Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 233 Sunday morning in London was cold, but the sky had patches of blue. That stubborn kind of London sunlight that kept breaking through heavy clouds. Zoey and I had decided to head out early for a quiet walk. Something far away from the Kensington family formality and the tension I'd felt in Nate's house the day before. "I need fresh air," Zoey had said when we woke up. "And you need to show me this London you're so in love with." Now we were strolling through the streets of Kensington.

Zoey pushed Matt's stroller while I carried a bag stuffed with toys, diapers, and snacks in case he woke up hungry. It felt intimate. Something we hadn't had in months. Just the two of us. No rush. No schedule. No interruptions. "He's growing so fast," I said, looking at Matt sleeping peacefully, wrapped in the blue blanket our mom had knitted just for the trip. "Too fast," Zoey agreed, tucking the blanket a little tighter. "Sometimes I feel like I'm missing important milestones just because I slept four hours in a row." "It's normal. Mom always says the first years are a blur.

How is she, by the way? Is she missing me?" "A lot. But she knows London is important for your career. And I promised her that next time she and Dad will come too." We talked about small things for a while. How Matt had slept. The latest family gossip from Verdania. Our plans for the upcoming week. But I could feel Zoey working up to something heavier. "Annie," she said at last, her voice shifting into that careful tone of hers. "That guy from the plane. It's Nate, right?" My heart picked up. I pretended to fuss with Matt's blanket, even though it was already perfect.

"Zoey..." "I'm not judging you, okay?" she said gently. "I just... want to understand. Because Christian mentioned Nate's been different lately. More distracted. Like something's been on his mind. And I saw how weird you got yesterday at his place." "I don't want to talk about that," I cut in. "You should be focusing on Matt and enjoying London, not my personal mess." "Annie..." "Seriously, Zoey. Not now." She studied me for a few seconds, then nodded. "Okay. But you should know I'm here if you want to talk.

asked. "I'm freezing and maybe they have something cute for Matt." 1/3 The shop was exactly my kind of place. Small. Cozy. That perfect mix of new books and fresh coffee.

into mine. It was intentional, to make me look at her. "You've always been the one who takes care of everyone, Annie," she said quietly. "Me. Matthew. Even Mom and Dad sometimes. But sometimes... you need to let someone take care

my voice with anything else. When we stepped out of the bookstore, we found Gwen waiting for us at a cozy café in Notting Hill. She was already at a table by the window with half a cappuccino in front of her. "Girls!" she waved, getting up to hug Zoey. "How are you? Did Matt sleep well?" "Like an angel," Zoey said, settling into a chair while I pushed the stroller into a quieter corner. "I think he

whole thing, but I caught enough," she went on, looking straight at me. "Marcus said something like, 'Annie was always fun, but she's not the kind of

me felt this strange warmth that Nate had stepped in. The other part couldn't shake Marcus's words. They echoed all the insecurities I kept buried. "Marcus's always had opinions that are too blunt," I said, trying to sound unfazed. "It's nothing new." And

could see me differently. Like the old version of me was the only one people bothered to recognize. 2/3 +25 Bonus I thought about the looks I sometimes got at work. The subtle comments about my "Verdanian energy." The way some clients acted like I was a pretty assistant instead of someone who knew what she was doing. I thought about every relationship that stayed stuck in the casual phase. Every man who'd treated