Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 614

Chapter 614

Gwen’s POV

Dinner was held in the space we’d set up for the sunset evenings.

The long wooden table was covered with a simple white linen cloth, decorated with small arrangements of wildflowers Bella had helped pick earlier that afternoon. Candles in cast-iron holders were placed carefully along the center, creating a soft, welcoming glow once the sun fully disappeared beyond the hills.

Nothing extravagant. Nothing pretentious. Just honestly, genuinely beautiful.

Martina had outdone herself. The starter was a selection of antipasti. Local cheeses, cured prosciutto, marinated olives, and warm crusty bread. The main course was lamb stew with saffron risotto, the meat so tender it practically fell apart under the fork.

“Oh my God,” Zoey said after her first bite, closing her eyes. “Martina, this is divine. Seriously. Better than half the restaurants I’ve been to.”

Martina blushed, clearly delighted.

“It’s my grandmother’s recipe,” she explained proudly. “Passed down through generations. The secret is the cooking time and the fresh herbs from the garden.”

Christian took a sip of the wine Nick had chosen from the cellar.

“Excellent pairing,” he commented. “This Barolo complements the richness of the stew perfectly.”

Nick visibly relaxed at the compliment..

The conversation flowed easily. Mia talked about Florentia and the hidden spots tourists never found. Dante made jokes that had even Paula hiding reluctant smiles. Bella chatted animatedly with Zoey about brigadeiros and when exactly they were going to make them together.

“So,” Nick said at one point, turning to Christian, “Gwen mentioned you’re living in Verdania now. What took you so far away?”

I saw Christian hesitate for just a fraction of a second before answering.

“Work, mostly,” he said in that polished casual tone of his. “I manage the family’s business interests there. Some investments. And, well… meeting Zoey gave me a reason to stay.”

I nudged him discreetly under the table while Paula complimented Zoey’s Valentian, and Zoey laughed, admitting that at first she could barely order bread at a bakery but had been practicing ever since.

Christian shot me a sideways look but kept his expression neutral.

He knew exactly why I’d nudged him. For Nick’s family, the simple fact that my brother lived in Verdania and could travel back to Euradia regularly already placed him in a comfortable financial category. They

1/4

didn’t need to imagine beyond that. They didn’t need to know about wine empires and generational wealth.

“That must be fascinating,” Martina said with interest. “Verdania is so different from Valentia.”

“It is,” Zoey agreed. “But there are similarities too. The importance of family. Long meals. A passion for good wine and good food.”

“And soccer,” Dante added. “Don’t forget soccer.”

“Obviously soccer,” Christian said with a laugh.

“Daddy,” Bella suddenly said, “tell that funny story to Aunt Zoey!”

Nick’s eyes widened.

“What story, princess?”

“The one Grandma always tells,” Bella clarified. “About the chicken.”

Martina was already laughing before she even started.

“Oh, that’s a good one,” she said, leaning forward conspiratorially. “Nick must’ve been six or seven. We still had chickens on the property back then. That week it rained nonstop. Storms, wind, thunder…”

“Mom…” Nick warned, already turning red.

“Let me tell it,” Martina insisted, delighted. “He decided the chickens were going to die of fear outside. So in the middle of the night, he grabbed a flashlight, snuck out in his pajamas, and started carrying them into his bedroom. One by one.”

Zoey was already grinning in anticipation.

“When I woke up because of the noise, I went to check,” Martina continued. “I opened his door and found twelve chickens perched everywhere. On the bed, on the dresser, on the chair… and Nick trying to convince them to stay quiet because ‘inside was safer.””

Mia covered her mouth, laughing.

“No.”

“Yes,” Martina confirmed. “The whole house woke up. The chickens panicked, started flapping everywhere, knocking things over. Your grandfather slipped on feathers in the hallway and almost broke his arm. And Nick, in the middle of the chaos, crying and yelling that it was our fault because no one cared about how scared they were.”

Bella burst out laughing, clapping her hands.

“Did you get mad at him?” she asked, still giggling.

“A little,” Martina admitted. “But after we cleaned the entire house, your grandfather spent the whole

2/4

morning saying, ‘At least someone In this family has a heart.””

Everyone laughed. Even Nick, despite the obvious embarrassment.

“I was seven,” he defended himself. “And I genuinely thought they were going to freeze out there.”

“So your soft heart goes way back,” I said, squeezing his hand under the table.

“In Nick’s defense, storms are scary!” Zoey chimed in, laughing.

Christian cleared his throat, clearly preparing retaliation.

“Since we’re sharing embarrassing childhood stories,” he said, a dangerous glint in his eyes, “I have a good one about Gwen.”

“Christian,” I warned.

“She was about nine,” he began, ignoring me. “And had decided she was going to be a chef when she

grew up.

11

“That’s adorable,” Zoey said.

“Wait,” Christian continued. “She convinced the-”

The cook. He almost said cook, but stopped himself just in time.

“Well, she convinced everyone to let her make dinner entirely on her own. To prove her skills.”

I felt my face heating.

1

“She made a soup,” he went on, “which was supposedly vegetable. But she added sugar instead of salt. Cinnamon instead of pepper. And for reasons we still don’t understand, strawberry jam.”

Nick was laughing now.

“How was it?”

“Inedible,” Christian said. “Completely inedible. But we all sat there and ate every spoonful, praising her, because she was so proud.”

“You lied,” I accused.

“We lied with conviction,” Christian replied. “Zoey, love, you would’ve done the same.”

“Absolutely,” Zoey agreed, “I would’ve lied with a smile.”

Dessert followed. Martina had made a berry pie, the crust buttery and delicate, the filling sweet without being overwhelming. Perfect even for Bella, who ate two slices.

Christian turned to Nick while we were finishing dessert.

“The vineyards here are impressive,” he said sincerely. “How many hectares are you working with?”

3/4

25 Bonus

“About five hectares of vines,” Nick replied. “We’re not big. But we’re stubborn. And what comes out of here, I stand by it.”

“I’d love to see it properly tomorrow,” Christian said. “If you have time to show me around.”

“Of course,” Nick agreed, clearly pleased. “It would be my pleasure. I can walk you through everything. From harvest to bottling.”

“Perfect.”

I finally started to relax.

The night was going well. More than well. Everyone was talking easily, laughing, actually getting to know each other.

Maybe everything really would work out in the end.

That’s when I heard it.

“Sorry I’m late.”

A woman’s voice cut cleanly through the overlapping conversations.

“It wasn’t easy finding this hidden place.”

I turned automatically.

Renee was standing near the arch of vines that marked the entrance to the dining space.

“Did I make it in time for dessert?”

P

ENJOYING THE BOOK?

Give it a rating to show your support!

Comments

Support

Share

4/4

+25 Bonus