Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 115

Chapter 115

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I stopped in front of my apartment door, the keys jingling as I tried to find the right one on the ring. Two days in the Highridge Valley had left me emotionally drained. All I wanted now was a long, hot shower and to collapse in my own bed.

That’s when I noticed the package sitting by the door. A wooden box with the Sunvale logo engraved on the lid.

“This arrived for you earlier today,” the doorman said as he appeared in the hallway, carrying my suitcase.

“Thanks.”

I set the wine box down on the coffee table, pulled out the attached note, and sank onto the couch for a moment. Inside the small envelope was a crisp white card with gold embossed letters-the kind of stationery that practically screamed expensive.

[To our most valued collaborator,

A small token of appreciation for all your contributions. Your role has been essential.

Edward Mendez,

Director – Sunvale Winery.]

I frowned, reading the message several times. Contributions? What contributions? I’d left Sunvale months ago. And even during my short time there, I certainly hadn’t done anything worth that kind of praise.

The memory of that awkward encounter with Edward at Joseph’s party flashed through my mind—his cryptic words, the insinuation that I’d been “helping” in some way…

I pushed the box toward the far corner of the table, suddenly uncomfortable with it sitting so close. Something about it felt wrong. And I didn’t have the energy to untangle that mystery right now. Not with another, far more personal issue weighing heavily on my mind.

The intercom buzzed, making me jump.

“Zoey, it’s me!” came Annie’s cheerful voice through the speaker. “Open up!”

I pressed the button to unlock the building’s gate and went to the door to wait. Less than two minutes later, Annie burst in like a whirlwind, pharmacy bags dangling from her wrist.

“Finally!” she said, collapsing onto the couch beside me. “I thought I was going to die of anxiety waiting for that elevator.”

“Why didn’t you just come up with me?” I asked, watching her kick off her shoes and prop her feet on the coffee table-right next to the wine box, which she nudged aside carelessly.

“Had to make a mandatory pit stop at the pharmacy on the corner.” She paused, noticing the box. “What’s that?

“Wine from Sunvale. Apparently, it’s a ‘thank you for all my hard work.””

Annie raised an eyebrow.

“That’s… weird. What have you been doing that I don’t know about?”

“Nothing!” I protested. “That’s what’s so bizarre. I think Edward’s trying to manipulate me somehow.”

“Hmmm. We’ll file that under mysteries for later.” Annie lifted one of the pharmacy bags with a triumphant grin. “Because we’ve got something much more important to deal with.”

My stomach twisted, knowing exactly what was inside that bag.

“You actually bought…?”

“Three!” Annie declared, pulling out the pregnancy test boxes like she’d just won them on a game show. “The basic one, the digital one, and the premium ultra-mega-blaster accurate one that practically tells you your baby’s eye color.”

Despite my nerves, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Annie, you’re impossible.”

“Impossible to resist, you mean.” She lined the three boxes neatly on the table, right beside the untouched wine crate. “Okay, so this one is the classic. Two lines if it’s positive, one if it’s negative. Reliable, no frills.”

Then she picked up the second.

“This one’s digital. It literally says pregnant or not pregnant, so we can skip the whole is that a faint line or am I hallucinating? debate.”

Finally, Annie lifted the third box with a theatrical flourish.

“And this, my dear, is the Rolls-Royce of pregnancy tests. It can detect results up to a week before your missed period, tells you how many weeks along you are, and practically sends you an email with the results.”

I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway. Annie’s ability to turn even the most nerve-wracking situations into something almost funny was one of her greatest talents.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I said, grabbing the digital test. “I can’t handle the uncertainty anymore.”

Annie caught my wrist before I could stand.

“Are you seriously going to just stand there and watch?” I asked, incredulous.

“Of course! This is an important moment. Besides, I have to make sure you don’t cheat.”

“How exactly would I cheat on a pregnancy test?”

“I don’t know. But you always ended up as Rachel in those Friends quizzes, and you two look nothing alike!”

Despite everything, I burst out laughing.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Ridiculous and your only witness. Now pee on the stick before I explode from anxiety.”

I rolled my eyes but gave in. At this point in our relationship, privacy between sisters was a relative concept. Somehow, having Annie there with her absurd humor and nervous energy made it all a little less terrifying.

One by one, I used all three tests, following the instructions carefully. We lined them up on the sink, and Annie set a timer on her phone.

“Three minutes,” she announced, unusually serious.

Those were the longest three minutes of my life. Neither of us spoke; the only sounds in the bathroom were our breathing and the ticking countdown from Annie’s phone.

When the alarm finally chimed, I looked at her, frozen in place.

“I can’t look,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Annie squeezed my hand, and together, we stepped closer to the sink.

Three tests. Three positive results. Two lines. Pregnant. 12+ weeks.

I stared at them, moving my gaze from one to the next, as if staring hard enough might somehow change what they said.

“Zoey…” Annie’s voice was soft, almost reverent.

I couldn’t answer. The reality hit me like a wave, knocking the air from my lungs and scattering my thoughts.

I was pregnant with Christian Kensington’s child.