Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Sensing his good mood, she blurted out, “How are you and Shane?” She knew, of course, that she was pushing it, every time she asked the billionaire about her sister. She knew that he might one day catch on and realize the real reason why she was asking. She knew all this, but she couldn’t help it.
“We’re doing well,” Willem answered evasively. He always found these questions about his relationship with Shane unpleasant, but he never told Serenity not to ask them. He owed her the truth – or as much truth he could afford to her. At present, he considered her too young and innocent to understand that Shane, for all intentions and purposes, was nothing but a regular bed partner, and it was a role Serenity’s own sister didn’t mind at all having.
“I’m glad to hear that.” Serenity was proud of the way she was able to keep her voice steady despite the way her heart had started aching. They were doing well. The words echoed endlessly in her mind. What if they did so much better than well, to the point of getting engaged and, eventually, tying the knot?
“D-do you meet often then?” She bit her lip the moment the words slipped out. Oh, how masochistic she was where the billionaire was concerned.
“We had dinner just the other day.” Willem shifted in his chair uncomfortably. It was true that he had enjoyed dinner with Shane, but afterwards, he had also fucked Serenity’s sister in the backseat.
“That’s nice.” She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Really nice,” she heard herself say lamely even as she found herself gradually becoming numb with heartache. Before she knew what she was doing, she was already reaching for her alarm clock and, after flipping the switch on the back, its buzzing alarm blasted through the room, giving her an excuse to cut the call short.
Hearing it, Willem said, “You’ll be getting ready for school then.”
“Yes, I’m afraid I have to.”
“I’ll call you again tonight?”
“Yes, sir,” she managed to answer in a teasing voice.
“Willem.”
She smiled even as tears pricked her eyes. “Willem,” she said obediently.
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
She allowed the tears to fall only when she heard the billionaire drop the call. Her fingers uncurled, and her phone tumbled down to her bed.
How she loved him.
More tears scaled down Serenity’s face.
But she knew he would never love her back.
Chapter Five
ANNEKE AND FLEUR WATCHED in amusement as their eldest brother unwrapped his last gift with the greatest care. But it did not end with that, with the billionaire taking his time arranging the wooden frame on his desk.
Serenity, Fleur mouthed at her older sister. She was willing to bet her inheritance on it.
Anneke nodded. Willem had a well-known rule against receiving gifts from women outside their family, but they knew he had made an exception for the charmingly reserved teenager he had taken under his wing.
If only Serenity’s sister was just as charming, Anneke thought with a private sigh.
When another five minutes had passed and Willem still wasn’t finished fussing about with his gift, Fleur approached her brother, asking teasingly, “Is that going to take you forever?”
“If necessary.” Willem’s tone was mild, his concentration on his precious task unbroken.
Peering over his shoulder, she saw that the fifteen-year-old had sent her billionaire brother a framed haiku about the value of time, which read like a tongue-in-cheek warning about his workaholic tendencies.
Good for you, Fleur thought in approval.
Another five minutes had passed before Willem finally straightened. “All done.”
His sisters said in unison, “Thank God.”
“Because I’m totally starving,” Fleur added.
Even though the two women had their cars parked in the driveway, they automatically joined Willem in his limousine, wanting to spend more time with their older brother.
“What’s Serenity’s gift?” Anneke asked as the chauffeur closed the passenger door.
Fleur beat Willem to answering. “If I have to sum it up, it’s basically a warning that he’d work himself to death at the rate he’s going.”
“Oh.” Anneke’s lips twitched. “She has a point.”
Willem only shrugged. “My annual checkups say otherwise.” But he also changed the subject, not in the mood to be nagged by his younger sisters. “When was the last time either of you spoke to Nic?” Nicolaas was the youngest in their family, and as the troubleshooter for the business, he was more often traveling around the world than not.
“Just yesterday,” Fleur answered. One of the conditions Willem had required before allowing any of them to leave the nest was that they were to strictly keep in touch with each other.
“Maybe a week ago for me,” Anneke murmured. “But I did get to speak to Jaak.” Of her three male siblings, Jaak was the most easygoing, almost callously so when it came to women. “He’s still in Phuket, last time I heard.”
Willem sighed. “As long as he’s still alive.” Although he did not approve of Jaak’s hedonistic lifestyle, he had also never interfered, knowing that his brother was old enough to make his own decisions, right or wrong.