Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 607

Chapter 607

Gwen’s POV

Monday showed up with an impossible pile of work waiting on my desk.

Missing all of Friday had caused things to stack up at an alarming rate. Winery performance reports, Valentian market analysis, expansion proposals for new distributors, contracts that needed review before signing, overdue vintage evaluations.

Things that had to get done whether I had time for them or not.

I was sitting in my office at Kensington, eating straight out of a delivery container while scrolling through page after page of documents on my computer. Numbers. Charts. Projections. Mia sat across from me, eating too, but looking a lot more relaxed than I felt.

“You look like you haven’t slept in a week,” Mia commented, studying me critically over her Caesar salad. “Seriously, Gwen. I’ve got this amazing new eye cream that works miracles on dark circles. I’ll bring it tomorrow.”

“Technically,” I said without taking my eyes off the spreadsheet on my screen, “I didn’t sleep much Saturday night.”

Mia laughed, a low, knowing sound.

“Well, obviously,” she said, resting her chin on her hand with a wicked smile. “You spent over two million dollars on that man. The least he can do is satisfy you very well in bed.”

1 rolled my eyes dramatically, finally looking away from the computer to face her.

“I didn’t spend that money on Nick,” I corrected firmly. “I spent it on a solid, strategic business investment. Christian himself said I’d be a complete idiot not to save a business I’m a partner in when I’m perfectly capable of doing so.”

“I bet he wasn’t thinking about two million when he said that,” Mia shot back, taking another bite of salad.

“Christian’s personal investments make way more than that in a week,” I said with a shrug, as if it were nothing. “Besides, I used my own money. From my personal accounts. Not the company’s. Not the family fund. It didn’t affect anyone but me.”

I paused, feeling a small, genuine smile tug at my lips.

“And honestly,” I added in a tone I knew would get a reaction, “what’s the point of being rich if I can’t give a generous gift to someone I want to?”

Mia laughed out loud, throwing her head back.

“Fine, fine,” she agreed, raising her hands in theatrical surrender, “Just strategically reminding you that my birthday is coming up in a few months. In case you want to spoil someone else you love deeply.”

1/3

“I’ll make a mental note,” I teased, turning my attention back to the reports that still desperately needed

my approval.

We fell into a comfortable silence for a few long minutes. Just the sound of plastic cutlery against cardboard containers and my fingers occasionally typing replies to urgent emails.

“So,” I asked casually without looking up from the glowing screen, “you’re coming to dinner, right? Next Saturday. I can really only count on you and Dante to represent the family.”

I

“Are you absolutely sure you want to bring Dante?” Mia asked skeptically. “Because that loudmouth with zero self-awareness is going to say something he shouldn’t at the worst possible moment. You know him. There’s literally no filter between his brain and his mouth.”

“I’ll figure out how to train him properly beforehand,” I said, finally closing my laptop and giving her my full attention. “Besides…”

I hesitated, carefully organizing the mess of thoughts in my head before continuing.

“It’s incredibly frustrating not being able to introduce Nick to my real world,” I admitted, my voice coming out softer and more vulnerable than I intended. “He’s opened up so much to me, Mia. He’s shown me everything. His whole life. His family. All his financial struggles. His dreams for the future. And me? He barely knows anything real about me.”

Mia was watching me closely now, her expression serious.

“And I’m not just talking about my family,” I went on, gesturing vaguely with my hands. “I’m talking about my entire life. My actual reality. How exactly do I bring him to Florentia and casually take him to my apartment? He’s going to freak out over the size of it. The over-the-top luxury. All of it. How do I naturally bring him to a corporate event? Or a formal business dinner? Or even just the expensive places I usually go?”

1 paused, feeling the full weight of what I was saying out loud for the first time.

“Everything gives me away, Mia,” I said quietly. “Every part of my life screams who I really am. The apartment. The clothes. The places. The people. And I don’t know how to handle that. I don’t know when to tell him the full truth. Or how to say it without blowing everything up. What to reveal first so it doesn’t

hit him all at once.”

“You’re going to have to tell him eventually,” Mia said gently but firmly. “The longer you wait, the harder it gets. And worse, the more it looks like you were deliberately hiding it.”

“I know,” I admitted miserably, dragging my hands down my tired face. “I know. Logically, I know. But every time I seriously think about telling him, I picture the look on his face when he finds out. The disappointment. The sense of betrayal. Like I’ve been lying to him this whole time.”

“You haven’t lied,” Mia corrected carefully, “You’ve omitted information. Technically, that’s different.”

“I don’t know if he’ll see it that generously,” I murmured, staring at my hands.

“Gwen, you need to-”

2/3

Mia didn’t get to finish.

My office door flew open without warning. No polite knock. No announcement from my assistant.

Nothing.

The male voice that followed was commanding, edged with authority and something dangerously close to restrained anger.

“Gwen, we need to talk.”

P

Comments

Support

Share

ALLI

3/3