Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 55 The silence of the room clashed with the chaos inside my mind. The morning of the wedding had finally arrived, and I sat before the mirror, staring at my reflection as if she were a stranger. The white dress-the very one Christian had bought months ago-fell in soft waves around me, the delicate fabric catching the light that streamed in through the wide windows. "You look absolutely stunning!" my mother exclaimed as she walked in, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "My daughter, a bride." I tried to smile, but even to me it felt forced.

It wasn't nerves I felt or at least not the usual kind of nerves a bride was supposed to feel. It was something more complex, a mix of guilt, anxiety, and, surprisingly, a strange sense of anticipation. "Wow!" Annabelle stopped in the doorway, jaw dropping. "Someone's going to have a heart attack when they see you in that dress, and I'm not talking about Joseph." "Annie!" my mother scolded, though she couldn't hide a smile. They bustled around me with excitement, adjusting the veil, commenting on my hairstyle, giving opinions about jewelry and makeup.

An entire team of professionals had been in earlier, transforming me into the most glamorous version of myself I had ever seen. "Could I have a moment?" I finally asked, needing to breathe. "Just a few minutes alone." My mother hesitated, worry flickering across her face. "Are you sure, darling?" "Yes, please." I forced a reassuring smile. "I'll be ready to go down in fifteen minutes, I promise." Reluctantly, they left, Annabelle throwing me one last meaningful look before closing the door. Alone, I let the smile fall away.

I stood and walked to the window, gazing down at the gardens below, where white chairs had been arranged in perfect rows. An improvised altar stood decorated with fresh flowers, the pergola wrapped in climbing vines and delicate lights that would glow once the sun began to set. It was perfect. Like a dream. A dream I had once imagined living with Alex. Alex. Strange how his name now felt so distant, almost belonging to another life. I closed my eyes, trying to summon the pain, the hurt, that raw sense of betrayal that had once been my constant companion.

always so plain," Elise had told me on that fateful day. "You never had anything special." I looked at my reflection again. The woman staring back at me didn't look plain. She didn't look ordinary. She looked... transformed. And not just by the dress, the makeup, or the hairstyle. There was something in my

over wine glasses. It wasn't Alex who filled my thoughts in the quiet hours of the night anymore. It was Christian. His rare but genuine smile, the vulnerability he sometimes let slip, his devotion to his grandfather, his passion

just need one more minute, please." "Not even a moment for an old friend?" The voice froze my blood. I spun around sharply to find Elise standing in the doorway, elegant in a teal dress that looked like it had been made for her. Her hair was perfectly styled, her makeup flawless-the

the room, her eyes scanning every detail. "Of course I'd be at a Kensington wedding," she said casually. "Elite PR represents several of their businesses. It's work." She stopped in front of me, her gaze traveling over my dress with a critical appraisal. "Besides, I thought it only fair. You came

so familiar and yet strangely foreign now. "Always so dramatic, Zoey." She stepped closer, her expensive perfume invading my space. "Although I'll admit I'm impressed. You really did manage to climb up in life after Alex." I held my ground, refusing to show how much her words could still wound me. "This isn't about