Lahat ng Kabanata ng Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire: Kabanata 381 - Kabanata 390

Madeline's POV Friday night. The same ritual as always: dinner at my parents' house. A tradition that used to comfort me, but now felt like a prison disguised as family routine. From the moment I left my apartment, I could already feel the weight settling in my chest, that suffocating sensation of playing a role in a play I couldn't escape. When the housekeeper led me into the living room, I found my parents settled into their Italian leather sofas, chatting animatedly with someone whose voice alone made me want to throw up, and it had nothing to do with the pregnancy. Dominic was there, comfortably seated in the armchair my father usually reserved for special guests, as if he were already a natural part of the family. It wasn't unusual for him to show up at Friday dinners, but there was something different in his expression that night. Like he was savoring something in advance… something I had no idea about. His eyes met mine the moment I stepped into the room, and the smile he

Madeline's POV The Uber glided through the streets of Belmonte while I curled into the backseat, still shaking from the adrenaline of my escape. Dr. Montgomery had been my lifeline. She helped me slip out through the staff-only exit at the back of the clinic and called the car for me herself. She said she could stall Vivian for a few minutes, taking her time to return to the exam room and then claiming I'd gone to the restroom. Just enough time for the car to pull away. But eventually, I wouldn't be coming back. I didn't even want to imagine what would happen when Vivian realized I'd disappeared. Even less when Dominic found out. The retaliation would be brutal if they caught me and I knew that. But the farther we got from the clinic, the clearer it became that Olivia had been right. Marcus had been right. One thing was sacrificing myself under the illusion that I was protecting Marcus and keeping myself "safe." A completely different thing was sacrificing my baby. Ever since t

Vivian's POV I bounced my leg impatiently against the clinic's cold floor, gnawing at what little remained of my already-ruined nails. The clock on the wall seemed to be mocking me, each passing second stretching into an eternity. This was ridiculous. The exam should've been quick, not a full medical appointment. I needed to find a way to make the doctor authorize that DNA test. It was essential. Strategic, even. If Madeline was pregnant with Dominic's child, it would be the ultimate leverage. She wouldn't be trapped by marriage alone anymore, she'd be bound to that child forever. A Blackwood heir meant she'd never escape us. Now, if the baby belonged to another man… that would explode like a bomb in Belmonte's high society. It was already bad enough that the idiot had run from the altar. Even with all the lies we'd spun to cover it up, people still talked. Whispered at events. Those looks of pity mixed with malicious curiosity. Now imagine a child being born with those blue ey

Madeline's POV The Kensington mansion in Highridge rose before us like something straight out of a fairy tale. When the car finally stopped at the top of the hill, I understood exactly what Gwen had meant by private paradise. It wasn't just the imposing architecture, with its pale stone walls contrasting against the dark roof, or the lush gardens stretching in every direction. It was something more. It was a feeling that time moved differently there, as if we were outside the real world, beyond Dominic and Vivian's reach. "Those are the main vineyards," Gwen said excitedly as we got out of the car, her voice full of family pride. "Christian modernized the entire irrigation system last year. And over there, way down in the distance, are Zoey's vineyards. He's obsessed with them." I tried to follow along, but my mind was too overwhelmed. It felt like I was seeing everything through a haze, catching only fragments—the endless rows of vines disappearing into the horizon, the scent of

Olivia's POV The yoga studio was quieter than usual when I finished locking the front door. The evening class had been especially calm—only five students, all regulars who preferred the serenity of the 8 p.m. session over the chaos of the morning rush. Normally, I loved this moment at the end of the day, when the peaceful energy of a good practice still lingered in the air. But for the past two days, nothing had felt normal. Nothing felt calm. Madeline had vanished since the morning before, after going to the doctor with Vivian. Since then, total silence. Her phone was off. No replies to messages. It was as if she'd simply evaporated. And worst of all, Vivian wasn't answering my calls either. When she finally did respond, it was only to say she was "handling the situation" and that I shouldn't worry. Exactly the kind of answer that sent me straight into panic mode. I'd tried to file a missing person report that morning, but the experience had been humiliating. The officer who