Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 250

I got to the office at seven-thirty, way earlier than usual. Not because I'd slept well. I'd spent the whole night turning in bed, replaying every word of my conversation with Nate in his office.
"I'll keep waiting."
The sentence echoed in my head like a stubborn mantra. Waiting for what exactly? For the conversation we never had in the garden? For a decision from me? For some burst of courage I clearly didn't have?
I sat at my desk and turned on my computer, trying to focus on the report I needed to finish by noon. But every movement in the hallway made me glance up, searching for a familiar silhouette, dark brown hair, those green eyes that always felt like they saw right through me.

Pathetic.

When I finally saw him walking toward the elevator, folder in hand and talking on the phone, my stomach flipped. He didn’t look my way. He was completely absorbed in the call, but my whole body reacted like someone had plugged me into a power outlet.

This had to stop.

‘Annie?” a whispered voice made me turn quickly.

It was Sarah from accounting, leaning against the divider between our cubicles. She glanced around before leaning closer.

“Is it true that you and Mr. Carter…?” She didn’t finish the question, but the meaning was crystal clear in her curious eyes.

Heat rushed up my neck. This was exactly what I’d feared ever since Alexandra’s stunt at the party. The gossip, the looks, and the whispered assumptions that echoed down every hallway.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said flatly, turning back to my screen.

Sarah made a face like she didn’t believe a single word, but at least she had the decency to walk away without pushing further.

I took a deep breath, fighting the irritation that crawled up my chest. If Sarah was bold enough to ask openly, how many others were speculating? How many nasty comments were circulating across the company?

“Annie!” Gwen’s voice sliced through my stormy thoughts like a burst of sunshine.

She appeared by my cubicle carrying two cups of coffee and a bright smile that didn’t match my mood at all.

“You’re early today,” she noted, setting one of the cups on my desk. “Double shot, the way you like it when you’re stressed.”

“How do you know I’m stressed?” I asked, taking the cup.

“Because you’ve got that face you make when you spend the whole night overthinking,” Gwen said, leaning casually on my desk. “And because Margaret told me you got here before the cleaning crew.”

I sighed and took a sip of the strong coffee. Gwen always read me too well.

“I just have a lot of work to do,” I lied.

“Sure,” she said in a tone that made it very clear she didn’t believe me at all. “Does it have anything to do with a certain conversation yesterday afternoon in a room made of glass walls?”

My eyes shot up to hers.

“You saw?”

“Annie, half the office saw,” Gwen laughed quietly. “You two sat in there for hours, and the tension was so thick I swear people could feel it from the hallway.”

My face heated again. This was even worse than I thought.

“But relax,” Gwen said when she noticed my mortified expression. “Most people don’t read body language like I do. They probably just think you two were… working intensely.”

I glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention before opening the message.

Wanderer: You asked if I’m emotionally broken. The honest answer is yes, probably. My last serious relationship was about five years ago. She wanted something I couldn’t give. Emotional stability, real commitment. After that I got used to superficial connections. No risks, no vulnerability. It’s easier to keep your distance when you don’t have to worry about hurting someone. Or being hurt. But talking to you is making me question whether that kind of protection is worth it.

I read it three times. Something tightened in my chest. Wanderer always wrote well, but this felt deeper. More real.

Knowing he felt safe with me. Knowing our connection was pulling him out of whatever emotional shell he’d built. It created an intimacy I never expected to feel with someone I’d never met.

I started typing back. Before I could hit send, another message came in.

Wanderer: Fifth question. When was the moment you realized you were truly vulnerable with someone? And what did that person do to deserve or lose that vulnerability?

When had I felt truly vulnerable with someone?

The first image that came to mind was Nate. That moment on the plane when I let my guard drop and allowed myself to feel something for a complete stranger. And later at the party. When he whispered something about my dress and I felt like he could see right through every polished layer I hid behind..

But then there was Wanderer here and now, through these messages. I was being vulnerable with him in ways I wasn’t with anyone else.

I slipped my phone into my bag without responding. A strange split settled inside me. I was trying to understand two different men. Yet it felt like they occupied complementary spaces in me. Nate stirred my passion and pushed every impulsive button I had. Wanderer tapped straight into my mind, my fears, my hopes.

I looked out the window at the steady movement of London.

Maybe the real issue wasn’t choosing between them. Maybe it was understanding why I needed two different men to feel whole.