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Serenity’s lips parted in shock. She had expected everything but that, and she couldn’t fathom it at all. Slowly shaking her head, she whispered, “I don’t understand.”

“You think you love me,” he said harshly, “but you don’t. I’ve seen the real thing, Sere. If you had really loved me, finding out that I’d marry someone else would have made you berserk. It would have made you want to kill me – maybe even try to kill me. But you didn’t. You even told me fucking congratulations, so what does that tell you?” He gripped her shoulders tightly, almost as if to shake the truth into her.“You don’t love me, and I’m glad you don’t.”

You don’t love me...and I’m glad you don’t.

The words repeated themselves inside her mind.

Over and over until she was sure she wasn’t dreaming.

She stared up at Willem.

Her guardian, her savior, her very own Dutch billionaire.

Her very beautiful, adorable...idiot.

How could someone so wonderfully intelligent be so darn clueless? She was so tempted to laugh, and she probably would have if she hadn’t the same burning urge to cry.

Willem de Konigh thought that love had only one form, one face, and it was the kind that his parents shared. A terrible, destructive love that he hated and did not want in his life, even if it meant turning his back onher.

If he thought she had loved him back, he would have left her.

So what was she going to do now?

Tell Willem she didn’t love him to stay...or tell him she did so he could push her away?

She closed her eyes, and the tears won over the laughter.“Oh, Willem.”

Time was the only answer, she thought brokenly. Time was what she needed the most – time to make him realize he was wrong, time to make him discover the other faces of love, and that the kind of love she had for him was different from what his parents had.

Her love...knew no bounds.

Her love...lasted.

Her love...gave way.

“Do you understand now?” her billionaire asked hoarsely.

Slowly, she nodded. “Y-yes.” She understood that for now, she had to lie. In order to be with him, open his eyes, and teach him about her kind of love, she would lie aboutnotloving him.

Their eyes met.

“You’re right,” Serenity whispered. “I m-might not love you, but I n-need you—-”

His mouth conquered hers. “And I need you back, engel.” His voice was fierce. “I need you forever.” He started to say something else when they heard voices outside.

Serenity’s eyes widened.

“Serenity? Are you in here?”

Seeing the way panic flared in Serenity’s eyes, he pressed his finger to his lips, reminding her to be quiet. At the same time, he let her go and, lowering himself to the ottoman inside the cubicle, he pulled Serenity between his legs before bracing his feet on each side of the door.

If anyone cared to look under it, no one would know that Serenity wasn’t alone inside.

“Serenity!” Melanie’s voice was now tinged with impatience.

Answer her,Willem mouthed.

“I-I’m h-here, Melanie.” As she answered, she felt the billionaire slowly draw her closer to him, and her eyes widened in alarm.