The billionaire’s jaw clenched, and at his continued silence, she released a little laugh, the sound leaving him cold.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
He knew then things might be over, completely over, before anything could even begin.
“Ilse—-” This time, his voice was tight and urgent, but she cut him off with a shake of her head.
“I’m not sure if you ever stopped to wonder about this,” Ilse said calmly, “but you’re not even the first or second person to assume my choice of profession has something to do with my IQ.”
Fuck.He had an inexplicable urge to get a list of those who had insulted her and kill them, but then he also knew he would probably top that list.
“But because you knew me better than they did, you turned out to be the biggest idiot—-”
The billionaire stiffened, thinking that this time the word ‘idiot’ didn’t sound sexy at all but downright insulting. “I know I’m the one who’s in the wrong here,” he gritted out, “but I’d advise you to take care with your words—-”
“Or what?” Ilse charged. “If I don’t do as you say, you’d what? Leave me?” Her lip curled. “That only works if I was ever with you – and Iwasn’t.” Her voice was strong and proud, the expression on her face disparaging, but even though she had never looked more magnificent—-
She hadn’t looked more fragile either, and it killed him, knowing that he was the reason for it.
“Enough of this,” the billionaire said heavily.
“Exactly.”
His head shot up at the utter absence of emotion in her tone. “Ilse—-”
“Because I think we’ve had enough of each other.”
FUCK.
“Ilse—-”
“If there’s one thing this life of mine has taught me,” Ilse said softly, “then it’s that it’s too precious to waste on lies and pretensions.”
She looked at the billionaire and it hurt, thinking of all that could have been. She had thought he was different...but he was not.
“My job may require me to go out dressed in costume,mijnheer,” Ilse whispered, “but I’m not the one who has been living my entire life wearing a mask—-”
She stopped speaking, the pain suddenly overwhelming her.
Was there no one she could ever depend on?
The billionaire whitened at the despair in her eyes. “Ilse.”
It was the first time her name didn’t sound right on his lips, and she wondered dully if it ever did, wondered if she had just been fooling herself all along, making her see what shewantedto see.
The billionaire’s fists clenched.Ilse, he thought bleakly, had always looked so full of life. But now—-
The urge to drive his fist into the nearest wall became almost impossible to resist.
Inhaling deeply, Ilse struggled to keep her voice steady as she said, “I think it would be best if I don’t ever hear from you again,mijnheer.”
No. Fuck, no.The billionaire shook his head sharply. “Ilse, I know I made a mistake—-”
Her proud, hurt gaze lifted to his. “We both made a mistake. You failed to see me for who I am, and so did I. We are who we are,mijnheer...and we are not for each other.”
