Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 335 The mansion' garden had turned into the perfect children's party scene. Colorful balloons decorated every corner, a long table overflowed with traditional Verdanian sweets. The birthday cake was shaped like a little car because it was Matt's current obsession, and it held the place of honor at the center of it all. The sound of children laughing mixed with animated adult conversations created the ideal soundtrack for celebrating my nephew's first year of life. Matt was glowing in his party outfit, a navy-blue romper with suspenders that somehow made him even more adorable.

He toddled around the guests with wobbly but determined steps, occasionally stopping to show off a new toy to anyone willing to pay attention. Ginger followed him closely, as if she'd officially taken on the role of canine nanny, always alert to keep him from wandering too far or tripping. "Look at this," Gwen said, coming up beside me with two glasses of sparkling wine in hand. "Ginger became a professional babysitter in less than twenty-four hours." I accepted the glass gratefully, watching our puppy gently steer Matt away from a puddle that had formed near the decorative fountain.

"She has a natural family instinct," I agreed, unable to hide the silly smile spreading across my face as I watched them. "Speaking of family instinct..." Gwen nudged me with her elbow, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Where's the ring? Zoey told me about yesterday!" I held out my hand, the diamond solitaire catching the sunlight. It still felt surreal to see that ring on my finger, like at any moment I might wake up and realize it had all been an incredibly vivid dream. "Oh my God, Annie!" Gwen practically shouted, drawing curious looks from nearby guests.

"That ring is absolutely stunning!" "Thank you," I murmured, blushing slightly at the attention. "Zoey!" Gwen called to my sister, who was chatting with friends near the dessert table. "Come take a proper look at this ring!" Zoey walked over with Matt in her arms. Apparently he'd decided he needed a mom break after so much social excitement. Her eyes lit up when she saw my hand. "I still can't believe it," Zoey said, shaking her head in awe.

"Apparently he stayed up half the night practicing his speech." "Really?" I asked, touched by the image of Nate rehearsing his words in the dark. "Completely true," a male voice said behind us.

blue eyes shining with approval as he took in my hand. "Grandpa!" I exclaimed, standing to hug him. 1/3 "My dear girl," Joseph said, embracing me with his usual warmth. "I'm so happy for you both. Nathaniel is a lucky man." "I'm the lucky one," I corrected softly, feeling tears of gratitude threaten to spill. "You

beautiful couple." "And when's the wedding?" Gwen asked, already clearly planning every detail in her head. "We haven't talked about that yet," I admitted. "It just happened yesterday. We're still processing." "Don't wait too long," Joseph advised, the weight of

Lucy with a mischievous smile. Joseph laughed, slipping an arm around Lucy's waist in a gesture that was both protective and affectionate. "Exactly from personal experience," he confirmed. "Life is too short to waste time on unnecessary hesitation." 11 Just then, Nate appeared carrying a tray of snacks, clearly having

reported, setting the tray down on a nearby table. "And apparently Ginger is officially the main attraction of the party.' We looked over to where our puppy was surrounded by a group of fascinated children, all eager to pet her and play. Ginger was clearly loving every second of the attention, tail wagging