Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 544 Nicholas' POV At first, I thought no. That I didn't want to talk about it. That it was too personal. Too painful. Those were wounds I preferred to keep buried somewhere deep, where they couldn't reach me in my day-to-day life. I never talked about Renee. Not really. Not about what happened. Not about how I felt. Not about the scars it left behind. Not even with my mother, who surely knew everything but respected my silence. Not with Paula, who had been there and seen it all happen. And definitely not with strangers. I preferred to keep the hurt buried.

It was easier that way. Less painful. But then I looked at Gwen. At those blue eyes watching me with genuine attention. No judgment. Just... presence. There was something about her that brought calm. Comfort. Like, somehow, she was a safe harbor where I could finally rest. And if I was honest with myself, someday soon she would get her memory back. She would learn the truth. She would leave. And we would never see each other again. Maybe that was a good thing. Maybe it would be good to finally open up to someone who wouldn't be here long enough to carry the weight of my confessions.

"We were young when we met," I began, my voice quieter than usual. "At a town party. Some mutual friends introduced us." Gwen didn't say anything. She just waited, giving me space to move at my own pace. 1/4 Chapter 544 +25 Bonus "It wasn't one of those explosive, love-at-first-sight things," I continued, swirling the remaining wine in my glass without really seeing it. "We became friends first. We talked a lot. We laughed together. And then things started to change, almost naturally. One day we were friends. The next, we were kissing.

And suddenly, we were dating." I paused, searching for the right words. "We were different. We always were. She had this... this polished, sophisticated air. She bought clothes and accessories she couldn't afford and paid for them in a thousand installments just to look richer than she really was. She wanted to fit into a world she didn't belong to." I shrugged. "But I loved her anyway. And I thought she loved me too." "You got married," Gwen said softly. More statement than question. "We did. And we had Bella." A small, involuntary smile touched my lips as I thought of my daughter.

like enough. It seemed... impressive." I took a sip of wine, feeling the bitter liquid slide down my throat. "Business was good. We had a comfortable life. I could even afford

my father died." The silence that followed was filled only by the distant sound of water dripping somewhere in the cellar. "It was sudden," I went on, forcing the words out. "A heart attack. He was working in the vineyards that morning, and by afternoon, he was gone. And then... then we found out the business wasn't doing as well as it looked." Gwen stepped a little closer, her presence offering quiet comfort. "My father made a point of hiding all the debt from us,"

no more money for expensive clothes, for trips, for luxuries." I let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Things started to seem a lot less... interesting

in front of me." 2/4 agreed bitterly. "There isn't much to do in Montelira every weekend, you know? It's not exactly a buzzing tourist destination. Unless he was..." I swallowed hard. "Unless he was sleeping with

"I suffered, of course," I continued, my voice quieter now. "But the worst part was Bella. She was so little. Three years old." I closed my eyes, remembering that terrible day. "Hearing her own mother say she was leaving. That I and Bella didn't fit into her life anymore. That she'd

at Gwen. "She barely cares about her daughter on birthdays and holidays. A quick phone call, if we're lucky. Sometimes not even that." Gwen stayed quiet for a moment. She just stood there, her hand still on my arm, her eyes filled with a sadness she truly seemed to feel for me, for Bella. "Bella is an amazing little girl," she said finally. "Sweet, smart, full of