“Relax, babe.”
Easy for him to say,she thought crossly. But then the billionaire’s hands settled on her shoulders, and he started kneading her tired muscles, and it felt so good. She couldn’t even remember the last time she had a massage, and that the billionaire was the one to do it now—-
“You don’t have to,” she mumbled.
“Do you want me to stop?”
She shook her head.
“Then just enjoy it.”
Silence fell, the only sound in the room coming from the soft movements of the water every time she or the billionaire shifted.
“Do you mind,” the billionaire murmured, “if I ask what happened?”
Ah.Her eyes drifted shut. “When my parents died in an accident, their finances were in a disarray and I...I trusted Uncle Jerry with everything. He was our family’s accountant, but more than that, he was a friend. He had been around since forever and I thought he was there to help.” There was no trace of bitterness, no trace of anger in Ilse’s voice, but even so, it still made her heart ache a little every time she thought of the man she had considered a second father.
“I guess...the temptation was too much for him. He got the lawyer handling my parents’ affairs to connive with him, and well, long story short, they stole my inheritance but made it seem like my parents died bankrupt.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued haltingly, “At first, I was hoping that I could somehow get the money back. But I also had to figure out a way to stay afloat, so I started borrowing from my friends. I meant to pay them back, but...” Ilse broke off, a part of her unable to stop cringing in shame every time she remembered just how weak she had been.
“Natalia and Issac made you realize you couldn’t.”
There was no note of condemnation in the billionaire’s voice, but even so, Ilse’s self-contempt still colored her own tone as she answered shortly, “Yes.”
“And so you ended up working for Gloria...” The billionaire’s fingers pressed hard as he spoke, and her back arched.
As the billionaire’s quiet ministrations continued, a relaxing sensation began to spread to the rest of her body. It made past hurts fade gradually and eventually allowed Ilse to look at him over her shoulder, saying simply, “She was the first good thing that happened to me after my parents’ deaths.
“I could’ve taken a normal office job, and I probably would’ve been good at it...but I neededa lotof money immediately. I didn’t want to fail Jan, but I was terrified that I would. I was at the end of my tether when I bumped into Gloria, and somehow she got the whole story out of me...”
Ilse’s shoulders moved in a slight shrug under the billionaire’s kneading fingers. “The rest is history.”
“I’m glad you met her.”
And I’m just as glad you feel that way.The thought flitted through her mind as she felt the billionaire’s fingers still, just before his breath caressed her skin and his lips brushed the side of her neck.
A shiver ran through her body at the kiss, and a sigh slowly escaped her lips when the billionaire’s fingers began to move again.
She was so, so lucky to have this man in her life.
So, so lucky—-
And suddenly, she had the most powerful need to tell him that. “Jaak?”
“Mm?”
“Thank you.”
A lifetime of emotions was invested in these two words, and the billionaire knew it. Hefeltit, and his fingers stilled.
“T-thank you for not judging me.” Her voice was ragged. “Thank you for supporting me. And most of all, t-thank you for n-not looking at J-Jan like he’s a burden.”
Ah.“You love him,” Jaak said quietly. “I was prepared to care for him for that reason alone, but after meeting him...he’s special, Ilse. I’d be honored if he would let me care for him.”
The billionaire’s words empowered and weakened her at the same time, and Ilse could only draw her knees close, whispering, “Thank you. Thank you, Jaak.” Her voice caught, but she just couldn’t stop saying it. “Thank you.”
For so long, she hadn’t let herself lean on anyone, and yet the billionaire had somehow overridden all her defenses, her fears.
