Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 91 Anthony Kensington stood just a few steps from me, his elegant figure standing out among the guests. With a calculated smile that never reached his eyes, he extended one of the two glasses of champagne he held in my direction. "A woman like you shouldn't be alone at a party like this," he remarked, his voice smooth as velvet, but with a note that sent an uncomfortable shiver down my spine. "Thank you, but I'd rather stick with water tonight," I declined politely, lifting my nearly empty glass.

"Not drinking?" His gaze drifted slowly over my body, lingering far too long on certain places before returning to my face. "Interesting." There was something in the way he said that simple word that made me feel utterly exposed. "I'm just not in the mood," I replied, keeping my voice firm despite the growing discomfort. "Christian has always been lucky," Anthony commented, completely ignoring my response as he stepped closer. "Even his more... impulsive decisions seem to work in his favor." "I don't consider our marriage impulsive," I lied, instinctively taking a small step back.

"It happened at exactly the right time." Anthony's smile widened, revealing perfect white teeth. "Of course." He took a sip of champagne, his eyes never leaving mine. "You know, I couldn't help but notice how completely you've transformed my cousin. He seems more... relaxed. You must have some very special talents." The innuendo was impossible to miss, but I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me rattled. "Christian is an extraordinary man," I answered with a calm I didn't feel.

"Perhaps you simply didn't know him as well as you thought." Anthony laughed-a low, controlled sound that held no genuine humor. "We grew up together, Zoey." The way he used my name so familiarly made my skin prickle. "I know Christian better than most. His strengths, his weaknesses... his ambitions." "Then you must know he's a man of integrity," I shot back, gripping my water glass tighter. "Something rare these days." "Integrity." Anthony savored the word as if it were the champagne in his glass. "Is that what we're calling it now?

his head slightly, as though acknowledging the strike. "But you must admit it all happened very quickly. From stranger to Mrs. Kensington in, what? A

have flickered across my face, because Anthony's smile grew sharper. "Oh, so you two have already discussed her? Fascinating." He took another step toward me, deliberately invading my personal space. "You know, Francesca and I always had a... mutual

nausea curling in my stomach-"the past." "Is it?" His eyes gleamed with calculated malice. "So he told you about that summer in Luminara? Or the little property he bought near the Montgomery vineyard? Interesting how some things remain... entangled, even after supposed breakups." I had no idea what he was talking about, but something told me that was exactly the

by the knot forming in my stomach. "Don't you have anything better to do than spread gossip like a teenager?" I asked, trying to keep my tone light despite the growing irritation. "I thought you were here for business, not

who bite back." "If you'll excuse me, I think my husband must be looking for me," I tried to end the conversation, but Anthony shifted subtly, blocking my way without seeming deliberately rude to anyone watching. "Not so fast." His voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "I'm genuinely interested in getting to know you better, Zoey. After all, we're family

so smoothly it would have seemed coincidental to any casual observer. "A private conversation, perhaps? During your stay here, we could find a moment to... deepen our mutual understanding." The double meaning