Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 170

Chapter 170

Christian’s POV

Our conversation was cut short when the door burst open and Zoey’s entire family flooded into the room in a whirlwind of emotion. Robert and Regina came first, followed by Annie, Matthew, and Joseph, all of them talking at once, tears streaming, smiles trembling.

Dr. Porter had made a rare exception, allowing everyone in together for a few minutes. “Fifteen minutes only,” he’d warned. ” She still needs plenty of rest, but I understand this moment is part of her healing.”

“My baby!” Regina cried, rushing to Zoey’s side and wrapping her arefully in a trembling embrace, as if she were made of glass. “Thank God you’re awake! We haven’t slept in days.”

“Mom,” Zoey whispered, her voice raw with emotion as she melted into her mother’s arms.

Robert moved to the other side of the bed, his large, calloused hands shaking as he gently brushed his daughter’s cheek.

“My princess,” he said, his voice breaking. “You scared us half to death. I thought I was going to lose my little girl.”

Zoey smiled weakly through her tears and reached for his hand. “I’m so sorry for making you worry. I can’t imagine what it must’ve been like.”

“Terrible,” Robert said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “But you’re here now, awake, talking to us. That’s all that matters.”

Joseph followed slowly, leaning on his cane, but his eyes were shining with unfiltered joy.

“My dear girl,” he said, his voice full of relief. “Don’t ever do that to us again. My old heart can’t handle another scare like this.”

Zoey managed a soft laugh. “Grandpa, consider it a good test for your surgery. How are you feeling? How’s your heart? Please tell me you didn’t get too stressed because of me.”

“Io sto bene, cara mia. Now that you’re back, I’m perfect,” he said, eyes twinkling.

Annie and Matthew waited their turn, both visibly trying to hold it together. Annie took Zoey’s hand so gently it was almost reverent.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, searching her sister’s face for any sign of pain. “Does it still hurt?”

“I’m better now,” Zoey said, squeezing her hand. “My head aches little, but seeing all of you here makes it worth it.”

Matthew leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“You scared the hell out of us, you know that?” he said, trying to sound casual, though his voice wavered. “Annie wouldn’t stop crying, Mom was losing it, and I… well, I cried a little too.”

“Just a little?” Zoey teased, her voice barely above a whisper but carrying that familiar spark.

“Okay, maybe a bit more than that,” he admitted, grinning.

Regina sat carefully on the edge of the bed, her motherly instincts aking over. She adjusted Zoey’s pillow, brushed a strand of hair from her face, then smiled through her tears.

“I brought you something,” she said softly, fumbling in her purse. ‘I snuck it in, actually.” She pulled out her phone with hands that still trembled. “Pictures of Matty. He’s growing stronger every day.”

Zoey’s eyes lit up instantly, pure maternal love and longing in her expression.

“Can I see?” she asked quickly.

Regina handed her the phone. The moment Zoey saw the first photo, tears filled her eyes.

“He’s so tiny,” she whispered, tracing the image with her finger as if she could touch him through the glass. “But so perfect. Look at those little fingers…”

“He’s gaining weight every day,” Regina said proudly, scrolling though more photos. “Look, this one’s from yesterday afternoon. And this one’s from this morning. Dr. Sanders says he’s a little warrior. Just like his mom.”

“And his eyes?” Zoey asked eagerly. “Can you tell the color yet?”

“Blue like his father’s,” Joseph said with a proud smile. “But he’s got your stubbornness, that’s for sure.”

Zoey went through each photo slowly, tears sliding down her cheeks.

“It’s not fair,” she said softly, her voice cracking. “It’s not fair that can’t on him, hold him, touch him. I’m his mother, and I

Annie’s brow furrowed sharply. Her face hardened.

“That bitch,” she muttered under her breath, but loud enough for all of us to hear. “It’s not fair she took even this from you.

Elise needs to pay for what she did.”

The name detonated in the air like an explosion. Zoey’s head snapped toward her sister, her eyes going wide with shock and dawning horror.

“It was her, wasn’t it?” she asked, looking from Annie to me, then to the rest of the room. “Elise pushed me. It wasn’t an accident.”

A heavy silence fell. The kind that seemed to suck the air out of the room. Robert and Regina exchanged uneasy glances— worried, protective, clearly torn between honesty and the need to shield their daughter from more pain.

“Sweetheart,” Robert said gently, his fatherly tone calm but firm. “You just came out of a coma. You don’t need to think about that right now. Focus on getting better.”

“Your father’s right,” Regina added softly, brushing a hand over Zoey’s hair in that instinctive, maternal way. “You need to rest, heal, and meet your baby. Everything else can wait.”

Joseph nodded in agreement, eager to steer the conversation away from danger.

“Yes, sweetheart. What matters is that you’re back with us. Matty needs his mommy strong and healthy when you finally meet.”

But Zoey’s focus didn’t waver. That fire was back in her eyes-the same fierce determination I’d fallen in love with, the one that had carried her through every battle before this.

“No,” she said, her voice steady, her gaze locked on me. “I need to understand what happened. If she pushed me… If it was on purpose, if she tried to hurt me, then this can’t just be ignored.”

I leaned toward Matthew, keeping my voice low so Zoey wouldn’t hear.

“Can you ask Marcus to pull the Verdania Wine Expo security footage? We need proof.”

Matthew’s jaw tightened. He leaned in, his whisper grim.

“Marcus already did,” he said quietly. “Someone got there first. The footage is gone.”