Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 290

Chapter 290

Chapter 290

I woke early on the morning of the 25th, but it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. There was a weight in my chest that had nothing to do with Christmas anticipation and everything to do with what was coming. The conversation with Nate the night before had crystallized a reality I would’ve preferred not to face: Alexandra was coming for lunch, and our first official battle as a couple would be fought at the Carter family dining table.

I went downstairs to find the house already moving with its morning rhythm. Elizabeth was in the kitchen, while Richard flipped through a newspaper at the breakfast table. Snow was still falling softly outside the windows, creating a picture-perfect scene that sharply contrasted with the anxiety twisting in my stomach. “Good morning, dear,” Elizabeth said when she saw me in the doorway. “Did you sleep well?”

“Very well,” I lied politely, taking the cup of tea she offered. “Your home is so cozy.”

“Nate left early,” Richard said without looking up from the paper. “Went to help a neighbor with a heating issue. Said he’d be back soon.”

I nodded, holding the cup between my hands and letting the warmth seep into my cold fingers. It was better this way as there was time to mentally prepare without the added pressure of pretending everything was fine in front of Nate.

“I’ll take a look at the library,” I said, finishing my tea. “If that’s not a problem.”

“Of course not,” Elizabeth said with a warm smile. “Feel free to explore the house.”

The Carters’ library was exactly what I expected from a family of academics and musicians with floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with books that were clearly read and loved, not just decorative. A comfortable leather armchair sat near the window, and I settled into it with a poetry book I grabbed at random, mostly for something to focus on rather than genuine interest.

I was trying to concentrate on the verses when I heard footsteps in the hallway. I expected Elizabeth or Richard, but when I looked up, I saw Tori standing in the library doorway. She was dressed far more casually than the night before with dark jeans and a navy cashmere sweater, but somehow still looked effortlessly elegant.

“May I come in?” she asked, her tone slightly different from usual. There was a hint of hesitation.

“Of course,” I said, closing the book and watching her walk closer.

Tori sat in a nearby chair. It was the first time I’d ever seen her look even remotely uncomfortable or unsure of

herself.

“I want to talk about last night,” she said at last, avoiding direct eye contact. “And apologize for the… mess.”

That was not what I expected from her.

“A mess?” I repeated, curious to hear how she’d frame the situation.

“With Alexandra,” Tori clarified, finally meeting my eyes. “When I replied on Nate’s phone, I didn’t think he’d take it seriously. It was more of a… social reflex, you know? When someone you know is nearby, you automatically extend the invitation.”

There was something rehearsed about her explanation, like she’d put careful thought into how she wanted to

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justify her actions.

“I understand,” I said neutrally, waiting to see where she was going with this.

“I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Tori continued, her words picking up speed. “Alexandra and I have been friends for years. In this circle, it’s normal to maintain certain connections, especially when the families have known each other for so long.”

Ah. There it was, the justification I’d been waiting for. The “in this circle” that always slipped into Tori’s conversations, as if she lived in a world with entirely different social rules from the rest of humanity.

I decided to get straight to the point.

“Are you two actually friends,” I asked, leaning forward slightly, “or does she just use you to get close to Nate?”

Tori blinked a few times, clearly not expecting such a direct question. I saw a faint flush rise on her cheeks.

“I…” she hesitated, searching for the right words. “Our friendship is…”

“How?”

“In this world, one hand usually washes the other,” she finally said, almost shamelessly, as if explaining a basic fact of life.

A mix of sympathy and frustration washed over me. Tori really did see relationships as transactions…

nections that existed for mutual benefit rather than genuine affection.

i,” I said softly but firmly, “Alexandra only thinks about herself. Always. You should surround yourself with ople who are more genuine.”

Something shifted in her expression. The earlier discomfort vanished, replaced by instinctive defensiveness, and I saw a faint, mocking sparkle in her eyes.

“Like you?” she asked, her voice carrying a subtle challenge.

The question caught me off guard, not because it was hostile, but because of the opening it created. This was a turning point. I could get defensive, pick a fight, or use the moment for something better.

“Yes,” I said with conviction. “And not because you’re my boyfriend’s sister, because I actually like you.”

Despite everything, I thought but didn’t say out loud.

Tori stared at me with genuine surprise, like my answer was the last thing she’d ever expect.

“You… what?”

“I like your straightforwardness, even when it’s inconvenient,” I continued, sensing I’d found the right tone for this conversation. “I like that you say exactly what you think, even when it stings. At least it’s honest. And I like that you care about your family so much that you interfere when you think you’re protecting someone.”

I could see my words landing somewhere deep in her. There was a growing vulnerability in her expression, like she wasn’t used to anyone acknowledging the good parts of who she was.

“But,” I added, “Alexandra doesn’t deserve that loyalty. She’ll use your friendship for as long as she benefits

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Chapter 290

.

from it, and then she’ll drop you without looking back.”

Before Tori could answer, we heard quick footsteps in the hallway and Nate’s voice calling, “Annie? Tori? Can you two help me for a second?”

Tori stood immediately, her posture snapping back into that polished, defensive elegance I knew so well. Without saying anything else, she turned and walked out of the library toward the hall.

Nate appeared in the doorway seconds later, watching Tori hurry up the stairs.

“Did something happen?” he asked, looking from me to the staircase where Tori had disappeared.

“I think I upset her,” I said honestly.

“I’m sorry,” Nate started, frowning with concern.

“That’s good,” I cut in, standing and placing the book back on the shelf.

Nate looked at me like I’d just spoken another language.

“Good? What do you mean? Sometimes I really can’t keep up with you,” he said, shaking his head with that confused expression that always made me smile.

“If Tori’s upset, it means she cares,” I explained, walking toward him and straightening his shirt collar without thinking. “Which is a whole lot better than indifference.”

Nate studied me for a moment, as if trying to decode my logic.

“So you’re… happy she got irritated with you?”

“I am,” I confirmed, smiling for the first time since waking up. “It means I’m finally getting through to her. And who knows, maybe I’ll manage to win my future sister-in-law over before we leave.”

The thought genuinely cheered me. Yes, Tori was complicated. But there was something in her that made me want to keep trying. Maybe it was the feeling that beneath all that social armor, there was a real person waiting

to be seen.

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