Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 316 I woke slowly, drifting out of a deep, restorative sleep that felt like a blessing after everything I'd endured the night before. Soft morning light filtered through Nate's curtains, creating a warm, peaceful atmosphere that couldn't have been more different from the horror of that hotel room. For a few precious moments, I stayed still, simply savoring the feeling of safety, and the blessed absence of the pounding headache that had tormented me hours earlier. Whatever James had slipped into my drink had finally worn off completely.

My head was clear, my movements steady, and while there was still some lingering emotional soreness, physically I felt almost normal again. I went downstairs still wearing Nate's T-shirt and the pajama pants from the night before. The smell of freshly brewed coffee and something that suspiciously smelled like pancakes pulled me the rest of the way down. I found Nate in the kitchen, dressed in nothing but a gray T-shirt and pajama pants, focused on making what looked like a full English breakfast.

There was buttered toast on a platter, fried eggs, bacon, sausages, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, and a generous tray of fresh fruit that included strawberries, melon. My heart warmed when I noticed plenty of green grapes. "Good morning," I said softly, walking up behind him and lightly touching his back. He turned right away, his face lighting up with genuine relief. "Good morning, beautiful," he said, pulling me gently into a warm hug. "How are you feeling?" "Much better," I answered honestly, leaning into his chest for a moment. "And apparently starving." "Perfect," he said with a smile.

"Because I made enough food to feed a small army.' We sat down at the kitchen table, and I immediately reached for the grapes, grabbing a generous bunch and eating them one by one. There was something grounding about the simple act of eating something so fresh and sweet. "Annie," Nate said after a few moments of comfortable silence, "we need to talk about Wanderer." I froze with a grape halfway to my mouth, knowing this moment had been unavoidable. I took a breath and nodded. "I know." "How do you feel about... all of it?" he asked carefully, watching my expression.

two men I had feelings for over the past few months were the same person. Which proves we

lie, about the omission. Do you get it? It felt like I should be furious, but deep down... I was almost relieved." "I get it," Nate said softly. "And I understand the mistake I made too." He paused, running a hand through his hair. "I've never been in love before, Annie," he admitted, his voice so raw and honest that I stopped chewing altogether. "I've had plenty of flings. Casual relationships that never

physical attraction and surface- level compatibility. With you, it was different from the moment we met on that plane. You challenged me. You made me laugh. You made me think. And then I panicked. I didn't

my hands on his shoulders and leaned in to

continued with a mischievous smile. " Well, if you keep attacking the grapes like that, I might have to hide them and say they're gone. You do know they're my favorite fruit, right?" I laughed out loud, picked up a single grape, and gently placed it in his mouth. "That's the best