Page 64 of Sebastian.

The Van den Bosch Industries’building feels different today, which sounds bizarre, considering I spend so much of my life here. There’s a melancholy hanging over me that I just can’t shake. Coming here to meet with Karl and his attorney is unavoidable, but I’ve had a bad feeling about it all morning. After all, if his strategy consists of throwing me under the bus, I don’t see how we can continue being friends or even how he can keep his job. Now, that negativity is manifesting by clouding my mind as I walk through the lobby area of the building.

It's impossible not to reflect on my humble beginnings here. My first day as an intern, working under my father's watchful eye. The office, at the time impressive, would now appear almost quaint, outdated compared to its current modern aesthetic. Still, reflecting on the way it used to be makes my chest tight.

God, was it all really so long ago? I can vividly recall the long hours, the tireless dedication, all driven by my unwavering ambition to make my father proud. Those days were filled with so many pivotal moments—the day I earned my first promotion, a defining achievement that had me standing taller in my suit, grateful for the opportunities I'd been given, and resolute in my determination to continue the family legacy. An admirable heir, a son to be proud of, an older brother to look up to…I’d give almost anything to go back and wear those monikers again.

There's a somber note to this journey down memory lane. The day of my family’s funeral, thrusting me into the role of CEO, the very position I occupy today. The weight of that responsibility was immense, and I knew that my every decision would shape the company's future. Struggling with my new position of power and my love for Julia that, at the time, was still problematic, made every day feel like some exhausting hell.

Not so much different from right now.

At one point, not too long ago, I saw myself handing my position over to Andries when he would be ready. That…is never going to happen, and I’m okay with it now, even if I wasn’t in the beginning. Now I see Elise stepping into my position, the first female CEO of Van den Bosch Industries, brilliant and beautiful. My daughter will be perfect for the position––if everything gets straightened out and she decides to come back to work, that is.

I shake my head, hitting the button for the elevator. Thinking about the future is too self indulgent. I need to stick to what's happening right now––my meeting with Karl. It isn’t a showdown, necessarily…I still hope we can resolve things peacefully. But there’s always a risk with things like this, and I need to keep my head in the game.

As I get inside the lift that will take me all the way up to my floor, I take a deep breath, letting the memories of the past and the aspirations for the future fall away. I have to be present in every sense of the world. There’s no room for weakness, no time for me to be indecisive. Getting Karl to accept the plea deal is one of the final things I have to do in my mission to save my family. I don’t know whether it will be enough to get Julia to take me back but damn…I have to try.

Stepping onto the hallway and in direction to the boardroom where the meeting with Karl and his attorney will be held, my thoughts churn with worry and a sense of urgency that's difficult to shake. Karl's decision to go to court instead of accepting Gabi's settlement agreement is a grave concern, one that threatens to unravel everything. He wants me to suffer, I know that. I’m not a fool. Maybe it makes things feel more justified for him if I go down, too, but I don’t have any plans on granting that wish.

I've always been fiercely protective of Van den Bosch Industries––knowing it's not just a company, but a legacy that's meant to be passed down through generations. I've strived to make my father proud, and now, I want to ensure my children, particularly Elise, have the opportunity to lead it into the future. It's a responsibility I take seriously, one that's been etched into my soul since my first day as an intern in this very building.

The risk of losing my job in court and going to prison is a thought that chills me to the core. Everything I've built, all of my accomplishments, hang in the balance. If Karl throws me under the bus, it could posit not only financial ruin but also the destruction of the Van den Bosch legacy I've worked tirelessly to protect. It doesn’t matter if Karl and I share blood. He isn’t part of this family, not really, and I refuse to give any part of my accomplishments over to him.

But there's another fear that gnaws at me, one that cuts deeper than the prospect of losing the company. It's the fear of Karl discovering the truth, the secret that my father carried to his grave and one that I am bound by honor and legacy to carry to my own. Karl is my half-brother, a fact known only to a select few, a secret that has the power to shatter the delicate equilibrium we've maintained for years. The scandal of it would be insurmountable, and it might mean that Karl is owed some of my father’s legacy–inheritance, stakes in the company, I’m not sure. But I’ll be damned if he gets it.

For the sake of the company, for the future of my children, I must convince Karl to take the plea deal. It's the only way to avoid the risk of exposing the truth and protect what truly matters. The weight of this decision, the fate of Van den Bosch Industries, and the preservation of our family's legacy rests on my shoulders. Potentially, at this very meeting.

