She had forgotten in her pain, but she remembered now.
She was strong, and she would always be strong because there were people who loved her.
They loved her, and so they believed in her.
It was the way it should be.
And because she loved Jaak, and he loved her—-
Shouldn’t it be so for both of them, too?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Two men skied down the slopes in neck-breaking speed, identical in height and build. One was suited up entirely in white, the other in black, and upon making the hairpin turn at the end, the two of them soared in the sky-—
It was like watching two angels in a furious race against each other – one who still had his wings, another who had fallen from grace.
Their skis pounded the snow as they made their landfall, and those who were in the vicinity cheered wildly as the pair skied to a stop.
The men took off their helmets, and Willem raked a hand through his blond hair. “That was crazy.”
“I told you it was,” Jaak answered dryly. “But you insisted on going anyway.”
“I had to.” The older de Konigh’s tone was blunt. “I had to make sure you wouldn’t suddenly succumb to the urge to take your life.”
As they walked off, Jaak asked about Serenity.
“Still not talking to you,” Willem answered pleasantly.
“Ah.” Jaak’s lips twisted. “Can’t say I blame her.”
They went on their separate ways after that, both of them agreeing to meet at the chalet for dinner. After taking a showerat his hotel room, Jaak took the snowmobile to get to the family chalet, where Willem and Serenity were staying. Normally, he wouldn’t have any problem playing the third wheel with the couple, but it was different now.
Serenity hated him, and he respected that. She was being completely loyal to Ilse, and he respected that even more. But more than that, it was because of where they were living, and the billionaire’s face took on a grim expression as he considered the timelessly elegant façade of the chalet.
He had been twenty-one the last time he had come here. He had been a troubled twenty-one then, struggling with feelings of isolation and despair because most of his soul had still been trapped in the past. Eleven years down the line, and it didn’t seem like much had changed.
He was still alone, his soul just as broken.
When he came knocking on the front door, Jaak prepared himself to face a militant-looking Serenity, but the family butler showed up instead to usher him in. “Goedenavond, mijnheer.”
“Goedenavond, Bertrand.” Everything inside still looked the same, with a twenty-foot crystal chandelier showering the receiving area with golden light. The white brick walls made the living room appear even more spacious, and the marbled fireplace hadn’t lost its majestic appeal even after all these years, with its column pillars and scrolled header.
“Are the master of the house and his lady still upstairs?” he asked with a crooked grin.
“Sir Willem is waiting for you at the dining room, mijnheer.”
“And Serenity?”
“Dining out with friends,mijnheer.”
“Willem Jr. actually has friends?” Like her mentor-slash-fiancé, Serenity was a notorious workaholic, to the point that her small circle of friends mostly consisted of wives of Willem’s own friends.
Bertrand’s stoic look refused to crack. “It appears so, mijnheer. May I take you to Sir Willem now?’
“Please do,” Jaak answered with a sigh, knowing from experience that the old man was absolutely against smiling during work hours.
Inside the dining room, Willem was indeed waiting for him, seated at the head of the table.
