Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 41 I stared at Christian, trying to process what he had just said. Go back to the mansion? The place where we'd pretended to be a couple. Where we'd grown so close. Where I'd almost fallen for him for real. "I don't know if that's a good idea," I finally replied. "Probably not," he agreed, which surprised me. "But it's practical. And you don't have many options right now." I pressed my lips together, glancing at my lone suitcase. He was right, of course. Highridge Valley was in peak season. Even the simplest hotels were either full or charging outrageous rates.

"There are no hidden intentions here, Zoey," Christian added, his voice softer. "It's just a place to stay until your flight. A place you already know." I bit my lower lip, torn. The offer was tempting in its simplicity. A place to stay. No complications. No expectations. "Alright," I decided at last. "But I'm still going to try to reschedule my flight." Christian picked up my suitcase before I could protest and headed for the door, his decisive footsteps echoing across the quiet hotel lobby.

I followed at a safe distance, trying not to notice how perfectly the suit fit across his broad shoulders. Outside, the night air was cold-typical of Highridge Valley. I shivered slightly in my thin blazer, designed more for appearance than for the region's weather. Christian seemed to notice but said nothing. He simply opened the trunk of his car-not the Porsche this time, but a sleek SUV-and placed my luggage inside with care. The drive to the winery was silent. I watched the night landscape roll by through the window, the lights of small towns appearing now and then between the dark hills.

The last time we'd made this drive together, everything had been different. Back then, we'd been practically strangers bound by a business arrangement. Now we were... what, exactly? When the car began to climb the private road to the estate, my chest tightened. The vineyards stretched out on either side, bathed only in moonlight and the distant glow of the mansion that came into view on the horizon. "Does Carmen know I'm coming?" I asked, breaking the silence. "She's not here right now." Christian kept his eyes on the road. "She went to visit her daughter, who just had a baby.

is on reduced staff, just a few maids and the kitchen crew." More silence. When we finally parked in front of the mansion, everything felt strangely familiar and yet completely different. The same stone steps, the same towering doors, the same immaculate gardens. But all under a different light. No longer the backdrop of our charade. Just a house I had been invited into out of necessity. "I'll show you

The guest room was spacious and elegant, decorated in shades of gold and beige, with a large window overlooking the vineyards-though the view was hidden in the night. "The bathroom's over there." Christian gestured toward an adjacent door. "There are clean towels and basic toiletries on

It wasn't a question, though there was an almost timid note in his voice. "I can have the kitchen prepare something light." "I'd appreciate that." We stood there, the silence heavy between us. There were so many things unsaid, so many questions I wanted to ask, but I didn't know where to begin. "I'll let you get settled, then," he said, moving toward the door. "Christian," I called before he could

I doing? Why had I asked to talk? Wouldn't it be easier- safer to keep my distance? To let this night pass and tomorrow find a way back home without further complications? - But there was one question hammering in my mind ever since my father told me about Christian's visit. A question that needed an answer. I slipped off my blazer and

following him to a small balcony. A table had been set with a light meal-cheeses,