Page 38 of In Love After Office Hours

Instead, she saw the way Willem stared at her half-sister, and she thought exactly what he wanted her to think. She felt exactly what he wanted her to feel.

And she found herself breaking bit by bit.

She listened to them exchange banter with wit and grace and thought, ‘I could never be like her.’

She watched them stare at each other, flirting with their eyes, seducing with a mere curve of their lips, and the truth could have not been more obvious. Her half-sister and the billionaire knew each other in a way that Serenity did not – and wouldnever– know Willem.

And her heart broke even more.

Beside Serenity, Willem tried not to frown as he watched Shane pour herself another glass of wine. He had known her long enough to know that she was well past her limit, and as such was liable to do or say anything now.

And as soon as the thought occurred, it was as if he had jinxed himself, with Shane suddenly saying with a laugh, “Do you remember the first time you came here, darling?”

Willem stiffened, and so did the girl beside him.

When the billionaire glanced at Melanie, she had no trouble interpreting his look and said right away, “Shane, my dear, I think...”

But her daughter carried on, saying in a singsong voice, “I promise you, Willem, you were the only man I gave head to here in my mother’s house.”

Serenity sucked her breath in. Had she...had she heard Shane right? Was she saying what Serenity thought she said?

The first night Willem had come to Melanie’s home...was also the first time she and the billionaire had met, wasn’t it?

“You’re that special, darling,” Shane slurred. Success had gone to her head with the way the Dutch billionaire had spent the entire dinner flirting with her. For Shane, it meant that her patience was finally being rewarded and that Willem had made his mind up to marry her.

So she had drunk wine to celebrate, deliberately ignoring the fact that once she started drinking, she was unable to stop.

Looking at Willem, she purred, “For you, I didn’t even think twice. I just went down on my knees—-”

Jumping to her feet, Melanie hurried to her daughter as she tried to hush Shane, “I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

Shane laughingly waved her mother away. “Oh, don’t be such a prude. I told you about it that very night. That’s why I went to your room first thing after he left.”

Serenity whitened. She remembered that night perfectly, and Shane had been in her mother’s room.

“And, oh, how you delighted me with the size of—-”

“Sweetheart, please, you really need to keep this private.”

Serenity could feel Willem looking at her, but she could not, for the life of her, meet his eyes. She was numb with shock, and she hated herself for it. In the back of her mind, Serenity had always known that the billionaire and her half-sister couldn’t have enjoyed a platonic relationship.

Even so, she had foolishly blocked such thoughts from her mind. She had stubbornly clung to the fantasy that they only enjoyed each other’s companyoutsidethe bedroom.

But now, that fantasy was forever shattered.

And she just couldn’t take it anymore.

Serenity started to stand.

But Willem stopped her.

His hand finding hers under the table, concealed by the royal blue linen, and not letting go.

Stay.

Pain and pleasure ripped into her at the feel of his hand, but then she heard Shane start to speak again. Just the sound of her sister’s voice was devastating, and her words turned Serenity’s sweetest memories of meeting Willem for the first time into something excruciatingly vulgar.

She remembered Willem reaching out to ruffle her hair.

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