Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 232 Nathaniel's POV After brunch, the house naturally split into groups. The women. Zoey, Annie, and Gwen. Settled on the back patio where they could talk more privately while Matt played on a blanket on the floor. From inside, I could hear their lively chatter, punctuated every now and then by Zoey's contagious laugh. "How about a drink?" I asked Christian, nodding toward the bar in the living room. "After a transatlantic flight with a baby, I'm guessing you could use one." "God, yes," he laughed, following me into the quieter part of the house.

"I love my kid, but three hours of nonstop crying on a plane is a test of endurance no one should have to face." The living room had a different atmosphere from the rest of the house. More masculine, with leather armchairs, shelves packed with books, and a well-stocked bar I barely touched when I was alone. The lighting was softer here so it was better suited for serious conversations. I poured two fingers of Macallan 18 for both of us. Christian always preferred the classics over anything experimental. "Cheers," I said, lifting my glass.

"To old friends and new adventures." "To parenthood and all the ways it finds to humble us," Christian replied, taking a sip and letting out a satisfied sigh. "You know, it's strange how much it changes you. I never thought trading tense negotiations with Niharan shareholders for sleepless nights trying to figure out why a baby is crying could make me this happy." "It's a big shift," I said, settling into one of the armchairs. "You seem... different. More grounded, maybe." "That's exactly it. Before, everything was about the next goal, the next deal, the next win.

Now there's something more important than any contract I'll ever sign." There was a calmness in him I hadn't seen in years. Since college, he'd always been driven and sharp. Now he looked like a man who had finally found balance. I envied it more than I cared to admit. "And you?" he asked, watching me over the rim of his glass. "How are things? Work, life... you know." "Work is fine. Busy, but fine. Life..." I hesitated. Christian was the only person I could say certain things to without feeling weak. "I miss when things were less complicated.

Marcus wandered into the room with a glass of red wine and the easy, laid-back look of someone who had just stepped off a long flight but was already ready to socialize. "Hope you're talking about something interesting," he said, dropping into the nearest chair. "I just spent two weeks closing contracts in Port City. I need conversations that don't involve spreadsheets." "No work talk," Christian said. "We're just discussing how life gets more complicated as we get older." "Speak for

missed the girls 1/3 and preferred joining them on the patio. That left me, Christian, and Marcus alone. The conversation drifted easily across topics. Kensington's expansion into Ascian markets. Changes in the Euradian landscape. Cultural differences Marcus had noticed living in Ascia. It was the

not my ex. We were never a couple. She's... how do I put this... the kind of woman you have a good time with, but not someone you actually take seriously, you know?" The words hit me like a punch to

You know. The kind of woman who's perfect for a few months, but not someone you introduce to your parents." I set my glass down harder than I meant to, the crack of crystal against wood snapping through the quiet room. I looked straight at Marcus. "You might want to watch what you say, Marcus," I said. My voice stayed low but steady. "Maybe the fact you couldn't take Annie seriously says more about your limitations

and studied me for a beat. "Sorry, man. Didn't know that was sensitive territory." "It's not sensitive territory," I lied, trying to soften my tone. "I just think any woman deserves more respect than that." "Sure, sure," Marcus said quickly. But he shot me a curious look. He'd definitely picked up that my reaction wasn't just generic chivalry. Christian had watched the whole exchange in silence. I could almost see the gears