“I’m afraid not,” she answered lightly. “He has a mountain of work to do in Italy.”
Jan frowned. “But he told me he would come home.”
“Did he?”
Silence.
“Jan?”
“Sorry, Ilse.” Jan’s tone was sheepish. “I nodded. I forgot you were blind.”
Ah.“Idiot.” Her voice wobbled, but Ilse’s smile came from her heart.Of course it had to be Jan, she couldn’t help thinking. Of course it had to be Jan who would forget she was now blind because as far as her brother was concerned—-
Blind or not—-
Weak or not—-
Ilse hadn’t changed at all.
She was still his sister.
And he loved her, whatever she may or may not be.
When the billionaire phoned her that night, Ilse was still feeling a little emotional, and for some moments, she only allowed the phone to ring. She couldn’t help comparing her brother to the billionaire, couldn’t help wondering why the billionaire couldn’t love her unconditionally the way Jan did.
Why?
When the billionaire called her for the second time, Ilse forced herself to answer. “Sorry,” she said right away. “I was in the shower.” The words spilled out naturally. She had gotten good at lying lately, and really, how could she not when she had lots of practice with every phone call from the billionaire?
“It’s fine. I just wanted to make sure everything’s okay there.”
“Well...” Injecting a pensive note in her voice, she said slowly, “That depends. Right now, I’m still not sure whether to sue you or not.”
“Pardon?” The billionaire’s tone had become stiff, and Ilse laughed despite herself.
“I’m talking about Jan. Since when did you turn my brother into your unpaid PA? I was talking to him over dinner, and he practically has your entire calendar for the month memorized.”
The billionaire chuckled, and the lazy sound made her fingers tighten around her iPhone.
It used to be she would hear that sound every day.
But it was different now.
“Don’t be jealous, babe.”
Her eyes squeezed shut.
The last time he had called her that, she still had her sight, and they were still okay.
“Jaak.” His name came out a choking sound. “Come home.”
COME HOME.Ilse’s words reverberated in his mind, and although the billionaire was alone in his hotel suite, it no longer felt that way. Now, it was as if his past was haunting him from every direction, and wherever he looked—-
All he could see was her—-
Ilse dressed like an army sergeant—-
Ilse under the umbrella with him—-
