Chapter 2 – The House That Changed Everything
Five days later.
The winter morning was gray as Daan and Lotte de Vries walked hand in hand into the town hall.
Lotte leaned against his shoulder with a satisfied smile.
"So after today, I'll officially live with you," she whispered.
Daan squeezed her hand.
"Everything is finally over."
At least, that was what he believed.
The clerk accepted their documents and began entering the information into the system.
A few seconds later, he frowned.
He checked the screen again.
Then another database.
His expression suddenly became serious.
"Mr. Van der Meer..."
Daan looked up.
"Yes?"
"I'm afraid there's a problem."
Lotte's smile slowly faded.
"What problem?" she asked impatiently.
The clerk turned the monitor toward them.
"According to our property records, the address you're registering at isn't solely owned by you."
Daan frowned.
"That's impossible. The house is mine."
The clerk shook his head.
"Our system shows another registered co-owner."
Silence filled the room.
"Who?" Daan asked, his voice suddenly tense.
The clerk read the name aloud.
"Mrs. Sanne Visser."
Lotte stared at Daan.
"You told me everything was settled!"
Daan's face turned pale.
"It... it should have been."
The clerk continued calmly.
"Until the ownership issue is resolved, we cannot complete the registration."
Lotte stepped back.
"So I can't move in?"
"I'm sorry, ma'am."
For the first time since the divorce, panic appeared in Daan's eyes.
He immediately grabbed his phone and dialed Sanne's number.
No answer.
He called again.
Still nothing.
Again.
Again.
Seven missed calls.
...
Hundreds of kilometers away, in Barcelona, Sanne sat on a quiet terrace overlooking the sea.
Her phone vibrated repeatedly on the table.
She glanced at the screen.
Daan Van der Meer.
Seven missed calls.
She smiled faintly but never picked up.
Instead, another call came in.
This time it was her lawyer.
"Mrs. Visser, we've finished reviewing the old property documents."
"And?"
"There has been a mistake for years."
Sanne's fingers tightened around her coffee cup.
"What kind of mistake?"
"The family house your parents left you was never fully transferred after your marriage."
She remained silent.
The lawyer continued.
"During a refinancing process years ago, Daan's residence was legally linked to your inherited property as collateral."
Sanne slowly stood up.
"So..."
The lawyer took a deep breath.
"As long as that legal connection exists, he cannot freely sell, transfer, or officially register another resident without your written approval."
The sea breeze lifted her hair.
For the first time in months...
She smiled.
Not because she wanted revenge.
But because fate had just revealed a secret neither she nor Daan had known.
And that secret was only the beginning.
