Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 344

Chapter 344

The early hours at the emergency inary clinic passed in a blur of anxiety, medical procedures, and silent

prayers. We waited in the lobby until the attending veterinarian, Dr. Mitchell, finally came out to speak with us about Ginger’s condition. His words brought relief, but also a new concern we hadn’t been expecting.

“She’s a very smart girl,” Dr. Mitchell said, drying his hands on a towel after examining her. “From what we can tell, she only ate a small amount of the chocolate and then stopped. It seems like she realized it was making her

fer sick. Maybe the way it tasted or smelled. That likely saved her life.””

Tears of relief immediately filled my eyes. Our Ginger had been smart enough to stop when something felt

wrong.

“We performed all the standard protocols for chocolate poisoning,” the vet continued. “We induced vomiting, administered activated charcoal, and started IV fluids to help flush the toxins from her system. She’s going to be okay. But there is something that concerns me.”

My chest tightened again. There was always a but.

“The symptoms don’t fully match a straightforward chocolate intoxication,” Dr. Mitchell explained, his brow creasing slightly. “It’s as if there may be something else involved… something we can’t immediately identify. As a precaution, we’re going to keep her hospitalized overnight for observation, and we’ve sent samples of the chocolate for full laboratory analysis.”

“Something else?” Nate asked, tension sharpening his voice. “What do you mean?”

“It could be an unusually strong individual reaction,” the vet said carefully. “Or it could indicate the presence of additional toxic substances. The lab results will give us definitive answers.”

Oliver, who had remained professionally quiet through the explanation, stepped forward.

“Dr. Mitchell, I’m a veterinarian as well,” he said. “Would it be possible for me to stay with her overnight for additional monitoring?”

“Of course,” Dr. Mitchell replied, visibly relieved. “Honestly, having another professional here, especially someone who knows her normal behavior would be incredibly helpful.”

That eased something tight in my chest. Knowing Oliver would be with her during the critical night gave us enough peace of mind to go home and try to rest.

Even so, I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Ginger lying weak on the couch, her little head dropping when she tried to greet us.

When the phone rang later that morning, it was almost eleven. Despite the long night, I’d been awake for hours already. Oliver had promised to call the moment he had definitive news.

“Annie?” His voice sounded tired, but upbeat. “She’s doing much better. Alert, responsive, and she even ate some of the special food we offered. You can come get her.”

Nate and I got dressed in record time and rushed to the clinic like our lives depended on it.

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When we arrived, Dr. Mitchell greeted us with a smile, but also with the look of someone who had important information to share.

“First, let me take you to see her,” he said, leading us down the hallway.

The moment he opened the

he door to the room where Ginger had spent the night, my heart nearly burst.

Our golden retriever was sitting upright, tail wagging wildly as soon as she saw us, eyes bright and alert. Oliver was beside her, scratching behind her ears, both of them looking exhausted-but deeply relieved.

I dropped to my knees, tears spilling freely as Ginger launched herself into my arms, licking my face like she’d never let go again.

“Ginger!” I cried, rushing to her and dropping to my knees to accept the enthusiastic kisses she showered me with.

She looked like a completely different dog from the weak, barely responsive little body we’d found on the couch just hours earlier. Her energy was back. Her eyes were bright. And she was clearly overjoyed to see us.

“How is she?” Nate asked, joining us on the floor and letting Ginger split her attention between the two of us.

“Much better,” Oliver confirmed. “Her recovery has been impressive. She responded extremely well to treatment.”

“But we received some concerning information from the lab,” Dr. Mitchell said, his expression turning serious. “The report detected traces of another substance in the chocolates. An amount that would be lethal to a human, but something dogs can metabolize more effectively. Ginger was lucky she ate very little, and that her body is more resistant to that specific compound. I don’t believe Ginger was the intended target.”

The room spun.

Real poison. This wasn’t just chocolate. This was an attempted murder.

“She wasn’t,” I said quietly, the realization hitting me like a wave of ice. “I was. I was the target. Ginger saved my life.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. Nate pulled me closer instantly, his arms wrapping around me in pure instinct, while Oliver and Dr. Mitchell absorbed the weight of what I’d just said.

“The police have already been notified,” Dr. Mitchell added. “That’s standard procedure in suspected intentional poisoning cases. They’ll want to speak with you and examine the evidence.”

Nate murmured softly, his voice carrying a dark, grim satisfaction.

“Do you know what this means? Alexandra’s five years for market manipulation just became life in prison. We have the chocolates. The lab reports. Ginger’s bloodwork. Security footage showing unlawful entry. Everything.”

“Really?” I asked, looking at him with a mix of hope and disbelief.

“Really,” Nate confirmed, kneeling to stroke Ginger, who had curled up between us. “We have a little hero here. She didn’t just save your life, she did a better job than our entire plan. Now we have irrefutable proof of attempted murder.”

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I started laughing and crying at the same time, my hands buried in Ginger’s soft fur. The emotions were

overwhelming. Relief that she was okay, gratitude that she’d saved me without even knowing it, and a deep awe at the instinct that had protected her and me.

“She’s perfect,” I said through tears, kissing the top of our hero’s furry head. “And she’s never staying home alone again. Not even for two minutes. Ever.”

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