Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 474

Chapter 474

Madeline’s POV

Marcus parked the car in front of Sullivan Parks, and for a moment I just stared out the window, unable to fully process what I was seeing. All the lights were on, illuminating every corner of the park with a magical glow that made it look like something straight out of a childhood dream. My eyes reflected the colorful lights, proof that the park was fully up and running.

“How did you manage this?” I asked, turning to Marcus with a mix of shock and disbelief. “I can’t even remember the last time the park was open at night!”

Marcus smiled in that way that immediately told me he was very pleased with himself.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

I looked back at the park, finally grasping the scale of what he’d done. This was definitely not a cheap surprise. To pull this off, he must have rented out the entire park for a private nighttime event-overtime staff, full operations, everything. I knew that kind of thing didn’t come cheap. The shareholders must be thrilled, I thought. My father used to complain that private events at the park were becoming rare, with families opting for buffets or clubs instead.

We got out of the car and walked toward the entrance. I wasn’t surprised when we stepped inside and realized the park was completely ours. Every ride was running at full capacity. The game booths were staffed and ready. The restaurants and snack stands glowed with inviting neon lights.

It felt surreal to walk through a place I knew so well from childhood and see it entirely empty-except for the two of us and the employees strategically positioned to keep everything running perfectly.

“So,” Marcus asked, gesturing to the endless possibilities around us, “where do you want to go first?”

I looked around, a wave of nostalgia crashing over me. So many memories lived here. The roller coaster where I’d screamed so much I lost my voice for two days. The bumper cars where I used to mercilessly chase my cousin. The carousel my father took me on when I was still too small for the more extreme rides.

“The bumper cars,” I decided, pointing at the brightly colored arena where the little cars waited.

We spent the next hour bouncing from ride to ride like two kids let loose in an amusement park. Marcus blatantly let me win at the bumper cars, pretending my hits were devastating while I laughed so hard my stomach hurt.

We rode the haunted train, where I clung to him and exaggerated my fear just to have an excuse to stay close. We tried the spinning teacups, which left me dizzy but happy in a way I hadn’t felt in years.

When we reached the carousel, I insisted on riding even though Marcus claimed we were too old for it. I chose a white horse with gold details, and Marcus climbed onto the horse beside mine. As the music started and the carousel began its slow turn, I looked at him-and found him already watching me.

There was something in the way he looked at me-soft, intense-that made me lean toward him. He met me halfway, our lips finding each other in a sweet, perfect kiss as the carousel turned around us.

It was one of those moments you know you’ll carry with you forever, crystallized in your memory with impossible clarity. The carousel music, the colorful lights spinning around us, the taste of Marcus’s lips, the

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feeling of being completely present in a moment of pure happiness.

After that, we went into the haunted house, where we got genuinely startled by costumed employees jumping out of the shadows. Marcus instinctively shielded me every time something scared us, pulling me close as if he could protect me from plastic monsters and people in masks.

We ate pink cotton candy that stuck to our fingers and left our mouths sweet. We won a giant teddy bear at a ring -toss game that I strongly suspected the attendant had deliberately made easier. We took silly pictures in an old photo booth that still used instant film.

For those few hours, it felt like we could pretend we were just a normal couple enjoying a night at an amusement park-without all the danger and emotional baggage surrounding our lives.

Eventually, we reached the Ferris wheel. The towering structure rose against the night sky, its colorful lights forming a perfect circle that looked like it brushed the stars.

“Last stop?” Marcus asked, holding out his hand.

I looked at the Ferris wheel with a mix of anticipation and unease. I had so many memories tied to it-good ones and bad ones. But this time was different. This time, I was with Marcus. Maybe I could create a new memory to overwrite all the others.

We stepped into the cabin, and the attendant locked the safety door. The wheel started moving, lifting us slowly, the cabin swaying gently as we gained height. The city spread out beneath us, Belmonte’s lights stretching to the horizon like a blanket of earthly stars.

Marcus slipped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. I leaned into him, feeling safe and happy in a

that almost scared me because of how intense it was.

way

We were almost at the top-the highest point of the Ferris wheel, where you could see the entire city—when the wheel suddenly stopped.

I looked down, searching for an attendant, trying to understand what had happened. The cabin swayed slightly with the abrupt halt, making my stomach twist nervously.

“We’re stuck up here!” I blurted out, panic hitting me instantly.

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