Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 542

Chapter 542

I went inside the villa, following the sound of voices coming from the dining area. The room was alive with the usual breakfast bustle. Guests talking in low voices, the smell of fresh coffee and warm bread filling the air, the soft clink of cutlery against porcelain.

And there, at a table near the window overlooking the snow-covered vineyards, was Gwen.

Bella sat beside her, gesturing animatedly as she talked. Gwen smiled, completely focused on my daughter, nodding along and asking questions that only made Bella more excited.

Something tightened in my chest at the sight.

I walked closer, and Bella spotted me first. Her little face lit up.

“Daddy!” she called, practically bouncing in her chair. “I was telling Gwen about Miraculous! You know, the cartoon with Ladybug and Cat Noir?”

“Oh, yeah,” I said, pulling out a chair and sitting down with them. “And did she like it?”

“She promised to watch it with me!” Bella announced triumphantly, like she’d just won the greatest victory of her life. “And I’m gonna ask Grandma to make popcorn!”

I looked at Gwen. She was smiling with that soft, patient expression she used with Bella. It wasn’t forced. It wasn’t polite obligation. It was genuine.

“Sounds like a great plan,” Gwen said, lifting her coffee cup. “It’s been a long time since I watched a

cartoon.”

“You’re gonna love it!” Bella went on, unable to contain herself. “Ladybug is super cool and Cat Noir is funny but sometimes annoying but deep down he’s nice too and they fight Hawk Moth who’s the villain

and-”

“Bella,” I interrupted gently, resting a hand on her head. “Breathe.”

She stopped, took an exaggerated deep breath, then laughed.

“Sorry. I talk a lot when I’m happy!”

“I noticed,” Gwen said, smiling. “But I like seeing you excited. It’s cute.”

Bella practically melted at the compliment, her grin somehow growing even wider.

“Bella,” I said, glancing at the clock on the wall, “why don’t you go upstairs and brush your teeth? Then you can choose which episode you two are going to watch later.”

“Okay!” She jumped down from the chair, kissed my cheek.quickly, then ran to Gwen and did the same before taking off toward the stairs.

“Careful on the stairs!” I called after her, but she was already gone.

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The silence that followed was filled by the soft background noise of the dining room. But between Gwen and mo, there was something heavier. Not uncomfortable, exactly. Just… charged.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, turning my full attention to her.

Gwen shrugged, taking another sip of coffee.

“Same as before,” she replied simply.

“No memory flashes?” I pressed. “No dreams that felt real?”

She paused, thinking, her eyes going distant for a moment as if she were searching her own mind for something. Then she shook her head.

“No. Nothing.”

I took a slow breath. I needed to help somehow, without letting on that I knew absolutely nothing about

her.

“I talked to Dr. Marshall,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “He said that getting involved in activities you like, or things that are part of your everyday life, might help. Sometimes it can trigger memories.”

Gwen looked at me, clear frustration in her blue eyes.

“That’s the problem,” she said, exhaustion weighing down her voice. “I don’t remember anything. I don’t know what I like. I don’t know what’s normal for me. I don’t know anything.”

Then, like a switch flipping, she smiled. It wasn’t forced. It was hopeful. Confident.

“But you remember, right?” she said, leaning forward slightly. “You’re my fiancé. Of course you know

what I like.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

She was right. If we were really engaged, I would know. I’d know her favorite foods, her favorite movies, what kind of music she loved, how she spent her weekends, what she dreamed about, what scared her,

what she hoped for.

Everything would be so much easier if that were true.

If I actually knew her beyond the basic information on the reservation form. First name. Last name. Date of birth. City of origin.

When I answered, I tried not to lie. But I couldn’t be direct either. I had to walk that impossible line in between.

“You really enjoyed the tour yesterday,” I said, wrapping my hands around my coffee mug just to have something to hold. “And you clearly know a lot about wine. Real knowledge.”

She nodded, waiting for me to go on.

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“It’s winter, so there isn’t much to do in the vineyards,” I continued. “But I thought you might help me organize the cellar. Some barrels need to be moved, and afterward we could taste a few of the wines with local cheeses. See what you think of this year’s production.”

I watched her closely, searching for any sign of recognition, of real interest.

“That sounds… nice,” Gwen said, but her voice was flat. Polite. Neutral. “I can help.”

Something was off. She didn’t look excited. There was none of that spark I’d seen yesterday when she evaluated the wine, when she talked to Bella, when she looked at me.

“Are you sure?” I asked, tilting my head. “You don’t seem very excited.”

She paused. Then her expression shifted. The smile that appeared this time was different. Warmer. Real. It reached her eyes and made them shine.

“I am excited to spend the day with you,” she said softly. “No matter what we’re doing.”

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