Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 531 Nicholas' POV The back porch of the villa was my refuge. The place I went when I needed to think. When the weight of the day pressed too hard on my shoulders. When I needed a few minutes of silence before stepping back into the controlled chaos of running an inn, a winery, and raising a six-year-old daughter. I leaned against the wooden railing, the afternoon cold seeping through my flannel shirt. I pulled my phone from my pocket and searched for Dr. Marshall's number. I'd promised to call if there were any problems, and well... this wasn't exactly a problem.

But it was definitely something I needed to talk through with someone who knew what they were doing. He answered on the third ring. "Nick? Is Miss Parker all right?" "Physically, yes," I said, running my free hand through my hair. "No dizziness. No vomiting. She's walking and talking normally. But... something strange is happening." "Strange how?" I took a deep breath, organizing my thoughts. "She's having memory flashes. Things she knows but can't explain how or why she knows them. Then she tries to fill in the gaps with... common sense, I guess." I paused.

"For example, today we did the winery tour with the guests. During the tasting, she evaluated the wine like a true expert. Talked about flavor notes, barrel aging, and grape varieties. She has deep knowledge." "And how did she explain having that knowledge?" "She said she's had clients in that field. Wineries. Rural properties. That she needed to understand the product to sell it well." I heard Dr. Marshall make a thoughtful sound on the other end of the line. "And that doesn't sound plausible to you?" "No," I admitted. "Not the way she talked about it.

It wasn't surface-level knowledge from someone who did a bit of research for a client. It was real expertise. Like she'd studied oenology formally or worked in the industry for years." "I see." There was a pause. "Nick, as her fiancé, you probably know her well enough to understand where this information comes from. You can help her memory recover by filling in the gaps. Tell her stories you've lived together. Show her photos. Mention familiar people and places. That usually speeds up the recovery process." I closed my eyes, guilt tightening around my chest like a vise.

I'd started. "At the time, when she said we were engaged, I thought she was making up an excuse to

"I didn't want to get sued." "Nick..." "But she didn't make it up," I went on quickly. "She really believes we're engaged. For some reason I don't understand, she's genuinely convinced we're in a relationship. That we're going to get married. And I don't know what to do." Another silence. Longer this time. When

"What Miss Parker is experiencing goes beyond simple confusion or memory gaps. When the brain suffers trauma, even relatively mild trauma, it tries to fill in the empty spaces with information that makes sense within the context the person is in. It's a defense mechanism. A way to create a coherent narrative when real memories are temporarily inaccessible." He

in an unfamiliar place, her brain created a plausible explanation. You had to be someone close. Someone safe. A fiancé. That gave her a sense of security in the middle of the chaos. And the longer that narrative goes uncorrected, the more deeply rooted it becomes." My stomach dropped. "So I made everything worse by going along with the lie?" "Not necessarily. Contradicting her in that moment could have caused extreme

face, exhaustion settling deep in my bones. "So what do I do?" 2/4 Chapter 531 +25 Bonus "For now, keep her calm and safe. Don't confront

no real relationship with. Technically, I should report you." My heart started pounding. "But," he continued, and now there was something almost paternal in his tone, "I've known you since you were born, Nicholas Valemont. I know you have a good heart, and that you acted on impulse,