Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 243

Chapter 243

Zoey and I walked back into the party with steady steps. Our arms were linked, a quiet show of solidarity that gave me strength with every stride.

“You sure you’re okay?” Zoey whispered, her fingers tightening around my arm in a soft, protective squeeze.

“I’m okay,” I said, managing a small smile.

That was when Henry appeared. He stepped out from a small group near the main staircase and headed toward us with that natural elegance he carried so effortlessly. His expression held a hint of worry, the kind that came from genuine concern, not social curiosity.

“Annabelle,” he said as he reached us, his voice calm and polite in the way I’d come to expect from him. “May I speak with you in private for a moment?”

Zoey picked up the cue instantly.

“I’ll go find Christian,” she murmured, giving my arm another supportive squeeze. “See you in a minute, okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, watching her disappear into the crowd.

Henry waited patiently until we were standing in a more discreet corner of the hall near a small alcove filled with white flowers and soft lighting. The party noise still buzzed around us, but here we had a pocket of privacy.

“Annie,” he began, choosing his words with care. “I didn’t fully understand what happened on the terrace earlier. London social dynamics remain a mystery to me sometimes.”

He paused, studying me with eyes that seemed to be searching for more than just the surface.

“But from the context, from how everyone reacted, and especially from the way you left… Alexandra’s comment was about you and Mr. Carter, wasn’t it?”

Heat climbed up my neck at once. My face burned. The last thing I wanted was to unpack my personal disasters with Henry. Not after everything tonight had already dragged out of me.

“Henry, I…” My voice came out softer than I’d meant. “It was nothing important,” I tried, forcing a smile that felt painfully fake. “Just gossip. You know how these corporate events are. There’s always someone trying to stir drama out of thin air.”

Henry watched me for a few long, quiet seconds. And I could tell he didn’t believe a word of my attempt at brushing it off.

“Annabelle,” he said, his tone firmer but still gentle. “I’m not here to judge you. I’m not here to pry or demand explanations you clearly don’t want to give.”

He stepped a little closer, lowering his voice to keep our conversation private.

“I only wanted to make something very clear. Whatever happened between you and Carter… it doesn’t change the way I see you. Not at all.”

The sincerity in his voice hit me harder than I expected. It was the exact kind of mature, respectful reaction I should’ve expected from Henry, yet it still surprised me. Most men would have used that moment to dig for details or make assumptions or turn things into leverage. Henry didn’t.

“And if one day you do sort through those feelings and want to have a coffee, I’d be honored,” he added with a gentle smile. “You’re a fascinating woman, Annabelle, no matter the romantic context.”

With the same calm grace he’d approached me with, Henry stepped back into the crowd. He moved through the guests with effortless elegance until he disappeared from sight.

I stood there for a moment, letting everything sink in. For the first time in a long time, I’d been completely honest about what I felt. Or didn’t feel. I chose not to hide behind a safe distraction even though that distraction had been perfect on paper.

I turned toward the bar, planning to grab a drink and give myself a minute to breathe through the emotional roller coaster this night had become. That’s when I saw him.

Nate stood across the hall near a decorative glass door that led to the side gardens. He wasn’t talking to anyone. He wasn’t pretending to check his phone. He wasn’t socializing or keeping up appearances. He was simply… there. Waiting.

When our eyes locked across the crowded hall, that familiar jolt shot through me. The one that always came when we held each of us in a tight, charged bubble.

He held my stare with that intensity I knew too well and gave the tiniest nod. It was a quiet request that said ‘ Come here’.

My breath turned shallow. I took another deep inhale, filling my lungs with air and whatever courage I had left. Then I gave one last glance around the busy hall, all these people living their carefree party lives, oblivious to the emotional disaster unfolding in the center of it all. My heart pounded like it was trying to break free.

And with that heartbeat pushing me forward, I walked straight toward Nate.