Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 140 Annabelle's POV I never thought I'd find myself sitting in a cheap downtown café talking about attempted murder and corporate conspiracy. But with Zoey pregnant and Christian still recovering from the accident, Marcus and I had ended up being the only ones capable of digging for information. Honestly I was starting to realize I was pretty good at it. "Annie, focus," Marcus said sharply, sliding a folder across the table. "We've got information that could save Christian's life." "Relax, James Bond," I teased, picking up the folder anyway.

"You're taking this way too seriously. What's next, sunglasses and a code name?" Marcus shot me a flat look, clearly not in the mood for jokes. He was focused, controlled-completely different from the easygoing guy I was used to. The situation had changed him. "Let's get to it," he said in that calm, clipped tone of his. "I've gathered substantial evidence. Three different security cameras caught the same car on the day of the crash." I studied the grainy black-and-white photos. Even with the poor resolution, Alex's car was unmistakable. "Wow," I said, honestly impressed.

"For a guy I thought only knew how to make deals and flirt, you've got a real knack for detective work." "I've always been efficient when I need to be," he replied, not even cracking a smile as he flipped the page. "Okay, okay, Mr. Efficient," I said, laughing softly. "What else do you have?" "Witnesses," Marcus said, tapping a list of names. "Three people saw the car speeding deliberately toward Christian. And this..." He handed me a report stamped with a repair shop's logo. "The mechanic who worked on the car afterward. Guess what? He wasn't working alone." I frowned, scanning the report.

"What do you mean, not alone?" "Someone brought the car in and told him not to ask questions," Marcus explained quietly. "Paid in cash. Wanted it fixed fast and kept quiet." "And he just... told you all this because?" I asked, raising a brow. "Because I offered financial compensation for his cooperation," Marcus said matter-of-factly. "And because I made it clear that the Kensington family protects those who help-and deals with those who don't." I flipped through the rest of the documents, impressed despite myself.

hidden under all that playboy confidence. "Marcus, this is incredible," I said honestly. "But we still need something more conclusive. Like someone who actually saw who was driving or something that ties the car directly to Elise or-" "That's why we're here," he interrupted, glancing at his

deeper, more commanding-so unlike the Marcus I knew. "This is Annie, Christian Kensington's sister-in-law." Carl's eyes went wide at the name Kensington. "I already told you, I don't know anything," he said quickly, voice shaking. "I didn't see anything, I didn't hear anything." "Carl," Marcus

adrenaline mixed with nausea. This wasn't just theory anymore. It was real. "I didn't do anything," Carl said, but his voice was weak, shaky-like even he didn't believe his own words. "Listen," Marcus said, his tone calm but carrying an edge that sent chills down my spine. "I'll make this simple. We've got the footage, we've

can be smart about this, or you can be stupid. If you cooperate, if you tell us everything you know, I can

believe me, the Kensington family has a lot more pull than whoever paid you to do this." Carl froze, torn between fear and greed. I could see the battle playing out on his face, his