The van Rooyen residence stood proudly in the heart of Rotterdam, not far from the Nieuwe Maas River. A grand colonial-style house with tall windows and a black iron gate, it looked like something out of a magazine especially now, blanketed in the soft white of early snow.
Inside, the warmth of the reading room lined with oak and lit by a crackling fireplace, offered a cozy contrast to the cold world outside.
Marteen van Rooyen, 35, sat back in a leather armchair, a cup of black coffee in one hand and a serious look on his face. Spread out on the table in front of him was a document with a name he hadn't expected to see: De Haven Bali.
Across from him sat Eduard van Rooyen, his father still sharp in a gray wool suit despite his nearly 70 years. His white hair was slicked back, his gaze steady.
"You're giving me the hotel in Bali?" Marteen asked, raising an eyebrow.
Eduard nodded. "I can't keep flying back and forth anymore. That kind of travel doesn't agree with me these days."
Marteen let out a slow breath. "We have properties all over the Netherlands. Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague. Why not hand me one of those?"
"Because De Haven is different," Eduard replied. "It's a family legacy. It means more than just numbers on a spreadsheet. I want you to be part of it not just as an heir, but as its true owner."
Marteen glanced out the tall window beside him, watching flakes of snow drift lazily to the ground. He had never been to Bali. Tropical heat and crowded beach towns weren't exactly his idea of paradise. He preferred Tokyo in the fall. Seoul in the spring. Places with structure. Discipline. Order.
"You know I've never been interested in running a resort out there," he said quietly. "If I had a choice, I'd rather develop high-rise apartments right here in the city."
A soft voice chimed in from the corner of the room. "We're not asking you to live there, sweetheart."
Sofia van Rooyen, his mother, walked in gracefully, carrying a tray of tea and small pastries. A light scarf was wrapped around her neck, and her smile was as warm as the fire crackling behind her.
"All your father is asking is that you visit more often. Audit the business. Make sure things are running properly. That's it."
Marteen looked at her for a moment, then down at the papers again. De Haven Bali. Presidential suites, private villas, beachfront restaurants, luxury spa and wellness experiences.
"And who's supposed to be the CEO if I'm just the owner?" he asked, reaching for his coffee.
Eduard exchanged a quick glance with Sofia before answering. "We've already spoken to Nick."
Marteen blinked. "Nick van Loon?"
"Who else?" Sofia smiled. "He may be your best friend, but he's also the only one we trust to manage this property on the ground."
Eduard added, "Nick has a long family history in hospitality. His father, his uncle, even his grandfather ran boutique hotels across Europe. And conveniently, his father already owns minority shares in De Haven. This partnership makes perfect sense."
Marteen leaned back, thinking. Nick van Loon had been his closest friend since university. Charismatic, impulsive, always full of big ideas completely opposite of Marteen's calm, meticulous style. But when it came to hotel management, Nick had an undeniable instinct for it.
"Fine," Marteen said at last. "On one condition."
Eduard looked intrigued. "Go on."
"Nick has to be based in Bali as the full-time CEO. I'm not managing things from across the ocean. I'll come for audits, I'll handle the owner's responsibilities but I won't be dragged into daily operations."
Sofia laughed softly. "You always know how to bargain."
Eduard smiled, relieved. "Agreed. I'll make sure Nick is on board. Knowing him, he'll probably jump at the chance to run a hotel in paradise."
Marteen stood and slid the folder into his leather bag. There was a strange feeling creeping in not resistance, exactly. Something more like curiosity, wrapped in a cautious kind of anticipation.
***
It was often said sometimes in whispers, sometimes out loud that when Marteen van Rooyen and Nick van Loon walked into a room together, time paused.
Both men were tall, broad-shouldered, and effortlessly magnetic. Their eyes clear blue-green, like a glacier lit by morning sun held the kind of quiet power that made people forget what they were saying mid-sentence. Hair the color of honey-blonde wheat, tousled just enough to look accidental. Their features were carved, striking like something out of a classic sculpture, except more alive. More dangerous.
And yet, for all their similarities, they couldn't have been more different.
Marteen carried himself with calm precision. He didn't need to raise his voice to be heard, didn't need to chase attention it simply followed. Everything about him was measured: the way he moved, the way he spoke, even the way he looked at you. There was something disarming about that softness beneath his strength. A quiet fire that didn't burn, but warmed.
He wore his suits perfectly tailored, his cufflinks always aligned. Meetings, spreadsheets, strategic planning Marteen thrived in structure. For the past seven years, he had led the development division of van Rooyen Group in Rotterdam, overseeing commercial properties with cold efficiency. His days were booked to the hour, his calendar color-coded by his assistant. And it was beginning to wear him down.
That was, in part, why he had finally agreed to become the owner of De Haven Bali. Not to chase profit but to finally, maybe, breathe. To build something beautiful without being buried in endless boardroom politics.
Nick, on the other hand, was energy in motion.
If Marteen was a slow-burning candle, Nick was a wildfire in a tailored shirt. He laughed louder, moved faster, flirted shamelessly with waitstaff and grandmothers alike. But beneath all that fire was a brilliant mind for hospitality one that had been sharpened since childhood. His family had owned hotels for generations. It was in his blood.
He had been the CEO of his father's flagship hotel in Rotterdam for the last five years, transforming it into one of the most talked-about luxury stays in the Netherlands. Guests loved him. Staff adored him. Investors trusted him.
So when Eduard van Rooyen offered him the role of CEO at De Haven Bali, Nick didn't hesitate.
"I've been to Bali once," he had told Marteen over whiskey one snowy night. "And I swear, I've never felt more alive. The air, the sea, the chaos it's everything I didn't know I was missing."
Marteen had simply smiled. "Then it's yours."
Nick would bring the passion. The edge. The spark. Marteen would bring the vision. The elegance. The steadiness behind the scenes.
Together, they would turn De Haven into something unforgettable.