“Your problem is that you think small, sweetheart.”
I huffed.
“My problem is that I think logically. Not that I care,” I lied. “My commission will make up for the financial black hole that hiring you left in my account.”
He just kept staring at me, wearing that infuriating air of mystery.
And then, out of nowhere, he changed the subject.
“Tell me about your ex.”
My whole body froze. Something heavy settled in my chest-that familiar weight that always came whenever someone mentioned Alex.
“For what?”
He tilted his head slightly, like he was genuinely interested.
“I want to understand.”
“Understand what?” I muttered, feeling that uncomfortable vulnerability creeping in. “Why I’d hire someone to pretend to be my fiancé? Or why I’d be dumb enough to believe someone would actually choose me?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I regretted them instantly. The last thing I wanted was to sound pathetic in front of a man I barely knew.
But he didn’t smile, didn’t mock me. Instead, his expression softened in a way that made me feel strangely exposed.
“Why you gave a chance to someone who didn’t deserve you.”
I let out a sigh, stirring the foam of my cappuccino with a spoon, watching the swirl as my mind drifted to a place I hated revisiting.
“Alex and I were together for years, planning the wedding, when I found out everything,” I said, still stirring. “I went to Elise’s apartment without warning and caught the two of them together. On her couch.”
I took a sip, trying to mask the tremor in my voice.
“The worst part wasn’t even finding them like that. It was their reaction.”
I paused, the memory still sharp enough to wound even now,
“Elise told me to my face that I’d always been too boring. That I never had anything special and would always just be a side character in other people’s lives.’
Christian watched me with a disturbing intensity, like every word I spoke truly mattered.
“It was humiliating. The wedding was already set, the invitations sent. I had to face not just the betrayal, but everyone’s judgment once the news spread.”
I took a deep breath, holding back the emotion threatening to break through.
Christian didn’t laugh. If anything, he looked like he was ready to kill someone. His shoulders were tense, his jaw locked, his eyes fixed on me as if he was absorbing every detail of my humiliation.
And then he did something unexpected. He took my hand.
It was a simple gesture, with no ulterior motives, just a quiet touch that said more than words ever could. My heart faltered, and as much as I wanted to ignore it, it affected me more than it should have.
A knot formed in my throat. Part of me wanted to pull my hand back, to keep that safe distance. He was a stranger, a man who pretended to be someone else for money. But the other part that had been alone for so long, the one that craved a genuine touch, didn’t want him to let go.
“And you?” I blurted, breaking the moment.
“Me?”
“Have you ever loved someone like that?”
He nodded.
“I have.”
“And she…?”
“She betrayed my trust.”
Something in the way he said it made me want to ask more. There was a shared pain there, a mutual understanding that, for a moment, felt real.
But then he shifted in his chair, deliberately changing the subject.
“Zoey, you asked why I bought the dress.”
“Yes. Please explain that insanity.’
He leaned in a little, his voice taking on a more serious tone.
“Just like you, I need to save my reputation. To show my family I’m a respectable man.”
“Ahhh, I get it! You want your family to think you’re serious so they won’t find out you’re a gigolo!”
. Christian froze, his gaze studying me carefully before he began to speak.
“Zoey, I know you think I’m a gigolo, but the truth is…”
“Zoey, you think I’m a gigolo, but the truth is-“
“Christian.”
The voice came from behind me, slicing through the air like a sharp blade.
Christian froze mid-sentence, his mouth snapping shut before he could finish. His expression tightened slightly, like he already knew exactly who had spoken-and wasn’t remotely pleased about it.
I blinked, confused, and turned toward the reflection in the café window.
The woman staring at us now was tall, blonde, and far too well-dressed to be just another customer. Her posture screamed influence. She gave me a quick glance before fixing her attention entirely on Christian.
I had no idea who she was… An important client, maybe? All I knew was that whatever this conversation was, it was way too serious for me to be sitting here listening.
Seizing the silence, I shot out the fastest excuse my brain could come up with.
“Yeah, so… I’ve gotta go.”
Christian’s eyes shifted from the newcomer back to me. His gaze was steady, curious, like he was trying to read
“Zoey-“
But before he could say anything else, I was already on my feet.
“My phone’s still dead, and if I don’t leave now, I’ll be stuck in traffic hell,” I said, grabbing my bag and adjusting the strap on my shoulder.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.