Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

I leaned back in the chair and watched the scene with a calm that wasn’t calm.

The office was my office.

Same desk, same view, the same corner where I kept a mug I never actually used.

Except now, I was sitting on the opposite side of the desk.

It felt wrong.

Not because of pride.

Because of instinct.

My body knew exactly where I sat when I was the one in charge.

And on the other side was Matthew.

At least it was him.

At least when I looked at that occupied chair, I saw someone I trusted enough not to feel like they were stealing my skin.

Mia was still standing, leaning against the bookshelf, with that posture of someone ready to laugh and ready to bite in the same sentence.

Dante was sprawled in the armchair like this was a social call and not a conversation that could change a child’s life.

Matthew, on the other hand, had the serious look of someone who understood exactly what it meant to be here.

“Why are you asking me to do this, Gwen?” he asked, more controlled now.

“You have a private investigator.You have Child Protective Services.You have Cross.Why do you want to do this?” I didn’t dodge.

“You know why,” I replied.

“I have trouble trusting people.” Matthew raised an eyebrow like I had just stated the most obvious thing in the world and it was still somehow annoying.

try to move me with honesty.” He pointed his chin at

not going to work.”

trust you.” He let out a short

“Oh, no.

back in the chair and crossed

of you Kensington situations, I

laughed out

thing.” I looked

Kensingtons’ is not

association too.” Matthew pointed at himself like I had just

a

whole pepper spray situation came from a request by another

Zoey.” Matthew rolled his eyes like he was replaying the entire scene, and that

Dante clapped slowly.

to be entertaining, at the very least,”

mean… we worked together in Longmin.I know how that country can be when it comes to… women.”

He raised

woman will do him

sleep with her!” Dante’s

paying.” Matthew looked at the three of us like he had just walked

paying,”

Then he gestured at the desk, the chair, the office, everything I was pretending was

“Because I’m not doing

I took a deep

Matthew leaned forward slightly and

“You have any idea what it means for me to be sitting in this chair

Mia stopped laughing.

pretending this was

Matthew went on.

if it’s temporary… and believe me, Gwen, I’m hoping you come back soon.But this shows Christian trusts me enough to give me a… family position.” The word family hung in the