Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129687 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 648(@200wpm)___ 519(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
He had already allowed himself to be weak once, out of his love for his family.
He would not allow the same thing to happen again, not even for Serenity.
Chapter Two
A WOMAN RUSHED OUT of the CEO’s office at De Konigh Enterprises, sobbing and sniffing, and the sight of her made everyone at the executive floor pale.
“That makes seven,” Andrea whispered anxiously to her fellow receptionist. In a span of one month, Willem de Konigh had gotten rid of six personal assistants, and the woman hastily gathering her belongings from her desk was likely to be #7.
Rachel started to answer, but then the door to the CEO's office opened again, and she and Andrea quickly ducked their heads as Willem de Konigh himself strode out of the office.
The Dutch billionaire was as immaculately gorgeous as always, his blond hair presenting an exquisite contrast with the dark shade of his custom-fitted suit. In the past, all of the women in the office would vie for the chance to greet the boss first. If they were lucky, they might just be the recipient of one of the billionaire’s famous smiles – tiny, brief, but oh so breathtaking.
But for the past two months now, anyone who was unlucky enough to draw the CEO’s attention was guaranteed to have their head bitten off.
Even with their heads down, both Rachel and Andrea covertly watched their boss walk past his sobbing P.A., his face hard.
Poor girl, Rachel thought. Beside her, Andrea had sunk down to her knees, hiding behind the reception counter. She started to do the same, only to realize it was too late.
“Rachel.” The billionaire had suddenly stopped next to the counter.
Paling, she croaked out, “Yes, sir?”
“Inform Accounting to give my P.A. one month’s pay then call H.R. to look for a replacement.”
She nodded profusely. “Understood, sir.”
“Thank you.” The billionaire gave her a clipped nod before disappearing into his private elevator.
When the doors slid close, everyone in the floor breathed a sigh of relief. Or rather, almost everyone, since P.A. #7 was still sniffing at her table.
Andrea rushed to the girl, patting her back, murmuring, “There, there, it’s not your fault.”
Number 7 sniffed again. “I don’t know what I did wrong. I just greeted him, ‘Good morning, Mr. de Konigh,’ and that was it.” The last word came out a wail. “He had this really furious look in his eyes and told me I had broken Rule #1 and was fired.”
“What is Rule #1?” Rachel, having come to join the other employees circled around the just-fired personal assistant, couldn’t help asking curiously.
“Not to call him Mr. de Konigh. I was to call him only ‘meneer.’ And yes, he did tell me that, but—-how was I to know he was that serious about it?”
Everyone nodded in sympathy, having heard the same thing from the other girls as well. They had thought it a ridiculous story at the start, but by the time P.A. #3 had left the company, everyone at the executive floor had been forced to change their minds.
For whatever reason, their billionaire boss now despised his own surname.
“It must be why Serenity quit as well,” Andrea said thoughtfully as she and Rachel returned to their station.
“But she always calls him Mr. de Konigh,” her friend argued.
Andrea rolled her eyes. “Silly, it’s not that. Can’t you see? Serenity is Shane Raleigh’s half-sister. The boss and his on-off girlfriend must have had a fight, and that’s why he fired Serenity, and now he doesn’t want anything that reminds him of the Raleigh sisters.”
“YOU LOOK APPALLING, Willem.” The words, coming from his open laptop, greeted Willem as soon as he slid inside his limousine. Upon hearing them, he immediately glanced at his chauffeur, but the older man studiously avoided Willem’s gaze as he closed the passenger door.
Martin had been frightened into betraying him again, Willem thought grimly. He really should have a word with his chauffeur soon.
“Did you hear what I said?” the voice from the laptop demanded.
Turning to face the laptop, he said blandly, “A pleasant afternoon to you, too, Your Majesty.” He had been dodging her video calls for days, but he should have known Wilhemina wasn’t one to take the hint that he hadn’t wanted to talk to her.
The Queen of Contini only smiled. “Ah, no ‘grandmother’ for me. You are in a testy mood again.”
Her grandson’s face softened a bit. “I am,” he acknowledged wryly, “but never with you, oma.”
If the exchange between grandmother and grandson had been made public, the world would have been in shock. When in company, the queen and Willem were civil but distant with each other, a deliberate choice to conceal just how important the role Willem played in handling de Konigh matters.
Only those who had worked in the palace long enough knew the truth, and that was that Willem was only second to the queen herself with the amount of power and authority he exercised over all members of the de Konigh clan.