Hired a Gigolo, Got a Billionaire

Eva stood in front of the full-length mirror, her fingers brushing the folds of her evening dress.

Her makeup was flawless, her hair neat, and the black velvet dress made her stand straight.

But her fists were clenched tight, her knuckles white with tension.

A memory flashed in her mind—one year ago, in the church, she wore a wedding dress, but her ex-husband walked away without looking back, holding another woman’s hand.

"This time, I won’t let you laugh at me," Eva whispered to her reflection in the mirror.

She took out her phone and opened the chat with the escort agency, confirming that the man would arrive on time.

The man in the photo was handsome and sunny, exactly the type she had chosen—someone who could hold his own and make her ex-husband jealous.

Her phone lit up with a message from the agency: "He’s on his way, will arrive ten minutes early at the venue entrance."

Eva took a deep breath, grabbed her clutch, and pushed open the apartment door.

The car pulled up to the hotel entrance. Eva smoothed her skirt and walked in with her head held high.

People whispered as she passed, their eyes darting to her from time to time.

"Isn’t that Eva? The one who got left at the altar last year?"

"Why is she here alone? Does she want to win her ex-husband back?"

Eva pretended not to hear. She lifted her chin higher and scanned the room quickly.

Soon, she spotted her target—her ex-husband, Jake, surrounded by a group of people, with his new girlfriend, Leah, by his side.

Leah wore a pink dress, clinging to Jake’s arm and smiling coquettishly, whispering to him now and then.

Jake smiled back, his pride obvious even from a few meters away.

Eva’s heart tightened, and anger surged inside her.

She walked to the bar in the corner of the ballroom, ordered a glass of champagne, and stared firmly at Jake.

Ten minutes had passed since their agreed time.

The escort still hadn’t arrived.

Eva took out her phone and messaged the agency, but got no reply.

She checked her watch repeatedly, her fingers tapping nervously on the glass, panic rising in her chest.

What if something happened to him?

If he didn’t show up, she’d be alone tonight—nothing but a joke to everyone, especially Jake.

Just as she was about to give up and leave, a tall figure blocked her path.

Eva looked up, the disappointment on her face freezing instantly.

The man in front of her was tall, wearing a well-tailored black suit, with deep features and a cold, powerful aura.

He wasn’t the model in the photo.

Eva’s mind went blank, and a name popped into her head unbidden—Damian Blackwood.

The man who controlled Blackwood Group, who was always on the cover of financial magazines, known for being cold, scheming, and ruthless.

Why was he here? And why did he walk up to her?

Damian looked down at her, his eyes cold and unemotional, as if he was examining her.

"Are you waiting for me?" he asked, his voice deep and authoritative, leaving no room for refusal.

Eva opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Shock and panic washed over her.

She pulled out her phone instinctively, opened the model’s photo, and compared it to the man in front of her—the difference was stark.

"Y-you’re not the man I asked for," Eva finally managed to say, her voice trembling slightly.

Damian glanced at the photo on her phone, a faint, mocking smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"It seems you got the wrong person," he said, but he made no move to leave.

Eva’s heart raced, and her palms were covered in sweat.

She couldn’t understand—she had hired an ordinary model, so how did she end up facing Damian Blackwood?

"I’m sorry, sir, I made a mistake," Eva forced herself to calm down and tried to step around him.

But as soon as she moved, Damian reached out and gently took her arm.

His fingers were cold, but his grip was strong—she couldn’t break free.

"Since you’re here, come with me," Damian said calmly, his tone pressing, impossible to resist.

Eva stiffened, struggling a little, but it was useless.

"Sir, I can’t go with you. I’m waiting for someone else," she urged, panic filling her eyes.

Damian ignored her resistance, looking down at her with deep eyes. "You don’t need to wait anymore."

As soon as he finished speaking, he led Eva toward the center of the dance floor.

Eva was half-dragged, half-supported by him, her steps unsteady, her mind in chaos.

She could feel all eyes in the room turn to them.

The whispers grew louder, and some people took out their phones to take photos.

"Is that Damian Blackwood? Who is the woman with him?"

"I think she was standing alone in the corner earlier. What’s their relationship?"

Eva’s face turned red, then pale, a mix of embarrassment and despair washing over her.

She looked toward Jake, and their eyes met.

Jake’s face was filled with shock and jealousy, and Leah frowned, staring at her angrily.

Eva wanted to explain, but she couldn’t say a word.

Damian seemed to notice her gaze and looked down at her. "What? Do you know him?"

Eva bit her lip, not answering, just trying harder to pull her arm away.

But Damian’s grip tightened, as if he was going to crush her arm.

Just then, countless flashlights turned on, dazzling light surrounding them instantly.

Reporters swarmed in, the sound of camera shutters echoing nonstop.

"Mr. Blackwood, is this lady your partner?"

"When did you two get together? Can you tell us more?"

The flashlights kept blinking, making Eva unable to open her eyes.

Her head started to spin, and all she could hear was the sound of shutters and reporters’ questions.

Damian pulled her closer, standing in front of her to block the cameras, his voice cold to the reporters: "No comment."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a powerful aura. The reporters fell silent instantly, but they didn’t put down their cameras.

Eva leaned against Damian, trembling all over.

She knew it was all over.

She had come to get revenge on her ex-husband, but instead, she’d gotten tangled up with Damian Blackwood.

Her carefully planned revenge had completely spiraled out of control.

The flashlights kept blinking, stinging her eyes, and everything in front of her started to spin.

She could feel Damian’s body temperature and hear his steady heartbeat, but it felt icy cold.

Despair gripped her heart, making it hard to breathe.

The world spun around her, and Eva’s vision went black—she almost fainted.

Damian noticed her weakness, glanced down at her, a faint flicker of emotion crossing his eyes.

