Elise barely made it three steps before a familiar voice stopped her cold.Sofia’s voice was a velvet barb. “Thanks for leaving Lukas to me, Elise,” she said, her dark eyes glinting with mischief as she stood beside Lukas in the glass-domed canal house. “He’s quite the catch —loyal, brilliant. You must regret letting him go.”Elise stood frozen, her eyes narrowing at Sofia’s taunt. “You’re mistaken,” Elise said, her voice icy but controlled. “Lukas is a modest herbalist, nothing more. Hardly your prize.”Sofia’s smirk widened. “Modest? Oh, Elise, you underestimate him. His talents are… extraordinary.” She glanced at Lukas, who gave a polite nod to a passing investor, oblivious to the tension. “Let’s make it interesting,” Sofia continued, stepping closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “A wager. My ally, Lukas, against yours—Erik de Vries, I presume? Whoever secures greater influence in the tech world in one month wins. The loser issues a public apology. Deal?”Elise c

At the Laurent Group’s tech summit, Lukas Brandt slipped into a quiet corner, the emerald crest pin on his lapel gleamed faintly, a reminder of Sofia Laurent’s trust.Margot, Elise’s sharp-tongued assistant, spotted him lounging in a plush VIP seat reserved for top-tier guests. Her blonde bob swayed as she marched over, her tablet clutched like a weapon. “This isn’t for you, Brandt,” she snapped, her voice cutting through the crowd’s hum. “Move. Now.”Lukas met her gaze, his expression calm but unyielding. “I was invited,” he said, his tone low, steady. “Check with Sofia.”Erik de Vries, trailing Margot, smirked, his gray eyes glinting. “A herbalist in a VIP seat? Amusing,” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “You’re out of your league, Brandt.”Before Lukas could respond, Elise appeared, her emerald dress catching the chandelier’s light, her green eyes flickering with tension.“Enough, Margot,” she said, her voice soft but firm, stopping her assistant mid-stride.“He’s he

At the Laurent Group’s tech summit. Elise eyes blazing with defiance as Stefan, the humiliated Laurent associate, loomed before her. His cheek still bore the red mark of her slap, his dark eyes seething with wounded pride. Flanked by four burly security guards in black suits, he sneered, his voice dripping with menace. “You’ll regret that, Elise. Comply with my offer, or I’ll make things… unpleasant.”Elise’s jaw tightened, her heart pounding but her voice steady. “I’d rather lose everything than stoop to you,” she said, her words sharp, cutting through the atrium’s hum. Margot, beside her, clutched her tablet, her blonde bob trembling as she glared at Stefan. Erik de Vries, his tailored suit pristine but his gray eyes wide with panic, stepped forward, his voice faltering. “Stefan, let’s talk this out. No need for trouble.”Stefan laughed, a harsh sound that drew curious glances from summit attendees. “Talk? You’re out of your depth, de Vries.” He nodded to his guards, who moved with

The atrium of the Laurent Group’s tech summit buzzed with renewed energy, the glass-domed canal house regaining its rhythm after the chaos.Elise Van der Meer stood near a marble pillar, her emerald dress slightly creased, her green eyes fixed on Lukas Brandt as summit security and Amsterdam police swarmed the scene. The zip-tie marks on her wrists stung, but it was Lukas’s swift rescue—his precise kicks felling Stefan’s guards—that shook her. Her pride, a steel cage around her heart, silenced the thanks she owed him, his strength a reminder of the man she’d underestimated.Erik de Vries, his tailored suit rumpled, helped Margot to her feet, her blonde bob disheveled but her eyes bright with relief. “Brandt was impressive,” Erik said, his voice grudging but loud enough for Elise to hear. “Took those guards down like they were nothing.” Margot nodded, clutching her retrieved tablet, her usual sharpness softened by the ordeal. Elise remained mute, her thoughts churning. Lukas’s heroics

At the Laurent Group’s signing ceremony, Sofia Laurent, radiant in a crimson dress, stood at the head table, her dark eyes scanning the gathered elite. “Elise, Erik, join us,” she called, her French accent warm but deliberate, gesturing to the seats beside Lukas Brandt. The emerald crest pin on her lapel matched Lukas’s, a quiet symbol of their alliance. “You’ve earned a place here.”Elise Van der Meer hesitated, her emerald dress catching the light, her green eyes wary but composed. Accepting Sofia’s invitation meant facing Lukas, whose rescue and quiet refusal to sabotage her company still lingered in her mind. “Thank you,” she said, her voice measured, as she took her seat, Erik de Vries at her side, his tailored suit pristine, his gray eyes gleaming with self-assured pride. Margot, trailing behind, clutched her tablet, her blonde bob swaying as she murmured, “This is it, Elise. We’ve won.”Lukas sat calmly, his dark jacket understated, his hazel eyes scanning the room with herbali