Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 429 Marcus' POV I'd barely slept. I spent the entire night in the guest room tossing and turning, replaying the fight with Madeline in my head, every word, every flicker of pain on her face when I said things I never should have said. The bed was comfortable, but the weight of my guilt made real rest impossible. By six in the morning, I finally admitted defeat and got up. I looked at myself in the guest bathroom mirror and saw exactly what I expected.

Dark circles under my eyes, hair completely disheveled, and an expression that screamed 'man who spent the night hating himself.' I needed to apologize to Madeline. I wasn't ready to fully open up about certain parts of my past, but I couldn't let my inability to share turn into an unbridgeable gap between us. Especially not today, of all days, when we had the ultrasound appointment. Today we might hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time. That moment was too important to be overshadowed by the tension from last night.

I went down to the kitchen and made coffee, only to realize we barely had anything for a proper breakfast. On impulse, I decided to go out and buy something special. Something tangible to show her I cared, that I wanted to make things right. I knew an excellent bakery just a few blocks away, famous for its fresh croissants and an impressive selection of Valentian pastries. I walked through the still-quiet streets of Florentia, letting the cool morning air help me organize my thoughts. I needed to find a way to explain my defensiveness without revealing details I wasn't ready to share yet.

It was a delicate balance. At the bakery, I bought warm croissants, different kinds of bread, fruit, fresh juices, and a few Valentian specialties I knew Madeline liked. As I was paying, though, something she'd mentioned during dinner with Annie and Nate came back to me. How much she missed brigadeiro. I left the bakery planning to head straight home, but the memory of that wistful comment made me change direction. Florentia had a small but active Verdanian community. Someone had to sell Verdanian sweets.

Verdanians requented. Finally, at a tiny confectionery near the historic center, I found a Verdanian woman who made brigadeiros to order for events. I managed to convince her to sell me a small box she'd prepared for a party later that day. I went home carrying full bags and a simple plan.

everything was silent. Madeline hadn't gotten up yet. I carefully arranged everything on a tray. Warm croissants. Fresh orange juice. Coffee with milk at the exact temperature she liked. Artfully cut fruit. And in the center, the small box of fudge balls as the final touch. We'd have

appointment together. About not letting the past interfere with the present we were trying to build. "Madeline?" I called softly before

there. I quickly set the tray down on the nightstand and headed for the bathroom. "Madeline?" I called, knocking lightly on the door. "Are you in there?" Nothing. I opened the bathroom door. Empty. A cold knot formed in my stomach. Where was she? I checked the time. It was barely eight in the morning. Where could she have gone so early? My mind immediately started spinning worst-case

to cause problems with the pregnancy? orse... what if Dominic had finally found us? ned through the apartment, checking every room, calling her name. Nothing. Her clothes were still in the set. Her bag was on