Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 617 Gwen's POV "I'll say it again: who in their right mind gives real diamonds to a seven-year-old?" Mia was sitting in the armchair by the window in my room, still in her dinner dress, her heels kicked off carelessly on the floor. Zoey was lying on her stomach across the bed, propped up on her elbows, watching me with that amused but slightly concerned expression she got when she thought | was being reckless. | had just changed into sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt, finally able to breathe after the suffocating tension of dinner.

"In my defense," | said, sitting on the edge of the bed, "I wasn't in my right mind when | gave her that necklace. | had amnesia." "You were missing a brain, that's what you were missing," Mia shot back mercilessly. "Seriously, Gwen. Take that necklace back before someone realizes it's real. Before Renee drags it to a jeweler and confirms you've been lying about everything." "| can't!" | protested, turning to glare at her. "Did you see how much she loves it? How she protected it? It's our friendship necklace. She made me one too.

How am | supposed to just rip ---- it off her neck?" Mia groaned dramatically and threw her head back "You make this so much harder than it needs to be." "Okay, calm down," Zoey intervened. "Just have a perfect replica made. When Bella isn't looking, you switch the pendants. Simple. Clean. Problem solved." "Not exactly quick," Mia pointed out. "If that psycho takes it to a jeweler before the replica is ready..." "She won't," | cut in, with confidence | wasn't sure | actually felt. " Nick won't let her.

bed, crossing my legs. "And speaking of Nick," | said, looking directly at Zoey, "you hadn't met him in person before. What did you think? Of him. Of the whole family." Zoey smiled, that warm, genuine smile that always made me feel steadier. "They're lovely," she said honestly. "All of them. Martina

replied. "So? What's the ' but?" Zoey sighed and pushed herself upright, her expression turning serious. "But... is it worth it, Gwen? All of this? The lies getting bigger. This house of cards you're building

know I'm a total hypocrite, okay? Considering how things started with Christian. All our lies in the beginning. But that's exactly why I'm a hypocrite who loves you and doesn't want to watch you fall apart when this spirals out of control." | fell back against the mattress, staring at the white ceiling. Her words settled heavily

opens every door," | explained, still staring upward like the answers might be written there. Mia wrinkled her nose. "And why exactly is that a bad thing? Who likes closed doors?" Zoey laughed and shook her head. "Because from the outside, it looks like you think you're the center of the universe," she explained patiently. "Like you can buy anything and anyone if the price is high enough. Like you don't respect people who don't have the same money and privilege. Like

like to remind you, dear sister-in-law," | said with gentle sarcasm, "that it's been a few years now since you officially became one of us too." ---- Zoey laughed for real this time. "| know," she agreed. "And it's exactly because | came from a working-class family that |