Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Chapter 168 Christian's POV I dropped everything and ran for the car like my life depended on i The endurance. Every red light dragged on forever. Every slow driver felt lite-afternoon traffic felt like some cruel test of two me and Zoey. My pulse hammered in my neck, in my temples, and in my hands gripping the steering wheel. When I finally burst through the hospital doors, Dr. Porter w hopeful.

already waiting for me in the lobby, his expression cautiously "How is she?" I asked before he could even greet me, still breathless from the "Come with me," he said, guiding me down the corridor toward the ICU. "Zoey's been showing significant changes in her brain activity over the last few hours. Her scans indicate increased wave patterns-signs her brain is preparing to wake up." I stopped walking for a second, trying to process his words. "She's going to wake up?" "We've started reducing the sedation gradually," he explained as we walked. "It's a process that can take hours...

sometimes days." "What should I expect?" "At first, small signs. Eye movement, returning reflexes. Eventually, she may try to open her eyes, but she'll be disoriented. Speech might take longer to return... Her voice may be weak or hoarse. It's also normal for her to drift in and out of sleep during the process." As we reached the ICU doors, I felt a spark of real hope I hadn't dared to feel in days. "Can I stay with her?" "You should," Dr. Porter said, smiling faintly. "Your voice and touch can help guide her back.

Familiar anchors are crucial at this stage." I walked into the room where Zoey had lain for nearly a week with the same monitors and same hum of machines. But the atmosphere was different now. The medical staff moved with a quiet sense of purpose, their energy subtly lighter, more optimistic. I sat beside her bed and took her hand, just like I had every day before. "Hey, love," I whispered. "They say you're getting ready to come back to us. Matt and I are waiting for you." For the first two hours, nothing seemed to change.

the silence with everything she'd missed. I told her how Matt was growing stronger every day, how Joseph was already planning his first visit, how the PR team was keeping Vintara running smoothly. How her parents were trying to act brave but broke down the second they thought Annie and Matthew weren't looking. "Lisa's doing an amazing job," I murmured, brushing my thumb over her hand. "She learned from the

lids, like she was dreaming intensely. "Nurse," I called softly. A nurse came over immediately, checking the monitors. "That's a good sign," she said, smiling. "Increased activity means she's responding. Keep talking to her." At ten-thirty, Zoey moved her head. Just a tiny, almost imperceptible motion-but I'd spent so many hours memorizing every still detail of her that I saw it instantly. "Zoey?" I said, gripping her hand a little tighter. "Can you hear me baby?" No response. But the monitors lit up in new, stronger rhythms.

he asked. "Eye movement. She moved her head once," I said quickly, my voice trembling with cautious hope. "Perfect," Dr. Porter said, checking the monitors. "We'll keep reducing the sedation. You might start seeing more significant changes in the

I whispered, my throat tightening. "She's coming back." trying t tell me she was there, that she was fighting At four a.m., Zoey tried to open her eyes. Just a few seconds. Her eyelids heavy, fluttering like they weighed a thousand pounds. But for the briefest, most breathtaking instant, I saw them-those warm brown eyes I loved more than anything in this world. "Zoey, it's me," I said, my voice breaking. "Can you hear me,

her fingers, turning her head slightly toward my voice. Dr. Porter looked pleased during his rounds. "She's responding beautifully," he said, sounding genuinely hopeful. "Faster than we expected, actually." By late morning, Zoey was opening her eyes more often, each time staying awake a little longer. Confusion clouded her gaze, but behind it I