Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 314

Chapter 314

Nathaniel’s POV

The next hour passed in a haze of police procedures with statements, toxicology tests, and evidence collection. I stayed beside Annie the entire time, holding her hand while she told the detectives what had happened. Her voice was still suginy slurred from whatever had been slipped into her drink, but she managed to give every important detail: the man who introduced himself as Klaus Reinhardt, the conversation that started out professional and slowly became personal, the glass of wine he offered, and then the blank space in her memory until she woke up in the hotel room.

I watched her closely as she was forced to mentally revisit those moments. Every expression that crossed her face twisted something in my chest. Sometimes she paused to take a deep breath or sip water, and each time I squeezed her hand gently, trying to ground her, to let her know she wasn’t alone. It was painful to hear her describe how she’d grown dizzy and disoriented, how her movements stopped obeying her, how she realized something was terribly wrong but couldn’t react in time.

When it was my turn to give my statement, I explained about the message with our safe word, the frantic search, and what I’d walked in on when we reached the room. Tori also gave her account, including how Alexandra had approached her with the photos and manipulated her into thinking she was “protecting” her brother.

The man whose real name turned out to be James Morrison, an unemployed actor with a record of minor offenses refused to say anything without a lawyer present. He stayed stubbornly silent throughout the initial questioning, only confirming his name when pressed. It didn’t matter much. He’d been caught in the act of trying to sexually assault Annie, and there was more than enough physical evidence to support the charges. He was taken into police custody, awaiting a bail hearing that was unlikely to go in his favor given the severity of the crimes.

Once the detectives finished processing the hotel room, Tori came up to me quietly.

“And Alexandra?” she asked under her breath, glancing around to make sure no one else was listening.

“She wasn’t caught in the act,” I replied, frustration tightening my jaw. “So there’s nothing the police can do right now. But she will be questioned once all the evidence is properly reviewed. Especially when James realizes cooperating is better than protecting whoever hired him.”

I knew it would take time to build a solid case against Alexandra. She’d been careful, keeping her physical distance, working through intermediaries, relying on manipulation rather than direct involvement. But I had no doubt the full truth would come out eventually.

The Rosemont Hotel was fully cooperative throughout the entire process. Charles Morrison personally apologized several times for what had happened on the premises, assuring us that all security footage and records would be made available. The hotel also provided Annie with new clothes free of charge, an elegant but comfortable outfit so she wouldn’t have to leave in what remained after her original clothes were taken as evidence.

“Anything you need, we’re completely at your disposal,” Morrison said sincerely as we prepared to leave. “This is absolutely unacceptable, and we’ll do everything in our power to ensure those responsible are held accountable.”

When we finally returned to the main lobby, a small crowd of curious onlookers had gathered. The police presence, the sirens, the patrol cars… all of it had drawn attention. Guests and staff whispered among

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themselves, some discreetly pointing in our direction, trying to piece together what had happened.

There was no question of going back to the party. New Year’s celebrations were officially over for us. All I wanted was to get Annie somewhere safe, where she could begin to recover from what she’d been through.

I helped Annie and Tori into my car, carefully fastening Annie’s seat belt and making sure she was comfortable before driving off. During the quiet ride to my place, Annie rested her head against the window, eyes closed, looking utterly exhausted.

When we arrived, I helped her upstairs to my bedroom, gave her comfortable clothes, and made sure she had everything she needed. She insisted she felt well enough to take a quick shower. I waited in the adjacent room, listening closely for any sound that might mean she needed help.

When Annie finally settled into bed, I promised I’d be back in a few minutes with something light for her to eat. I went down to the kitchen, where I found Tori sitting at the table, absently stirring a cup of tea she’d made.

“Nate,” she said as soon as she saw me, her voice thick with guilt. “I need to apologize. For trusting Alexandra. For being so naïve.”

I sat beside her, noticing how shaken my sister still looked after everything that had happened.

‘Annie was right all along,” Tori went on, shaking her head. “Alexandra just wanted to use me. She probably calculated that if I showed you the photos, you’d be so devastated by the supposed betrayal that you wouldn’t think past it. You wouldn’t question whether they were real, or how they came to exist.”

“She almost succeeded,” I admitted quietly. “Seeing those photos was brutal. For a moment… I really did believe Annie was with another man.”

“But you questioned it,” Tori said, looking at me with something close to admiration. “Even hurt, even destroyed, you still wondered how those photos existed, why Alexandra was involved. It’s like whatever you Annie have goes beyond surface-level doubt.”

I thought about that for a moment. Part of me wanted to agree, to believe our connection was so strong that nothing could truly shake my faith in her, or hers in me.

But the truth was more complicated.

“It’s not that simple,” I said carefully.

and

I was still trying to earn back Annie’s full trust after everything with Wanderer. Keeping that secret for so long had caused real damage between us.

I stood up to prepare something light for Annie to eat, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of Tori’s head, a quiet gesture of forgiveness and understanding.

“Make yourself comfortable here,” I said. “I’ll take care of Annie. And Tori…”

I paused at the refrigerator door and turned to face her.

“Stay away from Alexandra. Completely. You never know what she’s planning next. And I don’t want any of this blowing back on you too.”

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