by Marian Tee
****
“Is something wrong?” Serenity asked the question in a small voice even though she already knew the answer to it. Inside her heart, she knew, because for so long now, her heart had started beating with his and for his.
“No.” But the billionaire’s voice was abrupt, and his gaze didn’t stray to her like it usually did when they were talking. Instead, he kept staring outside the window, a chillingly aloof look on his handsome face.
She asked hesitantly, “Is it because the meeting took too—”
“Don’t start with that,” Willem snapped.
She paled.
“Stop with the self-pity for now, ja?” His accent had thickened, and the fury in his voice was like a slap in the face. “Do you really think I’m that kind of a bastard to mind how long your meeting with the shrink takes? Do you?” He knew he was unfairly taking out his anger on Serenity, but he couldn’t stop himself. The doctor’s words had rattled him, more so than he wanted to admit, and now he was furious with both Serenity and himself.
Serenity had turned into stone in her seat. She was unable to move, unable to speak or think. She tried to think of what could have possibly gone wrong but could not come up with one reason why Willem would act like he hated her now.
They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride, and when they had reached her home, she said stiffly, “Thank you for the ride, Mr. de Konigh.”
Fuck.
But before Willem could stop the girl from leaving, she was already gone.
And things changed yet again between them.
Chapter Eight
For the first few months following the disastrous meeting with Serenity’s doctor, Willem did his best to get everything back to normal footing with him and Serenity. But as he came to realize for himself, the younger girl’s stubbornness was like no one else’s.
She rarely, if ever, called him by his first name anymore, and eventually, he had stopped calling her his angel as well.
Gradually, the phone calls and emails lessened, Willem deliberately taking his time to reply until he had decided to just stop. He told himself it was better this way, told himself that doing so would prevent anyone from misunderstanding his platonic relationship with Serenity. He would soon learn, too late, that Serenity had spent numerous nights crying herself to sleep, waiting for an email – or a phone call – that never came.
The distance between Willem and Serenity grew even though neither of them wanted to admit it. Eventually, the billionaire had managed to bury all the memories they shared – and all the feelings that came with it. Eventually, Serenity really did become just what the world had come to call her.
Willem Jr.
The girl everyone believed was perfect enough to be Willem de Konigh’s right arm in business.
But for Serenity, it was the opposite.
There was not one day that she didn’t pray for her feelings to stop, not one day that she was able to forget how he had changed her life…and how he was both her light and her darkness.
Two years had already passed since that day in Dr. Fergus’ clinic, and she was still desperately, quietly in love with Willem de Konigh. She had thought she would be able to keep it to herself forever until one day, she saw for herself what love really was.
Her name was Willow Somerset, a 24-year-old junior editor from Greece, who was as fiery as Serenity was reserved. The older girl fascinated Serenity, with the way she hid nothing about her love, no matter how much she ended up being hurt by it.
The Greek billionaire Willow had fallen in love with did not, in Serenity’s opinion, deserve her friend at all. He was cruel, selfish, and ruthless. But for Willow, his imperfections were immaterial, and the only thing that mattered was her conviction that Stavros Manolis was the only man meant for her. Willow had believed in this so much that she had given everything up, fought and sacrificed everything just to have Stavros realize the same truth.
And, one day, Willow had succeeded.
The two were married now, and since that day, Serenity had become restless.
Hope began to burn inside her, causing her to toss and turn every night, wondering if she should do the same.
Surely, she thought feverishly to herself, she couldn’t be so wrong all these years?
Perhaps…perhaps if she took the first step, perhaps if she took the risk, perhaps she would have what Willow had now with Stavros?
Time passed, and her dreams only became more vivid.
Days turned into weeks, weeks became months, and finally, Serenity made a choice. Without knowing it, her life had returned to its old cycle, and Serenity had again allowed herself to become a victim, this time by her own fears and cowardice. She had allowed herself to be content with loving Willem de Konigh from afar because she had unconsciously believed it was all she deserved.
But not anymore, Serenity told herself.
She deserved to live. She deserved to be happy. She deserved to love.
And given the chance, she would like to enjoy all three with Willem de Konigh.
****
“What is this?” A muscle began ticking in his jaw. Willem had a feeling he wouldn’t like whatever Serenity’s answer was.
And he was right.
“My resignation, Mr. de Konigh.”
He slowly put the piece of paper down, leaving it unread. He raised his gaze to meet hers and found Serenity gazing back at him with her clear blue eyes. Only this time, it was really more blank than clear.
As blank as her eyes were the day they first met, Willem realized grimly. He asked abruptly, “What the hell is this about?”
She wondered what the billionaire would say if she blurted out the truth.