To my astonishment, as I step inside the boardroom, I’m met with an unexpected sight. Karl is already seated at the table, flanked by his attorney. The tension in the room thickens as our eyes lock, and it's hard to ignore the feeling of betrayal that simmers beneath the surface. I didn’t expect him to show his face, not with his new threat of taking me down with him in the courts. I guess he’s not a coward, at least, but I can’t say that the sight of him doesn’t fill me with a sick sort of anger.

My mind drifts back to a time when Karl and I were younger, when he and I were in our thirties, full of dreams and aspirations. Back then, he was genuinely in love with life, grateful for every opportunity our father had provided. I remember the pride I felt watching him grow, seeing the potential in him.

But things have changed drastically. Karl's life took a different turn, marred by divorces, womanizing, and a general descent into the kind of person I've always tried not to be. I wonder if things would have been different if he'd known the truth about our father, about the legacy he was born into. Could that knowledge have steered him towards a better path? It's a question that haunts me, even now.

Still, I wouldn’t trade a change in Karl for my own children’s inheritance. Letting him become who he has become was a necessary sacrifice.

Fortunately, my attorney doesn’t take long to arrive, for which I’m grateful. As we take our respective seats and exchange formal greetings with Karl and his lawyer, I feel a profound sadness for the brother he once was and the things that lay in the future for him. Our destinies have diverged so dramatically, and it's clear that any hope of reconciliation is a distant dream. The weight of our shared history, both the known and the hidden, hangs heavily in the room, suffocating the air between us.

After settling into my chair, my own attorney beside me, Karl’s lawyer scrutinizes the legal documents spread across the polished oak table silently, but my own lawyer is motionless as he waits for things to commence. Karl doesn’t look nervous, even though I think that he should. He looks indifferent—aloof, even. I wonder if it's just a mask, or if he really has so little emotion for this entire situation.

“So, Karl,” I begin, unable to keep this silent charade going. My body’s tight with restrained frustration, but I have got to get this out of my chest. “How come you haven't signed the settlement the prosecutor gave you? Five years isn't that much time, and by then, everything would be forgotten.”

Karl responds with a casual shrug, as though the prospect of serving time in prison is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. “Well, that was the idea before consulting my attorney. But he figures that it isn't fair for me to go down alone, and the more that we talked about it, the more I agreed. It isn’t fair.”

“Karl, come on,” I try to lighten my tone, to put him more at ease if possible. “I didn't know she had a cabaret, I didn't place the drugs there, I didn't do any of it. What justice is there in making me suffer for things I didn’t do? It would just weigh on you, not make you feel any better. You’re a better man than that.”

Karl laughs out loud at this: one loud bark that holds no humor. “Both of us know better than that, Seb. Neither of us are good men. I think your little foray with that stripper proved that.”

The audacity of his statement nearly leaves me speechless. I can feel my temper flaring, threatening to erupt in a torrent of anger. I take a deep breath, attempting to maintain composure. I didn't anticipate Karl's stubbornness, especially after all we've been through.

I turn to my attorney, silently urging him to intervene and resolve this deadlock. My lead attorney, a seasoned professional with a knack for negotiating, senses my mounting frustration. He takes over, his words calculated and persuasive, seeking to break through Karl's unwavering stance.

All I can hear is blood rushing in my ears, leaving me with my thoughts once more. Dwelling on hypotheticals is a futile exercise at this point. The choices Karl and I have made, our respective paths in life, have brought us to this precarious juncture. Except…that isn’t the whole truth. It was my father’s choices, and Karl’s mother’s choices, that set this whole thing in motion. I wonder if either of them would consider their little affair worth it if they could see where it has led their sons now.

As the negotiation drags on, I'm more anxious than ever about Karl discovering our hidden lineage. My father's dying wish was for the truth to remain buried, and it's a responsibility I've carried with unwavering resolve. If I want this company to remain a legacy for my children, led by Elise, I must convince Karl to accept the plea deal. It's the only way to protect our family's name and the empire we've built. This thought plays on repeat in my head, constantly, over and over again. I have to find a way to make this work.

The negotiations in the boardroom continue to escalate, and it's becoming increasingly clear that Karl is determined to drag me down with him. My attorney attempts to steer the conversation toward a more amicable resolution.

“My client is prepared to bargain with you, Karl.” My lawyer speaks in a controlled and courteous manner. “If you agree to the settlement and plead guilty to the accusations made against you, he can provide you with a very significant indemnity. You wouldn’t even need to work anymore.”

Karl's lawyer is just as determined to have it his way. “My client won't serve his prison sentence by himself. If he falls, Sebastian falls with him,” he responds, echoing what Karl had said previously.

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