WIFE KICKED MILLIONAIRE MEDICAL GOD HUSBAND

Chapter Two

She turned to leave, her heels clicking softly as she crossed the room. At the elevator, she paused and stood with her back to him, and for a moment, Lukas thought she might turn back. But the doors slid open, and she stepped inside, vanishing as they closed.

Lukas stood alone, the signed papers in one hand, the pocket watch in the other. He slipped the watch into his pocket, he knew this was only the beginning of unraveling what Elise had become and what he would have to face in the shadow of her empire.

The watch ticked faintly, a reminder of time moving forward, even as his past faded. He stepped toward the window, gazing at the city that had once been theirs. Now, it was hers alone, and he was left to navigate the ruins of their shared dreams, a man discarded by the woman he’d helped rise.

Lukas Brandt walked through Rotterdam’s streets without purpose, at thirty-five, he felt lost. The signed papers in his jacket pocket reminded him of Elise’s cold words. Her words—“We’re strangers now”—kept playing in his mind, each word hurting more. 

His phone buzzed and pulled him out of his thoughts. The screen showed an unknown number, but the name stopped him: Viktor Stahl. The powerful drug company owner was known as ruthless, smart, and very rich. Lukas paused, then picked up the call.

“Lukas Brandt?” The voice was smooth, commanding, with a faint German accent. “This is Viktor Stahl. I need your help. A colleague of mine is dying of poison, rare and fast-acting. You’re the best herbalist I know. Name your price.”

Lukas’s grip tightened on the phone. He was very skilled with medicinal plants, learned through years of study and experience. It was something he was quietly proud of, it was also what had attracted Elise to him back when they were partners in every sense. Now, it felt like the only piece of himself he still recognized. “Why me?” he asked, his voice rough. “You’ve got money. Hire a doctor.”

“Doctors are failing him,” Stahl said. “You know about roots and natural compounds, things they don’t teach in medical schools. I’ll make it worth your while. I have rare medicinal roots from my own supply. Are you interested?”

Lukas glanced at the pocket watch. He needed a purpose, something to hold on to before his sadness overwhelmed him. “Send me the details,” he said. “I’m in.”

The call ended, and Lukas pocketed his phone. He turned into a narrow alley where the fog was thicker. He needed to keep moving, to do something, to escape the pain from Elise’s betrayal, but before he could walk any further, two people appeared from the fog and blocked his way.

“Lukas.” The voice was imperious. Clara Van der Meer, Elise’s mother, stood tall in a tailored wool coat. Her eyes, green like Elise’s but colder, pinned him with disdain. Beside her stood Felix, Elise’s younger brother, He was tall and strong, his body tense, and his jaw moving slightly with anger he was trying to hold back. At twenty-eight, Felix had the build of a boxer and had a matching temper.

“Mrs. Van der Meer,” Lukas said, his voice low and wary. “Felix. What do you want?”

Clara stepped closer, her heels clicking on the wet stone. “Don’t play dumb,” she snapped. “You think you can walk away with ten million euros of our money? Elise’s money? You’re a leech, Lukas, always were.”

The accusation hit like a punch. Lukas’s jaw clenched, his hands curling into fists. “I didn’t take a cent,” he said, his voice calm but carrying anger beneath. “I signed the papers. I walked away. You can ask your daughter to confirm.”

“Liar,” Felix spat, stepping forward, his breath visible in the cold. “You think we’re stupid? You milked her for years, and now you’re pocketing her settlement like some grifter.”

Lukas’s eyes narrowed. “Back off, Felix. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Clara’s hand shot out, grabbing his arm with surprising force. “Where is it?” she demanded, her voice low and venomous. “The money, where are you hiding it?” Before he could respond, she began patting down his jacket, her hands invasive, searching his pockets with the entitlement of someone who believed she owned the world.

“Get your hands off me,” Lukas growled, stepping back, but Clara’s fingers brushed the bulge of the pocket watch in his chest pocket. She stopped, her eyes shining with suspicion.

“What’s this?” she said, reaching for it.

Lukas slapped her hand away, his patience fraying. “It’s mine, leave it.”

Felix jumped forward, his face full of anger. “That’s Elise’s!” he shouted, grabbing the watch from Lukas’s pocket before Lukas could react. The initials—J.B. 1947—shined a little. Felix held it up and sneered. “You stole this too, didn’t you? Pathetic.”

“That’s my grandfather’s,” Lukas said, his voice dangerously low. “Give it back. Now!”

Felix smiled cruelly. “Oh, this means something to you?” He held the watch up to tease Lukas, then dropped it on the ground. Before Lukas could react, Felix stomped on it hard. The glass face broke with a sharp crunch that echoed through the alley.

Lukas’s vision tunneled, pain and anger burning inside him. The watch—his grandfather’s legacy, the one thing Elise hadn’t taken—was destroyed, its movement silenced under Felix’s boot. 

Something inside Lukas broke. With a shout, he tackled Felix, pushing him onto the wet cobblestones. His fist hit Felix’s nose with a loud crack, and blood sprayed, staining Felix’s face.

“Enough!” Clara shrieked, stumbling back, her composure gone. “You animal!”

Lukas stood over Felix, breathing hard, his knuckles stinging. Felix clutched his nose, blood seeping through his fingers, his eyes wide with shock and humiliation. “You’re done, Brandt,” Felix gasped, scrambling to his feet. “You’ll pay for this.”

Lukas turned to Clara, his voice a low snarl. “Stay away from me. Both of you.” He pointed at the broken watch, its brass case glinting in the drizzle. “That was mine. Not Elise’s. Not yours. You want to talk about thieves? Look in the mirror.”

Clara’s face paled, her lips parting as if to respond, but no words came. For the first time, Lukas saw a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, a small break in her proud attitude.