Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 35 The taxi weaved through the city streets while I kept my eyes fixed on the window, without really seeing anything. My mind was still trapped in that moment between the windows at the event hall, with Christian so close I could feel the warmth of his body. "Because he deserved an explanation. Because I didn't want you to face it alone. Because..." Because what? What would Christian have said if Francesca hadn't shown up at that exact moment? The question hammered in my mind like an unfinished melody, waiting for resolution. After Francesca arrived, everything shifted.

The brightness in her eyes when she looked at Christian was impossible to ignore. And the worst part? He smiled at her. Not the polite smile he gave to other guests, but something more genuine, almost intimate. The taxi stopped in front of my small building. I paid the fare and climbed the three flights of stairs slowly, each step weighing as though I were carrying concrete on my feet. Inside the apartment, silence greeted me like an old friend.

I tossed my bag onto the couch, kicked off the heels that had been killing me, and went straight to the shower, as if the water could wash away not just the day, but also the memories, the doubts, the unanswered questions. When I came out, wrapped in my worn robe, my phone was ringing insistently. Annabelle. O "So? How was it? Did you see him? Did you talk?" The questions fired out the moment I answered. "Hello to you too," I muttered, dropping onto the bed. "Cut the crap. Spill." Í sighed deeply. "Yes, he was there. Yes, we talked." "And...?" Her impatience was palpable even over the phone.

"And nothing, Annie. It was professional. Polite." "Liar." Her tone left no room for argument. "I'm coming over. I'll bring food." Before I could protest, she hung up. Typical Annabelle. When she was set on something, no force in the universe could stop her. Half an hour later, she burst into my apartment with a bag of food. Her critical gaze swept over me from head to toe. "You look like you've seen a ghost. Or better yet, an ex." "Very funny." I grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the bag, opening a box of yakisoba.

I want everything." Between bites of noodles and sips of wine, I told her about the event. About how Christian showed up impeccable in his tailored suit. About our interrupted conversation. About Edward and his veiled questions. About Francesca.

at her with the chopsticks for emphasis. "It was just a weird moment. Confusing." "Sure." She rolled her eyes. "And that's why you're here, on a Friday night, eating takeout food with your sister instead of, I don't know, moving on?" "I am moving

it, neither has he." "You can't know that." "He went to talk to Dad." Annabelle set her glass down and leaned toward me. "What kind of man goes to his ex's father to explain a breakup? That's not normal." Her words echoed inside me with startling force. It was true that I had asked him not to just disappear-that we should have a story that made

you." She studied me for a moment. "The real question is: do you still care about him?" I opened my mouth to deny it, to say it was ancient history, that I'd moved on. But the words didn't come. Instead, a knot formed in my throat. "I don't know." My voice came out almost in a whisper. "Sometimes I think I do. Other times I convince myself it was just an intense

long enough to be love." "And yet, three months later, here you are, replaying every word he said." There was no way to refute that. But before I could respond, my phone buzzed on the table. Edward's number. "I have to take this. It's my boss." Annabelle gestured

he seem... receptive?" There it was again. The casual question that wasn't casual at all. 2/4 Chapter 35 +25 Bonus "Strictly professional," I answered cautiously. "We talked about the event and the industry." "Of course." Another pause. "Did he mention any of their new projects? I've heard rumors about an expansion