Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 324

Chapter 324

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Nathaniel’s POV

“I mean, it’s not like I’m planning this for tomorrow or trying to put any pressure on you,” Annie said, her words coming out in a slightly nervous rhythm. “But I think these things need to be clear early on. So we know… whether we’re on the same page.”

She was staring down at the garden beneath the terrace, deliberately avoiding my eyes in a way that told me just how much this conversation mattered to her.

“Of course I want kids,” I replied immediately, my heart warming at the future I’d already imagined countless times with Annie by my side.

Annie wrapped her arms around me with a force that caught me off guard. Her relief was almost tangible in the intensity of her embrace. I felt her arms tighten around my neck, her body finally relaxing against mine in a way that told me she’d been carrying far more tension about this than she’d let on.

But I knew I had to be honest with her. Even if it meant potentially shattering the perfect moment we were sharing on the terrace of the house she’d already declared perfect for our future family.

“We could adopt someday,” I added carefully, the words feeling heavier on my tongue than I expected, making me realize just how long I’d been avoiding this exact conversation.

Annie pulled back slightly, looking at me with confusion that slowly shifted into something like restrained

concern.

“Adopt?” she asked, her voice tinged with bewilderment that made it clear I hadn’t explained myself very well. Why adopt, specifically?”

I took a deep breath, knowing this was the moment I had to tell her something that had quietly shaped every romantic decision I’d made throughout my adult life. A conversation I’d always known I’d eventually have to face.

“When I was nine, I got the mumps,” I began, leaning against the terrace railing and staring down at the small garden where she’d imagined our kids playing. “It was a pretty severe case. There were complications. Orchitis, specifically.”

Annie’s brow furrowed slightly as she tried to connect a childhood illness to our conversation about having children. I saw the exact moment understanding dawned, her expression softening with a mix of surprise and compassion.

“The doctors were very blunt about the consequences back then,” I continued, the familiar weight of the truth settling in my chest. “They told my parents I’d be infertile. That I wouldn’t be able to have biological children as an adult.”

“Nate…” Annie started, but I needed to finish before I lost my nerve.

“I grew up knowing that,” I said, finally turning to face her. “And honestly, I think it influenced a lot of the choices I made in life.”

It was the first time I’d ever put those thoughts into words so clearly, even for myself. They’d always hovered in the background of my mind, subtly steering my decisions without me fully acknowledging how much they

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Chapter 324

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shaped my life.

“So that’s why you never really committed before?” Annie asked gently, her confusion replaced by understanding, and something that looked a lot like genuine sadness for me.

“Partly, yeah,” I admitted. “It was easier to keep things shallow. Focus on my career. Avoid deep attachments that would eventually lead to conversations like this.”

“Did you ever get retested as an adult?” Annie asked, and I could see her mind working, probably thinking about how much medicine had advanced since I was a kid.

The question made me consider something I’d never seriously revisited. Over the years, I’d been with several women. But nothing had ever come of it. Not even scares or close calls. That had always reinforced my belief that the childhood diagnosis was right.

“I never felt the need,” I said honestly. “I mean, over the years there were… situations where, if I’d been fertile, there probably would’ve been consequences. But there never were. That always confirmed for me that the doctors were right.”

Annie nodded slowly, absorbing it all. I watched as a whole range of emotions crossed her face.

“It doesn’t have to be something we deal with right now,” I said quickly, not wanting her to feel pressured to try to fix something I’d accepted as part of my reality decades ago. “I’ve always known that when the time came, when I found the right person, I’d adopt. And adoption can be an incredible experience. There are so many kids out there who need loving homes.”

I paused, studying her expression carefully, trying to read in her eyes how she was really processing all of this.

“Are you okay with that?” I asked, keeping my voice neutral even though I knew the vulnerability was slipping through. “With the possibility that our kids would be adopted instead of biological?”

Annie held my gaze for a long moment, her eyes reflecting a depth of thought that made it clear just how much this information was reshaping her vision of our future together. When she finally spoke, her voice carried a conviction that caught me off guard.

“Of course,” she said, stepping closer to me again. “Parents are the ones who show up. Who love. Who are there every single day. Genetics come second to that. They always have.”

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Chapter 3

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