Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 331 The inside of the jet was even more impressive than I'd imagined. The main cabin felt less like transportation and more like a luxury apartment cruising at forty thousand feet. Cream-colored leather seats turned into beds at the touch of a button. Polished mahogany tables slid out of the walls when needed. The windows were wide enough to offer breathtaking views of the clouds drifting past outside. Ginger was buzzing with excitement, happily exploring every inch of the space with the natural curiosity of a py.

Her small, slightly clumsy steps on the thick carpet made the cutest sound as she trotted from one end of the cabin to the other, occasionally stopping to sniff something interesting or attempt to chew on a cable that absolutely should not have been within a dog's reach. "Anyone want to play cards?" Gwen suggested, pulling a deck from her purse with the mischievous smile I'd learned to recognize as a clear sign she planned to destroy us at whatever game she chose. "Only if it's not poker," Matthew said immediately, flopping into one of the comfiest seats.

"I've already lost enough money to you this year." "As if you're any good at poker," Gwen laughed. "What about UNO?" Nate suggested, settling beside me and pulling a small table into the center of the group. " It's democratic. Anyone can win." "Famous last words," Marcus said with a grin as he joined our makeshift circle. Gwen dealt the cards with the efficiency of a professional dealer, and soon we were all focused on our hands, plotting strategies to take each other down.

Ginger, apparently offended by the lack of attention, decided the card table was the perfect place for a nap and stretched out right in the middle of the game. "Ginger, move, princess," Nate said, trying to sound firm as he scolded the puppy. "Leave her," I said, gently stroking her back. "We can play around her." "You spoil Ginger way too much," Nate accused, though his tone was pure amusement. "Me?" I shot back, turning to him with mock disbelief. "Who had a custom dog bed made with her name embroidered in gold? Who bought enough toys to open a pet store?

because he wanted her to have options?" "Okay, okay, they get it," Nate said, raising his hands in surrender as everyone burst out laughing. What followed was possibly the most chaotic game of UNO in history. We all tried to play without waking Ginger, whispering our victories and defeats like we were in a library. When Gwen finally won with a devastating combo of special cards, we had to celebrate in silence so as not to

Marcus stood as well. "I'll come with you. I want to see what this impressive kitchen looks like." We walked together to the jet's service area, where an impressive spread of drinks and snacks had been prepared for the trip. While I grabbed a sparkling water, Marcus poured himself some coffee, and we stood there in a comfortable silence for a moment. 1/3 "Annie," he said finally, his voice more

night without feeling a spike of anxiety. "I wanted to show up, offer my support," Marcus continued, staring into his coffee. "But I didn't know how Nate would react to my presence. I didn't want to complicate something that was already difficult enough." Nate's fine

are you holding up?" he asked gently. I took a deep breath, considering the question. He was one of the few people who knew me well enough to understand that a surface-level answer wouldn't cut it. "It's still awful to think about what almost happened," I admitted honestly. "Especially knowing the person who orchestrated all of it is

on me. Even if it's just to vent or have someone listen." "Only if you promise not to try to make me watch those terrible action movies you love," I joked, trying to lift the emotional weight of the conversation. Marcus laughed, the tension evaporating instantly. "Hey, Fast & Furious is a cinematic classic," he argued with mock seriousness. "You just don't have

cars fly from building to building. That's not physics. That's fantasy." "You say that because you've never properly appreciated the complexity of chase choreography," he replied, clearly slipping into the teasing mode I remembered so well from our time together. "The only complex thing is how they manage to make so many bad

are high culture," I explained, leaning naturally into 2/3 Nate. +25 Bonus "Oh," Nate said, visibly relaxing once he realized how innocent the conversation was. "In that