Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 510

Chapter 510

Vivian’s POV

His name on my tongue tasted like poison.

“He became obsessed with her,” I went on. “He watched her at college for months. Left gifts. Sent

flowers. Showed up at places he knew she’d be. She said no. Over and over. Politely at first. Then firmly.. Then out of fear.”

My voice hardened. Went cold.

“And after so many rejections, he did what Dominic always does when he can’t get what he wants.” I looked straight at Madeline. “He took her.”

I saw Madeline bring both hands to her mouth, a strangled sound escaping her.

“He kidnapped her as she was leaving campus,” I continued, merciless now. She needed to hear it. Needed to understand. “Took her to a house he owned. Kept her there for ten days. And what he did to her during those ten days…”

My voice broke again, but I forced myself to keep going.

“What he did to her-you can imagine, Madeline. Use your imagination. Think of the worst thing you can.”

I swallowed. “And then make it worse.”

“Oh my God,” Madeline whispered, her voice shattered. “Oh my God, Vivian…”

“We tried,” I said, the old, familiar rage rising like bile. “We tried to get justice. The right way. The legal way. We went to the police. Filed reports. Cecilia gave statements for hours. Hours of reliving every moment. Every detail. Every horror.”

I stood up, unable to stay seated any longer.

“And do you know what happened?” I asked, my voice rising. “Do you know what justice did?”

I walked until I was standing right in front of Madeline.

I

“Are you sure you didn’t go to his house willingly?”” I said, spitting out every word. “What were you wearing?’ ‘Had you been drinking?’ ‘You shouldn’t have been out alone at night.’ ‘Had you talked to him before?’ ‘Did you smile at him?’ ‘Did you give him some kind of… encouragement?””

I was shouting now.

“Are you sure it wasn’t consensual and you just changed your mind?’ ‘Young people regret things. It happens.’ ‘Are you really sure you want to ruin the life of a young man with such a promising future?””

I stopped, breathing hard, tears and fury mixing together.

“Dominic already owned the justice system,” I said, quieter now. Dangerously calm. “Money. Connections. Power. The investigation was dismissed. Lack of evidence, they said. One word against

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another. And his word was worth more than hers.”

I turned away, unable to look at Madeline anymore.

“We gave up,” I whispered. “We had to. There was no way to win. The system wasn’t built for girls like Cecilia. It was built to protect men like Dominic.”

The silence that followed was absolute. Only the sound of our heavy breathing.

“Two months later,” I said, my voice barely audible, “my mother didn’t wake up.”

I heard Madeline gasp.

“A massive dose of antidepressants. All at once. She left a note saying she couldn’t go on. That she blamed herself. That she’d failed to protect her daughter. That she didn’t deserve to keep living when Cecilia had to live with that every single day.”

My legs gave out, and I sank to the ground right there, not caring about the dress, or dignity, or anything.

“I found her,” I whispered. “I came home from work and found my mother dead in her bed. Still holding a photo of me and Cecilia when we were kids.”

I covered my face and cried. Really cried. For the first time in years, I let it all out.

When I finally managed to pull myself together, I felt Madeline sit down beside me. Not close. But beside

“Nine months later,” I continued, wiping my face, “my niece was born.”

I looked at Madeline.

“Cecilia never once considered not having her,” I went on. “Not for a single second. She loved that baby

from the moment she found out. She said she wouldn’t let him take that from her too. That the child was

innocent. That she was part of her, not him.”

I gave a weak smile.

“And she loves that little girl. My niece is six now. She’s beautiful. Smart. Full of life. And I… I love her more than anything.”

The pain came back, sharp and raw.

“But it’s impossible to look at her and not remember. Not see his eyes. The shape of his face. Not

remember how she came into the world. What it cost.”

I went quiet for a long moment.

“And when justice failed,” I finally said, looking at Dominic’s body, “when justice failed, I decided I’d get justice my own way. No matter how long it took. No matter the cost. I was going to make Dominic pay for every tear Cecilia cried. For every nightmare. For every time she couldn’t leave the house because she was terrified. For taking our mother from us. For destroying our family.”

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I stood slowly, staring

WII al LIC

“It took seven years,” I said. “Seven years of getting close. Earning his trust. Doing everything he asked. Being exactly what he wanted me to be. Swallowing my rage. Pretending loyalty. Waiting. Always waiting for the right moment.”

I kicked his body hard.

“And it finally came. He was comfortable enough with me. Trusted me enough. Put a gun in my hand and stood close enough for me to hit exactly where I wanted-right after he signed what I needed him to sign.

I looked at Madeline.

“That was my revenge.”

The silence between us was heavy. Absolute. Loaded with everything that had been said-and everything that hadn’t.

Finally, Madeline spoke. Her voice was soft. Understanding. But there was something hard beneath it.

“I understand your pain,” she said, standing as well. “I really do. Because I’ve seen what Dominic was capable of too. I know his fear. His control. His cruelty.”

She took a step toward me, her eyes locked on mine.

“But you…” her voice hardened, turning cold, “do you really think you’re any different from him?”

I saw the accusation in her eyes even before the words landed.

“You worked with him, Vivian. For seven years. How many people were hurt during that time? How many lives were destroyed while you waited for your moment? You knew about the methanol. You knew about the deaths. You knew everything. And you did nothing.”

Her voice rose, breaking.

“You killed my husband! You shot the man I love! The father of my daughter! You left him bleeding on the

floor of a warehouse!”

Tears streamed down her face now-furious, bitter.

“You’re a fucking bitch too.”

D

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