Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 319

Chapter 319

Chapter 319

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Nathaniel’s POV

The winter garden in my house was my favorite refuge during London’s colder months. The glass walls offered a stunning view of the outside garden, even when the weather didn’t allow us to actually enjoy it. That night, the soft lighting created an intimate, welcoming atmosphere, a sharp contrast to the lively laughter drifting in from the main living room where everyone else had gathered.

Christian and I had naturally drifted away from the group, wine glasses in hand, looking for a quiet moment to talk. It was rare for us to spend time together simply as friends, without the weight of professional responsibilities that usually shaped our interactions.

I settled into one of the comfortable wicker chairs, watching as Christian took a seat across from me at the small coffee table where he set down his glass. For a few minutes, we sat in companionable silence, enjoying the calm and the muted hum of conversation coming from inside the house.

“When you think back to our college days,” Christian said eventually, breaking the contemplative silence, “did you ever imagine we’d end up here?”

I laughed, taking a sip of red wine as I considered the question. College felt like a lifetime ago, when we were just two ambitious, womanizing guys trying to figure out our place in the world, with no idea where life would actually take us.

“Hopelessly in love with incredibly beautiful but stubborn Verdanian sisters?” I replied, still smiling. “I wouldn’t have imagined that even two years ago. Honestly, I thought Christian Kensington would be a lifelong bachelor.”

Christian laughed out loud, shaking his head.

“That might’ve been the plan,” he admitted, “if it weren’t for Grandpa. The old man couldn’t have done better than insisting I needed to find a bride.”

His expression softened as he went on, turning more serious, more sincere.

“And now… you and Annie. I’m grateful you’re taking care of her. That you got to her in time last night. Zoey was beside herself when she found out what happened.”

The mention of it pulled me straight back into the reality of the consequences still waiting to be dealt with.

“I need to know what you want me to do about Alexandra,” Christian said, his voice shifting into a more businesslike tone. “I can remove her from the board. We can pick that fight. But-”

“But keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” I finished, the old phrase we’d used so often in business suddenly feeling deeply personal. “She won’t pay for what she did to Annie if she just disappears.”

Christian studied me with renewed attention.

“You’re sure?”

“Absolutely,” I said without hesitation. “Being kicked out of Kensington isn’t nearly enough for her.”

“And if she tries anything against Annie again?”

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Chapter 319

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“She won’t,” I said with quiet certainty. “I’ll always protect her. I just wanted to… make things official, you know? Do you think it’s too soon?”

Christian considered me for a moment, his eyes carrying the hard-earned wisdom of someone who’d walked his own complicated emotional path with Zoey.

“Given our example,” he said with an ironic smile, “Zoey and I got married before we even had a proper relationship. I’d say you’re actually behind schedule.”

We both laughed, and I shook my head.

“You’re not exactly the model to follow, Christian,” I teased. “Just the relationship itself is.”

I paused, taking another sip of wine before continuing with the confession that had been weighing on my chest.

“I asked Annie to move in with me this morning.”

“And what did she say?” Christian asked, leaning forward slightly, genuinely interested.

“She didn’t answer,” I admitted, feeling a fresh spike of anxiety. “The doorbell rang before she could say anything. But—”

“If she’s anything like her sister, you’ve got a challenge ahead of you,” Christian said with a knowing smile. ” But if you truly believe she’s the love of your life… go for it. And don’t give up.”

Christian’s words settled deep inside me. I set my glass down on the table and looked through the glass walls at the dark garden beyond, letting his advice sink in.

“I’m absolutely sure she’s the love of my life,” I said, and the moment I spoke the words out loud, something clicked with crystalline clarity.

For the first time, I truly understood the difference between everything I’d felt before and what I felt for Annie. It wasn’t obsession, even though I thought about her constantly. It wasn’t just physical attraction, despite the undeniable chemistry between us. It wasn’t even passion in its most volatile, destructive sense.

It was love. Real, deep, lasting love.

The kind of love that made me want to be a better man. That made me think in terms of us instead of me. That gave me the strength to face anything, as long as it meant protecting and caring for her. It was the love that made me want to wake up next to her every day for the next fifty years. That made me picture teaching our kids how to ride a bike. That made me want to grow old beside her and still find every wrinkle on her face the most beautiful thing in the world.

The doorbell rang at that exact moment, pulling me out of my thoughts and back into the present.

“That must be the food,” I said, standing up and trying to pull myself together. “I’ll go get the Bennetts.”

“Perfect,” Christian replied, standing too and stretching. “And I’m going to hide those board games. I cannot take another beating from Zoey in Monopoly. I’m the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company and I’ve never felt so poor in my life.”

I laughed out loud, instantly picturing Zoey dominating the board with her trademark competitiveness, leaving Christian utterly defeated while she built a ruthless real estate empire.

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Chapter 319

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That was exactly what I wanted for my life.

Not just the grand, romantic moments, but the small, ridiculous ones too. The humiliating losses in board games. The shared laughter with friends about how our partners somehow reduced us to helpless fools. Quiet nights filled with honest conversations and wine. The feeling of belonging to something bigger than myself.

I wanted to build silly memories with Annie. I wanted her to beat me at games while I pretended to be annoyed but secretly felt proud of how sharp she was. I wanted our friends to tease me mercilessly for being completely under her spell. I wanted the normal, beautiful everyday life that comes after the big romantic declarations.

As I walked toward the music room to call Annie and her siblings for dinner, I carried with me the absolute certainty that I would do whatever it took to turn that vision into reality.

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