Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 459

Chapter 459

Madeline’s POV

The celebration party was winding down, and I watched with a mix of satisfaction and melancholy as our team enjoyed the last moments of relaxed togetherness. Over the past two hours, we had truly celebrated like a family. Everyone from Kensington Valentia had hugged, laughed, shared stories-created memories they’d take back to Florentia. It was comforting to see how adversity had genuinely forged bonds between people who had once been nothing more than coworkers.

Christian had given a heartfelt toast about teamwork and unity. Zoey, even limping around in her orthopedic boot, had led victory chants that echoed through the hall. Dante was still charming half the room with his stories, while Luke had finally worked up the courage to pull Olivia aside for a more private conversation, away from curious eyes.

And through all of it, I had managed to keep up a cheerful façade while carefully avoiding any prolonged interaction with Marcus. Every time he got close, I found an excuse-to talk to someone else, to check on something, or simply to move to another corner of the room.

That was when I felt a familiar presence beside me and turned to find Marcus looking at me with a determination I immediately recognized as trouble.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re mad at me,” he said quietly but firmly. “We have more important things to talk about.”

“No,” I replied automatically, feeling my emotional defenses snap into place. “You don’t get to decide that.”

And before he could respond, I moved away toward the exit of the hall, leaving him standing there with a look of growing frustration.

I walked quickly down the corridors toward our cabin, thinking about how I needed to start packing our things for the trip home. I knew that sooner or later, Marcus and I would have to talk-living in the same house made that unavoidable. But I didn’t want to do it in the middle of everyone, in a celebratory atmosphere, when my

emotional wound was still raw and exposed.

I needed time. Time to process. Time to organize my feelings. Time to figure out how to navigate the impossible situation I was in. How do you keep living with someone when you know he doesn’t want to be there? How do you protect your own heart while keeping up appearances?

I was so lost in my thoughts that I barely noticed the figure emerging from the shadows between the trees, until she spoke.

“He didn’t tell you,

did he?”

I turned to find Vivian watching me with an expression that mixed satisfaction with something that almost looked like genuine pity.

With everything in me, I wanted to keep walking. Ignore her completely and continue toward the cabin. I knew that was exactly what she wanted. She wanted to stop me, provoke me, plant more seeds of discord. But curiosity ended up being stronger than my common sense.

“What are you talking about?” I asked, hating myself for giving in to her obvious manipulation.

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“Poor Madeline,” Vivian sighed dramatically. “I’m here for you, you know? Someone has to tell you the truth.”

Irritation exploded inside me. I stepped toward her, abandoning any pretense of diplomacy.

“Just say it already,” I demanded. “What game are you playing now?”

Vivian sighed again, as if she were genuinely reluctant to share painful information.

“It’s about your father, Madeline. He’s in the hospital. Marcus didn’t tell you?”

It felt like the world stopped spinning around me. Her words hit me like a physical blow, knocking the air straight out of my lungs. I went completely still, unable to process what I’d just heard.

We’d never had the best relationship. In fact, it had always been complicated-full of unmet expectations and mutual disappointments. But that didn’t mean I felt nothing at the idea of him being hospitalized. He was still my father.

“Heart attack,” Vivian continued, her voice taking on a falsely gentle tone. “This time… he might not come home. Your mother is already kind of saying goodbye.”

Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of her.

“Is your husband going to take that from you?” Vivian asked rhetorically. “The chance to say goodbye? To settle unfinished business?”

Suddenly, Marcus’s phone conversation from earlier snapped into place in my mind. ‘It’s safer for now to leave everything the way it is… I know it’s important to her, but safety comes first.’

He’d been talking about me. About keeping this from me. He had no right. I should have been the one to make that decision for myself.

Anger began to mix with the pain. I knew Marcus was doing everything he could to protect me, and I was grateful for that. Truly. But at what point had this relationship started to feel like a gilded cage?

For him, who was clearly unhappy and had made that painfully clear to Christian in the hospital wing.

And for me, who felt more and more like a prisoner, even if the prison was luxurious and built with good intentions.

“I know you don’t believe I broke things off with Dominic,” Vivian said, her voice dropping into something almost conspiratorial, “but it’s true. And even if you don’t want to join me against him… I still feel like I owe you something.”

She paused, watching me carefully before continuing.

“Come with me to Verdania. I have a private jet leaving tonight.”

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