Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 258

Chapter 258

I got to the restaurant fifteen minutes before my meeting with Gwen and picked a quiet table in the corner, far from the windows facing the busy street. The place was perfect for what I needed. It was cozy enough for private conversations, but lively enough that no one would pay attention to two women having lunch.

I ordered a coffee and tried to sort through the thoughts that had been tormenting me since the night before. Getting put on leave, Marcus’s proposal, Nate showing up out of nowhere with those strange flowers, Wanderer’s messages getting deeper and deeper… everything felt like one impossible knot, as if my life had turned into an especially dramatic telenovela.

Gwen arrived right on time, as always, bringing that positive energy that usually rubbed off on me. Today she looked elegant in a navy-blue blazer that contrasted perfectly with her hair, carrying a leather folder that made it clear she really did have a packed afternoon ahead.

“Sorry if I seem rushed,” she said, sitting down and signaling the waiter. “I’ve got a meeting with Eisenwald investors at three, and you know how punctual they are.”

“No worries,” I said, watching her order a fresh juice. “Thanks for making time for me.”

“I want details,” she said as soon as the waiter walked away, leaning in with that barely disguised curiosity of hers. “You said your apartment turned into a full-on soap opera set.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop a smile. Gwen always had a way of cutting straight to the point, and I admired that.

“Where do I even start?” I sighed, taking a sip of my coffee. “Marcus showed up without warning.”

“Marcus, as in my cousin Marcus? Your ex Marcus?” Gwen arched a brow. “What was he doing in London?”

“Christian sent him to deal with the mess around my leave,” I explained, realizing the situation sounded even more absurd when said out loud. “But he took the chance to make me a personal offer.”

Gwen gestured for me to keep going, clearly invested in the story.

“He suggested I leave London and go work for Kensington Ascia, in the Imperial City. With him.”

“Jesus,” Gwen muttered, leaning back in her chair. “And that’s it?”

“Not exactly,” I said, feeling my face warm a little. “He kind of… kissed me.”

“Kind of?” Gwen let out a soft laugh. “Either he kissed you or he didn’t, Annie.”

“He kissed me,” I admitted. “And right when that happened, Nate showed up at my door.”

Gwen’s expression shifted instantly from amused to genuinely concerned.

“Nate saw you two kissing?”

“No, no. Marcus had pulled back by the time Nate got there, but… yeah, it was awkward,” I said, running a hand through my hair as I remembered the tension that had filled my apartment. “The two of them went into that whole territorial posture, you know? It was awful.”

“And then?” Gwen leaned in again. “Are you thinking about taking Marcus’s offer?”

I hesitated for a few inside my own head since the night before.

“For a moment, I considered it,” I finally admitted. “Running from all this judgment and starting fresh sounded tempting. It would be easier, you know?”

Gwen nodded but stayed quiet, waiting for me to continue.

“But then…” I unlocked my phone and scrolled to the messages in the app. “Wanderer sent me this.”

I held up the screen for Gwen, who read it slowly, her expression shifting into a mix of surprise and gentle disapproval.

“You’re talking to that guy again?” she asked, handing the phone back.

I sighed, already knowing that reaction was coming.

“Well, I wouldn’t waste my time if there wasn’t at least some virtual chemistry. There are ways to find out, if you know what I mean.”

Oh, I knew exactly what she meant. My face must’ve turned tomato-red, because Gwen laughed even louder.

I’d never been the type to heat things up online. I always preferred the real thing-the spark you only get from being close, from actual touch. But honestly… maybe it could be fun. Maybe it was exactly the kind of thing that would tell me whether there was something real between me and Wanderer beyond philosophical conversations about vulnerability.

“You’re terrible,” I muttered, but I was smiling.

“I’m realistic,” Gwen shot back, finishing her juice. “And you need something that makes you genuinely smile.”

We finished lunch talking about lighter things-Gwen’s weekend plans, a show we were both watching, harmless office gossip. It felt comforting to have a few minutes of normal life in the middle of all the chaos mine had become.

When we stepped out onto the sidewalk and started saying our goodbyes so she could rush to her meetings, something came back to me.

“By the way… thanks for the flowers.”

Gwen frowned, genuinely confused.

“Flowers?”

“Yeah. Nate brought me roses and said they were from the office staff. They were, right?”

I stopped and stared at her, waiting for an answer. For a few seconds, Gwen hesitated-a silence that felt way too long for something that should’ve been an easy confirmation. Something flickered across her expression, something I couldn’t quite read, like she was calculating her next move.

Finally, she forced a smile and said, “Of course.”