Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 286 I was still trying to process the revelation about Nate's old blog when the golden retriever suddenly stood up from the corner where she'd been lying and began pacing in circles, clearly agitated. "Oliver," Richard said, watching the dog with concern. "I think your patient is trying to tell us something." Oliver immediately rose from his seat and moved toward the golden, who was now visibly uncomfortable- panting heavily and searching for a place to lie down. "Showtime," he said, crouching beside her for a quick check.

"She's going into labor." "Now?" Sarah asked, springing to her feet. "During Christmas dinner?" "Babies don't follow social schedules," Oliver replied with a grin, already slipping fully into professional mode. "I need to take her to the clinic." That was exactly when every light in the house flicked off at once. "What was that?" Elizabeth asked, her voice echoing in the sudden darkness. "Power outage," Richard said, already navigating the room with the confidence of someone who knew every piece of furniture by heart. "Probably hit the whole city.

Happens sometimes when it's this cold." "Perfect," Oliver muttered, still crouched beside the golden. "Sarah's definitely in labor, and now we're without lights." Nate quickly pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight, casting a soft beam through the room. The others followed suit, creating little circles of light dancing across the walls. "The clinic is out in the backyard," Oliver explained quickly as he clipped the leash onto the golden with care. " It's a separate building I use for house calls.

But I'm going to need help, and without my assistant..." "Don't look at me," Tori said immediately, backing away from the dog. "I do not have the stomach for any of this." "I'll help," Nate said without hesitation. "Me too," I added, even though I silently admitted I'd never witnessed a birth-animal or otherwise. "And me," Sarah said, grabbing a coat from the entryway. "I helped my sister with horse births back on our family farm." Using the glow from his phone, Oliver led us out the back door, across a small yard, and into a brick building clearly designed as a veterinary workspace.

laying out clean blankets for the golden. "Never thought I'd need one. I usually use the main clinic for emergencies." The dog's labor turned out to be

hands working delicately. "I need to help manually." The next two hours passed in a blur of tension and hope. Sarah proved incredibly helpful, anticipating Oliver's needs and keeping the golden retriever calm during the hardest moments. Nate held up the cell phone lights at the perfect angles, and I helped with clean towels and anything else that was needed. Finally, after what felt like endless hours, we heard the faintest little noise from a

body for warmth. "She's a champ," Sarah said softly, watching the new mom with admiration. "Five healthy pups.

squirming gently in the dim light of the clinic. "It's incredible how nature works," Nate murmured, stepping closer to get a better look at the pups. "A few hours ago she was trying to steal food

an eye on them." Nate stepped outside to take the call, and suddenly I was alone in the clinic with Sarah and her five puppies. The only light came from my phone's flashlight, creating a warm,