Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 597 Gwen's POV Renee stared at me for a long moment, her eyes sweeping over my face as if she were completely reassessing who | was. "If you care so much about fashion history," she said, her voice overly sweet and laced with poison, "you should study it better before going around making ridiculous accusations. It's embarrassing, really." Then she leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "Is that why you're with Nick?" she asked, a cruel smile on her lips. "So he can fund your lifestyle? Your expensive bags?

Your refined taste for things you clearly can't afford on a consultant's salary?" Nick and | exchanged a quick look. And suddenly, everything made sense. Renee didn't know. She didn't know about Nick's real financial situation. About the debt. About the risk of losing everything. About how he barely managed to keep up with the bills. ---- But why not? Hadn't she left right when things started getting bad? Maybe she thought he'd managed to rebuild his life over the past four years. Maybe she believed the estate was still thriving. Profitable. That Nick had money.

Maybe that was why she'd come back. After the scandal of being a married man's mistress. After losing access to the billionaire lifestyle her lover had provided. She returned thinking Nick would be her financial safety net. But | wasn't going to say any of that. "I'm not with Nick. We're as | said the next word, | said calmly, looking directly at him riends." The word came out heavy with something bitter. With irony. With barely hidden pain. A thick silence fell over the table. Until Bella's small voice cut through it.

what was left of her gelato. Renee scoffed. ---- "You already have a mother, Isabella," she snapped, her voice rising and sharpening. Then she seemed to realize where she

an accusing look. "This isn't what we agreed on. | want time alone with my daughter. Without... interference." Her gaze flicked briefly to me before returning to Nick. "I'll call you to arrange it," she went on. "And this time,

her, Bella looked up at her father. "Can we go home and have cake now?" she asked, her voice returning to its usual childlike excitement. Nick and I looked at each other and, despite everything,

left the gelato shop together, but it quickly became clear we would have to go separately. My car was parked near the bank. Nick's was somewhere else. | was relieved. It spared us the awkward atmosphere that would