by Marian Tee
Seeing no point in lying, Stavros said simply, “Yes.” It was also the reason why he had chosen to meet with his friend in the privacy of his home. At least here, there would be no way the media would get wind of their talk.
“You have nothing to say about it?” Stavros pressed.
Willem’s broad shoulders moved into a shrug. “I don’t see any reason for me to say anything. They are just rumors, and if there was something to it, Serenity would tell me about it.”
Stavros’ brows shot up incredulously. “You really believe that?”
Willem only looked at him.
Slowly, the Greek billionaire shook his head. “You are in love with her, aren’t you?”
His friend said quietly, “Yes.”
“And this – whatever it is you’re doing – it is your way of atoning for your mistakes?”
Willem’s lips twisted. “It is not ideal, I grant you that, but if it is what it takes to make her realize I am serious about her, then so be it.”
He told Willem abruptly, “I was the one to refer her to Acheron Simonides.”
“I see.” Willem’s voice was polite. “I suppose it was payback for the minor deception I played in the past between you and your wife?”
“More or less.” Stavros had the grace to flush. “I didn’t think she’d actually—” Fuck.
“I told you,” Willem said evenly. “They are only rumors.” But a muscle had started ticking in his jaw again. “She works for Simonides, and that is the only goddamn connection between them. It’s my bed she sleeps in, or it’s me who’s beside Serenity in hers.” He breathed hard, knowing he had just allowed his jealousy to get the better of him.
“Of course.” Stavros was swift to appear conciliatory. Cursing himself for his verbal lapse, he changed the subject and steered clear from talking about Serenity after that. After half an hour, Willem stood up to leave, and as Stavros walked his guest to the front door, he said quietly, “If it means anything, my wife and I are rooting for you.”
“Willow, too?” the Dutch billionaire asked skeptically.
Stavros smiled. “My wife won’t admit it anytime soon, but she’s already forgiven you.” The butler opened the doors for them, just in time for the two billionaires to see a sports car coming up the driveway.
“You should have told me you were expecting someone,” Willem told him.
Stavros was frowning. “Actually, I’m not.”
Both of them watched the sports car slow down, and one of the two security guards stationed outside Stavros’ home rushed to open the passenger door.
Slowly, a pale-faced Serenity stepped out of the car.
She was supposed to be in school, Willem thought with a frown.
The driver of the sports car also stepped out, and it was, of course, Acheron Simonides.
Ah.
He watched Acheron walk around his car, placing an arm around his Serenity’s waist. He waited for Serenity to shrug the other man’s hold off or at least show any sign of shock or reluctance. But she did none of those. Instead, she allowed her Greek boss to draw her forward with him.
Ever the perfect host, Stavros greeted the newcomers pleasantly even though he also gazed at Serenity in quiet disapproval. It made her flush, but still she remained in the circle of Acheron’s arms, unable to make herself pull away.
Just an act, she reminded herself doggedly. It was all just an act, no matter what Willem had said.
Acheron was turning towards Willem now, forcing her to look the Dutch billionaire’s way as well.
“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you officially,” she heard Acheron say as he offered his free hand to Willem, “even though I’ve already heard so much about you from my intern.”
“Then I’m afraid I am at a disadvantage,” Willem answered with a brief smile that didn’t reach his eyes, “since Ms. Raleigh, on the other hand, has told me nothing about you at all.” The entire time the Dutch billionaire spoke, he did not look at Serenity’s way at all.
“She’s probably too shy,” Acheron dismissed easily. “Ne, koukla mou?” And as her Greek boss smiled down at her, that was when she saw Willem slowly, finally, look at her.
It was only there for a second, gone in the blink of an eye, disappearing so fast that she wished she could convince herself she had only imagined it.
But she knew that wasn’t true.
Heartbreaking bleakness in Willem de Konigh’s blue gaze, making Serenity feel even worse than the cheap, stupid whore Shane thought she was.
Just a lie, she told herself. Just a lie, just a lie, she chanted in her mind as she reluctantly raised her gaze to meet his.
“Ms. Raleigh.”
“Mr. de Konigh.”
He nodded. “It was nice seeing you.”
She watched him leave, her heart in her throat, hating the way he had made her feel. He had done worse, she reminded herself. So much worse, dammit. So why did she feel so damn bad?
Acheron left soon after, politely refusing Stavros’ invitation to come inside. When she was alone with the Greek billionaire, she could feel his disapproving eyes still on her, and she said stiffly, “You don’t understand.”
“Don’t I?” Stavros asked levelly. “I have only to look at my friend’s face to know that you lied—”
“You don’t know anything,” she cried out, whirling around to face him. “You weren’t there when he made me—” She choked back a sob. “He hurt me first!”
“For which you wanted to exact revenge?” Stavros was quiet for a moment. “I think you’ve had it today, Serenity. I think after this, he might have gotten the message perfectly, and he won’t ever see you again.”
