Hired a Gigolo Got a Billionaire (Zoey and Christian) novel Chapter 81

Chapter 81

Our last day in Valentia was filled with goodbyes. Goodbye to the villa, with its painted ceilings and windows framing postcard views. Goodbye to Lucy, who hugged me as if I’d been family for years, whispering blessings in Valentian and pressing a small package into my hands-later I discovered it held a set of Castorian spices “for when you feel homesick.” Goodbye to Gwen, who promised to visit us in Verdania soon.

Above all, goodbye to the version of ourselves we had been here.

Because now time was running out. Reality loomed, relentless as the storm clouds darkening the horizon on our drive to Florence airport.

“Do you think Lucy will be all right?” I asked, trying to fill the silence that had settled between us since the previous night’s conversation, “She seemed so emotional when we said goodbye.”

“Lucy’s always been emotional,” Christian replied, his eyes fixed on the road. “But she’s strong”

“She’s amazing, I’ll miss her.”

“We can come back,” he said, glancing at me briefly. “Someday.”

The promise hung between us, fragile and ambiguous. Someday when? After the six months? Together, or apart?

The private jet was waiting on the runway, a sight that had become strangely familiar but still carried an air of unreality. It felt as though my life had split in two-before and after Christian Kensington.

The crew welcomed us with professional smiles, handling the luggage which was considerably larger than on the way there, thanks to Virelia shopping. Christian exchanged a few words with the pilot while I settled into the same seat I’d occupied two weeks earlier, when we were still strangers trying to define the boundaries of our arrangement.

Now, the boundaries felt blurrier than ever.

The flight back was quiet, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Christian worked on his laptop most of the time, answering emails and taking calls-the CEO mask sliding back into place. I alternated between pretending to read a book and staring out the window, trying to process everything that had happened in Valentia.

At night, when the cabin lights dimmed, Christian finally closed the computer and sat beside me.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low in the hush of the jet.

“Just a little tired,” I lied, forcing a smile. The truth that I was terrified of returning to reality and what it would mean for our strange relationship felt too heavy to say out loud.

“Try to get some sleep.” He reached out, brushing his fingers lightly over mine. “We still have a few hours.”

I nodded, but sleep didn’t come easily. My mind was full of images the moonlit vineyards, the village square during the festival, Christian’s face under the stars as he pointed out constellations, that same face closing off when we talked about living apart.

At some point I must have dozed off, because I startled awake when the pilot announced our descent into Solara Bay.

I looked out the window, taking in the familiar city sprawling below-so different from Castoria’s rolling hills. The vast sweep of Luzmar Bay, the curve of Celeste and Enchanted Beach, Crystal Mountain rising against the sky. It was home, yet somehow it felt foreign now.

Christian was watching too, his profile outlined against the morning light.

“Strange to be back,” he murmured, almost to himself.

“Feels like we were gone much longer than two weeks.”

He nodded, understanding In Valentia, it had felt like we lived in an alternate reality, where we were simply Zoey and Christian

-no contracts, no deadlines, no expectations. Now we were returning not just to Verdania, but to our predetermined roles.

We pl

Cow dalistnat hard

wet, even met the dermitive end of our Valentian bubble.

calls while I waited th our carry-ons. I watched him from a distance, noticing thaw, shager, the Kington CEO back in his element.

Before I could respond the elevator stopped on my floor. We walked down the narrow hallway to my door, from behind which came voices and laughter. As soon as I turned the key and pushed open, we were met with enthusiastic shouts.

SURPRISE

My family was crammed into the small living room-my parents atthew, and Annabelle. A makeshift banner hang on the wall: Welcome Back from the Honeymoon! with a cartoon ranting bees buzzing around Only Annie could have come up with that. She loved terrible parts and never missed a chance to to anything into a joke.

“My daughter!” My mom rushed forward, enveloping me in a tight hug that smelled like her familiar perfume. “We missed you so much

My dad was right behind her, his eyes shining with emotion. Then Matthew swept me up in a bear hug that lifted me off the floor. Annie was last, giving me a look that clearly said, we need to talk about that 4 am phone call

Only then did I realize Christian had lingered near the doorway, watching the scene. I stepped back, reaching for his hand

“Come on, tace the Bennett avalanche,” I teased with a smile

He stepped forward, swapping his CEO smile for a more genuine one, though I couldn’t help noticing how out of place he looked here-like a prince suddenly dropped into a neighborhood party.

“Christian!” my mom exclaimed, hugging him without hesitation, as if he weren’t one of the wealthiest men in the country.” You brought our girl back safe, thank God!”

My dad stepped up next, shaking his hand firmly.

“Good to see you again, son. I hope Valentia treated you both well.

And while my mom began firing off a thousand questions about Castoria and my dad awkwardly offered a beer to a billionaire in

my tiny living room, I realized we had finally crossed the threshold The honeymoon was officially over.

Reality began now.