Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 628

Chapter 628

Gwen’s POV

Nick stared at the wine label.

Kensington, written in elegant gold letters against a dark background.

My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could hear it.

The silence stretched between us. Heavy. Suffocating.

Finally, he lifted his eyes to mine, something unreadable in his expression.

“Kensington…” he said slowly. “As in Kensington Wines?”

It was like he could see it but still couldn’t quite believe it. Like he needed to hear it out loud to make it

real.

“Exactly,” I confirmed, my voice softer than I intended.

He placed the bottle back on the table with exaggerated care, as if it might shatter.

“You’re the owner of Kensington Wines?” he asked plainly.

“Technically, Christian is,” I corrected quickly. “He’s the CEO of Kensington. I’m just the COO for Valentia.”

Nick frowned, confusion deepening.

“COO?” he repeated. “What does that even mean?”

There was something almost endearing about the way he didn’t understand that part of my world. I had to fight the urge to smile. The last thing I wanted was to sound condescending.

“Chief Operating Officer,” I explained gently. “I oversee operations in Valentia. Production, logistics, distribution, relationships with suppliers and partners. Christian focuses more on global strategy, expansion, investments.”

Nick absorbed that in silence.

“And you say you’re ‘just’ the COO for Valentia?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shrugged, downplaying it.

“It sounds bigger than it feels day to day,” I said, even though I knew that wasn’t entirely true. “A lot of meetings. Bureaucracy. Technical decisions.”

at me like he knew I was minimizing it on purpose.

“So when you went to the estate,” he said slowly, “you were there to buy it. That was the plan.”

I took a breath.

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hapter 820

“Yes,” I admitted. “At first, yes. Christian had a commercial interest in the property. He asked me to evaluate it discreetly and see if it was worth making an offer.”

I saw something close off in his face.

“But I told Christian it wasn’t going to happen the moment my memory came back,” I added quickly. “I understood how much you loved that place. That for you it wasn’t about money. That the estate is family. History. Identity. And I would never be part of something that took that from you.”

Nick stayed quiet for a long time.

“I don’t even know what I’m getting myself into,” he muttered finally, more to himself than to me.

“It doesn’t change that much,” I tried. “It’s just a last name.”

“A last name that owns an empire,” he replied, looking directly at me.

Then something seemed to click in his mind.

“The necklace…” he said slowly. “Bella’s necklace?”

I nodded, knowing exactly where he was going.

“Diamonds,” I said simply. “Your ex was right.”

He dragged a hand over his face and let out a long breath.

“But I didn’t think about it like that when I gave it to her,” I continued. “I didn’t think about the price tag or what it represented. I just wanted to give something special to a special little girl. Our friendship necklace, like she called it.”

“Because for you, it’s easy not to think about it,” Nick said. There was no accusation in his voice. Just truth.

“Yes,” I admitted. “And I know how privileged I am because of that. I know I live a life most people never will. That I can buy things without checking my bank account or worrying about the end of the month.”

I shifted closer to him on the couch.

“But I’ve been learning to see another side of life with you,” I said honestly. “And I like it. The simplicity. The authenticity. The things that matter beyond money and business.”

I took his hand in both of mine.

“And maybe,” I added more softly, “I can help you see another side of life with me. It’s not about one of us ging up our world for the other. It’s about finding a way to make those worlds fit together. Finding

Nick just nodded, saying nothing.

I took a breath and decided to risk it.

2/4

“So…” I began carefully, “maybe tomorrow you’d like to come by Kensington headquarters with me? Just to see it. To understand that part of my life a little better.”

He gave me a small smile. Tired. But real.

“I don’t know,” he said honestly. “Maybe… maybe we should start with baby steps.”

I let out a soft laugh, relief washing through me.

“Okay,” I agreed. “Baby steps. We can do that.”

He rubbed his eyes, suddenly looking exhausted.

“I need to sleep,” he said. “I need to sort my thoughts out. Process all of this.”

He stood up from the couch. I stood too.

He leaned down and kissed me gently.

“I promise I’ll try,” he murmured against my lips.

“I know,” I said, and I meant it.

He stepped back, but before heading toward the stairs that led upstairs, he stopped.

Turned to face me again, that serious look back in his eyes.

“But before I get any more surprises,” he said, ‘is there anything else you want to tell me? Any more secrets? Any more bombs you’re saving?”

My stomach clenched painfully.

There was.

There was his debt. The one I had quietly purchased through KWJ Holdings for an absurd price. The fact that technically, legally, I was now his creditor.

A truth that would make him explode.

Not just because of the lie. But because he would feel indebted to me. Not metaphorically. Literally. Financially. Legally. As if I had power over him. Over everything he loved.

And knowing Nick, knowing his pride, his fierce independence, that would be unbearable.

But he had agreed to try. He had told me he loved me. He had promised baby steps toward making our

worlds fit.

A:

want to give him a reason to walk away tonight.

We could talk about it later. When things were steadier. When he had fully processed the Kensington revelation. When he was more prepared to hear it.

3/4

It wasn’t lying.

It was… postponing..

Choosing the right moment.

Protecting what we had salvaged tonight.

So I looked him straight in the eyes and answered, “No. Nothing else.”

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