I won’t excite the patient,” he was saying, presumably to a nurse. “Just a few minutes to see how he’s feeling.”

“All right,” a female voice replied. “But really just a few minutes. He needs rest to recover fully.”

Seconds later, Christian pushed the curtain aside and stepped inside. The moment I saw him, I knew something was wrong. I’d known my cousin long enough to recognize the look of someone carrying bad news.

“What happened?” I asked straight away, propping myself up on my elbows.

Christian hesitated for a moment, clearly choosing his words.

“I got a call while we were at the dinner table,” he began, pulling a chair closer to the gurney. “I pretended it was work so I could step away, but… it wasn’t work. It was about Madeline.”

“Madeline?” My heart immediately kicked into overdrive. “Is she okay? Did something happen?”

“She’s fine,” Christian reassured me quickly. “But the call… you know we’re monitoring Dominic and her parents closely, and-”

“I still don’t understand the game Dominic is playing,” I cut in, the familiar frustration rising. “I don’t get why he just backed off, at least for now. He had everything he needed to report me for kidnapping. Enough evidence to completely destroy me. Instead, he just fed it to the tabloids and never filed an official police report.”

“I don’t understand it either,” Christian agreed. “At least not yet. But with someone like Dominic, there’s always a bigger plan underneath. Either way, it’s a good thing you’re not barred from returning to Verdania, because… you might need to.”

“Is this about work?” I asked, hopeful. I’d much rather deal with corporate disasters than complicated personal ones. “Something wrong with the new line contracts?”

“No,” Christian said gravely. “It’s about the call I mentioned. I just got news about Madeline’s father. He’s been hospitalized. Heart attack.”

My stomach dropped. I knew the complicated history between Madeline and her parents, but still…

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“Since it’s not the first one,” Christian continued, “his condition is… delicate.”

I nodded, understanding exactly where he was going. Recurring heart problems were always serious, especially in middle-aged men with the kind of high-stress lifestyle I imagined Madeline’s father had led for years.

“Considering how complicated his relationship with Madeline is,” Christian paused, “and the danger it would be for her to go back to Verdania right now… do you think she should be told?”

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I took a few moments, weighing every implication. Going back to Verdania would be incredibly dangerous for Madeline. Dominic would be waiting for an opportunity exactly like this. Her mother could claim legal guardianship and try to keep her away from me. Our marriage could finally be challenged and torn apart by family and legal pressure. And this time… this time I might not be lucky enough to get her back.

I knew about Madeline’s issues with her father. The strained relationship. The years of manipulation and control. But still. He was her father. And if he died without her having the chance to say goodbye, to resolve unfinished business, to find some kind of closure…

“Yes,” I said at last. “I think she has the right to know and make her own decision. For herself. And for our child.

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“Are you sure?” Christian asked, concern written all over his face.

“No,” I admitted, my voice tired. “I don’t know if I can handle much more of this… I don’t even know if this child is really mine.”

I stopped, mentally exhausted just thinking about all the variables. All the ways this could go wrong.

“I mean biologically,” I added. “Because in my heart, he is. I already love him. I love Madeline.” I paused, searching for the right words. “Ever since Aria,” I continued, looking straight at Christian, “you know how torturous it is for me to imagine that someone’s life is in my hands. And that maybe I won’t be able to… won’t be able to protect them.”

Christian leaned forward, his expression softening.

“Marcus, what happened with Aria wasn’t your fault,” he said gently.

“I know,” I murmured. “Rationally, I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that now I’m the one who has to protect Madeline. And with every decision I make, I might be putting her in even more danger.”

“Or saving her,” Christian countered.

“Still,” I went on, feeling something settle firmly in my chest, “it’s possible that I already love Madeline and that child more than anything else. Enough to put all my doubts aside and… only care about keeping them safe.

And with me.”

Christian smiled for the first time since he’d stepped into the bay.

“Have you told her that?” he asked. “That you love her?”

I shook my head.

“No,” I admitted. “But I will. I’ll tell her the moment I get the chance.”

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