Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 587

Chapter 587

The party was in full swing.

Bella ran back and forth with her school friends, a small crowd of six- and seven-year-olds who seemed to have unlimited energy. They played tag between the trees, laughed too loudly, and screamed for no apparent reason in that way only children can.

Bella was radiant. She wore a pink tulle dress that flared out whenever she spun, which she did constantly just to watch it twirl. She’d insisted on wearing the necklace I’d given her too, the little star shining against the rosy fabric.

“Gwen! Gwen!” she shouted at one point, racing over to where I was sitting. “Come play hide-and-seek

with us!”

“In a minute, sweetheart,” I promised, tucking a loose strand of hair back into place. “Let your aunt rest for just a second first.”

She accepted that easily, in the way only kids can, and ran right back to the group, already yelling something about who was going to count next.

Nick was everywhere at once, like any dad at his kid’s birthday party. Keeping an eye on the games. Breaking up the occasional argument over who got somewhere first. Cleaning scraped knees. Pouring juice. Making sure no one climbed too high into the trees.

But even in the middle of all that organized chaos, he still found time for me.

He appeared at my side with a plate of snacks.

‘Martina made the ones you liked,” he said, setting the plate in front of me. “Eat them before the kids

discover them and attack.”

Or he’d bring me a fresh glass of juice.

“It’s hot today,” he’d explain, even when it really wasn’t. “You need to stay hydrated.”

Or sometimes he’d just sit beside me for a few minutes when he caught a break, his shoulder brushing mine, his presence warm and grounding.

“Are you having fun?” he asked during one of those moments, his eyes scanning the party even though his attention was clearly on me.

“I really am,” I answered honestly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a party for kids this age. I forgot how… pure it is. No complications. Just genuine joy.”

He smiled and nodded.

“That’s why I make sure to throw a party every year, even when money’s tight,” he said. “Bella deserves these memories. To be a kid. To be happy. To not carry adult worries yet.”

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Something tightened in my chest at his words.

At one point, while Bella was distracted playing with one of her friends, Nick reached out his hand to me.

“Come on,” he said simply.

I slipped my hand into his and let him pull me to my feet. He didn’t let go. Instead, he laced his fingers through mine and held on as he led me a few steps away from the party, to a quieter spot beneath a tree.

“I just wanted a moment,” he explained, his voice lower now that we were relatively alone. “Away from

the chaos.”

“Chaos is good,” I said, still holding on to his hand. “It means she’s happy.”

“She is,” he agreed, his eyes on mine now. “And so am I.”

There was nothing explicit in his words. But the way he looked at me, the gentle squeeze of his fingers

around mine, the way he stayed close even when he didn’t need to…

It said everything without saying a thing.

Something was growing there. Something neither of us was fully ready to name yet, but that we both felt.

Eventually, Paula appeared to announce it was time for the cake.

Everyone gathered around the main table where the chocolate cake sat in the center, seven candles lit, forming a small circle of flickering flames.

Bella was lifted onto a special chair, raised just enough so everyone could see her. She was practically vibrating with excitement, her little hands clasped beneath her chin.

“Let’s sing!” Martina announced, and everyone joined in.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Bella, happy birthday to you!”

Bella smiled so wide it looked like her face might split in two. Her eyes sparkled in the candlelight, her cheeks flushed from all the running and laughing.

When the song ended, everyone shouted at once.

“Make a wish! Make a wish!”

Bella squeezed her eyes shut, her hands still clasped under her chin in absolute concentration.

A hush fell over the group as everyone waited for her to make her silent wish, just like tradition dictated.

But then Bella opened her eyes.

And instead of blowing out the candles quietly, she spoke. Loud. Clear. For everyone to hear.

“I want Gwen to be my new mommy.”

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The world stopped.

It stopped completely.

The words hit me like a physical blow to the chest.

Absolute silence fell over the party. The other children stared, confused, not fully grasping the weight of what had been said. The adults froze, some looking shocked, others uncomfortable, others wearing expressions that looked painfully understanding.

My eyes went instinctively to Nick. He was pale, completely still, staring at his daughter with an expression caught somewhere between love and panic.

Then I looked at Bella. At the seven-year-old who had just spoken her deepest wish out loud in front of a crowd. Who had no idea about complexity or impossibility or how much weight those simple words

carried.

Tears burned behind my eyes. Not from happiness, but from something far more complicated. From wanting something I couldn’t have. From being seen in a way I didn’t deserve. From knowing that one day I would inevitably disappoint this wonderful child when the truth came out.

The silence stretched on. Seconds that felt like hours. No one knew what to say. How to break the moment without hurting her even more.

That was when a clear and cold voice cut through the air from the back of the party. It was spoken in a tone that made my blood turn to ice.

“And why would you need a new mommy when you already have one?”

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