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 One Hundred and Sixty-Three
The mist clung to the outskirts of Rotterdam like a living veil, curling around empty streets and abandoned warehouses, obscuring the world in pale gray. Elise sat rigid in the back of the lead SUV, fingers brushing the cold metal of the reinforced case that contained the genetic key. Every vibration from the road pulsed through her arms, through her chest, as if the very weight of the device had transferred to her bones. She stole a glance at Lukas, sitting beside her, his eyes sharp and alert, scanning every camera feed, every reflection on the wet asphalt. His calm exterior masked a tension that mirrored her own, a taut wire stretched across her chest that threatened to snap with any sudden motion.Margot’s hands were steady on the wheel, gliding the SUV along narrow industrial roads with the precision of a surgeon. Elise noticed how her friend’s jaw set, how her eyes darted continually to the tablet mounted beside her, tracking every movement, every possible angle of threat. Every
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-Two
The dawn was pale, gray streaks of light bleeding across the horizon as the convoy edged closer to the extraction point. Elise sat upright in the back of the SUV, her hands resting on the reinforced case, though she barely felt its cold weight. Her mind was occupied with calculations, contingencies, and the relentless specter of Berg. Every detail of the journey had to be precise; one misstep, one overlooked shadow, and everything could collapse.Lukas sat beside her, fingers drumming lightly against his thigh, eyes scanning every camera feed, every reflected glint of light in the wet streets. His calm was steady, almost surgical, but Elise could sense the tension coiled beneath the surface, the same tension that mirrored her own.“Are all teams in position?” she asked quietly, her voice barely rising above the hum of the engine.Margot’s voice crackled through the comms. “Final units are in place. Surveillance drones overhead, perimeter secured. Any sign of Berg or her operatives, an
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty-One
The convoy moved silently through the mist-soaked outskirts of Rotterdam, the headlights cutting through the gray haze like blades. Elise sat in the back of the lead SUV, her fingers brushing the edge of the reinforced case, feeling the cold steel beneath her touch. Every vibration of the road seemed magnified in her chest, her pulse syncing with the rhythmic hum of the armored engines.Margot drove with the precision of a surgeon, every turn, every acceleration calculated to minimize exposure. Lukas sat beside Elise, scanning the rearview feeds, his jaw tight, eyes sharp. They had rehearsed this extraction a dozen times, yet the weight of the actual operation was unlike anything they had anticipated.“Any sign of surveillance?” Elise asked quietly, not wanting to break the tense silence that had settled over the convoy.Margot’s hands never wavered from the wheel. “Nothing concrete. But Berg is patient. She could be trailing us miles behind, watching every move.”Elise exhaled slowly
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty
The night hung heavy over Rotterdam, thick clouds swallowing what little moonlight remained. Elise crouched beside the containment unit in the dimly lit lab, her fingers tracing the edges of the reinforced metal case. The hum of the refrigeration and security systems filled the space, steady and almost hypnotic, yet every sound outside—the creak of the building settling, the distant wail of a siren, the scuff of tires on wet asphalt—kept her nerves taut.Lukas moved beside her, checking the perimeter cameras one final time before the relocation. His expression was unreadable, a mask of controlled intensity that betrayed nothing, yet Elise could feel the pulse of his anxiety in the set of his jaw and the tension in his shoulders. “All teams in position?” he asked quietly.Margot’s voice crackled through the secure comms. “All positions locked. Extraction route is clear. Backup units are stationed at three-mile intervals. Any anomaly, any trace of Berg, we’re ready.”Elise nodded, her c
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Nine
The first light of dawn barely touched the edges of Rotterdam as Elise stirred awake in the makeshift bedroom of Margot’s father’s house. The room smelled faintly of old wood and oil, a lingering reminder of a life dedicated to invention and protection. Sunlight filtered weakly through the heavy curtains, throwing narrow bands of gold across the worn floorboards. Elise sat up slowly, wincing as the movement reminded her of the bruise along her shoulder. Lukas, already awake, sat cross-legged on the edge of the bed, reviewing security feeds on a tablet, his eyes sharp and alert.“Morning,” Elise said, her voice hoarse, pulled from the haze of a restless night.“Morning,” Lukas replied without looking up, his thumb flicking through images of the warehouse perimeter, the surrounding streets, even satellite captures. “Rested?”Elise shook her head. “Not exactly. I keep thinking about Berg. And Otto. And what could have happened if we hadn’t intercepted him.” She pressed her palm to her fa
Chapter One Hundred and Fifty-Eight
Rain drummed steadily against the reinforced glass of the warehouse, a low, insistent rhythm that seemed to echo the pounding of Elise’s heart. The aftermath of Berg’s retreat left the space in uneasy silence, punctuated only by the occasional hum of restored machinery and Margot’s hurried keystrokes as she confirmed the integrity of the containment unit. Every movement, every sound, carried weight, as if even a single misstep could bring the storm back upon them.Elise sank into a chair, her hands pressed against her temples. Her pulse was still high, the adrenaline refusing to subside. Lukas crouched beside her, one hand brushing over her hair, his touch both grounding and silent reassurance. “Breathe,” he murmured. “We’re still standing. She didn’t get the key.”Elise’s lips pressed into a thin line. “For now,” she said softly. “But she knows we have it. She’ll come back. And next time… next time, she won’t hold back.” Her eyes flicked toward the containment unit, its metallic surf
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