“All I know is that Serenity and her friends refused to tell her anything.”
Jaak breathed hard. “Thank you, Willem.”Thank you for never failing, the way he always—-
“Jaak.”
He watched the home he had shared two goddamn magical weeks with Ilse gradually rise into view.
How fucking happy they had been.
How foolish she had been to trust her.
And how even more foolish he had been, to let her.
The limousine slowed down at the top of the driveway, but the billionaire didn’t step out right away. He simply stayed there, watching from the inside, wondering numbly if he even had the right to see her.
“Jaak, are you still there?”
“Ja.”
“Did you cheat on her?”
“It doesn’t matter if I did. I knew what I was doing. I knew what would happen the moment I stepped inside and—-I still did it anyway.”
THE HOUSE WAS COLDand quiet, and although he had hired staff to be present around the clock, all of them were conspicuously absent. On his way to the stairs, he passed by the formal dining room, its door ajar, revealing Jan eating alone, and an opened book on his lap.
After a moment of hesitation, the billionaire turned and headed towards the dining room. He knocked on the door, waiting for Ilse’s brother to look at him.
Jan brightened up at the sight of the billionaire. “You’re back!”
His chest clenched at Jan’s smile of welcome, the sight slashing him to the core because he didn’t think he deserved it. Hesaid hoarsely, “I’m back.” And he managed to return the smile, barely, his lips forming a crooked grin.
“Where’s the staff?”
“Ilse gave them the day off yesterday.”
“I see.” And he did. Because he had known this kind of pain, and he had known the need to be alone in it.
Turning back to Jan, he noticed that Jan’s plate was the only one on the table, and the billionaire asked if Ilse had eaten yet.
The younger man slowly shook his head. “She hasn’t come down since this morning.” Jan took the workbook on his lap. “She was supposed to help me with today’s lessons.”
“Was she?” The billionaire gestured to the workbook. “May I see it?” At Jan’s nod, he reached for the workbook and saw an illustration of the solar system. “Were you asked to memorize the planets?”
Ilse’s brother nodded.
“Recite it to me then,” he said. “I’ll let you know if you got anything wrong.”
Jan took a deep breath. “Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars.” He paused, his face scrunching up.
“Go on, you can do it.”
“Jupiter, September, October—-”
The billionaire’s eyes widened.
Jan broke off with a frown.
The billionaire did his best to keep a straight face.
