Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 650

Chapter 650

Gwen’s POV

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“What do you mean it’s your fault?” Nick asked immediately, tension sharpening his voice.

I took a slow breath. This time, there would be no omissions. No half-truths.

“Renee threatened me,” I began. “The day of the accident. She came to my office.”

I saw Nick’s jaw tighten.

“Go on,” he said, his voice controlled but hard.

“She asked for money,” I said. “A lot of money. She called it payment for her silence. So she wouldn’t tell you I bought your debt. And so she wouldn’t use that information to… build a case for full custody of

Bella.”

Nick closed his eyes briefly.

“And what did you do?”

“I refused,” I answered immediately. “Flat out. I told her to get out of my office.”

He nodded, approval clear.

“Good. You don’t give in to blackmail. Ever.”

“Exactly,” I said. “If I paid once, she’d ask for more. And more. It would never end.”

I paused, bracing myself.

“It wasn’t just about the money,” I continued. “It was about control. About sending the message that we were afraid of her. That she had power over us. That all she had to do was use Bella like a pawn and she’d get whatever she wanted.”

My voice grew steadier.

“I couldn’t allow that, Nick. I couldn’t let her think she had that kind of leverage. I thought we could handle it strategically. I thought I could get to you first. Tell you myself before she had the chance.”

Understanding flickered across his face.

“That’s why you were driving like that,” he said slowly.

“Yes,” I admitted. “I left the office immediately. Canceled everything. Got in the car and drove as fast as l could. I needed to reach you before she did.”

Nick was staring at me now, piecing it together.

“Wait,” he said suddenly. His eyes widened, “Before Renee? You were both heading to the estate at the

same time?”

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I nodded.

“Yes.”

“So you two were-”

“On the same road,” I finished for him. “That’s why the accident happened the way it did.”

He went completely still.

“What do you mean?” His voice was low now. Dangerous.

I closed my eyes, replaying it.

“I was trying to pass a car on the road,” I said slowly. “Just a regular car. I didn’t pay attention to who it was. I just wanted to get ahead. I switched lanes. Accelerated.”

I opened my eyes and looked straight at him.

“And when I was halfway through the pass, when I looked over… it was her. It was Renee. And she saw me too. Recognized my car.”

My breathing quickened with the memory.

“She sped up,” I continued, my voice trembling now. “She wouldn’t let me complete the pass. Wouldn’t let me merge back into my lane. I was stuck in the opposite lane, and she just… kept me there.”

“And then the truck appeared,” Nick said, his tone ice-cold.

“It came out of nowhere,” I whispered. “I had seconds. I swerved hard. Went off the road. Lost control. And then-”

I didn’t have to finish.

He knew.

The room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.

“You’re telling me Renee tried to kill you?”

I chose my answer carefully.

“No,” I said after a moment. “I don’t think that was her intention. I don’t think she set out planning to kill

me or seriously injure me.”

Skepticism flashed across Nick’s face.

“I think it was a stupid power game,” I explained. “A reckless contest over who would get there first A childish escalation that spiraled out of control. She’s unstable, She’s vindictive. She’s cruel. But premeditated murder? I don’t think she went that far.”

Nick stayed quiet for a beat.

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“Are you sure?” he asked, doubt heavy in his voice.

I frowned. “Why would you say that?”

“The estate,” he replied simply.

I understood instantly.

“The fire…” I murmured.

“Christian told you?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I was there today,” Nick said. “I saw the damage. Talked to investigators. It’s definitely arson, Gwen. Accelerant in multiple locations. It was deliberate.”

A cold anger began to rise in me.

“You think it was her?” I asked, even though I already knew his answer.

“Who else?” Nick shot back.

I wanted to argue. But I didn’t have a solid alternative.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But setting a house on fire with people inside…”

“Bella was there,” Nick said, his voice cracking slightly. “Our daughter was asleep in that house.”

That reality hit hard.

“Then we need proof,” I said, resolve returning. “We need to prove she was involved in the fire.”

“But in the meantime,” Nick continued, thinking strategically now, “if we could prove she caused your accident-

I shook my head before he even finished.

“We can’t,” I cut in, frustration seeping through. “The truck driver didn’t see her forcing me to stay in the opposite lane. He only came around the bend and saw the crash unfolding. He was the only witness besides the two of us. And Renee is never going to admit what she did ”

Nick nodded reluctantly.

“So she walks away,” he said bitterly.

“No,” I replied firmly. “She doesn’t. She has to face consequences. And she will. If not for the accident then for the fire.”

“How?”

“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “But trust me, I’m not talking about vague karma. Though I believe in that

too. I’m talking about real consequences.”

Anger and determination burned steadily in my chest.

“If she put Bella’s life at risk like that,” I continued, my voice colder now, sharper, unmistakably Kensington, “then she’s going to have to deal with Gwen Kensington.”

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