Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 504

Chapter 504

Madeline’s POV

“You’re disgusting.”

The words came out before I could stop myself. But I didn’t regret them. I stared straight at Dominic, at that smug smile on his face, and felt my stomach turn.

“That’s the only way you ever get what you want, isn’t it?” I went on, my voice growing stronger despite the fear. “Through kidnapping. Through death. Through coercion. That’s how you operate. Because on your own, you wouldn’t be capable of jack shit.”

I expected anger. Expected him to snap, to hit me, to explode into violence.

But Dominic just laughed, like I’d told him something genuinely funny.

“And you think I care?” he asked, tilting his head, still smiling. “Honestly, Madeline. Do you really think your opinion of my methods affects me in any way?”

He took a step closer, and I had to force myself not to back away.

“In the end,” he continued, his voice smooth but edged with that familiar danger, “all that matters is that I get what I want. And I always do. Eventually.”

I took a deep breath, trying to hold myself together, trying not to let the desperation completely swallow

“And what do you want, Dominic?” I asked, hating the tremor in my voice. “What do you really want? The parks? I’ll give you the parks. You can have everything. Just tell me where to sign, and I’ll sign. Just let

me walk out of here with my daughter.”

I saw something flicker in his eyes. Consideration? Temptation?

But then he slowly shook his head, that smile never leaving his face.

“Too late,” he said, and there was something almost sad in his tone. Fake, of course. Everything about him was fake. “The first time, this was about the parks. Back when you were just another piece on the

board.”

He walked around the altar, his fingers brushing lazily over the decorative flowers.

“But when you ran from that wedding,” he went on, his voice hardening, “when you ran from the clinic where I had placed you for your own good, when you married another man…”

He stopped and turned to face me directly.

“Oh, Madeline,” he said, his voice now pure poison, “Dominic Blackwood does not get humiliated like that in public and just let it go. You made a fool of me. You made me look weak. And that… that I do not forgive.”

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My heart began to race even faster.

“We’re going back,” he said with finality, “exactly to where we left off. We’re going to finish what we started that day. And this time, you’re not running.”

Panic clawed its way up my throat, but I forced the words out.

“I can’t get married,” I said quickly. “I’m married. To Marcus. Legally married.”

Dominic’s expression didn’t change.

“You’re a widow,” he corrected, and the word hit me like a punch to the gut.

Widow.

Marcus was dead.

The pain of thinking it was so overwhelming my knees nearly gave out. My eyes burned with tears, my throat closing tight.

“No,” I whispered, but even I didn’t believe the denial.

“Yes,” Dominic said simply. “So you see? There’s no obstacle. You’re free to marry again. Me, specifically.

I tried to pull myself together, tried to find another way out, another argument.

“This isn’t even valid,” I said, gesturing vaguely at the empty garden, the improvised altar. “There’s no… there’s no officiant. No registry. No one authorized to perform a marriage. This means nothing legally.”

Dominic gave me that patronizing smile I hated so much.

“I’ll take care of making everything… let’s say, ‘official’ later,” he said casually, as if he were talking about the weather. “It’s not the first time I’ve arranged documents. It won’t be the last. I have contacts,

Madeline. People who sign what I want. Stamp what I need. Adjust dates, if necessary. You know how things work when you have enough money. This”-he gestured broadly at the wedding setup around us-” this is just for show. The rest comes later.”

Of course. Of course he’d planned everything. Of course he had a way to make it “official” afterward, even if it was completely illegal.

“But before that,” he continued, and now there was excitement in his voice, “before we get to the boring paperwork part, let’s take a picture.”

I frowned, confused.

“What?”

“A picture,” he repeated, like it was obvious. “You know, we don’t have guests here tonight. But the world needs to know about our union. We’re important people, Madeline. My last name. Your last name. The businesses. People will want to know that we finally got married.”

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Before I could protest or step back, he grabbed my arm hard, his fingers digging into my skin through the fabric of the dress. He yanked me around to face Vivian.

“Smile, my love,” he said at my ear, his voice low. “Smile.”

I didn’t smile. I couldn’t. My lips stayed locked in a hard line, my eyes fixed on Vivian with a mix of fury and silent pleading.

Vivian looked at us for a moment, and I saw her roll her eyes. Clear irritation crossed her face. She didn’t want to be doing this. But still, she pulled her phone from her pocket.

“Smile,” Dominic repeated, tightening his grip on my arm.

Vivian took a photo. Then another. And another. Several, from different angles. I didn’t smile in a single

one.

“Great, great,” Dominic said, finally letting me go. He took the phone from Vivian’s hand and scrolled through the pictures, nodding in satisfaction. “Perfect. Imagine how happy your mother will be when she finds out. And your dear cousin Olivia. All the people you love, knowing you finally made the right choice.”

I wanted to scream that it wasn’t a choice. That none of this was a choice. But my voice was gone, swallowed by the horror of it all.

Dominic slipped the phone into his suit pocket and turned to Vivian, who was still standing there, visibly

uncomfortable.

“Now, Vivian,” he said, gesturing for her to step closer, “you can take on your other role.”

She didn’t move right away. I saw her jaw tighten, her hands clench at her sides. She looked even more irritated now, if that was possible.

But finally, after a tense moment of silence, she walked up to the altar. Took a breath. And went straight

to it.

“Madeline Sullivan,” she said in a flat, emotionless voice, reciting words she clearly hated, “do you, of your own free will, accept Dominic Blackwood as your lawful husband?”

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