2025-08-15 10:48:02“Lukas, I need you as my personal escort at the Laurent Group’s tech summit in Amsterdam tonight,” Sofia said, her voice low and her dark eyes locking onto his. “After that ambush, I’m not taking chances. You keep me safe, and those medicinal roots you want? They’re yours, delivered tomorrow.”
Lukas leaned against the boat’s railing, his broad shoulders tense, his eyes scanning the dark waters for any sign of another threat. Sofia’s offer was a lifeline: rare roots that could rebuild his work but playing bodyguard in a den of tech moguls felt like stepping into a trap. “You’re sure about this?” he asked, his voice steady but wary. “Kroon’s men could try again.”
Sofia’s lips curved into a determined smile. “Exactly why I need you. You handled those thugs like they were nothing. I trust you, Lukas.” She leaned closer, her tone softening. “The roots are just the start. The Laurents reward those who stand with us.”
Lukas clenched his jaw, he needed those roots, not just for Pieter but for himself, to reclaim what he’d lost. “Alright,” he said, his voice firm. “I’ll escort you. But if trouble comes, we do this my way.”
“Deal,” Sofia replied, her eyes gleaming with approval. “Let’s get to Amsterdam, the summit awaits.”
The boat pulled up gently to the dock, and they stepped onto the edge of the canal.
The Laurent Group’s tech summit took place in a fancy glass building by the water, shining with wealth and power. Lukas straightened his dark jacket. The green pin Sofia gave him was now on his lapel, showing he was part of their team.
Meanwhile, Elise Van der Meer stepped out of a sleek black car, her emerald dress clinging to her tall frame, her reddish-brown hair, neatly styled up without a single strand out of place, she was the face of Van der Meer Enterprises, her tech empire a force in its own right. The summit was a chance to refocus, to secure a partnership that could elevate her company to new heights.
Margot, her sharp-tongued assistant, followed close behind, her blonde bob immaculate, her tablet glowing with notes. “The Laurent Group’s merger could redefine us,” Margot said, her voice clipped as they entered the venue. “Erik de Vries is already inside. He’s eager to pitch you as their top partner.”
Elise nodded, her eyes scanning the crowd. “Good. Set it up.” Her tone was calm, but her mind swirled with thoughts of Lukas.
Erik de Vries approached, his tailored suit as polished as his smile. The tech investor, a rival to Pieter Dubois. “Elise,” he said, his voice smooth, “the Laurents are open to alliances. I can position Van der Meer Enterprises as their best option. This deal could make you untouchable.”
Elise’s lips curved into a practiced smile. “I’m interested, Erik. Make it happen.” Her words were steady, but her gaze wandered, searching the crowd for allies, for threats. Then she saw him—Lukas, standing near a marble pillar, his arm linked with a striking woman in a navy gown. Elise’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a sudden sharp pain—was it regret or jealousy?—that broke her calm.
She walked across the room, her heels making a clicking sound on the shiny floor, with Margot following behind. The crowd parted, their quiet whispers mixing with the music at the summit. Elise stopped in front of Lukas, feeling her breath catch when their eyes met. “Lukas,” she said, her voice calm but a little awkward, remembering their last call, her warning and his refusal.
Lukas’s expression was cold,“Elise,” he said, his tone flat, offering nothing. He gestured to the woman beside him. “This is Sofia Laurent, my client.”
Sofia extended a hand, her smile gracious, her dark eyes assessing Elise with a predator’s precision. “Ms. Van der Meer,” she said. “A pleasure to meet the woman behind Van der Meer Enterprises.” Her handshake was firm, her eyes lingering, as if sizing up a rival.
Elise returned the handshake, her eyes flickering to Lukas. “Ms. Laurent,” she said, her voice cool. “I didn’t expect to see Lukas here.” Seeing him with Sofia, her arm around his and how comfortable she looked with him, made Elise feel a mix of confusing emotions. Was it the summit stakes, or because the man she once loved was now with someone else?
