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Chapter Nine

ON THE NIGHT OF THEball, 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.