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.

1/3 The shop was exactly my kind of place. Small. Cozy. That

love it," I said, flipping through a random novel I'd picked up. Then Zoey softly slipped her hand 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.

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 likes London."

by the living room where Nate, Marcus, and Christian were talking." I froze. "I didn't hear the 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 woman you take seriously.' Before I could walk in and yell at him, I heard Nate shut

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 it wasn't. For a long time, I had accepted that view too. I'd agreed to those terms. Played the role of

wanted something real... it felt like no one 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