But she only shook her head, muttering, “There’s nothing to fix.”
“Ilse—-”
She cut him off, saying, “I’m scheduled to work any minute now.”
Knowing how committed she was to work, the billionaire said reluctantly, “Fine.” His eyes glinted in warning. “But wewilltalk about it later.”
For a few minutes, they moved in silence, their familiarity with each other’s routine allowing them to work in synchrony even without either of them speaking.
He switched her laptop off while she reached for her costume bag. She went inside the fitting room, and he unfolded her costume. She undressed and handed him her clothes while he gave Ilse her costume.
She stepped out when she was done changing, and he saw by the way she smiled uncertainly at him that she was also over with whatever what was bothering her.
“You really don’t hold grudges, do you?”
“Sometimes,” she told him candidly, “I wish I could. But I don’t.”
“I’m glad.” He slowly reached for her hand, and she let him, her fingers twining with his. “Will you tell me now,” he asked softly, “what was bothering you?”
She looked at him, and understanding her silent plea, he drew her close with his free arm, and she leaned her head against his chest.
“That woman in the casino had everything going for her,” she whispered. “She was famous—-” But that was an understatement, really. Beautiful, accomplished, and with a seemingly perfect boyfriend by her side – the actress had the world in her hands and yet—-
“She threw it all away for you.” And that was what Ilse didn’t get. Or maybe that was what she was so terrified to understand.
“Did you lie to her?”
The billionaire stared straight into her eyes. “No.”
“Did you promise her anything you didn’t mean?”
“No.”
“But she still did it,” Ilse said shakily. That woman had taken a risk on Jaak, and she had lost. When the scandal had erupted, the actress had lost all her endorsements and studios hadretracted their offers. Surely, that woman had known what she was risking...and yet she had gambled it all to have Jaak.
“She thought I could be hers. And for a moment, I thought it was possible, too.” The billionaire slowly tipped her chin up. “But we were wrong. Neither of us knew I was fated for you.”
THERE WAS A DISTANCEbetween them when Ilse’s tour began, but the billionaire seemed to know better than do something about it. From this moment and until the next sixty minutes passed, Ilse’s time was completely devoted to work, and the billionaire respected that.
After introducing herself to tonight’s tour group, consisting of fresh college graduates from Korea, Ilse gestured to the billionaire and simply referred to him as her assistant. Her tour members only nodded, their wide-eyed attention still focused on the ample display of her chest.
She tried her best to concentrate on the tour, but as time passed, it was obvious the billionaire was faring much better than she was. She just couldn’t stop glancing at him, but every time she did she only saw him hard at work, volunteering to take photos for her Korean clients and offering translations whenever necessary.
He was a billionaire for god’s sake, and yet here he was, acting like he really was nothing but a tour guide’s assistant. He could have made her choose between him and her work, could have made her feel unreasonable about her stubborn bid for independency, but he hadn’t.
He had treated her with respect, and more importantly, he had showed the same respect to her job.
And this was why that woman gambled it all,Ilse realized, and a painful little twinge struck her heart at the knowledge. Somehow, that woman had glimpsed into the billionaire’s heart – somehow that woman had seen the perfection that the billionaire himself denied existing – and she had wanted it for herself.
She had gambled everything because she knew that nothing in this world could ever compare to owning Jaak’s heart.
And now, due to a twist of fate, a whim of Lady Luck—-
Ilse wasn’t really sure why or how it happened, knew only that it did.
Jaak de Konigh’s heart was hers.
Because Jaak de Konigh lovedher.
