Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 319 +25 Bonus Nathaniel's POV The winter garden in my house was my favorite refuge during London's colder months. The glass walls offered a stunning view of the outside garden, even when the weather didn't allow us to actually enjoy it. That night, the soft lighting created an intimate, welcoming atmosphere, a sharp contrast to the lively laughter drifting in from the main living room where everyone else had gathered. Christian and I had naturally drifted away from the group, wine glasses in hand, looking for a quiet moment to talk.

It was rare for us to spend time together simply as friends, without the weight of professional responsibilities that usually shaped our interactions. I settled into one of the comfortable wicker chairs, watching as Christian took a seat across from me at the small coffee table where he set down his glass. For a few minutes, we sat in companionable silence, enjoying the calm and the muted hum of conversation coming from inside the house.

"When you think back to our college days," Christian said eventually, breaking the contemplative silence, "did you ever imagine we'd end up here?" I laughed, taking a sip of red wine as I considered the question. College felt like a lifetime ago, when we were just two ambitious, womanizing guys trying to figure out our place in the world, with no idea where life would actually take us. "Hopelessly in love with incredibly beautiful but stubborn Verdanian sisters?" I replied, still smiling. "I wouldn't have imagined that even two years ago.

Honestly, I thought Christian Kensington would be a lifelong bachelor." Christian laughed out loud, shaking his head. "That might've been the plan," he admitted, "if it weren't for Grandpa. The old man couldn't have done better than insisting I needed to find a bride." His expression softened as he went on, turning more serious, more sincere. "And now... you and Annie. I'm grateful you're taking care of her. That you got to her in time last night.

said, his voice shifting into a more businesslike tone. "I can remove her from the board. We can pick that fight.

pay for what she did to Annie if she just disappears." Christian studied me with renewed attention. "You're sure?" "Absolutely," I said without hesitation. "Being kicked out of Kensington isn't nearly enough for her." "And if she tries anything against Annie again?" 1/3 Chapter 319 +25 Bonus "She won't," I said with quiet certainty. "I'll always protect her. I just wanted

too soon?" Christian considered me for a moment, his eyes carrying the hard-earned wisdom of someone who'd walked his own complicated emotional path with Zoey. "Given our example," he said with an ironic smile, "Zoey and I got married before we even had a proper relationship. I'd say you're actually behind schedule." We both laughed, and I shook my head. "You're not exactly the model to follow, Christian," I teased. "Just the relationship itself is." I paused, taking another sip of wine

forward slightly, genuinely interested. "She didn't answer," I admitted, feeling a fresh spike of anxiety. "The doorbell rang before she could say anything. But-" "If she's anything like her

moment I spoke the words out loud, something clicked with crystalline clarity. For the first time, I truly understood the difference between everything I'd felt before and what I felt for Annie. It wasn't obsession, even though I thought about her constantly. It wasn't

me think in terms of us instead of me. That gave me the strength to face anything, as long as it meant protecting and caring for her. It was the love that made me want to