Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 331

Chapter 331

The inside of the jet was even more impressive than I’d imagined. The main cabin felt less like transportation and more like a luxury apartment cruising at forty thousand feet. Cream-colored leather seats turned into beds at the touch of a button. Polished mahogany tables slid out of the walls when needed. The windows were wide enough to offer breathtaking views of the clouds drifting past outside.

Ginger was buzzing with excitement, happily exploring every inch of the space with the natural curiosity of a py. Her small, slightly clumsy steps on the thick carpet made the cutest sound as she trotted from one end of the cabin to the other, occasionally stopping to sniff something interesting or attempt to chew on a cable that absolutely should not have been within a dog’s reach.

“Anyone want to play cards?” Gwen suggested, pulling a deck from her purse with the mischievous smile I’d learned to recognize as a clear sign she planned to destroy us at whatever game she chose.

“Only if it’s not poker,” Matthew said immediately, flopping into one of the comfiest seats. “I’ve already lost enough money to you this year.”

“As if you’re any good at poker,” Gwen laughed.

“What about UNO?” Nate suggested, settling beside me and pulling a small table into the center of the group. ” It’s democratic. Anyone can win.”

“Famous last words,” Marcus said with a grin as he joined our makeshift circle.

Gwen dealt the cards with the efficiency of a professional dealer, and soon we were all focused on our hands, plotting strategies to take each other down. Ginger, apparently offended by the lack of attention, decided the card table was the perfect place for a nap and stretched out right in the middle of the game.

“Ginger, move, princess,” Nate said, trying to sound firm as he scolded the puppy.

“Leave her,” I said, gently stroking her back. “We can play around her.”

“You spoil Ginger way too much,” Nate accused, though his tone was pure amusement.

“Me?” I shot back, turning to him with mock disbelief. “Who had a custom dog bed made with her name embroidered in gold? Who bought enough toys to open a pet store? And who bought three different kinds of ‘ gourmet’ dog food because he wanted her to have options?”

“Okay, okay, they get it,” Nate said, raising his hands in surrender as everyone burst out laughing.

What followed was possibly the most chaotic game of UNO in history. We all tried to play without waking Ginger, whispering our victories and defeats like we were in a library. When Gwen finally won with a devastating combo of special cards, we had to celebrate in silence so as not to disturb our small canine referee.

“I’m going to grab something to drink,” I announced, standing carefully so I wouldn’t interrupt Ginger, who had shifted positions but was still fast asleep.

Marcus stood as well. “I’ll come with you. I want to see what this impressive kitchen looks like.”

We walked together to the jet’s service area, where an impressive spread of drinks and snacks had been prepared for the trip. While I grabbed a sparkling water, Marcus poured himself some coffee, and we stood there in a comfortable silence for a moment.

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“Annie,” he said finally, his voice more serious than it had been during the game. “I heard about what happened at the New Year’s party.

My stomach tightened slightly. Even weeks later, it was hard to talk about that night without feeling a spike of anxiety.

“I wanted to show up, offer my support,” Marcus continued, staring into his coffee. “But I didn’t know how Nate would react to my presence. I didn’t want to complicate something that was already difficult enough.”

Nate’s fine with you now,” I assured him, briefly touching his arm. “He understands that we’re friends. Nothing more.

Marcus nodded, his eyes searching my face with genuine concern.

“How are you holding up?” he asked gently.

I took a deep breath, considering the question. He was one of the few people who knew me well enough to understand that a surface-level answer wouldn’t cut it.

“It’s still awful to think about what almost happened,” I admitted honestly. “Especially knowing the person who orchestrated all of it is sitting on the Kensington board, going on with their life like nothing ever happened. But I’m handling it. One day at a time.”

“I know you are,” Marcus said firmly. “I know you’re strong.”

“Thank you,” I said. “And thank you for respecting the space I needed. That means a lot.”

“If you need anything, anytime,” Marcus said, his expression serious, “you can count on me. Even if it’s just to vent or have someone listen.”

“Only if you promise not to try to make me watch those terrible action movies you love,” I joked, trying to lift the emotional weight of the conversation.

Marcus laughed, the tension evaporating instantly.

“Hey, Fast & Furious is a cinematic classic,” he argued with mock seriousness. “You just don’t have refined taste in automotive art.”

“Automotive art?” I repeated, laughing. “Marcus, they literally make cars fly from building to building. That’s not physics. That’s fantasy.”

“You say that because you’ve never properly appreciated the complexity of chase choreography,” he replied, clearly slipping into the teasing mode I remembered so well from our time together.

“The only complex thing is how they manage to make so many bad movies with the same plot,” I shot back, enjoying the familiar comfort of our old, silly movie arguments.

That was when I felt a familiar arm wrap around my waist. Nate had approached silently, and while his touch was affectionate, I could sense a hint of possessiveness in his stance.

“What are you two debating so passionately?” he asked, his voice casual but his eyes alert.

“Marcus’s trying to convince me that movies where cars fly are high culture,” I explained, leaning naturally into

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Nate.

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“Oh,” Nate said, visibly relaxing once he realized how innocent the conversation was. “In that case, Marcus, you’re fighting a losing battle. Annie has impossible movie standards.”

“I do not have impossible standards!” I protested. “I just expect movies to make a minimum amount of logical sense.’

“Yogic is overrated in cinema,” Marcus argued, clearly enjoying having a male ally. “Sometimes you just want explosions and good-looking cars.”

“Finally, someone who gets it,” Nate agreed, making me roll my eyes.

“You’re both impossible,” I declared, though I was smiling.

We went back to the main group, where we found Gwen trying to teach Ginger some basic tricks. Ginger, however, was far more interested in chewing on Matthew’s shoes than learning commands.

“She’s still really young,” Matthew said, watching Ginger completely ignore Gwen’s efforts. “But when she grows up, she’s going to be an amazing golden retriever.”

“She already is amazing,” I insisted, sitting on the floor so I’d be at her level. “Aren’t you, my beautiful girl?”

Ginger answered by launching herself into my lap and trying to lick my face, which sent everyone into laughter.

“You two are pathetic,” Gwen observed fondly. “It’s like watching two obsessed parents with their first child.”

“And what’s wrong with that?” Nate asked, sitting beside me and scratching behind Ginger’s ears.

“Nothing,” Gwen admitted. “Actually, it’s adorable.”

The rest of the flight passed in a pleasant haze of conversation, laughter, and Ginger providing nonstop entertainment with her puppy curiosity. When the pilot announced we were beginning our descent into the Highridge Valley, we were all eager to land and start our Verdanian adventure.

“Excited to be back in Verdania?” I asked Nate, watching the familiar landscape come into view through the

window.

“Always,” he replied, kissing my temple. “But this time it’s special. It’s my first time coming as part of the family.”

Ginger barked once, as if she agreed, and we all laughed our small international family preparing to land on Verdanian soil.

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