Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 747

Chapter 747 Extra 16

+25 Bonus

Chapter 747 Extra 16

Christian’s POV

The Crystal Gallery felt like it had been designed to test the discipline of any man who’d ever sworn he

didn’t care about storefronts.

Everything gleamed. Glass, marble, that kind of flawless order that somehow made everything look more expensive just by being exactly where it belonged. Different scents lingered in the air. A trace of new leather. A hint of citrus drifting from an open boutique. And somewhere nearby, the smell of fresh coffee that made you want to stop for no reason at all.

Well-dressed people moved at an unhurried pace, like no one there had anywhere to be. Discreet security in all the right places. Employees with perfectly measured smiles.

And me, trying to convince myself this was just a “quick stop for a few hours.”

Zoey walked in like the place belonged to her.

And honestly, it did.

Because Zoey had that ability. She didn’t need to belong to a space to own it. All she had to do was exist the way she naturally did.

I walked beside her, fighting the instinct to scan everything. Security, angles, who was watching. Trying to remind myself this was, officially, just a “quick stop.”

Except my wife was pregnant.

And when Zoey was pregnant, the whole world turned into a mix of fragility and war. The last time hadn’t been easy. And even though I knew the people responsible for those problems were behind bars, the scars didn’t just disappear.

She stopped in front of a display window, her expression thoughtful, her hand brushing over her still-flat stomach like the gesture itself was a secret.

“You’ve got that look,” she said. “Like a businessman who thinks he’ll die if he walks around without a purpose.”

“I have a purpose,” I replied.

Zoey glanced at me, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Oh yeah? What is it?”

I was about to answer, but the truth was… I couldn’t. Not yet.

And that’s when I heard a familiar voice behind us.

“Zoey!”

1/6

Chapter 747 Extra 16

+25 Bonus

Zoey turned, her smile breaking open instantly.

Gwen was walking toward us, Nick right beside her. And the first thing I noticed about him had nothing to do with anything else.

He didn’t look out of place.

A few months ago, Nick used to walk into any Kensington corporate building in Florentia like he was stepping into enemy territory. Now, he moved through the gallery like he belonged there. Shoulders looser. Gaze steady. Presence solid.

I’d always known he was strong.

Now he looked confident.

Zoey opened her arms.

“Gwen!”

They hugged with that kind of intimacy only women who genuinely respect each other have. No performance. No competition. Just warmth.

Zoey turned to Nick, and he gave a small, polite nod.

“Nick,” she greeted, like he was already family.

“Zoey,” he replied. I caught the brief flick of his eyes toward her stomach.

Zoey narrowed her eyes and subtly pointed her chin at me.

“I’m guessing this isn’t a coincidence.”

It wasn’t. I had invited them. I wanted to show Nick something. Get his opinion.

Gwen’s smile stretched, slow and knowing.

“Of course it isn’t,” she said, clearly enjoying herself. “It’s an intervention.”

Zoey’s eyes widened.

“An intervention?”

“A shopping intervention,” Gwen clarified. “You’re pregnant. You need to shop. It’s therapeutic.”

Zoey blinked, processing.

“Wait. How do you already know I’m pregnant?”

Gwen tilted her head like the answer was obvious.

“You do know Annebelle is your sister, right?”

2/6

Chapter 747 Extra 16

+25 Bonus

Zoey rolled her eyes hard.

“That woman cannot keep a secret.”

I laughed, because it was true. Seeing Zoey complain like that, light and playful, told me she was okay.

Gwen touched her arm.

“Come on. The intervention starts now.”

Zoey hesitated for half a second.

I took the opening.

“Well,” I said, looking at Gwen and Zoey, “you two can go shopping. Nick and I will… talk business.”

Nick looked at me with that expression of his that said both “sure” and “I see what you’re doing.”

Gwen raised an eyebrow.

“You two always find an excuse to escape the chaos,” Gwen accused, though there wasn’t a trace of real annoyance in her voice.

“It’s not escaping,” I corrected. “It’s strategy.”

Zoey stepped closer, grabbed me by the collar like I belonged to her – and I did – and kissed me quickly.

“Deal,” she murmured against my lips. “We’ll meet for dinner at the Emporio Armani restaurant.”

Gwen laughed and was already pulling Zoey by the hand.

“Come on, pregnant girl. Let’s teach you how to relax by spending money.”

Zoey glanced back, amused.

“Christian, I swear if you buy another watch-”

“I don’t buy watches,” I replied, far too serious. “I buy time.”

She stuck her tongue out at me and disappeared with Gwen into the storefronts.

When they were gone, Nick stayed beside me, and I took in the way he carried himself in that space.

“You’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with this,” I said.

Nick let out a low chuckle.

“The first time Gwen brought me somewhere like this, I thought I was going to break something just by breathing wrong,” he admitted.

“And now?”

“Now I just think about how much she likes it,” he said. “And I… I like seeing her happy.”

3/6

Chapter 747 Extra 16

+25 Bonus

I nodded. I understood that perfectly.

“So,” I said as we walked through the gallery, away from the main flow of people, “how’s life as a new

dad?”

Nick let out a breath that carried equal parts pride and exhaustion.

“Crazy,” he said. “But not as crazy as yours, from what I’ve heard.”

He looked at me directly.

“What’s this I hear about you walking away from Kensington?”

I laughed.

“A ridiculous idea I’ve already scrapped.”

Nick visibly relaxed, like I’d just lifted a weight off his shoulders too.

“But…” I continued, choosing my words carefully, “I’ve been moving in other directions.”

He studied me more closely.

“And that’s why you brought me here.”

I nodded.

“Zoey doesn’t know yet. Not all of it, anyway.”

I stopped in front of a massive, closed storefront. The mirrored display reflected everything around it.

The facade was too beautiful to be empty. It looked like a stage waiting for its actors.

I tilted my chin toward it.

“What do you think?”

Nick frowned.

“What do I think about what?”

I didn’t answer right away. I let him look.

“You want to sell your wines in select Kensington stores?” he guessed quickly.

I smiled.

“I’m not talking strictly about wine.”

He looked at me again, and I saw curiosity shift into real interest.

I told him just enough.

I kept it brief. No details that couldn’t exist outside my head yet. I spoke like someone handing over a

4/6

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify