My Dutch Billionaire Page 3

  “It’s my favorite place in the city.”

  “And Mokum in general? How do you find it?”

  “Peaceful. It’s nothing like the city I grew up in.”

  Her recognition of Amsterdam’s colloquial name allowed Willem to relax.

  If the news reports had been right, then she would have only been living in Amsterdam with her stepmother and Shane for over six months. A sufficient length of time for most people to adjust, Willem knew, but for someone who had to recover from the trauma of having one’s parent kill himself in her presence, even forever might not be enough to make one forget.

  “Have you fully explored Amsterdam?”

  Shane’s sister shook her head. “I like savoring every discovery.”

  An unusual answer for a fourteen-year-old, Willem thought, but then again Serenity Raleigh was anything but ordinary.

  “You walk often?”

  “Sometimes. Other times, I take my bike.”

  “I see.” Although it was a well-known fact that there were more bikes than people in Amsterdam, most women Willem was acquainted with considered biking beneath them and instead preferred traveling in chauffeured cars.

  “And you, sir?” the girl was asking him.

  He was puzzled. “What about me?”

  “What brings you here to the ODA?”

  “I was invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony as the representative of the royal side of the family.” He waited for her to ask more about his royal relatives, and she soon granted half of his wish.

  “May I go now, sir?” She had indeed asked a question, but not the one he was expecting.

  “Yes, of course.” He suppressed a smile, thinking ruefully how good this girl would be at keeping him humble. “I didn’t mean to keep you.” It seemed he was fated to say those words over and over, and the worst thing about it was how a part of him wanted to do just that.

  Keep her, so she wouldn’t come to harm.

  “Have a nice day, sir.”

  “You, too.”

  He watched her walk away, her long blonde locks neatly interlaced in a single plait, her back straight, her stride crooked as she…limped.

  Willem’s gaze narrowed, but as he continued watching her, he had to accept the truth that he wasn’t seeing wrong.

  She was limping.

  ****

  “Serenity.”

  She heard the Dutch billionaire call her name and forced herself to stop even though all she wanted to do was run away. There was something about the way he said her name she didn’t like, and when her sister’s rumored boyfriend came to stand in front of her again, she realized what it was.

  She saw it in his eyes, which were too uncannily like hers.

  She saw it in the grim set of his face, which seemed too handsome for someone who had all the money in the world.

  And, most of all, she saw it in the way he immediately shoved his hands deep in his trousers’ pockets as he came close to her.

  Pity.

  She had a feeling he pitied her for all the right reasons. Someone like Willem de Konigh wouldn’t have trouble uncovering the truth about her, never mind if the media’s interest in Daniel Raleigh’s orphaned daughter had long disappeared.

  What Willem de Konigh wanted, Serenity had a feeling the Dutch billionaire never had any trouble acquiring.

  But if what he wanted was someone who would welcome his pity, then he would certainly have his first taste of disappointment

  When the billionaire reached her, Serenity said quietly, “I won’t always be limping like this.” It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t quite the truth either. The doctors had told her that the limp would lessen, gradually, but it would never go away.

  She was fine with that.

  Unfortunately, the world wasn’t, and this man standing before her was proof of it.

  “I see.” But Serenity saw that he was having trouble seeing it. She could almost feel his frustration, his anger that she had to suffer such a handicap.

  And for a second, she was tempted to explain it wasn’t that at all. His anger…touched her, made Serenity want to make the billionaire see that her limp was her way of atonement, a much-needed reminder of what could happen if she were selfish again.

  But in the end, she didn’t. There was no point. She was sure that the billionaire’s interest in her was just fleeting, a rich man’s whim that would inevitably fade.

  “Does it still hurt?” she heard the billionaire ask.

  She shook her head, yet another half-truth. It almost never hurt, but the billionaire didn’t have to know that either.

  “Your shoes,” the billionaire murmured. He was staring at her feet as he spoke, and it was almost as if her choice of footwear – a pair of two-inch wedges – offended him. She was still debating whether to feel insulted or not when he asked, “Don’t they add to your discomfort?”

  Oh. She could feel her cheeks turning pink as she half-lied in a flustered voice, “N-not really.” She couldn’t help feeling guilty that she had thought so badly of his words when in reality he had only been concerned.

  His lips suddenly twitched, and she had a bad feeling the billionaire knew exactly why she was blushing. His voice, however, was polite and formal as he said, “This time, I truly won’t keep you any longer. Have a good day, Sere.”

  It startled her so, his use of a nickname, that by the time she recovered and thought of telling him how everyone but him called her Serenity, he was already walking away.

  He left her staring after him, left her struggling not to surrender to whimsical dreams that had no place in reality.

  He was Willem de Konigh, a man who was fourteen years older than she was.

  He was Willem de Konigh, the man whose kisses made her older sister Shane sound almost like she had a heart.

  He was Willem de Konigh, the Dutch billionaire everyone wanted to marry.

  Serenity did her best to remember this and forget him.

  And she almost did, until she went back to boarding school and found a beautifully wrapped parcel waiting for her.

  Inside it was the most exquisite pair of pumps, and with shaking hands, she lifted one shoe up. When she ran her fingers on its insole, tears stung her eyes. The feel of the material, as well as its design and construction, told Serenity that these were shoes specially made for someone like her.

  She was about to return the shoe into the box when she saw the card lying at the bottom, half-hidden under the other shoe.

  When she had first been hospitalized, people had sent her gifts and cards, and all of it had alluded to her return to the world of dancing. It made her stomach curl up in dread, thinking that this card could be the same.

  Inhaling deeply, she flipped the card to read its handwritten message.

  To make you soar.

  ~ WDK

  Chapter Three

  Serenity’s days at boarding school melted into one endless stream of activities, all of which she performed like an automaton. She might be there physically in every class, but in almost every second of the day, her mind was lost in dreams and her heart in uncontained hopes.

  Every night, she found herself secretly scouring the Internet, trying to find out everything about Willem de Konigh. She memorized everything she could about his businesses, but every time she would see photos of him with another woman, she would unhesitatingly click on the X button to make it go away. Those photos, she wanted to forget, and especially when they were of her older sister and Willem de Konigh together.

  Some days, Serenity prayed that she would stop being so obsessively infatuated. She was sure it was just that, an agonizing first crush when before the Dutch billionaire, she had lived a rather carefree life without ever feeling any kind of interest in the opposite sex.

  Other days, she wanted to cry because of how much she ached.

  There was no other word for the growing, invisible pain inside her, no other way to explain the way the world felt so dreadfully empty every time she remembered that
Willem de Konigh existed and he was not with her.

  He was not with her.

  Oh, how her fourteen-year-old heart ached at this truth.

  By the time fall began to give way to winter, Serenity had almost convinced herself that her feelings for the Dutch billionaire were a whim as well. Because she had felt so alone, and he had been the first man to be so kind to her, it was only natural that she would imagine she was infatuated with him.

  But really, she was not.

  And perhaps she would have succeeded in making herself believe this if not for fate lending its hand once more.

  ****

  “A visitor for you, Ms. Raleigh,” the school’s operator informed her.

  “Thank you, ma’am.” She placed the receiver down and slowly came to her feet. Could it be Melanie or Shane? Had something happened at home?

  Not bothering to change out of her school jacket and its matching pleated skirt, she rushed to the visitors’ hall, and upon hearing a few voices coming from one of the sitting areas, she hurried towards the sound.

  There, she saw the school’s headmistress, accompanied by two senior professors, speaking to a tall, blond gentleman in a handmade Italian suit.

  Her steps faltered.

  The headmistress looked up. “Oh, Ms. Raleigh’s here.”

  The gentleman turned.

  It was him, of course.

  Willem de Konigh.

  And at that moment it became clear. So beautifully clear, and Serenity thought, so this was love.

  In less than a minute they were left alone, or as alone as a billionaire could ever be, with a pair of bodyguards standing a short distance away from where they were seated. Having recognized the two immediately, she greeted them by name, and the pair had given her respectful nods in return.

  It was a rather short exchange, and throughout it Willem had been silently amused. He could see from the way Molen and Smit exchanged looks that the pair had been surprised Shane’s sister still remembered their names.

  When it was over, Willem immediately picked up on her nervousness and did his best to set her at ease, explaining about the career fair the school headmistress had invited him to and how, since he was already here, he thought it would be a good idea to check up on her.

  “I see.”

  Did she, really, Willem mused. Because if she did see and understand that he had actually lied to her, then she was better off than he was.

  It was true that he had been invited to speak at the career fair. But he hadn’t needed to come here now, and this was the truth he was determined to withhold from Serenity.

  “I hope I haven’t taken you away from any pressing schoolwork?”

  “No, sir.”

  Again, he studied her as she spoke and saw that she had actually become lovelier since the last time he had seen her. Serenity’s cheeks were flushed, and her blue eyes were sparkling. Out of nowhere the thought came that perhaps the reason why Serenity Raleigh had come to life, like Sleeping Beauty waking up, was because of a boy.

  The idea didn’t sit well with him, but he dismissed his feelings about it. He was thinking too much like a big brother to Shane’s little sister, that was all there was to it.

  “Thank you for the shoes, Mr. de Konigh,” he heard Serenity say.

  “It was my pleasure to give them, and Willem, please.”

  He expected her to refuse, like she usually did, but she didn’t.

  Instead, he saw her take a deep breath and then she said, softly, almost warily, “Willem.”

  Ah.

  He stilled, and so did she.

  It was just his name on her lips, and yet he felt his world shifting, and by the way she swallowed, he knew she had felt it, too.

  A bond, chaining the two of them together, for better or for worse.

  Because she was vulnerable, Willem was trying to reason to himself. She made him think of how gut-wrenching it would be, if any of his younger sisters suffered what she had gone through, and that was why they had this connection between them.

  Because he was perfect, Serenity was trying to remind herself. Even if she loved him, it did not mean he would automatically love her back. And he wouldn’t. He was dating her older sister, and more than that, he was perfect – too perfect for someone selfish like her.

  She jerked in her seat when the billionaire moved, and she couldn’t make herself relax even when she saw Willem de Konigh lean back against his seat.

  “This changes things,” the billionaire murmured.

  Her heart skipped a beat, but Serenity managed to keep her voice steady when she asked, “What things?”

  “Things between you and me.”

  She held her breath—

  “I don’t know how to explain it, but if I have to, I think it’s because you remind me of my younger sisters.”

  —and released it when she realized what the billionaire was saying.

  So, so stupid, she thought. Had she really thought the billionaire would say he was in love with a fourteen-year-old kid?

  “Do they limp too, Mr. de Konigh?”

  His lips curved. “No. They’re just as politely impertinent as you are.”

  “I have no idea what you mean, sir.”

  His eyes gleamed even as he drawled, “Of course you don’t.” He came to his feet, and when she, too, had stood up, he slowly reached out to ruffle her hair. He gave her all the time in the world to move away. But she didn’t.

  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 shiver
s 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.