Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 36

Chapter 36

The smell of barbecue hit me the moment I opened my parents’ gate. The Bennett family’s Sunday lunch was an unshakable tradition-my dad at the grill and my mom complaining that he was cooking too much meat.

Matthew shouted from the backyard:

“Finally! I thought I was going to miss out on the picanha!”

My mom appeared from the kitchen, drying her hands on her apron. “You’re so skinny! Haven’t you been eating properly in that tiny apartment?”

“Good to see you too, Mom,” I replied, dropping my bag on the couch.

Out in the yard, Annabelle was already pouring beer for Dad. I kissed his cheek, breathing in the familiar smokyscent.

“Impossible to be too busy for your barbecue, Dad.”

“And you know how to value the good things in life,” Matthew said. “Unlike certain rich guys who don’t know how to appreciate a good rack of ribs.”

The meaningful look Annabelle shot me didn’t go unnoticed. Any mention of Christian made my stomach flip completely.

Lunch went on with laughter and family stories. Over dessert, my mom asked about work.

“I’m leading an important event next week. In Highridge Valley.”

“Highridge Valley?” My dad looked up from his bowl of ice cream. “Isn’t that where Christian’s winery is?”

A brief silence fell over the table.

“It’s the region, Dad. There are hundreds of wineries there.”

“Are you going to see him?” Matthew asked bluntly.

“It’s a professional event. If he’s there, it’ll just be coincidence.”

“Maybe it’s fate, sweetheart,” my mom said with that dreamy look in her eyes. “You two met so quickly, and everything happened like a whirlwind. Maybe you just needed this time apart.”

“Mom, please…”

“Your mother’s right,” my dad chimed in. “You young people are too hasty, Relationships need time to mature.”

Thankfully, Annabelle steered the conversation toward my parents’ wedding anniversary, and Christian was momentarily forgotten.

Later, while helping my dad wash the dishes, I took advantage of the moment alone.

“Dad, what exactly did Christian say when he came to talk to you?”

His hands froze for a moment, the sponge hovering over a plate.

“Why are you asking that now?”

“Curiosity. You never told me the details.”

He kept washing, thoughtful.

“He came by on a Tuesday. I was home alone.” My dad rinsed a plate. “Very polite, as always. He asked to talk about why you two had decided to break up.”

“And what did he say?”

“No doubt in my mind.” My dad gently touched my chin. “Listen, sweetheart, a man doesn’t get teary-eyed talking about a woman unless he truly feels something for her.”

That caught me off guard. Christian, with teary eyes? The always-controlled, always-composed Christian Kensington?

“You must’ve misread it,” I muttered, more to myself than to him.

“Maybe.” My dad shrugged. “But if there’s one thing I’ve learned in forty years of fixing cars, it’s knowing when a machine is running smoothly and when it’s forcing the engine to hide a problem. And that young man was forcing it hard to hide something.”

“Why are you telling me this now?”

“Because you asked.” He kissed my forehead. “And because I’ve never seen you look at Alex the way you looked at Christian. And I’ve never seen Alex look at you the way Christian did.”

That night, lying in bed, I couldn’t sleep. My father’s words echoed in my mind, mingling with my memories of Christian.

It was all part of the arrangement, I told myself over and over. Christian was an excellent actor. He’d played the role to perfection, all the way to the end.

But then why did my heart ache at the thought of his eyes welling up when he spoke to my dad? Why did the idea that he truly cared make my chest tighten?

And more importantly: if it had all been just an arrangement, why did I still feel this persistent longing, this sense of loss no new job or apartment could fill?

The small velvet box on my nightstand seemed to glow in the dark, as if reminding me of a promise left unfulfilled.

Soon I would leave for Highridge Valley. For an important event. To prove my professional worth.

And maybe, just maybe, to find out if there was any truth in my father’s words.