This, Mr. de Konigh, is five years in the making.
This, Mr. de Konigh, is about you making me fall in love with you.
This, Mr. de Konigh, is about me wanting you to fall in love with me, too.
But in the end, she lost courage and, looking away from the billionaire’s narrowed gaze, mumbled, “I’m, err, hoping it would be effective to—” His fist slammed against his desk, and she flinched.
“You know that’s not what I’m talking about!”
Willem hadn’t shouted, but she wished he had. Having known him for so long, she was aware of how so much more furious he was when using that deadly soft voice of his.
It almost made her back down - almost made her start lying again – but she managed not to. She remembered what Willow had done for her Greek billionaire and she told herself that she could do the same thing, too, for her Dutch billionaire.
Take the leap, she whispered to herself. She had to take the leap if she really believed she deserved to live, to be happy – if she really believed she deserved to love.
“Sere?”
Her heart broke a little at Willem’s use of her nickname. Swallowing, she asked tremulously, “D-do you really want to know the reason?”
“Do I really have to answer that?” Willem’s voice was even softer now, and she trembled at the realization of how angry he was.
Please God.
Please let his anger simply be his fear of losing me.
Serenity took quick, shallow breaths. “T-then…I need you to stand up.”
Willem’s eyebrows shot up. What the hell was she saying? But when his nineteen-year-old intern only looked at him, he swore under his breath even as he rose to his feet. “Now what?” he snapped.
“C-come here.”
What the hell was this girl playing at? But he was already stalking towards her and only stopped when he was a hair’s breadth away from Serenity. This close, he could easily smell the sweet, fresh fragrance of her shampoo, could see how fast her chest was rising and falling rapidly. This close, his cock was going insane inside his pants, like it had never been this near to a pussy before.
What the hell was happening?
He opened his mouth to demand it out loud, but he was unable to say a word because at that exact moment, Serenity had chosen
to throw herself at him and kissed Willem full in the mouth.
Closing her eyes, Serenity kissed Willem with all the love she had kept bottled up inside her for five long years.
She kissed and kissed him, but eventually, she was unable to hide from the truth.
His lips remained stiff under hers, cold and unmoving.
Tears streaked down her face, but she didn’t allow herself to give up. She kissed him harder. She kissed him more desperately. She kissed him pleadingly.
But nothing happened.
Serenity’s arms fell limply to her side.
Slowly, she pulled away. “Please,” she whispered. “Please tell me you’re…you’re just pretending? You’re just controlling yourself?”
Instead of answering, he said quietly, “Your resignation’s accepted.”
The End
Dear Reader,
I hope you enjoyed Willem and Serenity’s story and will continue on with the rest of the trilogy. If you’re new to my books, you might also want to check out The Greek Billionaire and His Secretary, which is free to download and the beginning of Willow and Stavros’ story.
As always, it would mean so much if you’d take the time to post a review but if you prefer to let me know directly about your thoughts on My Dutch Billionaire, then that would be great, too.
You can contact me via Facebook, my website, email, Twitter, or even Instagram.
Until our next journey,
Marian Tee
Want More Hot Alpha Billionaire and Biker Romances from Marian Tee?
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Standalone Novels
Captivated: 4-in-1 Friends Romance Boxed Set – Enjoy four standalone romances between passionate, domineering billionaires and the women who were their friends first before becoming their lovers.
All stories have either happy-ever-after or happy-for-now endings.
His Fair Lady – Prince Julian knows the blind fortune teller Cass is everything he wants in a woman, but she can never be his bride.
Greek Billionaire Romance Serials
24-year-old school teacher Mairi, a hopeless romantic, thinks all her dreams will come true with Greek billionaire Damen Leventis. Problem is, he only wants her as a mistress.
The Art of Catching a Greek Billionaire (FREE!)
The Art of Trusting a Greek Billionaire
The Art of Loving a Greek Billionaire
The Art of Forgiving a Greek Billionaire
The Art of Wedding a Greek Billionaire
The Art of Kissing a Greek Billionaire (FREE!)
Schoolteacher Velvet enters into a marriage of convenience but is too proud to tell her Greek billionaire husband it’s because she’s in love with him.
The Greek Billionaire and I
24-year-old Willow is an ill-mannered junior editor.
27-year-old Stavros Manolis is a conservative Greek billionaire. They have nothing in common except…that one night they had with each other.
The Greek Billionaire and His Secretary (FREE)
Dear Greek Billionaire
Love, Your Greek Billionaire
Forever and Ever, My Greek Billionaire
Mediterranean Affairs
(Greek Billionaire Romance Mini-Series)
A Fling with the Greek Billionaire – Furious over his lover’s deception, control freak billionaire Nik is determined to teach the free-spirited Daria a lesson on revenge.