He said nothing, just tightened his grip on her arm, holding her steady.

The flashlights still blinked, and the reporters’ eyes were fixed on them.

Eva closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, there was nothing but endless despair.

She had no idea where this unexpected encounter would take her life.

She also didn’t know that the cold, powerful man in front of her would become the most inescapable bond in her life.

Damian looked at the woman beside him—pale, desperate, her eyes empty.

A meaningful smile curved his lips.

He had only come to the charity ball with his grandfather, never expecting to meet such an interesting woman.

Hiring an escort for a ball, then mistaking someone else for him—it was rather amusing.

"Don’t faint," he leaned down and whispered in her ear, a hint of teasing in his voice. "The show has just begun."

Eva stiffened, his words echoing in her ears, deepening her despair.

The flashlights were still dazzling, and the stares around them were still burning.

She was trapped beside Damian, like a prey that had stumbled into a trap—nowhere to run.

Her disastrous return had finally begun.

Eva’s breathing quickened, and she closed her eyes again, unable to face the chaos around her.

Damian felt her body go limp and adjusted his grip, holding her more firmly.

He glanced at the reporters, his eyes cold, and they took a step back involuntarily.

"Get out of the way," he said, his voice low and dangerous.

The reporters hesitated for a moment, then slowly moved aside, still taking photos secretly.

Eva heard his words, but she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes.

She just knew—her life would never be the same again.

Damian led her away from the dance floor, toward a quieter corner of the ballroom.

He stopped and looked down at her, his expression unreadable.

"You hired an escort to make your ex-husband jealous," he said, not a question, but a statement.

Eva’s eyes flew open, shock written all over her face. "How did you know?"

"It’s obvious," Damian shrugged slightly. "You’re dressed to impress, staring at him like you want to kill him."

Eva’s face turned red with embarrassment and anger. "That’s none of your business."

"It is now," Damian said, his gaze sharp. "You mistook me for your escort, and now everyone thinks we’re together."

Eva bit her lip, frustration welling up inside her. "I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t mean to drag you into this."

"Sorry isn’t enough," Damian said calmly. "You’ve caused me trouble, and you’re going to fix it."

Eva looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "Fix it? How?"

Damian didn’t answer immediately. He stared at her for a long moment, as if weighing his options.

The flashlights were still in the distance, but the noise had faded a little.

Eva’s heart raced, waiting for his answer, fear and confusion mixing inside her.

She had no idea what this powerful man would make her do.

But she knew—she had no choice but to listen.

Damian finally spoke, his voice cold and firm. "You’re going to pretend to be my girlfriend."

Eva’s eyes widened in shock. "What? No way! I can’t do that!"

"You can, and you will," Damian said, cutting off her protest. "Or you’ll face the consequences."

"What consequences?" Eva asked, her voice trembling with anger.

"I could ruin your reputation in an hour," Damian said calmly. "Or I could make sure your ex-husband laughs at you for the rest of your life."

Eva’s face paled. She knew he wasn’t lying—he had the power to do it.

She looked at him, her eyes filled with anger and despair. "You’re blackmailing me."

"Call it whatever you want," Damian shrugged. "But the choice is yours—pretend to be my girlfriend, or suffer the consequences."

Eva took a deep breath, trying to calm down. She looked around the ballroom, seeing the stares and the cameras.

She had no choice.

If she refused, Damian would ruin her, and Jake would laugh at her more than ever.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely audible. "I’ll do it."

Damian’s lips curved into a faint smile, satisfied. "Good."

He reached out and adjusted her hair, his fingers brushing her cheek lightly.

Eva stiffened, but she didn’t pull away.

"Now," he said, his voice softening a little, but still authoritative. "Smile. We have a show to put on."

Eva forced a smile, her eyes filled with despair.

She knew this was only the beginning.

Her disastrous return had turned into something far worse than she could have imagined.

Damian took her arm again, leading her back toward the crowd.

The flashlights turned on again, brighter than before.

Eva kept smiling, but inside, she was crumbling.

She had no idea how long this charade would last, or what would happen to her when it was over.

All she knew was that she was trapped, and there was no way out.

Damian felt her tension and glanced down at her. "Relax," he whispered. "Just follow my lead."

Eva nodded, her throat tight. She couldn’t speak—any words would come out as a sob.

They walked into the crowd, hand in hand, smiling for the cameras.

Jake watched from a distance, his face dark with anger and jealousy.

Leah clung to his arm, looking at Eva with hatred in her eyes.

Eva saw them, but she looked away quickly.

She didn’t want to see Jake’s face—not now, not when she was pretending to be with another man.

Damian noticed her gaze and squeezed her hand gently. "Ignore them," he whispered.

Eva nodded, focusing on putting on a show.

But inside, she was screaming.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

She had come to get revenge, but instead, she’d lost control of everything.

The flashlights kept blinking, and the reporters kept asking questions.

Damian answered them with short, vague replies, keeping Eva close to him.

Eva smiled and nodded, playing her part perfectly.

But beneath the smile, she was filled with despair.

She knew that from this moment on, her life was no longer her own.

Damian Blackwood had taken control, and she had no idea how to get it back.

The ballroom was filled with noise and light, but Eva felt like she was in a cold, dark cage.

She looked up at Damian, his profile sharp and cold under the lights.

What had she gotten herself into?

Damian glanced down at her, catching her gaze. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking what was wrong.

Eva quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in something nearby.

She didn’t want him to see how scared she was.

She had to be strong—for herself, if not for anything else.

But as the flashlights continued to blink, and the crowd continued to stare, Eva felt her strength fading.

She closed her eyes for a split second, praying that this was all a bad dream.

But when she opened them again, Damian was still beside her, and the chaos was still there.

Her disastrous return was real, and there was no going back.