Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 210 The phone rang at three in the morning on a Friday, ripping me out of a deep sleep. For a few seconds I was completely disoriented, trying to figure out where I was and why my phone was exploding in the middle of a London night. When I finally managed to grab it off the bedside table, I saw "Zoey" flashing on the screen. My heart jumped. Middle-of-the-night calls were never good news. "Zoey?" I answered, my voice still thick with sleep. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" "Hi, Annie!" My sister's voice was way too cheerful for three in the morning.

"How are you?" "Zoey," I said, sitting up and staring at the digital clock, "it's three a.m. here." "It is?" She sounded genuinely shocked. "Damn it, I'll never get these time zones right. Is it morning or afternoon for you?" "Middle of the night! Very middle of the night!" "Oh, sorry!" She laughed, but she didn't sound sorry at all. "I don't even know what day or night is anymore. Do you know how long it's been since I slept properly?" Despite the scare, I couldn't help smiling. "Since when do you have trouble sleeping?" "Since I became a mother. And since my son decided two a.m.

is the perfect time for a private rave." I heard a soft yawn on her end. "I swear I don't know if it's day or night in Verdania anymore. Imagine in London." A wave of longing hit me straight in the chest for my nephew Matt. "How's he doing?" I asked, my voice softening. "I miss him so much." "He's amazin every day." Zoey's tone shifted completely, full of that maternal warmth that Yesterday he stood up by himself for like five seconds. And he's trying to say mama.' Or 'papa.' Or maybe 'dada.' Honestly, who knows." I smiled, imagining my nephew wobbling on tiny legs.

"He's growing way too fast." oo fast." Zoey let out a long sigh. "Christian is in full-panic mode planning every detail of his first thday party." "Already?" I asked, shocked. "Still!" Zoey laughed. "Apparently some moms start planning the first birthday before the baby is even born. So technically I'm late. Or very early for his tenth birthday. I have no idea anymore." I laughed, remembering how easy it was to fall back into our rhythm. Even with an ocean between us, we always found way back to the same silly jokes. gs never change," I said.

his first kid, Zoey. Let

lazy Sunday lunches. "Of course I'm coming. I'm hoping to visit before then, but I'll definitely be there for Matt's birthday." I hesitated, then decided to tell her. "Actually... set aside an extra invitation. For a plus-one." There was silence on the other end. "What do you mean?" Zoey's voice shot up an octave. "Is it the airplane guy? Are you two

"Zoey, breathe," I said, laughing as my sister unleashed seventeen questions at once. "We have a lot to talk about regarding the airplane guy, but preferably not at three a.m." "But-" "And no, he's not the plus-one. I'm talking about my new boyfriend." Dead silence. For a second, I thought the call had dropped. "Annabelle," Zoey said at last, fully awake now, "what do you mean you have a new boyfriend? Why don't I know about this? Who is he? How did you meet? Is he British? Is he cute? Where does

time. "Annie," Zoey said slowly, the way someone talks to a confused toddler, "you just told me you're bringing your new boyfriend to Matt's birthday. And now you're telling me you don't know who he is?"

on in London?" "Relax," I said, laughing because I had clearly jolted her awake. "It's totally normal. Every single woman uses apps these days." 2/4 Chapter 21 "But you didn't need an app! You had a perfect guy basically handed to you on

you're looking for strangers on the internet?" "The thing with Nate is... complicated." I sighed, trying to explain without diving into details at three in the morning. "We're friends now. Just friends." "'Just friends' doesn't exist when there's chemistry, Annie. You know that." "It does exist. And it's working