Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 740

Chapter 740 Extra 9

Zoey’s POV

I couldn’t stay in that room pretending everything was fine while Matthew stood there chewing on a “it’s probably nothing” with a face that clearly said it was something.

“Come,” I said, already walking, not giving him a chance to argue in front of the staff.

I pulled my brother down the hallway and into the winter garden-the only place in the house that made me feel like I was outside without actually leaving. Glass, plants, soft light. No staff passing by. No clinking dishes. No sense that anything I said could turn into gossip in fifteen minutes.

Matthew stayed standing, hands in his pockets, wearing that patient expression of his.

I didn’t want patience.

I wanted an answer that made my stomach stop tightening.

“Zoey…” he started.

“Shh,” I cut him off, already pulling out my phone.

I wasn’t going to investigate.

I wasn’t going to stalk.

I wasn’t going to do anything that made me look like I’d lost my dignity.

I was going to call my husband.

Simple. Adult. Direct.

The phone rang once.

Twice.

Christian picked up on the second ring.

“Hey, love,” he said, that warm calm in his voice that always disarmed me. “Everything okay?”

I took a breath, forcing my tone to stay light. It was a skill I’d learned over years with the Kensingtons-sounding calm while mentally rearranging pieces that didn’t fit.

“Everything’s fine,” I said. “I dropped Matt off at school earlier and… can you believe he didn’t even look back?”

On the other end, Christian laughed.

“Hard to believe,” he said. “You must’ve been devastated. I wish I’d been there with you.”

I barely registered the words.

It was the background noise that mattered.

And I didn’t need to be an expert to recognize that sound-voices echoing, muffled announcements, the low root of too many people in one place.

I gestured to Matthew, bringing a finger to my ear.

‘Listen.’

He frowned and leaned in slightly, like the sound might somehow pass through the phone to him. I hated myself for this-for

175

Chapter 740 Fattes s

+25 Bonus

the paranoia-but I couldn’t stop.

“Yeah…” I replied automatically, because the conversation had to keep moving. “You know how it is. Anyway… I just wanted to check if you got to the office okay. Did you go straight there?”

The pause on his end was tiny.

So small most people wouldn’t notice.

I did.

“Yeah, I got here fine,” Christian said. “I’m about to go into a meeting. I’ll see you later?”

My stomach tightened at the word meeting. It sounded… rehearsed.

Christian never sounded rehearsed with me.

“Of course,” I said, sweeter than necessary. “Matthew is here waiting for you, so don’t be too late.”

His voice stayed just as steady.

“Of course,” he said. “Love you.”

“I love you too,” I answered-and I hated that it was still true in a way that made me weaker.

I hung up.

The quiet of the winter garden rushed back in like the call had never happened.

Except my heart was beating too fast, and I had that sharp, irritating certainty that I’d just heard a very well-told lie.

I looked at Matthew like he was the only thing keeping me grounded.

“Did you hear that?” I said, my voice coming out sharper than I meant. “Something’s off. You heard the noise, right?”

Matthew dragged a hand over the back of his neck, uncomfortable.

“Zoey… it’s probably nothing,” he said-and I could see the sentence sitting on his tongue before he even said it.

“It sounded like he was at an airport,” I pushed. “Or somewhere crowded. That was not an office. Definitely not a meeting room.

Matthew opened his mouth.

“He probably-“he started.

And stopped.

I took a breath, feeling the frustration start to tangle with something much worse.

Fear.

“Exactly,” I said slowly. “Exactly.”

Matthew tried to fix it, reaching for the safest answer.

“Business,” he said, like the word could cover everything. “With Christian, it’s always business.”

I let out a humorless laugh.

“Except he doesn’t hide business from me.”

The moment I said it, it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

215

Chapter 740 Extra?

+25 Bonus

Because I realized I was defending a logic that had already started to crack.

I thought about the phone turned face down. About how he didn’t want me going with him today. About my birthday creeping closer like a date that suddenly felt… forgotten.

I stepped out of the winter garden, already moving.

“Zoey,” Matthew called, following me. “Hey. What are you doing?”

I didn’t answer. 1

I went up the stairs fast. I could hear my own footsteps and it annoyed me. I wasn’t the kind of person who ran through her own house like she was in some bad movie.

And yet-

I was running.

In the bedroom, I went straight to the closet.

Matthew came in right after me, looking like he wanted to stop me without actually touching me.

“Zogy, what are you doing?” he asked again.

I pulled a suitcase from the lower shelf. It scraped against the floor, loud and sharp. I dropped it onto the bed and started throwing clothes inside without thinking-T-shirt, jeans, a light dress, a jacket.

My mind wasn’t choosing.

My body was.

“Zoey…” Matthew said, firmer now. “Slow down.”

“Something’s wrong,” I said, not looking up. I folded clothes quickly, like the act itself could control the chaos. “And I’m not going to stand here and just watch it happen.”

He stepped closer.

“And where exactly are you going?”

I froze.

Because the question was as obvious as it was cruel.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

The words made everything worse. It sounded insane.

Because it was.

Matthew narrowed his eyes, trying to pull me back to reality.

“And Matt?”

My chest tightened.

“I… I’ll pick him up early from school,” I said.

He raised a hand.

“Zoey. Stop. Breathe.”

And I did.

315

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify