Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 315

Chapter 315

Nathaniel’s POV

I went upstairs carrying a tray with light sandwiches, a bottle of cold water, and fresh juice. I’d kept it simple with whole-grain bread with turkey, mild cheese, a few crackers. Nothing that might upset Annie’s stomach while she was succovering from whatever had been slipped into her drink.

I found her sitting up in bed, wearing one of my T-shirts that was far too big on her, and a pair of pajama pants I’d lent her. Her hair was still damp from the shower, and she looked calmer, though I could still see the leftover tension in her shoulders and the faintly unfocused look in her eyes.

“How are you feeling?” I asked softly, setting the tray on the nightstand and sitting beside her, careful and slow.

“Better,” Annie said, taking one of the sandwiches and biting into it. “Thank you for this.”

I kept my voice low and my movements deliberate, predictable, like I was around a wounded bird that might startle at anything sudden. I wanted her to feel completely safe, with no pressure or urgency that might pull her back into what she’d just endured. After what she’d been through, I knew she needed time and space to readjust to normal interactions, even with me. I’d read about it. How survivors often had to relearn trust in human touch. How even well-meant gestures could trigger anxiety or flashbacks. So I kept a respectful distance, waited for her to initiate any contact, watched her reactions closely to make sure she was comfortable.

“Do you want to watch something?” I offered, picking up the remote. “Something light, maybe?”

She nodded, settling back against the pillows while I scrolled through the options. I chose a classic romantic movie we’d watched before. It was predictable, comforting, and nothing that demanded too much emotional

energy.

We sat in a quiet, easy silence for a while. Annie ate small bites of her sandwich as the movie played. Every so often, I checked on her without making it obvious, watching her body language for any sign of discomfort.

But as the movie went on, the plot shifted toward a twist where the heroine was being manipulated by someone she trusted. The tension on screen built as the scheme unraveled, revealing how carefully the villain had orchestrated everything to destroy her.

“I used to think that kind of manipulation was just movie stuff,” I said quietly, unable to ignore the parallels. “I mean… I always knew what Alexandra was like, that she’d do anything to get what she wanted. I just never thought she would go as far as committing actual crimes.”

I paused, a fresh wave of anger rising as the full scope of what Alexandra had done finally sank in. “She left you there to be abused, just to get photos and make me think you were cheating on me,” I said, disbelief and fury thick in my voice. “The level of cruelty it takes to do something like that…”

Annie turned to look at me, her eyes holding a sad kind of wisdom that twisted my chest.

“Bad people aren’t just things from movies, Nate,” she said gently, her gaze drifting as if she were touching painful memories. “I saw a lot of that when my sister started dating Christian. People attacked her in every way out of pure envy. It even went as far as attempts to physically harm her and the baby during her pregnancy. I watched my sister, one of the strongest people I know, cry through entire nights because of that kind of pointless cruelty.”

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She sighed, running a hand through her still-damp hair.

“And it seems like being close to Nathaniel Carter attracts that kind of person too.”

“No,” I said immediately, guilt settling heavy in my chest. “I won’t let Alexandra hurt you again. I won’t allow that to happen.”

Annie looked at me with a gentle, steady expression. It was kind, but grounded in reality.

“You can’t promise that, Nate. You can’t be by my side twenty-four hours a day. But if you promise you’ll always trust me the way you did tonight, questioning things even when the evidence looked so convincing, that’s enough to make me happy.”

“Of course I will,” I said without hesitation. “I’ll always trust you.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the honesty I still owed her.

“But I don’t think I can ask the same of you. Not after everything with Wanderer. Not after keeping that secret for so long.”

Annie stayed quiet for a moment, really thinking about it.

“That’s a conversation for another time,” she said at last. “But I do trust you, Nate. How could I not, after tonight? You found me when I needed you most. You understood my message. You came and saved me.”

She shifted closer, resting her head gently on my shoulder. The gesture was so natural, so trusting, that it warmed my heart instantly.

“We didn’t get our midnight kiss,” she murmured against me.

I turned carefully toward her, lifting her chin with gentle fingers. When our eyes met, I didn’t just see the survivor of a horrific night. I saw the woman I was hopelessly, irrevocably in love with.

I kissed her then. Soft, careful, but full of everything we’d carried through that night. There was no rush, no urgency, just love, deep relief, and a silent promise of care and protection.

When we pulled back, I rested my forehead against hers.

“That’s okay,” I said quietly. “I’ll make up for it. I promise I won’t go a single day this new year without kissing you.”

Annie laughed. It was a real, bright laugh that sounded like music after everything we’d been through. She kissed me back, quick and sweet.

“Happy New Year, Nate.”

“Happy New Year, Annie.”

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“Twelfth floor. Room 1247.”

Charles was already in motion, signaling for us to follow.

“We’re going up now,” he said, grabbing a set of master keys. “And I’m instructing reception to call the police immediately.”

We rushed toward the elevators, Tori struggling to keep up in her heels. During the tense ride up, Charles spoke rapidly into his radio, alerting security to head to the twelfth floor and confirming that authorities were being dispatched.

The moment the elevator doors opened, we ran down the hallway toward room 1247. Charles inserted the `master key, his hands shaking slightly. He was clearly bracing himself for whatever we were about to walk into.

The door swung open, revealing an elegant suite.

“Annie!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the space.

We ran straight toward the bedroom, the door partially ajar. Charles reached it first and pushed it fully open.

And when I looked inside, my heart stopped for a full second.

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