Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 227 Nathaniel's POV The elevator was already rising when Annie rushed in, clearly late for some meeting. She was a little out of breath as the doors slid shut, leaving just the two of us. "Good morning," I said, keeping my tone as casual as possible. "Good morning," she replied, adjusting her bag and staring straight at the numbers climbing above the doors." At least this time I'm not holding a cup of coffee." The reference to the moment we'd nearly kissed caught me off guard. I laughed quietly. "My shirt appreciates it," I said.

When our eyes met, the air in the elevator seemed to thicken. Annie looked away quickly, her cheeks taking on that soft pink I knew too well. I was almost certain she was remembering what had almost happened in that very elevator. I definitely was. The elevator stopped on the tenth floor with a soft ding, cutting through the moment. "By the way," I said as the doors opened, "we need to work together on something today. Can you stop by my office after lunch?" "Of course," Annie said, her voice a notch higher than usual. "What kind of project?" "I'll explain then.

Let's say one thirty?" "Perfect." The second I reached my office, I closed the door and opened the dating app. There was a reply from Annie tom the night before: [I think I'd relive an afternoon when Zoey, Matthew, and I built a massive rt in our living room. Our parents were out, and the three of us spent hours pretending we were on a secret expedition. Zoey was the leader, I was the navigator, and Matthew was the 'supplies alist' (aka the one who stole cookies from the kitchen). It was one of those perfect childhood afternoons where everything felt possible. And you? Do you have siblings?

This doesn't count as a new question, it's just a follow-up.] I smiled at the screen. Sweet, warm, vivid. I could picture a younger Annie, mischievous and adventurous, creating imaginary worlds with her siblings. I typed, [I have one brother and one sister in Bath. Very close family, we see each other whenever we can. And you're right, it's still your turn to ask.] I sent it and set the phone aside. I hadn't talked that openly about music in years.

I had in the wine world, something I rsued something musical. Now it was just my vinyl collection and the ome. nie through the app made me reflect on parts of myself I rarely shared. She had Wat went straight to the core of things. my mind kept drifting back to our conversation. And, if I was being honest with myself, I 1/3 wasn't proud of what I was about

the fragile friendship line we'd drawn. When Annie knocked on my door at one thirty, I had already searched, bookmarked, and chosen exactly what I needed. "Come in," I said, slipping a few papers into a drawer. "Actually, tell you what. I'm bored of being stuck in the office. How about we work somewhere else today?" "Somewhere else?" Annie blinked, confused. "What kind

did you find this place?" Annie asked, looking around with genuine surprise. "I had no idea there was such an authentic Verdanian café in London." "I walked past it the other day and thought you might like a taste of home," I

She chose a classic café latte. I went with an espresso. Then we spread the documents across the table. The project was real, yes. But if I was being honest, it could have been done perfectly well back at the office. As the afternoon went on, I realized working with Annie outside that formal environment was completely different. She was more relaxed, more herself. She laughed more easily, made sarcastic comments about difficult clients, and every so often leaned over the table to

"But you seem more at ease here." "True. Sometimes the office can feel... suffocating." There was weight in the way she said it. Something I couldn't quite decode. Whether she meant the work environment or... us. I let it pass and we went