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Chapter Four Hundred And Twenty Three
Sofia's residence overlooked the Herengracht, a restored canal house that managed to be both historically authentic and thoroughly modern. Lukas had been there twice before—once for a small dinner party, once for a strategy meeting about his practice's expansion. Both times, the space had felt welcoming, carefully designed to make guests comfortable while subtly displaying Sofia's taste and wealth.Today it felt different. The same elegant furniture, the same curated art on the walls, but the atmosphere had shifted. Sofia greeted him at the door herself rather than having her assistant do it, which felt like a deliberate choice about control and territory."Lukas. Thank you for coming." Her voice was pleasant, professional, giving nothing away. "Coffee?""No, thank you. I won't take much of your time.""I have as much time as needed." Sofia gestured to the sitting room, taking the chair that positioned her with the window behind her, putting Lukas at a slight disadvantage against the
Chapter Four Hundred And Twenty Two
Lukas spent that night in his apartment, not sleeping but thinking with unusual clarity. The coalition's offer had changed the calculation entirely—not by making the choice easier, but by making it clearer.He pulled out both documents. Sofia's partnership agreement, thirty pages of legal language granting her authority over his professional decisions, carefully worded to sound collaborative while establishing hierarchical control. The coalition's proposal, ten pages outlining financial support with no management strings attached, direct and uncomplicated.The comparison was stark when laid side by side.Sofia offered broader reach—access to her entire network spanning Europe's elite circles, sophisticated marketing infrastructure that would position him as the leading expert in traditional medicine integration, connections to academic institutions and research facilities that operated at the cutting edge of medical science. With her resources, he could treat hundreds of patients annu
Chapter Four Hundred And Twenty One
The meeting convened at Viktor's estate the following afternoon. Lukas arrived to find the library arranged for what appeared to be a formal business discussion—chairs in a circle, documents prepared on the table, refreshments set aside.Abdullah greeted him at the door with Viktor at his side. "Thank you for coming, Mr. Van der Berg. Let me introduce the others."Six families were represented. Abdullah, of course, whose daughter Yasmin had recovered from her autoimmune condition. Marcus Bergman, the tech CEO whose son's ADHD Lukas had helped manage without the medications that had turned the boy into a zombie. Pieter Janssen, the art collector whose wife's fibromyalgia had improved dramatically under Lukas's care. Henrik and Adriana Van Oosten, whose daughter's chronic migraines had finally responded to his treatment. Maria Santos, whose father's heart condition Lukas had stabilized with herbal protocols that complemented his conventional care. And Chen Wei, a businessman from Singap
Chapter Four Hundred And Twenty
After Elise left, Lukas stood in his doorway for several minutes, staring at nothing. Sofia's threat echoed in his mind with the finality of a closing trap.Accept her terms, or she destroys your practice.It wasn't an offer anymore. It was coercion. Submit to her system, or watch everything he'd built collapse under her interference.He moved to his desk, pulling out his grandfather's pocket watch. The crystal was still cracked from where Felix's boot had damaged it during the divorce, a reminder of other people's casual cruelty. His grandfather had carried this watch for forty years, treating patients with dignity regardless of their ability to pay, maintaining his principles even when pragmatism would have served him better financially."Dignity matters more than success," his grandfather had said once, near the end. "Success without dignity is just servitude with better compensation."Lukas had believed that deeply once. But now, facing Sofia's ultimatum, the calculation felt more
Chapter Four Hundred And Nineteen
Lukas stepped aside to let Elise enter, still processing the surprise of her arrival. She'd never visited his apartment before—their renewed acquaintance had been carefully maintained through neutral locations and professional distance."Come in. Would you like tea?""Yes, actually. Thank you." Elise followed him to the small kitchen, watching as he prepared the tea with the practiced efficiency of someone who'd done it thousands of times. "Your apartment is nice. Cozy.""It's adequate." Lukas poured hot water over the herbs. "Though I imagine it's quite different from what you're accustomed to.""Different isn't bad." Elise accepted the cup he offered, wrapping her hands around it. "I've been thinking lately that adequate and cozy might be undervalued qualities."They settled in the living room, an awkward formality between them despite their shared history."You said Sofia called you," Lukas prompted."She did. About an hour ago." Elise sipped her tea carefully. "She framed it as co
Chapter Four Hundred And Eighteen
Lukas needed perspective from people who weren't invested in Sofia's vision for his future. The problem was that most of the influential people in his life now had been introduced through Sofia's network, making truly independent advice difficult to find.He started with Viktor, meeting him for lunch at a quiet restaurant in De Pijp, far from the elite circles where both of them now operated with varying degrees of comfort."Sofia made me an offer," Lukas said after they'd ordered. "A substantial one. Partnership in a new medical research foundation focused on traditional medicine integration. Significant funding, complete facility, research team. Everything I'd need to document and validate herbal protocols at scale."Viktor nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "That sounds like exactly what you've talked about wanting. But knowing Sofia, there are conditions.""Extensive ones. She wants control over which projects get priority, which patients I treat publicly versus privately,
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