Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 36 The smell of barbecue hit me the moment I opened my parents' gate. The Bennett family's Sunday lunch was an unshakable tradition-my dad at the grill and my mom complaining that he was cooking too much meat. Matthew shouted from the backyard: "Finally! I thought I was going to miss out on the picanha!" My mom appeared from the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. "You're so skinny! Haven't you been eating properly in that tiny apartment?" "Good to see you too, Mom," I replied, dropping my bag on the couch. Out in the yard, Annabelle was already pouring beer for Dad.

I kissed his cheek, breathing in the familiar smoky scent. "Impossible to be too busy for your barbecue, Dad." "And you know how to value the good things in life," Matthew said. "Unlike certain rich guys who don't know how to appreciate a good rack of ribs." The meaningful look Annabelle shot me didn't go unnoticed. Any mention of Christian made my stomach flip completely. Lunch went on with laughter and family stories. Over dessert, my mom asked about work. "I'm leading an important event next week. In Highridge Valley." "Highridge Valley?" My dad looked up from his bowl of ice cream.

"Isn't that where Christian's winery is?" A brief silence fell over the table. "It's the region, Dad. There are hundreds of wineries there." "Are you going to see him?" Matthew asked bluntly. "It's a professional event. If he's there, it'll just be coincidence." "Maybe it's fate, sweetheart," my mom said with that dreamy look in her eyes. "You two met so quickly, and everything happened like a whirlwind. Maybe you just needed this time apart." "Mom, please..." "Your mother's right," my dad chimed in.

moment alone. "Dad, what exactly did Christian say when he came to talk to you?" His hands

was a mutual decision." "Just that?" "No." My dad handed me the last plate. "He said you deserved someone who

My stomach flipped. Always look out for me? "And the strangest part," my dad went on, "was when he asked if we were okay financially,

the process and documents that "proved" the debt's deadline had expired. All to protect my father's pride, so he'd never know his daughter's ex-fiancé had paid it off. "You know what I think?" my dad said, studying my face. "I think that young man is still in love with you." "Dad, please..." "I saw the way he talked about you." He folded his arms. "That wasn't the speech of a man

up something he wanted badly, because he thought it was best for you." "We barely knew each other. It all happened so fast..." "Time doesn't determine depth, Zoey. Your mother and I took years, but some people find in weeks what others search for their whole lives." "You really think it was real for him?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. "No doubt in my mind." My dad gently touched my chin. "Listen, sweetheart, a man doesn't get teary-eyed talking about a woman unless