****
He was not surprised at all when reception called him about a female visitor, and he told them to allow his visitor up, knowing it was Serenity without even asking. Perhaps it was a combination of the years he had spent with her and this all-too-new, all-too-powerful love he felt for her, but more and more Willem was beginning to realize that he was able to predict the way her mind worked.
It had been obvious by the way she looked at him earlier that she had never thought she would bump into him, and especially not while she was still with Acheron Simonides. Also equally obvious to the Dutch billionaire was that she would come after him as soon as she was able to. Serenity had a very strong sense of justice after all, even when she was a child, and it would have only gotten stronger over the years.
But it didn’t mean she couldn’t surprise him, he thought grimly. Today was proof of that, with the sight of Serenity in Acheron Simonides’ arms like a punch to his guts. It was a Monday, a school day, and like a goddamn fool, he had never thought to question her when she told him she was too busy to meet with him.
She came knocking on his door a minute later, and when he opened the door, he found her frail and trembling, her blue eyes showing fear and guilt. She had changed, wisely so, and it showed that she, too, knew him well enough to guess he would not appreciate seeing her come to him in the same clothes she had worn while she was with her Greek boss.
“Come in,” he said politely. It was all Willem could actually think of saying because at that moment, he realized that it was actually possible to hate and love one person in equal measure. It was irrational, more so for someone like him, but it was the truth.
He did not follow her with his gaze as she walked inside, taking his time instead in closing and locking the door even though he had security posted outside. He needed a few extra moments to calm himself, and he thought he had himself under control – until he turned to look at her and immediately thought, it didn’t work.
He was still angry with her, after all.
“W-Willem?” The Dutch billionaire was staring at her coldly, colder than he had ever looked at her, and she couldn’t stand it. She knew she shouldn’t care. This was the point of the entire pretense, wasn’t it? To hurt him like he was now? Because that was what Willem de Konigh was feeling. Behind the shuttered mask t
hat had fallen over his handsome face, underneath the veneer of icy rage – he was hurting, and it was all because of her.
Wasn’t this what she wanted?
Trembling violently, she waited for him to speak. She begged him with her eyes, begged for him to give her a sign that he had not…
He had not what, she wondered hysterically.
She no longer knew what she wanted.
Suddenly, he started to speak. “Serenity—”
The tone was not right, and she shook her head. She didn’t want to hear him speaking after all, not when he was saying her name like it was the last time he was going to say it. Gulping, she said haltingly, “I didn’t think I’d see you today.”
His jaw clamped at her words, and his tone was cuttingly derisive as he said, “Obviously.”
Her fingers dug into her palms. He was so, so angry. And she couldn’t blame him. “It’s a special holiday in uni. All of us didn’t have any classes.” She was stumbling all over her explanation, and the sound of her own voice made her wince. She couldn’t have made herself sound any more like a liar than she already was. “A-Acheron—”
“That’s what you call him?”
She nearly jumped at his viciously sharp tone. “H-he asked me to,” she whispered and nearly reared back at the murderous way the Dutch billionaire looked at her.
“He asked you to,” the billionaire echoed her words mockingly. “And just because he asked you to, you said yes?”
She realized too late, and it was foolish of her, what he was getting at, and paled. “It’s n-not like that—”
“Is it not?” the billionaire drawled.
She hugged herself in an effort to keep her body from trembling. “Willem, please—” She flinched as he cursed.
“Do you think it would please me now,” he asked savagely, “to have you call me Willem when you obviously have no problems calling him by his first name?” His fist slammed against the wall on his side, and he saw Serenity flinch again.
Goddammit.
Goddammit to hell.
“I think you should go,” he heard himself say.
She had to, before he ended up hurting her more.
But Serenity didn’t leave, didn’t even move.
“I’m not giving you a choice.”
The billionaire’s voice was ominously soft, and she knew what it meant. It was a sign of his rage boiling so closely to the surface, but it was also a sign that he was hurting…because of her.
This was what she wanted, wasn’t it?
Wasn’t it?
Her lips parted.
“I want to stay.”
And as soon as the words were out, she realized that she did mean it.
She wanted to stay.
For better or for worse.
Because…because she would always love him.
And she was so, so, so tired of pretending she did not.
Willem was suddenly walking towards her, and she stiffened. When he reached her, Serenity’s body stiffened even more at the rage that glittered in his eyes. His fingers snapped around her wrist, and she knew any moment now he would start dragging her out of his place.
“Please.” She choked the word out.
His head jerked up, and in her gaze, he saw terror. She knew what he was about to do. She goddamn knew – so why the hell wouldn’t she leave instead of forcing him to toss her out?
“You—” The minute he spoke, he saw the way she swallowed and stiffened, knew that she was preparing herself for the worst. But there was no resistance in her body, nothing that indicated fight.
She would take whatever he dished out.
She would not leave him.
His eyes closed.
Goddammit to hell.
He had hurt her, and she had hurt him back.
So what now?
Slowly, he opened his eyes. “You have to trust me one day, engel—”
A sob racked her body.
