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HE WAS NOT SURPRISEDat all when reception called him about a female visitor, and he told them to allow his visitor up, knowing it was Serenity without even asking. Perhaps it was a combination of the years he had spent with her and this all-too-new, all-too-powerful love he felt for her, but more and more Willem was beginning to realize that he was able to predict the way her mind worked.

It had been obvious by the way she looked at him earlier that she had never thought she would bump into him, and especially not while she was still with Acheron Simonides. Also equally obvious to the Dutch billionaire was that she would come after him as soon as she was able to. Serenity had a very strong sense of justice after all, even when she was a child, and it would have only gotten stronger over the years.

But it didn’t mean she couldn’t surprise him,he thought grimly. Today was proof of that, with the sight of Serenity in Acheron Simonides’ arms like a punch to his guts. It was a Monday, a school day, and like a goddamn fool, he had never thought to question her when she told him she was too busy to meet with him.

She came knocking on his door a minute later, and when he opened the door, he found her frail and trembling, her blue eyes showing fear and guilt. She had changed, wisely so, and it showed that she, too, knew him well enough to guess he would not appreciate seeing her come to him in the same clothes she had worn while she was with her Greek boss.

“Come in,” he said politely. It was all Willem could actually think of saying because at that moment, he realized that it was actually possible to hate and love one person in equal measure. It was irrational, more so for someone like him, but it was the truth.

He did not follow her with his gaze as she walked inside, taking his time instead in closing and locking the door even though he had security posted outside. He needed a few extra moments to calm himself, and he thought he had himself under control – until he turned to look at her and immediately thought,it didn’t work.

He was still angry with her, after all.

“W-Willem?” The Dutch billionaire was staring at her coldly, colder than he had ever looked at her, and she couldn’t stand it. She knew she shouldn’t care.Thiswas the point of the entire pretense, wasn’t it? To hurt him like he was now? Because that was what Willem de Konigh was feeling. Behind the shuttered mask that had fallen over his handsome face, underneath the veneer of icy rage – he was hurting, and it was all because of her.

Wasn’t this what she wanted?

Trembling violently, she waited for him to speak. She begged him with her eyes, begged for him to give her a sign that he had not...

He had not what,she wondered hysterically.

She no longer knew what she wanted.

Suddenly, he started to speak. “Serenity—-”

The tone was not right, and she shook her head. She didn’t want to hear him speaking after all, not when he was saying her name like it was the last time he was going to say it. Gulping, she said haltingly, “I didn’t think I’d see you today.”

His jaw clamped at her words, and his tone was cuttingly derisive as he said, “Obviously.”

Her fingers dug into her palms. He was so, so angry. And she couldn’t blame him. “It’s a special holiday in uni. All of us didn’t have any classes.” She was stumbling all over her explanation, and the sound of her own voice made her wince. She couldn’t have made herself sound any more like a liar than she already was. “A-Acheron—-”

“That’s what you call him?”

She nearly jumped at his viciously sharp tone. “H-he asked me to,” she whispered and nearly reared back at the murderous way the Dutch billionaire looked at her.

“He asked you to,” the billionaire echoed her words mockingly. “And just because he asked you to, you said yes?”

She realized too late, and it was foolish of her, what he was getting at, and paled. “It’s n-not like that—-”

“Is it not?” the billionaire drawled.

She hugged herself in an effort to keep her body from trembling. “Willem, please—-” She flinched as he cursed.

“Do you think it would please me now,” he asked savagely, “to have you call me Willem when you obviously have no problems calling him by his first name?” His fist slammed against the wall on his side, and he saw Serenity flinch again.

Goddammit.

Goddammit to hell.

“I think you should go,” he heard himself say.

She had to, before he ended up hurting her more.

But Serenity didn’t leave, didn’t even move.

“I’m not giving you a choice.”

The billionaire’s voice was ominously soft, and she knew what it meant. It was a sign of his rage boiling so closely to the surface, but it was also a sign that he was hurting...because of her.