Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 233

Chapter 233

Sunday morning in London was cold, but the sky had patches of blue. That stubborn kind of London sunlight that kept breaking through heavy clouds. Zoey and I had decided to head out early for a quiet walk. Something far away from the Kensington family formality and the tension I’d felt in Nate’s house the day before.

“I need fresh air,” Zoey had said when we woke up. “And you need to show me this London you’re so in love with.”

Now we were strolling through the streets of Kensington. Zoey pushed Matt’s stroller while I carried a bag stuffed with toys, diapers, and snacks in case he woke up hungry. It felt intimate. Something we hadn’t had in months. Just the two of us. No rush. No schedule. No interruptions.

“He’s growing so fast,” I said, looking at Matt sleeping peacefully, wrapped in the blue blanket our mom had knitted just for the trip.

“Too fast,” Zoey agreed, tucking the blanket a little tighter. “Sometimes I feel like I’m missing important milestones just because I slept four hours in a row.”

“It’s normal. Mom always says the first years are a blur. How is she, by the way? Is she missing me?”

“A lot. But she knows London is important for your career. And I promised her that next time she and Dad will come too.”

We talked about small things for a while. How Matt had slept. The latest family gossip from Verdania. Our plans for the upcoming week. But I could feel Zoey working up to something heavier.

“Annie,” she said at last, her voice shifting into that careful tone of hers. “That guy from the plane. It’s Nate, right?”

My heart picked up. I pretended to fuss with Matt’s blanket, even though it was already perfect.

“Zoey…”

“I’m not judging you, okay?” she said gently. “I just… want to understand. Because Christian mentioned Nate’s been different lately. More distracted. Like something’s been on his mind. And I saw how weird you got yesterday at his place.”

“I don’t want to talk about that,” I cut in. “You should be focusing on Matt and enjoying London, not my personal mess.”

“Annie…”

“Seriously, Zoey. Not now.”

She studied me for a few seconds, then nodded.

“Okay. But you should know I’m here if you want to talk. About anything.”

We kept walking in silence until we spotted a charming little bookstore with decorated windows and a sign that said Sunday Open. Warm golden light spilled out from the inside.

“Want to go in?” Zoey asked. “I’m freezing and maybe they have something cute for Matt.”

The shop was exactly my kind of place. Small. Cozy. That perfect mix of new books and fresh coffee. Zoey headed straight to the children’s section while I wandered through the fiction shelves, trying to clear my head.

“Found something perfect,” Zoey said, appearing beside me with a colorful farm-animal book. “For when he’s older.”

“He’ll love it,” I said, flipping through a random novel I’d picked up.

Then Zoey softly slipped her hand into mine. It was intentional, to make me look at her.

“You’ve always been the one who takes care of everyone, Annie,” she said quietly. “Me. Matthew. Even Mom and Dad sometimes. But sometimes… you need to let someone take care of you too.”

I didn’t answer her directly, but the way she said it hit somewhere I didn’t expect. There was something in her voice. A kind of understanding I rarely let anyone have.

“Shall we go?” I murmured, not trusting my voice with anything else.

“Annie?” Zoey’s voice pulled me back.

“I’m fine,” I lied. “Just… tired.”

Gwen seemed to realize she’d hit a nerve and quickly redirected.

“Anyway,” she said, clearly steering the conversation elsewhere. “Why don’t we show Zoey some fun spots this week? There’s that market in Camden she’d love.”

“Great idea,” Zoey said, brightening. “I want to see everything Annie loves about London.”

“And the modern art museum,” I added, grateful for the change in topic. “There’s a new exhibit that’s worth it.”

They kept chatting about places to visit and things to do. I tried to focus. Tried to push Marcus and his careless comment out of my mind.

“And that flower market on Columbia Road?” Zoey said. “I saw the photos on Annie’s Insta and it looked beautiful.”

“It’s perfect on Sundays,” Gwen said. “We can go next weekend.”

I smiled for the first time all day. This was exactly what I needed. My sister with me. Easy talk about sightseeing and flowers. Simple plans. Nothing about love or work or the versions of me people refused to let go of.

Right then Matt woke up, blinking around before grinning at Zoey.

“Someone’s hungry,” she laughed, lifting him out of the stroller.

I watched her with him, while Gwen made silly faces. And for the first time in weeks, I let myself relax. The problems could wait. Right now, I just wanted to enjoy having my family close.