His heart aching, he raised a hand to her face, and as he carefully smoothed the strands of hair away, he said rawly, “You either trust and forgive me…or you complete what you came here to do. You finish what you’ve started the day you allowed me back into your life. Avenge yourself—”
Tears streamed down her face, and Serenity’s lips parted in a silent cry.
He pressed a kiss on her forehead, whispering, “Or let me love you again.”
With a heaving sob, she threw her arms around his neck, and he swept her up in his arms. He carried her to the bedroom, Serenity still crying in his embrace even as she frantically sought his mouth with hers.
She kissed him as she cried, and the billionaire tasted all the tumultuous emotions that tried to tear her apart into different directions. Pain, misery, confusion, vengeance, and underneath it all, love.
Laying her on his bed, he undressed her slowly, running his mouth over every inch of skin he exposed. Her hands rushed over his back, almost demandingly, but he didn’t let her hurry him, taking his time as he removed her clothing.
When she was completely naked, he cupped one breast and sucked on her nipple. Serenity moaned, her body arching from the bed and pushing her nipple deeper into his mouth. Her nipples dug into his back as he sucked her nipples, one after another, and she writhed restlessly under the heat of his gaze when he pulled away to undress himself.
“I love you,” he rasped as he sank back into the bed, positioning himself between her legs.
More tears fell down her face as Serenity looked at him, her eyes – still filled with terror and despair – did the talking for her.
Looking at her was like having his heart ripped out again and again from his chest. He kissed her hard, saying fiercely, “I love you, Serenity Raleigh. I love you, my Sere, my engel.” And even as she buckled against him and sobs began to wrack her body, he didn’t stop telling her the words, knowing that if he had to tell her a thousand times each day to convince Serenity, he would do so.
As he kissed his way down her body, he said the words over and over. He used his lips, his hands, his body to let her know what was in his heart from the very start.
His hands spanned her rib cage as he pressed a kiss on her womb. I love you.
He buried his head between her legs. I love you.
He thrust his tongue into her sweet, moist folds, again and again. I love you.
He threw her legs up over his shoulders as he fucked her with both his fingers and tongue. I love you.
He sucked on her clitoris. I love you.
And when she came, he drank everything in, every last drop of her release. I love you.
When he rose up, she immediately wrapped her limbs around his body, so tightly that the fears in her heart reached his, and he whispered hoarsely into her ear, “I’m not going anywhere, engel.”
One hand pushing under her body to cup her bottom, the billionaire positioned himself before sinking his cock into her sex. He fucked her, leisurely at first, to drive her wild. And when her hips started to rise and fall in an effort to meet his thrusts, his own hips began to pump furiously.
He fucked her hard and fast, fucked her into coming in minutes. But he didn’t let her up, turning her around without a word before his cock slid back into her, and he fucked her anew. Pulling her up on all fours, he cupped her jiggling breasts as his cock slammed into her, again and again, and he only relented when her breathless pants filled his room, using his fingers to trigger her release.
He made love to her the entire night, and every second of it he only had one thing in his mind. He wanted her to feel loved.
****
She woke up at the break of dawn, her body pleasantly aching and snuggled up against the billionaire’s side. Gingerly, she inched away from him, and picking his shirt up from the floor, she pulled it over her head before padding into the shower.
When she was done, she was about to go back when she caught sight of a silver box under the wooden bench in his walk-in closet. Curious, she crouched down and opened it�
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The lid of the box fell from her suddenly limp fingers as she saw what was inside.
A pair of pink heels, studded with gems, and with a bow at the back.
They were custom-designed.
But it was not the only thing that made tears prick her eyes.
Lying in the bed of gauze, under the pair of pink heels, was a smaller silver package. It was easily the shape of a ring box.
The billionaire was stirring when she climbed back into bed. When the bed dipped because of her weight, he immediately reached for her, and she went to him willingly. Their mouths met in a sleepy, sweet kiss that nevertheless made her heart race.
When he lifted his head, the billionaire said quietly, “Mykolas and Velvet Sallis have invited me to their fundraiser tonight. Will you come?”
She thought about the boxes that waited in the closet.
She thought about vengeance.
She thought about love.
Serenity whispered shakily, “Yes.”
****
On the night of the ball, the billionaire dressed himself with the utmost care, determined to impress the nineteen-year-old girl who had promised to meet him.
When it was time to leave, he had two boxes with him. He came to the party, tall, powerful, and dazzlingly handsome in his white tux, his blond locks wavy and shiny, falling rakishly down his forehead, a complete contrast to his usually immaculate perfection.
Everyone looked at him and thought, the Dutch billionaire was in love.
On the other side of town, the girl who owned the billionaire’s heart was as giddy as he had been determined, dressing herself in a magnificent gown of azure silk. Her heart thudded with each second. She was nervous and terrified, excited and hopeful.
When she appeared at the head of the grand staircase that swept down to the ballroom, everyone turned to look up at her and thought, this girl was in love.
It was true.
Or at least it was until the moment she saw another beautiful girl at the foot of the staircase, her tall, slim body sheathed in alluring black lace.