Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

I watched the ruby liquid swirl in the crystal glass as my grandfather poured one of the rarest wines from the cellar. I could hardly believe he'd opened the last bottle, but then again, it was a special day. The cellar was quiet, broken only by the faint clink of crystal and the gentle glug of wine being poured. The party was still going strong upstairs, but down here, time seemed to move at a different pace.

"A toast to the new official head of Kensington," Grandpa said, raising his glass with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, as if he could see straight through the calm façade I was trying to maintain. We clinked glasses lightly, and I took a sip, letting the complex flavor spread across my tongue. But I couldn't really taste it. My mind was elsewhere. With someone else. "You seem distant for a man who just inherited the kingdom," Grandpa remarked, settling heavily into the old leather chair. I exhaled a short breath, my fingers absently tracing the stem of my glass.

"There's a lot on my mind," I admitted at last, letting the polished CEO mask slip a little in his presence. "The company? Or a certain granddaughter I just gained?" His eyes glimmered with that sharp, knowing light that always made me feel like I was eight years old again-completely transparent before him. "Both." I set the glass down on the worn table and ran a hand through my hair. "Zoey told me about your conversation." Grandpa nodded slowly, not the least bit surprised. "I figured she would. She's an honest woman, your Zoey." Your Zoey. The words echoed in my head.

But that was the problem, wasn't it? After I told her I loved her-still breathless from the moment we'd just shared at the overlook-something inside me went cold when she just kissed me instead. No words. No confirmation that she felt the same. "I told her I love her," I said, almost against my will. Grandpa's brows lifted, but his smile widened. "And?" "And nothing." I shrugged, trying-and failing-to sound indifferent. "She didn't say anything." The silence that followed was filled only by the rhythmic ticking of the old clock on the cellar wall.

rolled my eyes, though a faint smile tugged at my lips. "Grandpa, not everything in life is about wine." 11 "On the contrary, my boy. Everything in life is about

see where he was going with this, and a dull ache settled in my chest. "Zoey isn't a wine for me to taste and judge," I said, my voice coming out harsher than I intended. "Of course not. She's far more precious than that." Grandpa took another slow sip, savoring it before continuing. "What I'm saying is that some people need

wears their heart on their sleeve, especially those who've been hurt before." The words hit me like an arrow straight to the heart. Alex and Elise's betrayal had left deep scars on Zoey-just as Francesca had left them on me. "And now?" I asked, feeling strangely exposed. "We're the only ones in control of our future. There's no contract anymore, no reason to keep pretending. And

He paused meaningfully. "Remember, Christian, your parents made plenty of mistakes, but they gave you one important thing: the Kensington

see between you two..." He shook his head, smiling. "It's rare. As rare as a perfect vintage." I let his words sink in, soothing the storm inside my chest. He was right. No matter the doubts, no matter the fear of rejection, I had to fight for Zoey-for what we'd built together, contract or not. "Thank