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Willem almost laughed. Most people would have thought twice – thrice even – before doing such a thing, and yet here was this slip of a girl treating him as if they were equals.

He liked it, and his admiration for Shane and Melanie Raleigh went up a notch. They had raised the youngest member of their family very well.

“You’ve just come back from boarding school?”

“Yes.” Serenity’s wariness increased at the continued persistence shown by the billionaire. She had never seen any photo of his, but she had recognized his name. He should be too busy to talk to a nobody like her. So why was he?

The girl’s reluctance to speak with him was more amusing than offensive, and he said graciously, “I apologize for keeping you. You should be resting now and not humoring an old man’s curiosity.”

“You’re not old,” Serenity said unthinkingly, and she blushed afterwards. She had never blurted out something like that before.

“Is that so?” Willem drawled casually, pretending not to notice the becoming flush in the girl’s cheeks. “May I ask how old are you then?”

“Fourteen, sir.”

“Well, I’m twenty-eight. Exactly twice your age.”

The girl only blinked. “It’s still not old.”

Stubborn, Willem realized. How contradictory, especially when one took in her deceptively demure façade.

“If you say so,” he murmured agreeably. He was an expert at picking his battles, and it was one of the skills that had built his reputation as one of Europe’s most powerful negotiators. “I’m planning to have your family join me for dinner soon. I hope to see you then.”

“If I don’t have school, sir.”

Her insistence at being polite made his lips twitch. “I’ll make sure to send an invitation during the holidays.” He absently reached out to ruffle her hair.

Serenity saw the large hand coming her way, and she flinched before she could stop herself.

Willem froze.

She whitened.

“Serenity—-”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was sharp and shrill at the same time. “I mustn’t be keeping you either.” She backed up a step. “It was nice meeting you, sir.”

“The pleasure is mine.” His gaze narrowed at the strange, sudden pallor of her skin.

She didn’t seem to hear him, was instead looking past him as she bid goodbye to his guards. “It was nice talking to you, Mr. Molen, Mr. Smit.”

Serenity only allowed herself to wait for the two other men to say goodbye back before whirling around to leave. She was careful not to let her eyes meet Willem de Konigh’s gaze as she did, and she tried to walk away as fast as she could without running.

She was so, so stupid. What if Shane or Melanie found out how she had reacted? What if they used it as ammunition to get her permanently committed?

Thankfully, the apartment was quiet, the lights in the living room switched off when Serenity let herself in. If she was lucky, she could rest tonight and worry about making excuses tomorrow.

She made her way up silently and when she reached the top of the steps, she heard her half-sister’s voice. “I’m telling you, Mother,” Shane was saying confidently, “I’ve got him hooked. He will be mine. It’s just a matter of time, and then I’ll be Mrs. de Konigh, and it will be so heavenly.” Shane giggled. “Maybe even more heavenly than his kisses, which are just so...”

Serenity didn’t wait to hear any more. She felt sick without understanding why and rushed towards her room. She was just about to reach her door when she heard Melanie’s door open, and her heart sank.

She turned around just as her stepmother and half-sister came out into the hallway.

“Why are you here?”

Shane’s voice was always rude, Serenity thought absently as she started to make her explanations. Did the billionaire know about her sister’s shrewish side?

When she was done speaking, Melanie asked incredulously, “Are you telling me you have to stay here for the weekend?”