Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 492 Marcus' POV I walked out of the delivery room in a daze, my legs moving on autopilot as I crossed the obstetrics corridor. I had taken off the mask and cap, but I was still wearing the green surgical gown. My hands were still trembling slightly, the adrenaline slowly giving way to an almost unbearable euphoria. She was born. Aurora was born. My daughter was here. Real. Alive. Perfect. 3.2 kilograms of pure perfection. 19 inches of the most incredible miracle I had ever witnessed.

The relief hit me so hard that I had to stop for a moment, bracing one hand against the cold hallway wall and taking a deep breath. I was a father. Truly, officially, I was a father. The word echoed in my mind, gaining weight and meaning every time I repeated it. I started walking again, a stupid, uncontrollable smile on my face. I needed to tell everyone. I needed to shout it to the world-that I was a father, that I had a beautiful, perfect daughter and- I passed a man in the hallway. It happened so fast I barely registered it. He was turned away, disappearing around a corner. Dark hair.

Impeccable suit. Upright posture. Just a glimpse. A second. Maybe less. But something in my stomach twisted. I stopped in the middle of the corridor, staring at the empty corner where the man had vanished. My heart, which had been light and racing with happiness, now pounded for an entirely different reason. Dominic? No, It couldn't be. I shook my head, forcing the thought away. I was imagining things. I had to be. Dominic was busy with his dirty schemes, completely unaware that I had just become a father. He didn't even know Madeline was here. That she had given birth today.

But he had looked so much like- 'Stop,' I ordered myself. 'You've never seen him in person. Only in photos, videos, news footage. It could have been anyone. Any executive visiting someone in the hospital.' Still, the sense of danger didn't fully fade. I took a deep breath, forcing my shoulders to relax. I wasn't going to let him ruin this. Not today. Today was about Aurora. About Madeline. About my family. Dominic Blackwood had no place here. I resumed walking toward the waiting room with more determined steps, pushing that uneasy feeling to the back of my mind. It was probably just paranoia.

anxious. Zoey was right behind him, her hands clasped in front of her. Joseph rose slowly from the couch, leaning on his cane. My mother looked at me with raw expectation. My father stood up from the chair where he'd been flipping through a magazine without reading a single word. Gwen

hold back. "Completely healthy," I announced, my voice thick with emotion. "Perfect. Madeline was incredible." The relief that swept through the room was almost tangible. My mother sobbed,

said, his voice rough. "Congratulations." Zoey was next, throwing her arms around me so hard she nearly crushed me, laughing and crying at the same time. "I knew everything would be fine!" she said. "I knew it! I'm so happy for you!" My father hugged me after that-a firm, solid embrace-but when he pulled back,

my mother asked, stepping closer. "How is she?" "Tired, but good," I replied. "She was incredible, mom. You should've seen her. So strong. So brave. She was..." I couldn't find the right words, so I just shook my head, still in awe. Across the room, Clarisse took a hesitant step forward. She clearly wanted to ask something but wasn't sure she had the right. "Can

you to the nursery. You can see her through the glass." When we reached the nursery window, the nurse was already bringing Aurora closer, as if she somehow knew we'd arrived. She was wrapped in her pink blanket, a tiny white cap on her head, sleeping deeply after the effort of being born. 2/3 "That's her," I whispered, pointing,