Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 517

Chapter 517

Six Months Later, Madeline’s POV

I looked at myself in the mirror and almost laughed. There I was, in white again. A long, delicate dress- simple but elegant. My hair pulled into a loose bun, a few strands intentionally falling free. Soft, natural makeup. And a smile I couldn’t hold back, no matter how hard I tried to look serious.

“I honestly can’t even remember how many times I’ve put on a wedding dress,” I said out loud, shaking my head.

The room burst into laughter.

Zoey was sprawled across the couch. Annie sat on the floor checking the shoes I’d be wearing. Gwen was adjusting my veil with the focus of a professional stylist. Mia was on her phone, probably coordinating something downstairs for the ceremony. And Olivia… Olivia was standing beside me, watching my reflection with that warm, knowing smile of hers.

“But this one,” Olivia said softly, her voice full of emotion, “this is the happiest one?”

I turned to look at her directly, not through the mirror, and felt my throat tighten.

“Without a doubt,” I answered, more emotional than I meant to sound. “And if I had to marry Marcus a thousand more times, every single one would be the happiest. Because this time… this time it’s real. This time it’s our choice. Our family. Our life.”

“Oh stop,” Zoey complained, carefully dabbing her eyes so she wouldn’t ruin her makeup. “You’re going to make me cry and mess everything up!”

“You always cry at weddings,” Annie said, tossing one of the shoes at her playfully. “Remember mine? You sobbed so loud during the vows that Christian had to hand you a tissue.”

“That is a lie!” Zoey protested, laughing. “It was a discreet, emotional cry.”

“Discreet,” Gwen repeated, finally setting her phone down and raising an eyebrow. “Zoey, you cried louder

than the bride.”

“Impossible,” Annie said. “I cried a lot at my wedding.”

“That’s because you’re dramatic,” Mia added, stepping back to evaluate the veil. “Perfect. Madeline, you look beautiful.”

“Speaking of dramatic,” Zoey said, “You guys will not believe what Matt did last week.”

“What?” Mia asked, instantly curious.

“Christian took him to see the vineyards, explained the whole wine-making process, super serious, like a kid that age would understand anything.”

Everyone laughed.

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“And?” Annie prompted.

“And now Matt thinks everything turns into wine if you smash it,” Zoey said, rolling her eyes but smiling.” Strawberries, bananas, potatoes, crackers… Yesterday he tried smashing cooked pasta with his tiny hands yelling, ‘Wine, Daddy, wine!’ Christian thought it was so funny he sat on the floor next to him and started smashing it too.”

Gwen burst out laughing.

“Grandpa must be so proud!”

“You know the worst part?” Zoey continued. “Christian says it’s ‘visionary’ and that Matt is ‘exploring the possibilities of fermentation from an early age.’ Now he wants to document all our son’s ‘experiments’ with potato wine.”

The room exploded with laughter.

“Josh is in that phase where he imitates everything he sees,” Annie said, her voice so full of love it made my chest ache. “This week he saw Nate talking on the phone, and now he spends the whole day with the remote pressed to his ear, ‘talking’ in a language only he-and maybe Ginger-understand.”

I smiled. Annie and Nate had finally completed the adoption process. Now, in addition to Avery, they were parents to a beautiful almost-two-year-old boy named Josh. Watching Annie as a mother of two was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.

“So?” Mia asked suddenly, looking at me with genuine curiosity. “What’s it like? Being a real mother. Not the theory. The practice.”

Everyone looked at me.

I took a deep breath, thinking about Aurora. About her six months of life. Every smile, every cry, every sleepless night, every moment of pure terror and pure love.

“It’s… overwhelming,” I said honestly. “It’s scary. Sometimes I look at her and think I’m responsible for keeping this tiny human alive and safe and happy and… it’s a lot of pressure. But at the same time, it’s the most natural thing in the world. Like my heart lives outside my body now. Like every smile she gives me can fix even the worst day.”

“Is she sleeping through the night yet?” Zoey asked.

“Sort of,” I admitted. “She woke up three times last night. Marcus insists it’s my turn to sleep, so he gets up with her. But I can’t just stay in bed knowing he’s out there alone with her.”

“He’s an incredible father,” Olivia said softly.

“He is,” I agreed, my eyes filling with tears for the thousandth time today. “He’s so good with her. So patient. So present. I knew he would be, but seeing it every day is… different.”

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