Lahat ng Kabanata ng Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire: Kabanata 631 - Kabanata 640

Nicholas' POV That Monday, I was supposed to head back to Montelira early. That was the plan. Wake up, grab a quick coffee, get in the car, and go back to real life. Instead, I was sitting in the cheapest café I could find within three blocks of the city center, staring down at a watery cappuccino and a croissant that had clearly seen better days. My phone rested on the table, the screen open to a search: Kensington Florentia headquarters. There was an address. Photos of the building. Articles about expansion, exports, awards. I scrolled through it all like it belonged to some other galaxy, not to the family of the woman I'd shared a tiny inn room with. I sighed. I didn't have a perfect plan. Just an uncomfortable feeling that had stuck with me since the weekend. If I was really going to try to build a life with a Kensington, then I at least needed to try to get mine to a place where I didn't feel like a burden. It wasn't about proving something to her. It was about try

Nicholas' POV The silence after what I said weighed more than any of the numbers he had laid out in front of me. In my head, I could still hear every word he'd used. Scale. Volume. Structure. He'd listed them like he was breaking down a simple equation. For me, it wasn't simple. It was my entire life lined up in rows of vines. He frowned slightly. "That's not what I said." "It's what it sounds like." He took a slow breath and rested his elbows on the desk. "Nick, you're not a failure," he said firmly. "You're just not a businessman. You're a man who leads with his heart." I let out a humorless laugh. "And I can't be both?" "You can," he admitted. "But only if you know how to separate the two. And you don't." He made a small gesture in the air, like he was drawing a line. "You make decisions with your heart and expect the business to adjust. Gwen does that too, more than I'd like, actually." One corner of his mouth lifted. "The difference is she's had years of tr

Gwen's POV For a second, the world seemed to stop. 2.3 million dollars. Renee knew. I took a slow breath, forcing my expression to stay neutral. Years of corporate meetings had trained me well. Never show panic. Never let them see the crack. But inside, it felt like the floor had shifted beneath my feet. I turned to Mia. "Go ahead," I said, my voice surprisingly calm. "I'll handle this and meet you after." Mia looked between Renee and me, clearly worried. "Gwen, I don't think—" "Please," I cut in gently, but firmly. "I've got it." She hesitated another second before nodding reluctantly, giving me one last warning look before stepping through the revolving door. When we were alone, or as alone as you can be in a lobby full of security and reception staff, I turned to Renee. I walked toward her, keeping my voice low and controlled. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said, even though we both knew it was useless. Renee smiled. That victorious, cruel sm

Renee's POV I heard it before I saw it. Metal crumpling. Glass exploding. That unmistakable, sickening sound of a serious crash. I glanced at the rearview mirror on instinct. The Audi had veered off the road. It was spinning out of control. Kicking up clouds of dust. Slamming into something I couldn't clearly see. And then it stopped. Crooked. Completely crushed. Still. My foot moved to the brake before I consciously decided to. The car slowed abruptly. I skidded slightly before regaining control. I came to a full stop on the uneven shoulder, hands clamped around the steering wheel so tightly it hurt, staring into the mirror. Smoke was beginning to curl up from the Audi's crumpled hood. No. I didn't want this. I didn't want her actually hurt. Not like that. Not that bad. I just wanted… I just wanted her off the road for a few minutes. To delay her. To get to the estate first. To tell my version before she could. That was it. Just a stupid game. A reckles

Nicholas' POV Renee's car disappeared down the road, kicking up a cloud of dust, and I just stood there like an idiot. Her words kept echoing in my head. "Gwen Kensington bought your debt for 2.3 million dollars." No. I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to believe a single word that came out of that woman's mouth. Gwen had warned me. She told me not to believe anything Renee said. Not one word. I might not know exactly what Renee was trying to accomplish with that whole story, but she was definitely trying to accomplish something. She always was. I took a deep breath and dragged both hands through my hair. Then I walked back to the fence and picked up the hammer again. 'Focus,' I told myself. Just focus on the job. I lined up the nail and raised the hammer. But my hands were trembling. I tried again. The nail went in crooked. "Shit," I muttered, yanking it out and starting over. It was pointless. Just because I chose to ignore something didn't me