Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 666 Renee's POV My lawyer called before | even got home. | saw his name flash across the dashboard and smiled without showing teeth Perfect. | answered on speaker, both hands on the wheel, wearing the calm expression of a woman who had done nothing but exercise her "rights as a mother." "Renee," he said, "I just received a message from my associate. About the situation at Mr. Valemont's residence." "Situation." | loved how lawyers call a fire a "situation." "Situation is a lovely word," | replied sweetly. "Bella had a meltdown. Child stuff.

But | imagine what | call 'child stuff you might call... evidence." He was silent for half a second. Calculating. ---- "You mentioned rumors about a pregnancy." "They're not rumors," | corrected smoothly. "| saw enough to be sure. And | didn't have to invent anything. The news leaked Gossip accounts. Comments. The entire city talking." | could almost hear the mental click as pieces locked into place for him. "You're telling me we can use this as a new development." "I'm telling you it is a new development," | said. "And my daughter found out in the worst possible way. No preparation. No care.

Through the internet. And then... exactly what you'd expect. Fear. Insecurity. Loss of control." "Did you document any of this?" he asked, all business | laughed lightly. "You want video?" "Renee. "No. I'm not an amateur." My tone stayed silky. "| have something better than video. | have a child saying, clearly, that she doesn't feel safe." He inhaled. ---- "Come to the office tomorrow moming. First thing. | want to draft a request for provisional custody." | ended the call with a calm that almost felt like happiness. Almost.

The next morning, | walked into his office like | was entering a cathedral. Light suit. Sunglasses. Perfect posture. The kind of woman judges look at and think: stable. "sit" He opened my file and pulled out a blank sheet of paper. "Let's be objective," he said. "What happened yesterday, exactly?" | didn't dramatize. | didn't need to. | just selected the right pieces. "Bella arrived visibly distressed. Crying. Afraid. She said her father and Gwen were going to 'replace her' once the baby was born." | placed a careful pause. ---- "And frankly, counselor...

hearing. The argument isn't that the father

'new development'?" "The pregnancy and imminent marriage," he replied. "Not the pregnancy itself. The concrete emotional impact on the child. If we demonstrate risk, a judge can act quickly." "Risk of what?" | asked sweetly, as if | didn't already know.

"In some cases, yes. But it's delicate. Courts are cautious about placing a minor at the center of a dispute." "Of course," | said, smiling because | wasn't stupid. "But cautious until the child asks to be heard?" He studied me for a moment. Assessing how far | was willing to

request urgency." "Yes." "And in the meantime?" | asked. He closed the file slowly. "In the meantime, Renee... you remain the stable parent. Calm. Cooperative. Concerned. You do not attack. You do not react. You let the facts speak." I smiled. Facts. What a beautiful word. Especially when you know how to arrange them. "Instability," | repeated, savoring the word. He opened another folder. "You mentioned construction at the father's property. Reconstruction. Workers coming and going. Noise. Change in routine." ---- "Yes,"

an easy target for the wrong argument," he said carefully. " Extremely wealthy. Influential. Public life. A child