Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 398 Marcus' POV The first ray of sunlight slipping through the bedroom window woke me before my alarm, just like it always did who I I had something important to deal with. It was a habit I'd developed over the years, working across time zones. My body simply knew when decisions were waiting for me. Madeline was still asleep beside me, her breathing calm and even, her dark hair spread across the pillow like a silky halo. There was something almost magical about seeing her like that.

In sleep, all the worry lines vanished from her face, leaving only the natural beauty that had fascinated me from the start. I watched her for a few minutes, savoring the quiet. It was strange how, after only a week, waking up next to her already felt natural. As if my body had instinctively adjusted to her presence. As if this was how things were always meant to be. I got up carefully so I wouldn't wake her, my bare feet making as little noise as possible on the wooden floor.

The morning was cool, typical of Highridge, and I could hear the distant sounds of workers beginning their day in the vineyards. Life on the estate started early, following rhythms passed down through generations. I headed down to the mansion's kitchen, where I found Carmen already in full motion, as always. She was preparing breakfast with the quiet, affectionate efficiency of someone who had run that house for decades- someone who knew every family member's habits and preferences as if they were her own children. "Good morning, Mr.

Marcus," she said with a warm smile that always made me feel at home, no matter how long I'd been away. "Shall I prepare something special for Mrs. Madeline?" "Good morning, Carmen," I replied, watching as she immediately began arranging a tray with her usual maternal care. "I think I'll take breakfast up to her room today." "The first morning as a married couple deserves special treatment," she said, her eyes shining the way they always did when she talked about family traditions-as if every.ritual were sacred.

perfectly cut fruit. Everything arranged on fine china. I carried the tray upstairs carefully, doing my best not to wake the rest of the house. When I entered the bedroom, Madeline was stretching slowly, her eyes still sleepy but already alert-that instinctive vigilance I was

said, setting the tray on the bedside table and trying not to smile too much at her reaction to the new name. She smiled, a soft, adorable blush rising in her delicate cheeks. "I think it's going to take me a while to get used to that," she admitted, sitting up and pulling the sheets higher to cover the

cup halfway to her lips, her eyes lifting to mine-curiosity mixed with apprehension. "What kind of changes?" "We decided I'm going back to work,"

me to take charge there. It's an important position, and... well, there

that Belmonte wouldn't be safe for us anytime soon. Maybe not for months. "It's safer for you and the baby," I said gently, choosing my words carefully. "At least until we can do a DNA test and have legal certainty. If the baby really is a