Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 54 The night was surprisingly warm for the Highridge Valley at that time of year. The starry sky stretched like a blanket of light over the property, and the full moon shimmered on the surface of the infinity pool set on one of the mansion's far terraces-a spot Christian had shown me earlier, assuring me it was rarely used by the family. "Is this thing heated?" Annabelle asked, cautiously dipping her hand in the water. "Thirty-two degrees, to be exact," I replied, slipping off my shoes.

"Perks of being a billionaire." Annabelle was already tugging off her light dress, revealing the bikini she'd apparently been wearing under her clothes all day, as if she had planned this moment. "So, is this a bachelorette party?" She raised the bottle of champagne she had "borrowed" from the wine cellar, her mischievous smile glowing under the moonlight. "Kind of lame, don't you think? No strippers, no embarrassing games...' 11 "Perfect for me," I said, stepping into the water still wearing the loose T-shirt and shorts I'd put on after dinner.

The heat of the pool against my skin was instantly relaxing. Annabelle followed me in, champagne bottle still in hand. She had somehow found two glasses in the mansion and was now filling them with surprising skill, even while half-submerged. "To my sister," she toasted, pushing a glass toward me. "Who tomorrow will marry an absurdly rich, absurdly handsome, and absurdly complicated man." I couldn't help but laugh, clinking my glass lightly against hers. "To your sister.

Who somehow ended up in the middle of a Valentian soap opera." The champagne went down easily, cold against my throat, contrasting with the warmth of the water. I leaned my head back against the edge, watching the stars above. "Do you think I'm crazy?" I asked, the words slipping out before I could hold them back. Annabelle, who had settled on the other side of the pool, looked at me with an unexpectedly serious expression. "I think you've always been the sensible one in the family. The one who thinks before she acts, the one who plans every step." She took another sip.

I'm watching you follow your instincts instead of your reason. And that's... interesting." "My instincts?" I almost choked on the champagne. "Annie, this is an arrangement. A six-month contract. I'm not following anything except some... I don't know, sense of payback." "Mmm-hmm." She refilled our

course you don't." Annabelle rolled her eyes dramatically. "Just like you don't know why you got all huffy when I said I was going to have some

Unlike you, who's got six whole months to have fun with your Kensington." I splashed water at her, making her shriek and splash back. For a few minutes, we were just two sisters in a water fight, laughing like kids, forgetting for a moment about the wedding, the Kensingtons, everything. When we finally calmed down,

"Like what?" "Respect." She shrugged. "With Alex, you always seemed like you were trying to impress him, trying to be who he wanted you to be. With Christian... you just seem more yourself." Annabelle's words caught me off guard.

plan." "Plans change." Annabelle tilted her head, studying my face. "You've changed. Since you met him, you're... different. Braver. Less worried about

she probably cracks glass when she smiles." I couldn't stop laughing, the mental image was just too good. "She hates me." "She hates anything she can't control. And you, my dear sister, are not controllable." Annabelle raised her glass in another toast. "Unlike her son." "Christian? He's the most controlling person I know!" "No, he's controlled. There's a difference." She frowned thoughtfully. "It's like he's

the perfect heir, dating the perfect high-society girl..." "Like Francesca." 2/3 "Exactly. And then you showed up, and suddenly he's breaking all the rules." Her words made me pause. Could it really be that