Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 489 Madeline's POV The pain started as a slow, steady wave, rolling up from my lower back and tightening across my abdomen in a grip that made me instinctively clutch the edge of the nightstand. I took a deep breath, counting in my head as the contraction passed, and when I looked at Marcus, I saw the exact moment it clicked for him. "Was that another one?" he asked, jumping up so fast from the chair beside the bed that he almost dropped the phone in his hand. "It was," I confirmed, trying to keep my voice calm despite the tension thickening the air.

Marcus started pacing the hospital room, running his hands through his hair in a way I immediately recognized as pure panic. "I'm not ready," he blurted, spinning to face me with wide eyes. "Madeline, we're not ready. We haven't even picked her name yet!" I would've laughed if another contraction hadn't started at that exact moment. I gripped the edge of the bed, breathing through the pain while Marcus continued spiraling. "And the nursery!" he went on, completely oblivious to the fact that I was mid-contraction. "I wanted to paint the guest room myself. Pick the perfect color.

Do those glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling..." "My love..." I tried to interrupt, but he was in full meltdown mode. "And the books! I promised I'd read all those parenting books. I'm still on chapter three of the first one! I don't even know how to change a diaper properly. In class they used that doll and I put the diaper on backward..." "Marcus," I tried again. "And what if I don't know how to calm her when she cries? What if I hold her wrong? Babies are so small, Madeline. So fragile.

What if-" The contraction passed, and instead of the usual lingering tension, I was hit with a sudden, uncontrollable wave of laughter. It was the sight of Marcus-this man who had protected me from very real, very terrifying threats-now completely undone by the thought of his daughter being born. I laughed so hard I had to hold my stomach, tears streaming down my face as Marcus stopped pacing and stared at me with an expression somewhere between confusion and mild offense. "What?" he asked, clearly not seeing what was so funny. "You," I managed between laughs. "You're...

I took a deep breath, trying to rein in my laughter, and reached out my hand to him. "Love... hey, love?" I said gently. "Remember what we learned

the candle," I finished, exhaling slowly through my mouth. Marcus laughed, a genuine, relieved sound, and started doing the breathing exercises with me. We stayed like that for a few minutes, syncing our breaths, and I felt the tension ease out of both of us. "Smell the flower," I coached softly. "Smell the flower," he repeated, inhaling. "Blow out the candle." "Blow out the candle," he echoed, and we exhaled together. We were so focused on the exercise that we didn't notice

is actually in labor?" I couldn't stop myself from laughing. Paula always had a way of making even the most tense moments feel

of examining me, she stepped away from the bed and scribbled something on her clipboard. "It's still going to take a little while," she said, her tone professional but reassuring. "The contractions are regular, but you haven't dilated enough

sweetheart. And you," She pointed at Marcus with a playful finger."...breathe. Smell the flower, blow out the candle, remember?" Marcus gave an embarrassed smile as Paula left the room, closing the door behind her. The silence that followed was comfortable, full of anticipation now, but no longer panic. I