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The Greek Billionaire and the Nanny – Coming Soon!
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The De Konighs (Dutch Billionaire Romances)
My Dutch Billionaire (A Trilogy) – Serenity was fourteen. Willem was twenty-eight. She was the black sheep in her family, while he was the Dutch billionaire every girl wanted to marry. She wanted him to be hers, but he was dating her older sister. And so she tried to forget.
Book 1
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Eternally Seduced: Contemporary Romance (7-in-1) Boxed Set
How Not to be Seduced by Billionaires (4 parts) – 24-year-old Yanna has old-fashioned ideals about love, and all of it are put to the test when her CEO billionaire boss, Constantijin Kastein – also Netherlands’ #1 Playboy – sets out to seduce her.
(Chased: Part 1 can be downloaded for free).
How Not to be Seduced by Rockstars (2 parts) – All eccentric senator’s daughter Saffi wants is a taste of freedom when she attends a concert disguised as an experienced groupie. But she gets more than she bargains for when Staffan Aehrenthal – also Sweden’s #1 Sex God – picks her out from the crowd.
(Note: The Rockstar and His Fangirl is a short story on Saffi & Staffan, and sold separately.)
How Not to be Seduced by Dukes – Although Mary’s determined to resist the charms of the Duke of Wellesley – also England’s #1 Heartthrob – fate decides otherwise, and Mary suddenly finds herself an ordinary college student by day, and the duke’s mistress at night.
(Note: The sequel, The Ice Around My Heart, is sold separately.)
Warning: Love Moderately (BBW Billionaire New Adult College Romance)
Derek and Jaike have always hidden the truth about themselves. But when they meet – it’s not just explosive chemistry. One look, and it’s undeniable. Even if they’re too young, they know. He’s meant to be her Master, and she’s meant to be his Sub.
Unwillingly Yours (FREE!)
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Heart Racer: BIKER Romance Series
Leandro & Bobby’s Story (2 parts) – A young billionaire biker chooses a snarky do-gooder to be his pretend girlfriend.
Heart Racer (FREE!)
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Helios & MJ’s Story (3 parts) - Even though he's commitment-phobic, the aloof president of a billion-dollar bike racing club finds himself jealous of the "secret crush" of a tomboyish camera-wielding first-year student.
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Kellion & Aria (Standalone) – Aria’s content living her life alone, shut off from the world, but when bad boy Kellion Argyros starts following her wherever she goes, it’s impossible not to start living…and impossible not to start falling for him.
Yuri & Kalli (Standalone) – He’s the angel amongst Greek devils. She’s the heiress who isn’t quite okay, isn’t quite…normal. Even so, Kalli hopes that when they meet again, Yuri would take one look at her and love her, like he had promised.
Play With Me: A Sports Romance Series
All Lace Wyndham wants is to be an NBA coach.
All bad boy billionaire Silver March wants is HER.
It’s not a match made in heaven, but since he already had his heart stolen, Silver is willing to do whatever it takes – bribe, deceive, manipulate – to make Lace realize the inevitable: It’s his name she’ll be crying out…every night.
Play With Me
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The Art of Claiming an Alpha: My Werewolf Bodyguard (Paranormal Romance)
Human-slash-pack-princess Calys is a toughie, but she still needs the help of the powerful, dominant, and gorgeous werewolf Alejandro Moretti to be an ‘alpha’. Unfortunately, he wants her body in exchange for her help.
Wolf Fight (FREE!)
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Wolf Kisses
The Master and His Soul Seer Pet: New Adult College Vampire Romance
Life isn’t easy for 18-year-old Zari. As a soul seer, she sees visions of dead people as well as those who are about to die. As a human pet, she struggles to control her feelings for her Master, the powerful, gorgeous, and mysterious vampire Alexandru, who’s in love with someone else.
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My Werewolf Professor
What I know about Alessandro Moretti: he’s the most beautiful professor alive, an
d I’m his plainest student. I need to let him know I want him, even if he’s likely to dump me. What I don’t know about Alessandro Moretti: he’s a werewolf…and he may just want me, too.
My Werewolf Professor 1
My Werewolf Professor: 4-in-1 Boxed Set
About the Author
Marian Tee is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of steamy romantic comedies. She is Filipino-Chinese, has lived all her life in the Philippines, and is a frustrated mangaka. She is addicted to horror flicks, misses hiphop dancing, and loves all things Japanese.
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Table of Contents
My Dutch Billionaire, Part 1
About My Dutch Billionaire, Part 1
Also by Marian Tee
Copyright
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
