Serenity whitened.

Willem.

He nodded at her. “Ms. Raleigh.”

And then he was walking past her and heading down the stairs.

For a moment, she could only stand there, wondering if she was dreaming.

She had to be dreaming.

She had to.

But she could still hear his footsteps, and she knew – she just knew she couldn’t let him go just like that.

“Wait!” The word came out a sob, and it pained her – it killed her to hear her voice break just like that.

But he was still leaving.

She rushed towards the stairs, ignoring the way the pain shot up her leg.

“Wait!”

But the billionaire didn’t even seem to hear her.

She stumbled down the stairs, her face white with pain, and she choked out, “Please, wait.” She was no longer thinking, no longer feeling. She was purely moving by instinct, and all her instincts were telling her that she just...she just needed to know why.

He had unlocked the door now, and she tried running towards the billionaire to stop him from leaving. “Wait!” She had almost grabbed the back of his jacket when her leg completely gave out and she found herself falling.

Serenity cried out.

Willem stilled.

She crumbled to the floor, her knees falling hard against the cement, but she didn’t tear her gaze away from the billionaire.

“Please,” she said hoarsely. “Please just tell me...”

Slowly, Willem turned to look at her.

Her face turned ashen at what was seeing – at what shewasn’tseeing.

It was like looking at a man she loved and seeing him look at her like she was a stranger.

“I don’t understand,” she whispered brokenly. “I thought you loved—-” Her voice cracked, and she couldn’t finish what she wanted to say when she saw the icy look of hauteur in the billionaire’s face.

“That’s the problem, Ms. Raleigh,” he said ever so politely. “You thoughtI loved you.”

And then he was walking away.