Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 485

Chapter 485

Madeline’s POV

I was standing on the lookout terrace of the Kensington mansion, gazing out over the vineyards stretching in perfect rows as far as the eye could see. The gentle hills formed an almost hypnotic scene, the vines arranged in geometric patterns that seemed to sway and dance with the light breeze.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Zoey approaching, carrying two steaming cups of tea.

“I thought you might want some company,” she said, offering me one of the cups.

I took it with a small, grateful smile.

“Thank you.”

Zoey leaned against the railing beside me, her eyes settling on the same view I’d been lost in.

“You know, every time I let Christian drag me out into the middle of those vineyards…” she said with a mischievous grin. “There’s something about it. Magical. And slightly aphrodisiac.”

I laughed despite everything, feeling some of the tension loosen in my chest.

“I’d even like to try,” I said, gesturing to my very noticeable seven-month belly, “but definitely not like this.”

Zoey laughed too, then grew serious, looking at me in a way I recognized as the lead-in to something

important.

“I was absolutely terrified toward the end of my pregnancy, you know?” she admitted, her voice

softening. “I counted the weeks and thought, okay, I still have twelve… ten… eight weeks to prepare myself to be the perfect mother.”

She laughed at herself, shaking her head.

“And what happened?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“What happened is that Matt decided to arrive at seven months and completely ruined my plan.”

I laughed at the way she told it, but the smile faded as I remembered what I’d heard about that time.

“I know what happened afterward…” I said carefully.

Zoey nodded, her expression turning somber.

“Pushed down the stairs,” she murmured. “And I thought that was it. That I’d lost the thing I loved most in the world before I ever even got the chance to meet him.”

“But thank God everything turned out okay,” I said, gently touching her arm.

“Thank God,” Zoey agreed. “But thank Christian too. While I was recovering in the hospital, Christian never left Matt’s side in the neonatal ICU. And he didn’t leave mine either, of course. Our whole family

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came together in a way I’d never experienced before.”

She turned fully toward me.

“Madeline, you can’t keep this baby inside your belly forever, thinking that’s the safest place in the world. At some point, she’s going to have to come out.”

I let out a small, obvious laugh, but Zoey continued seriously.

“And when she does, you’ll have Marcus. You’ll have Olivia. You’ll have all of us supporting you. And that kind of network is everything a mother could ask for. Because honestly? We can’t do everything. We can’t be the perfect mother twenty-four hours a day. We can’t protect our children as if the outside world doesn’t exist. But we can do our best. And when our best isn’t enough, we can lean on the best of the people who love us.”

She paused, taking a sip of her tea.

“I know you’re scared. I was terrified for Matt too. And the truth?” She gave a small, honest smile. “I still am. Every single day.”

The confession caught me off guard. Zoey always seemed so confident, so in control, so perfectly capable of handling anything.

“How do you do it?” I asked, my voice more vulnerable than I intended. “How do you sleep at night knowing Matt could be in danger just for being a Kensington?”

Zoey looked at me with deep understanding.

“Because I learned that when I can’t be there for him, Christian will be. And when Christian can’t, Annie

will. Or my parents. Matthew. Gwen. Just like Marcus will be there for your daughter when you can’t. And

all of us too.”

I felt tears gathering in my eyes again.

“Dominic already killed my father, Zoey. He threatened to kill Marcus. He poisoned innocent people without hesitation. And now this little girl…” My voice broke. “She’s going to be born with a target on her

back because of me.”

“Not because of you,” Zoey said firmly, gripping my arm. “Because of his choices. He chose to be a monster. You chose to survive. And your daughter is going to be born into the most protected family that

exists.”

“But what if it’s not enough?” The question spilled out, desperate. “What if even with all the security, all the money, all the power of the Kensington family… he still manages to hurt her?”

Zoey took a deep breath, and for the first time I saw real vulnerability in her eyes.

“I had the same panic when Matt was born. Especially after everything we went through-the attack, him being premature, the kidnapping… I woke up from nightmares almost every night. I checked his breathing obsessively. I was sure something terrible was always about to happen.”

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“How did you get past that?”

“Christian told me something that really helped,” Zoey said. “He said, ‘We can’t live in fear of what might happen. We can only prepare as best we can-and live.’ And he was right. I could’ve spent Matt’s first months paralyzed by fear, or I could enjoy every moment with my son while doing everything within my power to keep him safe.”

She looked at me intently.

“Christian is working on something with Marcus. They always are. They won’t let Dominic win. They won’t let him hurt you or your daughter.”

Before I could answer, I felt a sudden, strong kick that made me flinch slightly. My hand flew instinctively to my belly, and Zoey’s eyes followed the movement.

“Was that a kick?” she asked, smiling.

“Like she’s training for a fight,” I said, laughing despite the tears still clinging to my lashes.

Zoey gently placed her hand next to mine on my belly, and almost immediately we felt another strong

kick.

“That one’s going to be ready to kick some serious ass,” Zoey said-and we both burst into genuine laughter.

It was the kind of laughter we desperately needed. A moment of light in the middle of all the darkness

surrounding us.

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