My Dutch Billionaire 2 (4 page)

“No, ma’am.”
 

“I could have chosen not to take the guardianship, you know. I could have let you go to Social Services.”

“Yes, ma’am.”
 

And so it went on. Serenity was used to Melanie blaming her for everything, and a small part of her believed every word her stepmother uttered.
 

If
she had just danced like Daniel wanted, her father would not be dead. Melanie would still have her money. And she would have only known Willem de Konigh as Shane’s boyfriend.

When Melanie took a deep breath, Serenity wondered absently if it was fine to start eating now. Her stomach had started to rumble, reminding her that she had forgotten to eat anything since returning home.

Telling herself she had nothing to lose, Serenity started to reach for the ladle to have some soup—

“Have you no manners?” Melanie hissed. “We should wait for your sister!”

Serenity quickly pulled her hand back and placed it on her lap. “I’m sorry.” She didn’t even consider reminding Melanie that she hadn’t known about Shane joining them, knowing it would only anger her stepmother more.

The minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Shane. Her stomach rumbled for the third time, now loud enough for Melanie to hear. She felt her stepmother glaring at her, but Serenity deliberately kept her gaze trained on her plate, pretending dumb ignorance.

Two more years,
Serenity thought, trying to rally herself. Daniel Raleigh’s will had been pretty specific and in keeping with his controlling personality. Serenity was to be awarded full access to her trust only if she continued to live with her stepmother until she was twenty-one. Otherwise, she was on her own until she turned thirty.

Two more years, just two more years,
Serenity repeated to herself. But the more she thought about it, the more she was thinking maybe the money wasn’t worth it. Maybe she should just take the risk and leave. Not just her stepmother’s house but Netherlands. If she started fresh somewhere else, she might have an easier time forgetting the humiliating way she had thrown herself at a man who didn’t want her.

Serenity started chewing on her lip as she thought of all the what-ifs that could happen, and she was so lost in her thoughts that she was completely taken by surprise when the door to the dining room flew open and Shane came rushing in.

“He’s coming, Mother!” Shane’s voice was breathless with excitement.
 

“Who?” Melanie demanded as she jumped to her feet.
 

“Willem!”
 

Serenity froze.

“I invited him to dinner, and I was expecting we’d go out, but he told me he was in the mood for something home-cooked so I told him we could come here.” As if suddenly remembering there was someone else in the room, Shane swung around to face Serenity. “And
you
.” Warning sharpened her voice as she said, “I have no idea what made Willem fire you, but whatever it is – don’t you dare cause any trouble tonight. You better be on your best behavior or I’ll make your life hell.”

Chapter Three

“Thank you for letting me join you even at such short notice,” Willem murmured to his host while his bodyguards filed inside the dining room and did their best to blend with the beige walls. Security had ramped up since someone with a vendetta against the de Konigh family had attacked one of his cousins, and since it was by the order of the queen herself, even Willem was not excused.

His security team, however, appeared only to impress Shane’s mother, who tittered at the sight of them before gushing, “You know you’re always welcome here.”

“And of course,” Shane said breezily, “you know my dear half-sister Serenity.”

His arm still around Shane’s waist, Willem turned towards Serenity’s direction.

Ah.
 

The Serenity that stared at him was a paler and thinner version of the one he knew, but she was still as exquisitely beautiful as ever. Her salmon-colored sweater was a loose semi-crop, and he imagined that she only had to raise her arms a little to bare her undoubtedly flat tummy and tiny waist.

Her denim shorts were no better. They were just as loose and androgynously styled, and while it should have made Serenity look mannish, the knee-length shorts had just ended up making her legs look longer and shapelier.

His body stirred in awareness even as his jaw clenched hard at the thought of Serenity dressed like this outside her home. Did she want to attract attention now? Was that who she had become after leaving his employ?
 

Forcing his gaze back to her face, he managed a nod, saying curtly, “Serenity.”

“Sir.” Her tone was bland, her face expressionless, and anger simmered inside him even though Willem had no fucking idea who he was angry with. Was he furious with Serenity, for daring to look like she had moved on, or with himself, for realizing that a nineteen year old seemed to be better at coping with their—

With their what,
Willem asked himself savagely. Goddammit, he was acting like he hadn’t yet recovered from a painful breakup when he had been the one to push her away.

“Are you okay, darling?” Shane touched his arm in puzzlement.

Serenity’s heart lurched as she watched the billionaire place a comforting hand on top of her sister’s.

“I’m sorry,” she heard Willem murmur. His voice was polite but warm.
A tone
, she realized dully,
he had never used with her
. Humiliation burned her cheeks at the thought. She must have been crazy, must have been so delusional, to think that Willem de Konigh actually loved her back.

And it was as if the billionaire was unconsciously driven to prove this as well.

It started when Willem claimed the seat next to Serenity, which caused her feelings to seesaw between elation and shock, until she heard the billionaire explain charmingly, “Because I’d like to see your beautiful face when we talk.”
 

Shane had blushed and laughed, but she had nonetheless taken the seat across Willem, which then forced Melanie to sit in isolation at the head of the table, with only Serenity on one side and an empty chair on the other.

Throughout dinner, Willem kept the conversation going, exerting all effort to dazzle Shane and Melanie as he alternately flirted with one and charmed the other. Serenity, he paid only the barest of attention, and by doing so he had unknowingly convinced the other women that Serenity’s resignation was indeed a sham.

When Willem paused to take a sip of his wine, Melanie said with a smile, “We should really do this more often.”

Willem smiled back. “It would be my pleasure.”
 

As the billionaire spoke, his hooded gaze rested lazily on Shane, which made Melanie’s daughter blush beautifully.

Serenity saw the same thing, too, and her heart lurched yet again.
 

If Serenity had been a little older, a little more experienced, she would have realized that everything the billionaire said and did was for
her
benefit.

But because she was not – because she was young and innocent and Willem de Konigh was her first love, the idea of deception did not occur to Serenity at all.

Instead, she saw the way Willem stared at her half-sister, and she thought exactly what he wanted her to think. She felt exactly what he wanted her to feel.

And she found herself breaking bit by bit.

She listened to them exchange banter with wit and grace and thought, ‘
I could never be like her.’

She watched them stare at each other, flirting with their eyes, seducing with a mere curve of their lips, and the truth could have not been more obvious. Her half-sister and the billionaire knew each other in a way that Serenity did not – and would
never
– know Willem.

And her heart broke even more.

Beside Serenity, Willem tried not to frown as he watched Shane pour herself another glass of wine. He had known her long enough to know that she was well past her limit, and as such was liable to do or say anything now.

And as soon as the thought occurred, it was as if he had jinxed himself, with Shane suddenly saying with a laugh, “Do you remember the first time you came here, darling?”

Willem stiffened, and so did the girl beside him.

When the billionaire glanced at Melanie, she had no trouble interpreting his look and said right away, “Shane, my dear, I think…”

But her daughter carried on, saying in a singsong voice, “I promise you, Willem, you were the only man I gave head to here in my mother’s house.”

Serenity sucked her breath in. Had she…had she heard Shane right? Was she saying what Serenity thought she said?

The first night Willem had come to Melanie’s home…was also the first time she and the billionaire had met, wasn’t it?

“You’re that special, darling,” Shane slurred. Success had gone to her head with the way the Dutch billionaire had spent the entire dinner flirting with her. For Shane, it meant that her patience was finally being rewarded and that Willem had made his mind up to marry her.

So she had drunk wine to celebrate, deliberately ignoring the fact that once she started drinking, she was unable to stop.
 

Looking at Willem, she purred, “For you, I didn’t even think twice. I just went down on my knees—”

Jumping to her feet, Melanie hurried to her daughter as she tried to hush Shane, “I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

Shane laughingly waved her mother away. “Oh, don’t be such a prude. I told you about it that very night. That’s why I went to your room first thing after he left.”

Serenity whitened. She remembered that night perfectly, and Shane had been in her mother’s room.

“And, oh, how you delighted me with the size of—”

“Sweetheart, please, you really need to keep this private.”

Serenity could feel Willem looking at her, but she could not, for the life of her, meet his eyes. She was numb with shock, and she hated herself for it. In the back of her mind, Serenity had always known that the billionaire and her half-sister couldn’t have enjoyed a platonic relationship.
 

Even so, she had foolishly blocked such thoughts from her mind. She had stubbornly clung to the fantasy that they only enjoyed each other’s company
outside
the bedroom.

But now, that fantasy was forever shattered.

And she just couldn’t take it anymore.

Serenity started to stand.

But Willem stopped her.

His hand finding hers under the table, concealed by the royal blue linen, and not letting go.

Stay.

Pain and pleasure ripped into her at the feel of his hand, but then she heard Shane start to speak again. Just the sound of her sister’s voice was devastating, and her words turned Serenity’s sweetest memories of meeting Willem for the first time into something excruciatingly vulgar.

She remembered Willem reaching out to ruffle her hair.
 

Was it the same hand he used to hold her sister’s head while Shane had given him a blowjob?

The thought was crucifying, and Serenity tried to tug her hand out of his hold, desperate to run away from the reality of Shane’s words.

But his grip only tightened.

Please.

She tugged harder even as she struggled not to cry. She knew she was being foolish. She knew she was acting every bit the nineteen-year-old she was, but she couldn’t help it.
 

She
had
needed to believe that Willem and her sister didn’t have that kind of relationship. But now, she had no choice. Shane had shoved the truth in her face, and now there was no escaping the pain.

In front of them, Melanie was futilely trying to quiet Shane, who insisted on talking about the
length
of Willem’s cock.

Tears burned Serenity’s eyes, and she tried harder to pull her hand away. She needed to go. She just needed to go.

But the billionaire wouldn’t let her.

His hold was unbreakable.
 

Don’t go.