My Dutch Billionaire - Tee Marian - Страница 17

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.

It was Shane.

The billionaire had known the moment the girl he loved entered the room, and like all the other single men, had watched her come forward with bated breath. He was filled with pride and love at the sight of her, and his fingers tightened involuntarily around the handles of the package he held in one hand.

She was so damn beautiful, and even now he could not completely believe that she had taken him back. No words had been exchanged, but it was unnecessary. He loved her, and for that reason he had known. The moment she had wrapped her arms around him, he had known.

And it should have been perfect from then. It should have been a happily ever after from that moment until he saw the stricken look on her face and his blood ran cold. He followed her gaze, and he whitened.

Shane.

He had no fucking idea why she was here and how she knew about his schedule, but at this point it didn’t matter.

What mattered was getting Serenity to listen to him.

The billionaire tried to make his way to her as fast as he could, but when he saw Serenity pick up her skirt and whirl away, he swore under his breath and simply shoved away the people who insisted on blocking his path.

Reaching the stairs, he took the steps several at a time, uncaring of the looks he attracted, which were both scandalized and snooping. She had gone past the main doors and was running down the hallway when he reached the top of the stairs, and he called out her name desperately.

“Serenity!”

Everyone looked at him but the girl who owned his heart.

“Serenity!”

He ran after her, and it was as if she knew he was close because she, too, seemed to have picked up speed.

“Serenity—”

She disappeared around a corner.

He followed her, just in time to see her bump into Acheron Simonides.

Goddamn it to hell, Willem thought numbly as he slowed down. It had to be him. It just had to be. He watched the Greek billionaire place a hand at the small of her back and had the monstrous urge to launch himself at the other man and beat him into a bloody pulp.

The Greek billionaire bent his head, murmuring in a low voice to Serenity, before slowly curving an arm around her waist. As Willem neared them, the two faced him, presenting a united front even though it was only Serenity’s Greek boss who met his gaze head on.

Fuck you, Acheron Simonides, Willem thought even as jealousy threatened to cripple his heart.

He came to a stop in front of them, and he said quietly, “Sere.”

He watched her shudder at the sound of his pet name for her, but she didn’t look up.

“Look at me, Sere.” This time, he spoke in a command.

And just when he thought she would no longer obey him, Serenity slowly raised her head. The sight of her glassy gaze kicked him in the guts, and swallowing, he said hoarsely, “I’m sorry.” He had to apologize, even if he had no fucking idea what her sister was doing at the same ball. He had to apologize because no matter how much he wanted to turn back time and date only one Raleigh sister – date the only one who was meant to own his heart – he could not.

He could only love her, for as long as he existed, and hope that it was enough.

Serenity saw the pain etched so deeply in the billionaire’s face and wondered if it was true. She was left dazed and reeling by the wrenching agony that struck her at the sight of her sister, and now she no longer knew what to believe.

What if it was just the same thing all over again?

What if it was all an elaborate prank?

The first time she had given the billionaire her heart, he had accepted her resignation and allowed her to walk out of his life.

The first time she had given the billionaire her body, he had gone to her sister and walked away even when she had begged him to stay.

How did one know what was true?

“Sere.”

She wanted to weep at how her heart strained at the sound of his voice. Even now, when he might still be acting, her body sang at his presence, and her whole world continued to revolve around him.

She whispered brokenly, “I’m so tired.”

Willem sucked his breath in at the sound of defeat clinging to her voice. For one terrifying moment, panic ate at him as he considered a life without Serenity by his side. What if she never believed him? What if too much had happened for Serenity to ever trust and love him—

No.

Shoving all thoughts of doubts and self-pity away, the billionaire focused his attention on the girl he loved. “Listen to me, my love.” He didn’t give a damn about the crowd growing around them, guests who had foregone registering and proceeding to the fundraising ball in order to enjoy the spectacle of having two European billionaires possibly fight over a nineteen-year-old girl.

“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not true. I love you, you see, and you love me, and that’s why I only have to take one look at you to know what’s wrong.” Something flickered in her gaze, and he told himself that was a good sign. “I have no idea why your sister is here. My best bet is she knows my schedule well enough to know the right people to ask, and because most people assume she’s still part of my life, they were rather free in giving her information.” He paused, a muscle ticking in his jaw at the way the Greek billionaire’s arm remained around his woman’s waist. Swallowing past his rage, he continued evenly, “The point is, I never invited her, and I do not ever plan to make her a part of my life. She’s the past, Sere. You are my present and my future.”

But Serenity only looked at him, and when she actually started to lean towards her Greek boss, Willem gritted out, “Don’t.”

She jerked at the snap in his voice, but he didn’t apologize for it. He knew she felt tired and weak, but goddammit, how long did she think he could last, seeing her in another man’s arms?

“You have to choose to trust me sometime, engel—”

“Don’t call me that!” Her tone was violent.

“Why not?” he charged back just as violently. “Because your bitch of a sister fed you lies about the two of us?” He shook his head in impotent frustration and rage. “She lied, Serenity. By now, you should know and understand as well as I do that your sister’s a pathological liar. I can prove it to you, but before I can do that, you need to trust me. You need to choose to love me again or there’s not—”