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)
He stroked her hair.
She trembled but remained still, her blue eyes pinned to his.
Drawing his hand away, he said simply, “Keep in touch, engel.” He didn’t say anything else, knowing instinctively that Serenity Raleigh, despite her youth, would be smart enough to read between the lines.
With those words, he had promised that no matter what happened between him and her older sister, it would not affect the strange and almost-surreal bond between them.
With those words, he had given her his loyalty and protection.
With those words, he had demanded the same from her.
Slowly, Serenity nodded. “I will. Willem.”
Chapter Four
MORNING!
Serenity woke up with a start, and even with her gaze still blurry from sleep, she was already reaching towards her bedside table and fumbling for her smartphone.
Aha!
Sitting up and rubbing her eyes, she swiped quickly on the screen to get to her mailbox, telling herself all the while she wouldn’t be disappointed if—-
Her heart jumped to her throat, and her breath caught as she saw a number showing up next to her inbox, indicating how many new messages she had waiting.
Slowly, she placed one finger on the mail icon and pressed.
Oh!
Her breath swooshed out.
A new email from Willem!
Dear Serenity,
Yes, you have indeed been evaluated and screened for next summer’s internship program. No, I did not have to resort to pulling strings for your application.
Yes, I believe you are being unnecessarily anxious about this. May I remind you that I am the CEO of the company you wish to work for as well as being one of its major stockholders, and as such, my command is absolute?
Please call me as soon as you receive this message.
Yours,
WDK
When her heartbeat slowed down enough for Serenity to catch her breath, she read the message again, but more slowly this time. They had been exchanging emails for almost six months straight now. She had started it the day after his visit, telling herself that she would only thank him for his kindness and would not expect a reply. But he had replied, and she hadn’t been able to help herself but answer back. And that had been it, the start of their constant exchange of emails.
And calls, Serenity thought absently as she pressed the speed button to dial Willem’s number.
He answered her call right away. “Good morning, Serenity.” As always, his Dutch-accented drawl had shivers running down her spine, and because she was alone, she allowed herself to close her eyes and relish the sound of his voice.
She could spend forever just listening to Willem de Konigh speak.
But of course, she couldn’t let him know that.
“Good morning, Willem. Do you have time to talk?”
“Yes.” His voice was brief, but the billionaire being a typical Dutch, she knew that when he said ‘yes’, he meant it. In her first few months of living in Amsterdam, Serenity had come to appreciate the locals’ forthright manner, realizing that what others perceived as their rude and abrupt manners were the Dutch simply being frank and practical.
“Why did you ask me to call?” Serenity asked.
“I need to relax,” he told her.
Ah. By now, she knew what he meant and without a moment’s hesitation, she began telling him about her day. It used to puzzle her, why a billionaire like Willem de Konigh would want to hear about a schoolgirl’s activities, but eventually she realized that her problems, which were insurmountable in her eyes, were mundane and child’s play to someone like Willem.
Leaning back against his chair, Willem swung his seat around to face the skyline his penthouse office afforded him, his stress levels alleviating as he listened to Serenity’s soothing voice. It was fast becoming his favorite mode of relaxation, finding out what was going wrong with the child’s life and then being able to fix it.
When she finished speaking, he said lazily, “Compliment your teacher the next time you see her.”
Serenity was incredulous. “You’re not joking, are you? I should compliment her even when she’s embarrassed me in front of the entire class?”
“Absolutely. Remember what I told you about picking your battles—-”
She cut him off with a sigh, “There is no better offense than words sheathed in beautiful manners.” She repeated his advice verbatim in a resigned voice.
He smiled in approval. “Good girl.”
Serenity sighed again. “It’s just so hard,” she confessed. “I don’t understand how you’re able to fake it the whole time—-”
Willem choked. “Fake it?” He spoke the words in mock anger. “I would have killed anyone else for saying such words to me—-”
“But I’m different,” Serenity countered. “You told me – no, you actually ordered me to always be honest with you, and I honestly think you’re faking it every time you do business.” She wrinkled her nose, remembering the news reports she had devoured and which had all hailed Willem as the “smoothest-talking bastard of Europe.”
“Exactly,” Willem said blandly. “I said be honest and not insult me.” But he was smiling as he spoke because in truth, he had ordered Serenity to be honest with him and she had delighted him in return by always speaking her mind.