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?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify