Page 13 of In Love After Office Hours

Some days, Serenity prayed that she would stop being so obsessively infatuated. She was sure it was just that, an agonizing first crush when before the Dutch billionaire, she had lived a rather carefree life without ever feeling any kind of interest in the opposite sex.

Other days, she wanted to cry because of how much she ached.

There was no other word for the growing, invisible pain inside her, no other way to explain the way the world felt so dreadfully empty every time she remembered that Willem de Konigh existed and he was not with her.

He was not with her.

Oh, how her fourteen-year-old heart ached at this truth.

By the time fall began to give way to winter, Serenity had almost convinced herself that her feelings for the Dutch billionaire were a whim as well. Because she had felt so alone, and he had been the first man to be so kind to her, it was only natural that she would imagine she was infatuated with him.

But really, she was not.

And perhaps she would have succeeded in making herself believe this if not for fate lending its hand once more.

****

“AVISITOR FOR YOU,Ms. Raleigh,” the school’s operator informed her.

“Thank you, ma’am.” She placed the receiver down and slowly came to her feet. Could it be Melanie or Shane? Had something happened at home?

Not bothering to change out of her school jacket and its matching pleated skirt, she rushed to the visitors’ hall, and upon hearing a few voices coming from one of the sitting areas, she hurried towards the sound.

There, she saw the school’s headmistress, accompanied by two senior professors, speaking to a tall, blond gentleman in a handmade Italian suit.

Her steps faltered.

The headmistress looked up. “Oh, Ms. Raleigh’s here.”

The gentleman turned.

It was him, of course.

Willem de Konigh.

And at that moment it became clear. So beautifully clear, and Serenity thought, so this was love.

In less than a minute they were left alone, or as alone as a billionaire could ever be, with a pair of bodyguards standing a short distance away from where they were seated. Having recognized the two immediately, she greeted them by name, and the pair had given her respectful nods in return.

It was a rather short exchange, and throughout it Willem had been silently amused. He could see from the way Molen and Smit exchanged looks that the pair had been surprised Shane’s sister still remembered their names.

When it was over, Willem immediately picked up on her nervousness and did his best to set her at ease, explaining about the career fair the school headmistress had invited him to and how, since he was already here, he thought it would be a good idea to check up on her.

“I see.”

Did she, really, Willem mused. Because if she did see and understand that he had actually lied to her, then she was better off than he was.

It was true that he had been invited to speak at the career fair. But he hadn’t needed to come here now, and this was the truth he was determined to withhold from Serenity.

“I hope I haven’t taken you away from any pressing schoolwork?”

“No, sir.”

Again, he studied her as she spoke and saw that she had actually become lovelier since the last time he had seen her. Serenity’s cheeks were flushed, and her blue eyes were sparkling. Out of nowhere the thought came that perhaps the reason why Serenity Raleigh had come to life, like Sleeping Beauty waking up, was because of a boy.

The idea didn’t sit well with him, but he dismissed his feelings about it. He was thinking too much like a big brother to Shane’s little sister, that was all there was to it.

“Thank you for the shoes, Mr. de Konigh,” he heard Serenity say.

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