Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 582

Chapter 582

Gwen’s POV

The entire world disappeared. The guests having dinner. The sunset. The wind in the trees. Everything vanished except Nick’s green eyes locked on mine, his arms still around my waist, our faces so close I could feel his breath.

He leaned in slightly.

I leaned in too, my eyes starting to close, my heart pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it.

“Gwen! Gwen!”

The high-pitched voice sliced through the moment like a knife.

We jumped apart instantly, putting a very respectable distance between our bodies just as Bella came running up, her pink dress flying behind her.

“Push me on the swing!” she begged, stopping in front of us with that huge smile that lit up her entire face. “Please!”

I glanced at Nick, who looked torn between amusement and frustration.

Then I put on my brightest smile for Bella.

“Of course, my love,” I said, taking her little hand. “And we’re going to take lots of pictures of you too!”

“But Daddy doesn’t let me have social media,” Bella complained, pouting as we walked toward the swing

under the oak tree.

“That’s because social media isn’t for kids,” I explained, helping her sit on the swing and making sure she was secure. “But you know where we are going to post your pictures? On Valemont Estate’s page. You’re going to be our poster girl.”

“Yay!” Bella shouted, kicking her legs excitedly. “I’m going to be on the internet?”

“You are,” I confirmed, starting to push her gently. “Everyone’s going to see how beautiful you are and how special this place is.”

Bella laughed every time the swing went higher, always asking to go higher, higher. I pulled out my phone and started taking pictures. Her against the colorful sunset sky. Her smiling with her eyes closed, feeling the wind. Her waving at the camera.

At one point, I looked up and saw Nick watching us. He was leaning against one of the tables, arms crossed, but there was something soft in his expression. Something tender. Like he was committing that image to memory.

Our eyes met. He smiled. I smiled back.

And for a moment, everything felt perfect.

The days that followed were… chaotic.

I went back to Florentia Monday morning and straight into my office at Kensington, diving headfirst into COO work that never came in small doses. Meetings. Reports. Decisions about distribution, marketing, new contracts. The kind of work that usually energized me, but now only left me drained.

I was exhausted because I’d barely rested over the weekend. And during breaks between meetings, instead of relaxing, I found myself editing photos of Valemont Estate on my phone. Adjusting brightness. Tweaking contrast. Writing captions. Scheduling posts for the Instagram account I had completely taken

over.

I’d also hired, with my own money because I couldn’t possibly charge Nick for this, a web developer Zoey had recommended to completely redesign the inn’s website. Make it modern, interactive, easy to navigate. With an integrated online booking system and a professional photo gallery.

It was almost two on Thursday afternoon when Mia showed up in my office carrying two bags of food.

“I ordered delivery,” she announced, setting everything on my desk and pushing papers aside to make room. “That Thai place you love. Because I know you weren’t going to leave for lunch if I didn’t do this.”

“I was busy,” I said defensively, but my stomach growled, betraying how hungry I really was.

“You’re always busy,” Mia replied, handing me one of the containers. “It’s your natural state of being.”

We ate in silence for a few minutes. I kept my phone beside me, editing yet another photo between bites of pad thai.

“Have you thought,” Mia said casually, though there was something deliberate in her tone, “that if Zoey mentions your new little project to Christian, he’s going to lose his mind?”

I paused with my fork midair.

“Why?” I asked, going back to eating. “Valemont Estate doesn’t even tickle the Kensington’s pinky finger. We’re not real competitors.”

“But it’s not about direct competition,” Mia explained, setting her own container aside. “It’s about what people will say. Imagine if they find out the Kensington COO is working with, or worse, is a temporary partner in, another winery. Even if it’s small. Even if it’s irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.”

I sighed, finally putting my phone down too.

“It’s more about the property itself than the wine,” I argued. “They’ll never go beyond small-scale production for their own guests and a few bottles sold to tourists. It’s not like they’re going to start competing with us for contracts with Valentia’s top restaurants or anything like that. The scales are completely different.”

Mia laughed, but there was no humor in it.

“Of course they won’t,” she agreed. “But like I said, it’s about how people can use that information. Spin narratives. Corporate gossip. And besides, Gwen, if your name leaks to the press or the right circles…”

She paused deliberately..

“Christian won’t be the only one furious. Imagine your mountain hermit finding out through the media. That you’re a Kensington. That your family wanted to buy his property. That you went there in the first place as a corporate spy.”

My stomach twisted, and it had nothing to do with the Thai food.

“That’s not going to happen,” I said, but my voice didn’t sound as convincing as I wanted it to.

“Then be careful with the influencer couple Zoey is sending,” Mia warned, going back to her food. “If they’re going as a favor to a Kensington, they might talk too much. Mention where the connection came from. Things leak, Gwen. They always do.”

I poked at my food, no longer hungry.

I knew Mia was right. I knew the best thing to do was come clean. Tell Christian everything before he found out some other way. Tell Nick everything before it was too late.

But the right path wasn’t always the easiest one.

“I have a plan,” I murmured, more to myself than to Mia.

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