Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 470 Marcus' POV I watched Madeline lying in the hospital bed, still holding her hand carefully, as if she were made of glass and could shatter with any sudden movement. The last few hours had been a whirlwind of emotions and fear that left me mentally drained. First, the devastating news about her father's death. I'd seen the shock ripple across Madeline's face like a wave, turning anxious expectation into raw, uncontrollable pain. The way she'd emotionally collapsed had broken my heart, especially knowing there was nothing I could do to ease that particular kind of loss.

Then came the physical reaction-the sudden pain in her abdomen, the panic in her eyes when she realized something might be wrong with the baby. Those minutes of running through the hospital corridors, carrying her to obstetric emergency, had been some of the most terrifying moments of my life. Now, after a full battery of tests, she was stable. But the scare had given me a painfully clear realization: I wouldn't survive losing her. Or that child. "I'm so sorry," I murmured, gently squeezing her hand.

The words felt completely inadequate for the magnitude of what she was going through, but they were all I had. Madeline nodded, her eyes still red and swollen from crying. "I wish I'd at least been able to say goodbye," she whispered back, her voice rough with emotion. My chest tightened at the raw pain in her words. I knew she would carry that ache for a long time, endlessly questioning the choices she'd made. "The good memories you have of him will always stay with you," I said, choosing each word carefully.

of the last few years, I'm sure your father knew you loved him." A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye as she replied, "I don't even know if I loved him." The honesty of that confession hit me hard. It was so very Madeline who was willing to face uncomfortable truths about herself, even when they hurt. "Maybe the little girl inside me loved him," she went on, her voice cracking slightly. "But the adult Madeline?

as a small child, searching for affection and approval from a complicated father, made me understand the depth of her loss. It wasn't just Alfred's death, but the death of every possibility. Every reconciliation that never happened. Every conversation left unsaid. Every connection that could've been. "You will," I said firmly. "Inside your heart, that place will always be preserved. The six-year-old girl

absorbing my words. Slowly, a small smile formed on her lips-not happiness, but something close to acceptance. 1/3 Chapter 470 +25 Bonus "Thank you," she said simply. We were smiling at each other when the doctor walked into the room. She was a middle-aged woman with a professional but

flooded through my body. Everything was okay. The baby was safe. "But," the doctor continued, and my stomach tightened again, "I did check your medical history, and the placental abruption has worsened slightly." That brief burst of happiness vanished instantly. Placental abruption was something I knew could be serious. "You can't be stressing yourself

isn't cooperating." The doctor smiled knowingly. She clearly understood what had triggered the stress. Losing a father would explain both the emotional and physical response. "What matters now is that you're both okay," she said gently. There was a beat of silence as Madeline and I exchanged a confused look. "Both?" Madeline asked, her voice suddenly curious. "Both of us?" "Yes, you and your