Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 76840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76840 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 307(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Anneke shook her head. “No. It’s not possible.”
“Even just the slightest bit?” Andrea insisted.
“No—-” Her blue eyes narrowed suspiciously at the staff. “Why are you suddenly being pushy about this?”
“Nothing!” The two receptionists were quick to protest at the same time.
Too quickly, Anneke thought, even more suspicious now. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Has he spoken to either or both of you?”
“No?”
But now, the two women looked flustered, and Anneke bit back a sigh of frustration. He was at it again! These two probably wouldn’t ever tell, but Anneke just knew – oh, she just knew Marcus had somehow found a way to bribe their receptionists into putting a good word for him.
“The next time you talk to him—-”
“I’ve never spoken to him, Ms. de Konigh.”
“Huh? I don’t understand, ma’am.”
Ignoring their thoroughly unconvincing protests, she went on firmly, “Please tell him thank you for the flowers, but—-” She grabbed the bouquet. “It’s not going to work.” She walked away, flowers in tow, and only when Serenity fell in step beside her did Anneke realize that the younger girl hadn’t yet left.
“I suppose you heard everything?” she asked with a sigh.
“I’m afraid so.”
“And you’ll tell Willem?”
“Only if he asks.”
Anneke released a glum sigh. “I suppose that’s the best I can get from you.”
“I’m afraid so again.” Unrequited love notwithstanding, Serenity’s loyalty first and foremost would always be to Willem.
Reaching her office, Anneke dumped the bouquet on the coffee table. God! She began pacing, hating that Marcus Ravelli could so easily affect her.
It had been a month since her disastrous little run-in with Marcus at Contini’s airport, and since then, Anneke had become an overnight sensation. Was she or wasn’t she still with the Italian billionaire? Her question-mark status, coupled with the discovery of their marriage – and the fact that they had been living apart for its entirety – drove the world mad with curiosity. Even worse was how, despite neither of them making any official statement about their relationship, Marcus hadn’t made any effort to conceal his actions.
And since actions spoke louder than words –
The flowers were just one of the many public avowals of his so-called courtship. He communicated with her regularly – texts, emails, calls, and there was even a time he had sent her a postcard of the Eiffel Tower.
It had been absolutely cheesy, but fool that she was, the postcard remained tucked between the pages of her diary.
As for the flowers—-
Anneke stared gloomily at the bouquet. With every bouquet he had sent her, she had ended up pressing a petal from it in her journal, and wasn’t that another sign of how much of an idiot she was?
She shook her head forcefully. Well, that was going to stop now.
Deliberately forcing all thoughts of flowers and Marcus Ravelli out of her mind, she got behind her desk and dove right into work. She didn’t allow herself to stop, had Chinese delivered to her office for lunch, and only looked up when it was a little past eight and her stomach was rumbling.
Anneke stood up and stretched, kneading the muscles at the back of her neck. Deciding to call it a day, she grabbed her stuff from her desk but on her way out, she caught a glimpse of Marcus’ flowers—-
And something caught her eye.
Was that a card? Frowning, she walked back to the coffee table and bent down, burrowing past the petals.
Oh!
Her finger came into contact with the unmistakable texture of embossed paper, and she pulled it out. Her eyes widened when she read the message.
I miss you.
Have dinner with me.
I’ve reserved a table at De Roos Kamer.
I’ll be waiting.
MARCUS IMMEDIATELY stood up when he caught a glimpse of a familiar blonde head. She looked up, and his heart banged against his chest as his gaze clashed with her lovely blue eyes.
She had come.
Relief had him clenching his fists against his sides, but his gaze didn’t waver from her as Anneke made her way to him, a slim figure in her polka-dot dress and oxfords. Her every step conveyed grace and efficiency, something he knew only a rare few could achieve. He also knew most men would have found this intimidating, even a turn-off, but for Marcus – it was, always had been, hot as hell.
“I’m so sorry.” Anneke was embarrassed to feel and sound flustered as she reached Marcus. “I only saw your card a while ago.”
“It’s fine.”
Having expected Marcus to sound furious or offended, the calm tone threw her off, and her mouth opened and closed, Anneke not knowing what to do or say next. Thinking it was possible he was only being polite, she stressed, “It’s true.”
His lips twitched. “I know.”
Oh.
“You’re not the type to lie about this.”
Oh...again.
He pulled out a chair for her, and her eyes widened. Oh no. This was going to be embarrassing. Hadn’t she only come here to apologize and tell him that meetings like this weren’t going to do at all?