Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 15 Christian immediately shifted back into his polished façade. The brief glimpse of vulnerability was gone. "We'll get through this quickly," he said, buckling his seatbelt. "The forecast in the South is perfect." I fastened mine too, realizing the moment had slipped away. He wasn't going to finish that story now. The wall was back up. As the plane jolted, my mind wouldn't stop racing. I found out she was... what? Cheating? Was that it? Christian Kensington, the man who seemed to have everything... knew what betrayal felt like too?

And more importantly: what did that mean for me, for us, for this bizarre arrangement we'd gotten ourselves into? The turbulence lasted only a few minutes, but it was enough to shift the atmosphere between us completely. Christian pulled out his laptop and buried himself in work, answering emails with a concentration that felt deliberate. It was as if he wanted to make sure there was no space for our earlier conversation to continue. The rest of the flight passed in a silence that was almost comfortable.

I lost myself staring out the window as the landscape slowly changed beneath us: coastline giving way to rolling green mountains, patchwork fields painted like a canvas, tiny towns nestled in valleys like miniatures. When we finally began to descend, the pilot announced our arrival at the Kensington private airstrip. I pressed closer to the window, awestruck. Below us stretched what looked like a private kingdom: endless hectares of vineyards perfectly lined across gentle hills, rolling as far as the eye could see. "All of this is yours?" I asked, unable to hide the wonder in my voice.

Christian glanced from his laptop to the view. "The family's," he corrected. "Four generations of Kensingtons built this." There was undeniable pride in his tone-mixed with something heavier, almost like a burden. The landing was smooth, and as soon as the plane came to a stop, Christian packed away his laptop and stood. "Ready?" he asked, holding his hand out to me. I wasn't. How could anyone be ready to walk into a world like this? But I slipped my hand into his anyway, feeling the warmth of his fingers against mine.

a perfect day in the Highridge Valley. The air was crisp and clean, carrying the scent of earth and ripe grapes. In the distance, a mansion rose from the top of a hill-walls pale and stately, dark roof, surrounded by lush gardens. It looked like something out of a period film. A woman in her fifties waited beside a sleek black Land Rover. "Mr. Kensington, welcome back," she greeted warmly. Then her eyes shifted to me-curious, but

heard so much about you." I forced a smile, wondering exactly what they'd heard. 1/3 Chapter 15 +25 Bonus "The pleasure's mine." "Lunch will be served in one hour," Carmen informed us as she led us toward the car. "I thought you might want to freshen

winery itself-a cluster of buildings blending traditional architecture with sleek

said, opening a massive wooden door. The room was bigger than most apartments. A king-sized bed dominated the center, complete with a canopy and linens that looked softer than clouds. Huge windows framed views of the gardens and, beyond them, endless vineyards stretching to the horizon. A stone fireplace warmed one corner, flanked by plush armchairs, and doors

to it." I seriously doubted that. "And where are you staying?" I asked, trying to sound casual. He raised an eyebrow. "Here, of course." My heart skipped. "What do you mean, here?" "Zoey, we're engaged, remember?" He gestured toward the bed. "It would be strange if we slept in separate rooms." Right. How could I forget? This was a charade-but one that had

bed, and I felt my cheeks heat. "Don't worry," he said, clearly entertained by my discomfort. "It's big enough that we don't have to touch." For some reason, that statement annoyed me more than it should have. "I'm not worried," I shot back, lifting my chin. "Just setting boundaries." "The famous boundaries you loved me crossing on Sunday night?" My face burned hotter. "Shut up!" 2/3 Chapter 15 425 Bonus "As you wish." He walked to one of the side doors, opening it to reveal a bathroom larger than my entire living